Plasticville Question???

[DCmontana]

I have a plasticville supermarket that I am going to remodel.  Some of the changes are to rename the store, add a roof vent and chimney,different windows, etc.  Is there a safe way to sand or grind off the plasticville and supermarket lettering on the front.  I don't want take a chance on cracking the front of the building.  Don't fret pristine collectors, the building is sound, but not a collector's prize!  It will look better following my remodeling!  Thanks for your help!

Dick

 

[Anonymous]

You could possible VERY CAREFULLY grind/sand off the lettering
with a Dremel drum sanding attachment. These have worked well for
me in the past when I wnated to remove details on plastic items. Maybe
you can sand down close to the flat facia and then finish with a small
flat sanding block.

[Anonymous]

Why don't you make up the new store name on a seperate sign board and glue it right over the old Plasticville Supermarket lettering? This will add dimension to your model by setting out the new lettering. I think that the old letters are about 1/16" deep. You could make the new sign up out of a file card with the new lettering printed out on your computer. Glue it to the file card backing and cut out some bordering for the edges. Then glue the completed sign unit onto the Plasticville lettering. Should work well and look pretty good.

[brianel027]

Given that I have had experience with this very subject:

The older Plasticville building kits are made with a somewhat heavier plastic that is a little less subject to warpage than the newer ones, which I believe are made of some kind of styrene.

You need a very steady hand to remove the lettering with a Dremel tool and the sanding bit, though it can be done. The second suggestion might be a little safer: to build a new sign right on top of the older lettering.

Another suggestion (one I've also done) is to take your Dremel and the cutting disc and cut a rectangular hole where the old lettering was (again - a steady hand and good eye is a must). Then sand down and smooth the opening and put a piece of plexiglas cut to fit the opening with a new sign on the face to be illuminated. This move can only be done if you are planning on repainting the whole building.

To make your Plasticville buildings lightproof, clean with soapy water and prime inside/out with a gray plastic safe primer. Then put on your final colors. Multi-colors can be done with a paint mask - just do your lighter colors like yellow first. You may want to do the whole building one light color then brush the trim and door edges. Doors and windows that are separately attached are easily painted a differing color.

Also consider (as in real life) that the P-ville buildings can easily be made into other things: how many times have you seen a gas station turned into something else? I turned on P-ville grocery store into a shipping company. I turned the Firehouse into a bakery. I turned the K-Lineville Police station into a small facotry by adding an additional basement foundation, a cut loading door, a loading dock and HO scale water tank on top.

If you know someone who has it and knows how to use it, the MAC based Quark Express is probably the very best program to design and make your own building signs, window inserts etc.

There are vendors who make repro doors, windows, etc. for Plastiville buildings and can be used just as easily in new ones as the older originals.

The possibilities are endless and make for more variety on a small layout where "real estate" is at a premium. the recent article in CTT on making improvements to Plasticville buildings was very good and worth a read.*

*This was an unsolicited plug, but Bob Keller if you want to send me a free gift, I won't refuse it... well unless it's a Plasticville billboard that says "New York Central Rules... the Penn Central must Die!" I'll allow you to keep that one for your layout!

 

[DCmontana]

Thanks for the help you guys.  I had considered making new signs and gluing them over the old ones as I did on the post office. I rejected it just for the pursuit of a new activity.  However, the idea of putting the new signs over the old ones still has merit.  The fact that sanding has been successful and is practicle means that I can proceed either way.  I have successfully painted the inside of two other plasticville buildings and it shuts out the glow of light perfectly.  Plasticville buildings have a lot of potential for upgrades and they are relatively easy projects to do.  Recent articles in CTT have been inspirational.  With my skills, I really need the easy ones, though I am improving.  Thanks again!

Invite children into your home, run your trains, carefully let them try their hand, pass the hobby on to another generation, feel really good about yourself!