Meren:
I re-entered the hobby in earnest this past year after being an armchair collector for many years. I am concurrently building a layout and the structures I have sited and planned for it, so I am presently doing a great deal of plastic kit-building, primarily older Atlas and Walthers Cornerstone (+1 Heljan train station to come in a few months). Perhaps my approach might also be of help to you.
When I start a new structure, the very first thing I do is go online and search Google images for photos and or drawings of that particular structure- or related similar structures, if no eact images are found. I compile them in a folder on my desktop as research and reference in the model-building process. I also look at other railroaders' websites or photo collections of their layout work that I come across thru my web searches. All of this material is used to give me painting and construction clues, as well as provide inspiration for enhancements or modifications I may consider.
I then carefully consider the printed instructions provided- along with any info obtained from my research- and make notes to myself for the assembly process, either directly on the instructions or on a separate piece of paper (or on my computer), that will remind me of specific assembly points that I need to be careful with or where I am going to modify a given assembly.
Dry-fitting (much as it is also a best practice in my other hobby- woodworking)- is essential, as others have mentioned on this forum, to help visualize the actual assembly/ subassembly you are working on.
I also make painting notes as I prepare my self-reminders, along with the color schemes (and specific paint codes/color names) I plan to use.
There is no shame in deviating from the given instructions, as you are the only critic whose opinion counts.
Hope this helps.
Thanks helps a bit
In a lot of the Heljan/Pola kits, which were marketed under various brand names over the years, the "instructions" were typically only an exploded drawing. (Contrast with the military miniature and aircraft model kits that almost always had step-by-step instructions, historical notes, and detailed painting instructions.)
In defense of the manufacturer, it must be remembered that these kits were being sold all over the world, and detailed instructions, correctly translated into numerous languages, would have gotten very expensive.
OTOH, when assembling these kits, it is sometimes a good idea to find the original product review in Model Railroader. The reviewers, especially Gordon Odegard, often found the pitfalls and explained how to assemble the model. Since many of these kits were based on European prototypes, Odegard often told how to "Americanize" the structure.
That many of these kits were introduced in the 1960s and 1970s might explain some of the quality issues. The tooling is probably wearing out.
Dan
I have the same problem with Model Power and Life-Like buildings I get all of the time ( Yes, there's still someone who uses these cheep buildings and materials) and one thing that I have found helpful is to test each part in a certain area before cementing it, assuming that the instructions from Heljan are exploded-view drawings. It's just trial and error. As long as you don't glue the stuff down before testing it, you should be O.K.
As for the colors, I'll just leave those to you
The key word here is DRY-FIT everything before you glue. I found a pic of that house by doing a Google image search and to be honest it looks like a very simple kit. You should have no problem figuring out what goes where just by matching pieces against the photo on the box cover.
Another thing to consider: it's a plastic kit. If you really mess something up, whip out the ole #11 and slice the pieces apart. Sand or file the rough edges and put them together again.
If you really kill something, well, there are such things as superdetailing parts, sheet styrene, pre-cut doors, windows, and stairs, and filler putty.
Don't be afraid to improvise, and you'll do fine.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Managed to get some basic things of silo done but still some strange pieces to figure out where they go :P
Edit: Finished most of it but stuck on silos part
Thanks for the tips eric going to try it just now
Try to make the most of the kit.. if you can get the building part done/ figured out, you can always make silos out of some PVC pipe, a little liquid nails and some primer. I have a nice large basic set of silos I will be detailing out over time but as for the silos, I think it was $5 in PVC pipe and a can of primer I had around the house. Google scratched built HO scale silos and you find a lot of info and most of them being done at half the price of Walthers Kit/ Atlas kit
Meren Is there anyway to find more detailed instructions or someone to run me through it or something.
You can always try the contact email address from their web pages: heljan@heljan.dk
I wouldn't expect them to provide a full advice service, but they probably would be able to get you a xerox copy of the original instructions from the kit, or maybe reply if there just are a few specific details you are wondering about.
