here is my first scratchbuilt building as an adult. dont have my n-scale building i made when i was 12 or so. this is a scaled down version of my current house. drawn 1:1 in 3-d then scaled down and i use those dimensions to make the house.
still a work in progress, will get back to it one day.
later
g
FB page of my layout *new*
https://www.facebook.com/ghglines
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thread to my layout
http://www.warcrc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=10505
pics
http://s237.photobucket.com/user/rockcrawling/library/#/user/rockcrawling/library/ho%20scale%20trains?sort=3&page=1&_suid=1388183416990004180295067414064
hon30critterYour use of the sun porch in the summer was precisely what it was built for. Around the turn of the 20th century it was believed medically that getting fresh air was essential for one's health. Many houses had similar rooms so one could "take the air". There you go - more useless window history from the Critter! Dave
Dave,
Well put; and we were healthy back then: little or no TV, lots of radio, and even more outside 'fresh air' activity. Ah, for the good ole days!
BTW I have lots of useless history and information that I don't know what to do with it.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Bob:
What you built is pretty darn good, especially for a first scratchbuild. Only you, and maybe your sister, will ever know the difference between the model and the real thing!
FWIW, our first house was almost an exact copy of yours. It was in Chatham, Ontario. I think our house must have been smaller than yours because, although we did have a similar sun porch, it was only big enough for a couple of chairs.I loved the ornate woodwork inside the house.
Your use of the sun porch in the summer was precisely what it was built for. Around the turn of the 20th century it was believed medically that getting fresh air was essential for one's health. Many houses had similar rooms so one could "take the air".
There you go - more useless window history from the Critter!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critterIn any case, Bob's picture of the original house answers the real question, and we will have to allow him a bit of leeway on the model. Dave
Now that this window situation has been brought to my attention, I am beginning to question my memory and try to imagine the windows from inside. This room we called a 'sunporch' back then and in the summer we (kids) would sleep in there with the windows open. I think there may have been some additional windows going up the slope following the roof, all small fixed panes. I wish I could confirm this arrangement but will live with what I built.
chutton01:
The supposedly odd shaped windows that I recall seeing weren't actually odd shaped at all. They were normal windows and there was a recess built into the roof to allow the window to sit below the roof line. The bottom sills were straight.
As I recall, the situations were invariably the result of someone having modified the house with an addition that interferred with the window. I walked away from the quotes because we couldn't guarantee that we could prevent leakage. Anybody who suggested they could keep the water out was either lying or they had connections from above!
In any case, Bob's picture of the original house answers the real question, and we will have to allow him a bit of leeway on the model.
hon30critter chutton01: I was in the window business for many years, and I did see a couple of examples of windows like the ones in farrella's model during my career. Are they a good idea? No! Did they leak? Yes, but only when it rained or the snow was melting. I am curious to find out if farrella's house was really built like that. Dave
I was in the window business for many years, and I did see a couple of examples of windows like the ones in farrella's model during my career.
Are they a good idea? No!
Did they leak? Yes, but only when it rained or the snow was melting.
I am curious to find out if farrella's house was really built like that.
The original windows were wood framed casement windows that were hinged on the sides and had a sliding metal rod that limited how much they opened and could be locked in any position with a large thumb screw. I had to make some deviations on the model as I couldn't find anything that was close so I used a double hung window with the correct (?) number of panes. The windows on the sides of the dormer didn't open and were fixed. The attached photo is from a year ago and you can see where the original window area has been close up some and modern windows installed within that area. I couldn't find any photos of this part of the house from back in the 50's or 60's to confirm my memory, nor my sister's memory either? Overall, I captured the look of our house but it did take some 'artistic liberties' in the window area.
The back 'deck' was built by my dad and myself. It originally had a small 4'x4' wood stoop coming off the rear entrance and there was a 'cellar' entrance near the end of the rear wall that we sealed and covered with the new deck. The concrete was coated with a thick colored surfacing compound (don't know what it was called then, circa 1960's). It was troweled on and lasted for years, up to when they sold the house in the 1970's.
