When you just gotta build it yourself

[trolleyboy]

Hey gang I know most of us have limited time but when we do get the urge to create what's your favorite construction material? If you can regail us with your first,worst best attempts, pistures are always welcome. Myself I'm a styrene guy it's easy to use glue and is sturdy I'll also use comersial bits such as campbell shingles DPM sections bricksheet etc. Thanks all in advance Rob

[jrbernier]

Styrene is my first choice. I used to scratch-build lots if wood structures. First Grant Line came out with super windows/doors, then Evergreen came out with 'siding', Now it is much too easy to build a nice structure very fast.
I have done some casting, using resin, epoxy, and plaster. I have never scratch-built anything in brass, even though I have pretty good soldering skills and access to a resistance soldering rig. I did build card stock trolley cars back in the 60's(Paul Moore Models) & some Suydam structures, but have never considered it for a base to start with. I would be scared of humidity(even if it was 'sealed').

Jim Bernier

[IRONROOSTER]

I have always preferred wood, probably because that was the medium of choice when I started 33 years ago.
Enjoy
Paul

[CBQ_Guy]

I picked styrene. Brass would be a second choice.

Wood and I just don't seem to get along!

[Anonymous]

What I use depends on what I am building.
Brass, steel and aluminum are my preference when scratch-building a locomotive, styrene plastic when kit-bashing or modifying a plastic model.
I like wood and card board for structures.

[Jetrock]

Styrene is probably #1 in terms of all-around flexibility, but I have scratchbuilt in cardstock and wood plenty of times over the years. I have yet to scratchbuild a locomotive, but several plans I have call for wood as the medium of choice (or styrene disguised as wood!)

I am getting ready to build a fairly large project out of DPM modules--they're nice and flexible but I worry about having a layout that looks "too DPM." They do have a nice variety of materials, and they make it a lot easier to make a complex-looking brick structure than simply using brick sheeting with holes cut for windows.

[Anonymous]

As stated previously, it depends upon what you want to build. Not really a good idea to work on a diesel using wood, or trying to make a structure from brasss.

Bob Boudreau

[tomwatkins]

Styrene is my first choice for general building. I'll use wood occassionally for structures just for a change or if something is going to be really beat up and weathered. The only brass I use regularly are detailing parts and wire for locomotives.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[Anonymous]

Hi Rob, for passenger and traction cars I use bass wood for framing and laminate sheet brass with rivet detail, etc. embossed by clock gears over the wood frame. Elmers Glue All works well for laminating or Walther's Goo. Monitor roof requires two sections and lots of sanding. A list of all materials would be too lengthy for this forum. Suffice to say, "the right tools for the right job." G gauge of course, is a dream compared to HO for scratch building. I've never tried steam as the soldering skills and metal machining are out of my league. You can save a lot of time on structures using DPM prefabs as a basic starting point. Before DPM, I used bass wood frame work and card stock laminated to paper prints for brick, stone, etc.... not very satisfactory.

[Anonymous]

For buildings: styrene.
For bridges: brass, for added support, and resistance to sagging.

[cwclark]

I use them all except resin molds...I use styrene the most, then balsa, then brass

[Anonymous]

Excepting molding in resin, I have used anything I think might work. I haven't used resin molds yet, but, may sometime in the future! Also, what are we talking about making? I would assume your talking about buildings. If so, styrene is probably my favorite. However, structures I have scratch built may use a combination of many materials; foundation of plaster, frame of wood strips, plastic scribed siding, paper roofing, cast resin/brass detail parts and etc.

[SilverSpike]

I picked wood because there is just something about natural products that make structures in the early era of railroading seem more realistic to me.

Just my [2c]

Ryan

[trolleyboy]

Thanks for the replies so far, in general I'm talking general scratchbiulding, rolling stock ,loco's, and buildings. Myself i'm a styrene guy now mostly,if I'm doing a small building I'll use balsa,as I've got a supply left over from rubberband airplane days.I've come upon an unlikely sorce lately, a couple of local modelers hve access to a laser cutter and have been experimenting with it( no franken-models) or anything but actual honest to goodness laser cut kits out of ten thou evergreen styrene and they work no melting issues. thus far they've done a couple of DT&I speeder car sheds and the finished product looks good. windows and doors are grandt line but hey still a good finished product. I'm still prefering the DPM wall sections for my warehouse "district" but I agree with Jet too much DPM can be a bad thing.So heres to more ideas, enjoy guys. Rob

[trolleyboy]

What no pictures or at least funny I glued myself to the building stories, I know i've done it and bulit some pretty lobsidded buildings in my day to. TB

[Anonymous]

Styrene if I'm doing rolling stock, buildings, or anything else trackside. Brass if I'm working on a steamer, and more styrene if it's a diesel. Cardstock is stillused occasionally, but styrene and Tenax have made it somewhat obsolete.

-dave

[TurboOne]

Hiya TrolleyBoy,

first poll I couldn't vote it. I voted other, but haven't had the pleasure of scratch building yet. Have done some model kits as a kid, mainly ships and cars. Everytime I tried a train building, uggggggggggggg. Of course, no mentor either. Now with kids, wife, job, friends, no time. RTR for now, and still working on layout. Then we will build my circus and that will be fun for me.

Tim

[Anonymous]

I voted plastic, but I've used styrene, wood, carboard and brass for various scratcbuilding projects. It all depends on what you want to do.

Enjoy,
Alvie.