Merchants Row 1 instructions..

[jacon12]

I have the Walthers Merchants Row 1 instructions and looking over the instruction sheets I'm not sure how to proceed putting it together. I contacted Walthers and was told this kit was the oldest in that particular line and it did not have a step by step instruction sheet. Below is the first instruction diagram and it deals with putting the windows etc. in place. No problem.

But I'm not sure about diagrams 2 and 3 seen below..


I'm assuming that the number of the pieces also indicate the order in which they are assembled. What do you think from looking at the diagrams?
Jarrell

[ereimer]

i don't think so . in the middle diagram there's nothing to hold up parts 4 and 5 until you put in parts 6 and 7 . seems wrong to me . i'd say 4 - 6 - 5 - 7 or 4 - 6 - 7 - 5 would be the way to go .

[Anonymous]

Think of it as one big building. Usually you get good results from attaching one side to the front and the other side to the back forming two 'L' shapes. Then attach the two "L" shapes to get the building. (It is easier to keep 2 pieces at a time square.) Then add the roof and the fake building dividers. You might want to add black construction paper dividers between the 'stores' or leave the roof removable so you can divide them up later.

[Anonymous]

Jarrell,

It is hard to say 100% without having the kit in my hands, but from what I see here I would put the walls together first (Keep em' square and vertical), let them dry fully, then add the recessed door and the side walks. The roof looks pretty straight forward. I would test fit before getting glue on things. It appears to me that the numbers don't mean a whole bunch in terms of construction order. If you want a clean model, I suspect that you will have to do some filing and trimming to get things to fit well. This comes with the territory.

Have fun,

[cheese3]

I am sorry i cannot aid in the construction but I was looking at this kit in the LHS the other day and I was wondering if it comes painted like the different buildings have different color bricks or do you have to paint them. I just need to know so I can pick up some paint too if needed.

[Anonymous]

jacon12
I have the same kit ,I glued the sides onto the front first ,one at a time ofcourse,then
the back.making sure everything is square.The next thing I did was to put a coat
of primer on this .Also the one thing I did was to glue some of the scrap sprue?
between the front wall and back wall using the roof in place temporarily for size to reinforce
the front and back walls. Im just about finished painting the walls havent started the
roof yet ,Oh before I get to far off track I did glue both doorways inplace before I primed it
I also mounted the door on the front of the building flush with the wall.
Windows will go in last .The numbers are part numbers to identify them on the sprue?
I have hade fun with this kit My kids helped pick colors and store names.
jshack..

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cheese3

I am sorry i cannot aid in the construction but I was looking at this kit in the LHS the other day and I was wondering if it comes painted like the different buildings have different color bricks or do you have to paint them. I just need to know so I can pick up some paint too if needed.

Adam, no it's unpainted. Well, the wall do have a uniform red color but you have to paint everything yourself.
Jarrell

[jacon12]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions. I think that is the way I'll proceed... one side wall at the time to the front wall... or maybe I'll do the L shaped thing with the back/side, front/side. It'll be fine if I can just keep it square.
Jarrell

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cheese3

I am sorry i cannot aid in the construction but I was looking at this kit in the LHS the other day and I was wondering if it comes painted like the different buildings have different color bricks or do you have to paint them. I just need to know so I can pick up some paint too if needed.

Adam, heres the base color of the buildings.

Jarrell

[cheese3]

Thanks Jarrell. I am allready invisioning where i will put it and how i am going to paint it.
Looks like you got the construction all worked out then. Good work!

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cheese3

Thanks Jarrell. I am allready invisioning where i will put it and how i am going to paint it.
Looks like you got the construction all worked out then. Good work!

Adam, you gotta know that if there had been any way... any way at all... to have accidently glued my eyelids to the darned thing, I'd have done it...[^]
I think I'm going to go with the colors on the box it came in. Nice and safe that way and maybe I can't mess it up too bad...[:D]
Now, I've just gotta find the right paint. I'd also like to print some very very small signs to go in some of the windows, I think the largest one is about 3/4 inch wide. I may be pushing my luck now.
If you haven't put this building together yet, be sure a place your windows, especially the ones that go on the top row on the front of the window, in place as a trial before glueing. Placement is very critical. The windows have to be almost butt joined next to each other to make them all fit.
Jarrell

[davekelly]

Jarrell,

I am nearly done with my Merchant's Row 2. My process in picking out the brick colors actually too more time than the actual spraying lol. I wanted different color of brick for each "building" but not too different. I ended up using Burnt Sienna and Rust as the base colors - adding a little yellow and black until I was happy with it. I also used SP Lettering Gray with a little white added as the mortar color. We won't even go through the thought process in picking out the trim colors lol.

[WickhamMan]

Jarrell,

I put that model together last year. I found that assembling the side peices (including recessed doors/windows) first was the best course. Putting them onto the walls once they were attached would be a real pain. Also, the corner with the recessed door below the spire is particularly tricky to assemble. Make sure you have the spire assembled first and try to attach the two side to is simultaneously in order to make sure it fits. Once that is in place (and the glue is still a bit "loose"), check to make sure the double doors fit correctly in the remaining gap.

The base piece can help you "square up" the structure but I wouldn't rely on that. In fact, I think a lot of modelers would do without it if it weren't for the fact that it fits so well with the recessed double door in the corner that creating your own sidewalks would be a pain.

Here is a picture of my version before I did any weathering:



Notice, I screwed up the upper roof a bit because I didn't test to make sure it would fit even though the section was "square". In retrospect, I should have trimmed the roof piece before installing it. It was my first model in more than 30 years so I cut myself some slack on the finished look.

[jacon12]

I appreciate the suggestions. I'm trying not to screw it up too bad! [:)]
I may show it to ya'll then again I'm the worlds lousiest painter, so I probably won't. I'd really hate to see a locomotive I tried to paint!
Jarrell

[oleirish]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jacon12

I appreciate the suggestions. I'm trying not to screw it up too bad! [:)]
I may show it to ya'll then again I'm the worlds lousiest painter, so I probably won't. I'd really hate to see a locomotive I tried to paint!
Jarrell

[:D][:D]Jarrell
You can paint,you can paint,you can paint,one of these days I'll be able to show you guys my old town,wich has been on four lay outs.