Thanks for all the observations that I had totally forgotten about. I hope this explains some of the questions. This was certainly the most complex and challenging model I have built. I wish my eyesight was better as the model needs some more accurate trimming and detail work, which seem to show up in photos.
hon30critterI was in the window business for many years, and I did see a couple of examples of windows like the ones in farrella's model during my career.
farrellaaThose windows (6 over 1) are either Grandt Line or Tichy (don't remember which as I used both brands on my model) but they were 6 over 6 and I cut the bottom mullions out.
jmerullo Bob, Are those windows scratch-built or did you buy them? I'm hoping to build an HO model of the house I currently live in but I'm having trouble finding 6 over 1 windows like those. There are a few available, I think from Grant Line or Tichy, but I need different sizes and I can't seem to find them.I'm almost finished with my first scratch-built model, a model of the Cape Cod style house I grew up in. I'll post pictures later tonight if I get a chance. You can see the WIP on my blog, linked below. Jim https://coveringourtracks.wordpress.com/
Bob,
Are those windows scratch-built or did you buy them? I'm hoping to build an HO model of the house I currently live in but I'm having trouble finding 6 over 1 windows like those. There are a few available, I think from Grant Line or Tichy, but I need different sizes and I can't seem to find them.I'm almost finished with my first scratch-built model, a model of the Cape Cod style house I grew up in. I'll post pictures later tonight if I get a chance. You can see the WIP on my blog, linked below.
Jim
https://coveringourtracks.wordpress.com/
Jim,
Those windows (6 over 1) are either Grandt Line or Tichy (don't remember which as I used both brands on my model) but they were 6 over 6 and I cut the bottom mullions out. I don't think I ever found a source with exactly what I needed. I was amazed at what I did find though, like the porch railings and lattice and not shown in those photos but the back porch has iron pipe railings which was also available. I spent about $50 on the model not counting the styrene which I had. About what a good laser kit costs.
Good luck on your model and please post photos when done.
Mine was this rail bridge.
Ken G Price My N-Scale Layout
Digitrax Super Empire Builder Radio System. South Valley Texas Railroad. SVTRR
N-Scale out west. 1996-1998 or so! UP, SP, Missouri Pacific, C&NW.
Amateur father and son building our first layout: http://coveringourtracks.wordpress.com/
This was built as a receiving shed for a farm supply store. My first scratch built no plans, just an idea of what a small store might build in the late fortys. May not be up to the standards of most pics I see, but it's my first.
Anyone know why when I post from photobucket by inlarging the picture and copy and paste the picture is compressed in width untill it is clicked on? Could it have something to do with the number of pixels the camera records with?
Good work all.
Lee
Bob, No, I live in Ohio. You are right about the appropriateness of this style house for the period around 1925 as I believe that was about when my current house was built. Putting a layout in the basement has been a challenge as a very large furnance set in the center of the basement requiring me to build benchwork around the furnance. I am about half way around the new smaller furnance at present.
JAMES MOON Bob, Very impressive job with the house. It is very similar to the one I currently live in including the colors.
Bob, Very impressive job with the house. It is very similar to the one I currently live in including the colors.
Wouldn't happen to live on Southgate Ave in New York? :)
gmpullman Bob, That house is absolutely gorgeous! It could represent the quintessential residence of any area of North America from 1900 to present. Well done! Ed
That house is absolutely gorgeous! It could represent the quintessential residence of any area of North America from 1900 to present. Well done!
Ed
Thanks Ed,
this house was built in 1925 I believe, and has been updated some since then. I have photos of the revised home from last year, thanks to my sister who still lives in NY. They don't build homes like this anymore; too expensive to put in all the architectural details (also took a lot of time on the model!). Every time I look at the model it gives me the chills; it looks so real to me.
E-L man tom I'm using Photobucket. None of the options that have been described by others appear on that image hosting site. I have posted some pictures on here, both via the "usual" way (which shows a link containing more pictures than I intended to post), and copying and pasting.
Tom,
OK, maybe one of the PhotoBucket users can provide some specific advice? I know many who do post pics here, so there must be something that works.
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OK, I tried to do as one Photobucket user has said he does. I'll see how this works. Although these are not very good photos of the structure that was my first scratchbuild effort, it gives you some idea of what I did. Hope you all can see them.
