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Suydam Wood Kit Pointers?

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  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: Wyoming, where men are men, and sheep are nervous!
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Suydam Wood Kit Pointers?
Posted by Pruitt on Saturday, July 2, 2022 9:31 AM

I recently started putting together the Suydam Box Factory kit, kit #81.

Bought it for $3 at a train show a few years ago - great deal!

I've never put together a Suydam wood kit before, but I know some of youse guys (practicing my New Jersey accent, there) have.

Any pointers? 

The instructions are pretty vague on several things, but the diagrams generally help with those points. One thing though - the kit comes with a lot of small stripwood, but the instructions don't say what it's for! I'm thinking it's used for roof ridge boards and the frieze boards at the edges of the roof. Not sure, though. Any suggestions?

  • Member since
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  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
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Posted by BATMAN on Saturday, July 2, 2022 9:50 AM

Mark, on the wood kits I have built most of the strip wood is used on the inside walls to brace the edges where they join to each other and outside for trim such as roof lines.

 

 

 

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: Wyoming, where men are men, and sheep are nervous!
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Posted by Pruitt on Saturday, July 2, 2022 6:34 PM

Thanks Brent,

Most of the stripwood is .04 X .105, roughly 4" X 10" scale.

I figured it might be for the fascia boards on the roof. This kit doesn't need much in the way of reinforcement - the corners of the walls are very strongly supported with the 1/4" rabbeted corner posts.

  • Member since
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  • From: west coast
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Posted by rrebell on Sunday, July 3, 2022 7:49 AM

Pruitt

I recently started putting together the Suydam Box Factory kit, kit #81.

Bought it for $3 at a train show a few years ago - great deal!

I've never put together a Suydam wood kit before, but I know some of youse guys (practicing my New Jersey accent, there) have.

Any pointers? 

The instructions are pretty vague on several things, but the diagrams generally help with those points. One thing though - the kit comes with a lot of small stripwood, but the instructions don't say what it's for! I'm thinking it's used for roof ridge boards and the frieze boards at the edges of the roof. Not sure, though. Any suggestions?

 

Never knew they did wood kits, only had the metal ones.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, July 3, 2022 8:34 AM

rrebell

 

 
Pruitt

I recently started putting together the Suydam Box Factory kit, kit #81.

Bought it for $3 at a train show a few years ago - great deal!

I've never put together a Suydam wood kit before, but I know some of youse guys (practicing my New Jersey accent, there) have.

Any pointers? 

The instructions are pretty vague on several things, but the diagrams generally help with those points. One thing though - the kit comes with a lot of small stripwood, but the instructions don't say what it's for! I'm thinking it's used for roof ridge boards and the frieze boards at the edges of the roof. Not sure, though. Any suggestions?

 

 

 

Never knew they did wood kits, only had the metal ones.

 

 

In 1959 Suydam aquired Ayers Scale Models and added their wood/matboard structures to the product line. At that point, there were more wood/matboard structures in their line than the metal ones.

Looking at the 1983 Walthers catalog, there were 19 metal kits and 39 wood kits, many quite popular over the years.

This guy may still be selling some of the items:

https://www.alpinemodels.com/index.html

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Fruita, CO
  • 541 posts
Posted by slammin on Sunday, July 3, 2022 10:47 AM

Pruitt, even though the matboard has weight to it, like any wood kit, you should use 3/16 or 1/4 inch square stripwood to re-inforce the corners and walls, especially if your layout is in an area subject to humidity. The kits have been around for over 50 years and build into nice structures. Starting as Ayers, then Suydam, then California Models and last as Alpine Models. I believe the owners retired several years ago.

  • Member since
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  • From: 10,430’ (3,179 m)
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Posted by jjdamnit on Sunday, July 3, 2022 12:27 PM

Hello All,

rrebell
Never knew they did wood kits, only had the metal ones.

All my Suydam kits are metal too.

You might want to change your header to "Suydam Wood Kit Pointers?"

When I read it I immediately thought of suggesting a soldering iron meant for stained glass work.

But with a wood kit, I doubt that would work.

Hope this helps.

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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