Good luck :-)
Smile, Stein
thanks graffen probably stick to atlas builds i can order them i guess. I'll try attempting the models again will asking a person at my model club help i go there saturdays?
Also noticed that the plastic was cheaply made compared to atlas like you said pieces seem to find shavings coming off even with cutting with crafters knife didnt have problem with atlas molded ones.
Is there actual Grain Elevator silo and country house in atlas builds? If i dont get these right might get them rather if they make it that is wondering if i can return these models if so
Sorry to have to say this, but if you indeed are a perfectionist, then Heljan isn´t really for you.
They are cheap plastic kits made for the masses, and as such have crude detailing and sometimes a very poor fit.
Most craftsman kits on the other hand is very well detailed and is very time consuming to build, but make up into very nice looking models.
But, and this time its a big but, if you have a problem building a Heljan kit, I would have them made to order to reduce the risk of disappointment.
It´s a balance, I know. But if you dive in and try you´ll learn, and if you learn you want to try more. Good luck.
Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:
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Well built puzzles a lot but what makes me not try is making a mistake and wasting the money. The house is main problem compared to the grain storer since theres pieces i'm not sure where they fit or go. Being wrong and making a mistake scares me :P.
Problem also is my model shop only has mostly helgan models so cant choose anything else.
(Btw i'm perfectionist)
Instructions? what are these things they call instructions? Seriously how complicated can it be, simply remove all your parts from the sprus and place them on your work bench. As long as you have a picture thats 99% of the battle. You just keep referring back to the picture seeing what fits where. If you don't have a picture it's almost as simple. Did you ever put any puzzles together as a kid? Simply see what pieces fit where. Your building a simple model kit not the space shuttle, don't be intimidated by it.. dive right in and as long as you dry fit the pieces together you can't mess up. I built a Heljan roundhouse with 16 stalls for the club, While the old fossil's of the club were arguing about this or that and how crappy the instructions were I was busy building the kit. I didn't need the instructions to tell me that windows went in the walls and not the roof panels and that the doors went on the front not the floor. You get the idea, don't be ascared its only plastic.
I have assembled exactly two Heljan kits in my day -- an overpass and an engine house. They both came with an exploded drawing with a couple of arrows showing what went where. I think that's their standard (must be a Danish thing).
Since I was kitbashing them, I just dove in and put the things together, and they turened out fairly well, but I'm not going to rush out and buy another Heljan product.
yep thats the perspective its in just in black and white showing pieces
doesnt show where windows and etc. go into so had to guess that part from picture :P
so far its the house and silo part confusing me with so little detail
MerenThe silo has no numbers on parts or writing just one picture from one perspective
Is this the perspective you have? http://www.westerndepot.com/popup_image.php/pID/7078?osCsid=e6a05282cecace1caf98955a7ea4428f
Meren The house has numbered parts with only 1 picture not really showing how they connect The silo has no numbers on parts or writing just one picture from one perspective
The house has numbered parts with only 1 picture not really showing how they connect
The silo has no numbers on parts or writing just one picture from one perspective
Ah, I see. Basically you got a couple kits without any instructions.
rather not guess and make a mistake :P
I think most of the instructions that come with these kits are of the pictorial variety. They generally show the assembly in sequence and it is assumed that the builder will follow along and attach the part shown as 1 in the little bubble to the part shown as 2 in another bubble. The parts on the sprue should have the corresponding part numbers. If you are looking for some instructions that verbally say "remove part 1 from the sprue and attach to part 2", you might be out of luck. But then I don't have the particular kits you mention so it's possible that these kits had other, more comprehensive, instructions.
I tried to build Heljan Grain Elevator 806 and 139 House but it lacked detailed instructions like atlas models so couldnt get far, but i like both models and match my layout design.
Is there anyway to find more detailed instructions or someone to run me through it or something.
Thanks for help