How do you model buildings?

I would say pretty much all the base's have been covered, the only thing I would add is that be sure and mount your structure to a solid base. It is very disappointing to spend all the time scatchbuilding a structure only to see the base twist and warp, I normally mount mine to a 3/4 piece of plywood. The other thing is that be sure the scenery surrounds the buildings foundation, so that your structure doesn't seem to float on the ground. One more thought Tichy Train Group has a pretty good line of window and door castings if Grandt Line doesn't offer what you need.

Brad

 

Here's my design plan for my 21"x5"x5" Sulligent Cotton Oil Co. building. I have Cornerstone brick sheets & corrugated roof sheets. Wish me luck. Pics to come. .

 

Brandon--Do you have the Heron Rail Video "Glory Machines, Volume 5 ?" It has some GREAT later 1940's (As well as some 50's and 60's) RR scenes. Kansas City and St. Louis Union Station scenes along with some Memphis scenes of the Frisco and MoPac (Including a MoPac engine being lifted by a derrick). There are several clips of soutern RR's including SR, SAL, CofG, A&WP, ACL, FEC etc. Plus some southern logging and lumber short lines. HOWEVER, there'a a priceless cut taken from the rear coach of the Sunnyland going through Sulligent, AL in the 1940's. It shows the frame depot, street crossings, trackplan with a neat lap siding, signals and so on. It's a great snapshot of a RR through a small town. It actually looks like a model RR scene! Lots of detail for a modeler. FYI.

Tom G.

 

Oh my goodness, Tom. No. But I will get it if I can! Thanks, that is awesome!!!

 

I have put many of my modeling articles into The Meteor and , also, Model Railroader Hobbyist on-line magazine. Scratch building with styrene is fun and easy, all you have to do is DO IT.

 

Quick questions: I assume I should tediously cut out the openings for doors and windows with a hobby knife and cut along the grooves (grout lines) where possible? Also, the building will be longer than one sheet of brick. How can I mask the seams? I hope I remember to log my hours. Here are examples of the material I have for the walls and roof.

 

Wow, I am really late to this party. So this might be way too late, but maybe for future projects one could also look at - http://www.monstermodelworks.com/

They say that they can do custom cutting. But at what price??????

 

What are you styrene modelers using for "cement" now that Tenax7R isn't available any more?

Thanks, Tom

 

Brandon--Here's a link to the Heron video: https://www.ribbonrail.com/HerronRa...ducts_id=33&osCsid=manqj8m3rod0u41j8d466i5t10

TG

Edit: Brandon (and others) here's a link to another video you might be interested in. It's Green Frog's "Passenger Trains Of The 60's." The original three VHS tapes are now combined on one DVD at a GREAT price! There are a WHOLE LOT of passenger trains in the south including SR, ACL, SCL etc. Including a couple of dozen Frisco run-bys. KC-Florida Special, Sunnyland, Southland. FYI. http://www.greenfrog.com/passtrain60s_all3_dvd.shtml

 

I had used Testors before Tenax came along. I guess I'll go back to Testors when my stash of Tenax runs out.

TG

 

After exactly 4 hrs. & 28 minutes (not counting a 30 minute break) logged tonight, ALL of the doors and windows of the front wall of the Sulligent Cotton Oil Co. are OPEN!!!!!!!!!! My process? Select a starting point, count the brick rows and columns, depend on good eyesight and good lighting, take a #11 exacto knife, use the grout lines as an aid, and slowly but surely, scribe, increasing pressure each time, then gently pop out the pieces and there you have it... the 19.75" x 4" front wall of the Sulligent Cotton Oil Co. The proof is in the pics. The wall was (2) seperate 9 7/8" x 4" Walthers Cornerstone brick sheets at 5pm. This is what they looked like at 9:58pm. Let me know what you think. Keep in mind that I've never done anything like this before. I almost put a window where there should't be one. Outside of that error I'm pleased with the result.

 

Thank you, Jim. Yes, I'm going to arch the doors and windows. Any reason I can't do that with an Xacto knife? I don't see why not. I cut out all of the doors and windows for the front wall with one blade... not by choice... I just didn't have any extras left.