I've started planning a row house that will double as a balast storeage bin. It's a 2 and 3 story structure a little over 5 feet long. Does anyone know of a cheaper source for windows and doors? Garden Texture has what I want but the total comes to over $400 even with their discount and package deals.
Thanks,
Rex
How about Colorado Model Structures? Their windows and doors are pretty inexpensive.
Bob
I tend to make my own. obvioulsy you will need a LOT of them so they would have to be simple to make...or you need a lot of time! how about a simple stencil and just paint them on the surface of your "bin"
Winnegance and Quebec Railway
Eric Schade Gen'l Manager
Bob,
I checked them out and in fact I think I bought some of their product at one of the national conventions. These will work for at least one and maybe two of the six houses. For the rest I need something more ornate.
Captain Perry,
Most of my buildings are from Garden Texture plans or scratch built with the same type of construction. This row house will use some plans (front and back elevations) from Garden Texture and the rest will be of similar construction. I'll off-set the exterior elevations from the "bin" by a couple inches so I can light the windows from inside as well have some interior detail to see through the windows. That will make my "bin" about 12" wide. I'll like your idea of painting the bin walls to provide some more interior detail.
I've tried making my own windows and doors before. The doors came out pretty well but the windows looked pretty plain. Some fell apart a couple years latter because I used very thin material and CA glue. How do you make yours? I'd like to stay with a "Victorian" style.
Rex (LTC USArmy Ret)
Painting windows would be a quick and dirty method...the next choice is to make your own.
I make windows from wood using a mini table saw to cut the mullions. I cut them so they lock together egg crate fashion....each is notched where it meets the other. This is tedious to do if you are thinking of making one mullion at a time, however if you make batches of parts assembly line fashion it can be pretty efficient.
The next possiblility is to make a mold of a window that fits your needs and "mass-produce" them. I have made molds for windows using silicone from Micro-Mark and cast windows from resin. I can get from one to two dozen windows from a mold. the simpler the window the longer the mold can last.
Your post led me to an article on the "Family Garden Railroad" site titled "Cheap Mullions for Building Windows". I'm going to see what I can find at the big box stores or the grocery store for mullions and then take another stab at building my own windows. I have lots of time.
http://www.btcomm.com/trains/primer/structures/mullions/mullions.htm
I've had good luck using hardware cloth. I cut them to size and frame with styrene angle.
Though I've also made my own out of styrene strips.
Great looking windows!
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