[quote user="mlehman"]
Mine was a small depot (as seen on the irght of the picture. It is the red one far right) and dimensions weren't good. I placed in on my first layout, seen on this picture unfinished, but I didn't used it on the second layout, and now it's partly destroyed so I won't reglue it. This layout sadly doesn't exist anymore.
E-L man tomI'm using Photobucket. None of the options that have been described by others appear on that image hosting site. I have posted some pictures on here, both via the "usual" way (which shows a link containing more pictures than I intended to post), and copying and pasting.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
mlehman Tom, What photo hosting site are you using? That will help with guidance on the specific hosting service you use. Generally, the hosting site will automatically generate several different links. There's oftne one called "forum code" or something similar which is the first thing to try. However, if that doesn't work, try the other until you find the one that works here. For instancde, I use ImageShack and neither the "forum" or "alt" forum codes work IIRC, which is why I use the "direct" code here. To place the image in your posting here, you should see a series of options on top of the "Post Body" entry form. Mine has three rows of toolbars. You want the middle group of three in the third (bottom) toolbar. Click on the small pic of the mountain and star and you will get a pop-up box to enter your pic code from the pic hosting website. Paste the code in, hit OK, and after a moment the pics should appear wherever your cursor is sitting in the "Post Body" form. Remember that you may need to "allow pop-ups" if your browser setting have been set to prevent them in order to get the pop-up pic posting form.
What photo hosting site are you using? That will help with guidance on the specific hosting service you use.
Generally, the hosting site will automatically generate several different links. There's oftne one called "forum code" or something similar which is the first thing to try. However, if that doesn't work, try the other until you find the one that works here. For instancde, I use ImageShack and neither the "forum" or "alt" forum codes work IIRC, which is why I use the "direct" code here.
To place the image in your posting here, you should see a series of options on top of the "Post Body" entry form. Mine has three rows of toolbars. You want the middle group of three in the third (bottom) toolbar. Click on the small pic of the mountain and star and you will get a pop-up box to enter your pic code from the pic hosting website. Paste the code in, hit OK, and after a moment the pics should appear wherever your cursor is sitting in the "Post Body" form. Remember that you may need to "allow pop-ups" if your browser setting have been set to prevent them in order to get the pop-up pic posting form.
Mike,
I'm using Photobucket. None of the options that have been described by others appear on that image hosting site. I have posted some pictures on here, both via the "usual" way (which shows a link containing more pictures than I intended to post), and copying and pasting.
John L, thanks for the fun thread.
My first scratch build is long gone, but still have the second, circa 1986. Salvaged it when the previous layout was taken down in 2010.
Regards, Peter
My first scratchbuilt model was an icing platform made from cardboard and balsa using a Model Railroad paperback article; long gone back in the 1960's. This is my second scratchbuilt model, of the house I lived in back in the 1950's and 60's. I just got back into model railroad HO a few years ago when I retired (2007). This model was from old photos that I used to make a CAD drawing and then styrene model. I am working on my 4th one now and really enjoy this aspect of the hobby.
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I did lots of kitbashing-this was my first totally scratchbuilt structure in styrene.
Mike
After years of building craftsman kits, I finally decided to start scratch building. I am about half done with an ag supply building roughly modeled after one I took pictures of this summer in Boessvain, Manitoba. When I finish I will post pictures. This building is meant to be prototypical and not an exact replica. I even produced a good scaled drawing to work from as I have had experience doing construction design drawings. Don't know why I haven't tried scratch building sooner.
Mine's been lost to moves over the years, but the first was a paper & balsa Carolina Foundry from an E L Moore article way back in 72.
Right now I'm working on Moore's Cals Lumberyard with a mix of old and new materials.
jim
My first scratch-build was a subway station.
This is so old that it's a scan from a print from a film camera. Someone here asked if it was scratch built. At the time, I looked upon scratchbuilding as something the gods of Olympus did in their spare time, but I had to admit that yes, it was scratch built. At the time, I just thought of the subway stations as something that had to be done before I could progress to the layout above them.
I had this as my screen-saver on my computer at work. A co-worker from New York City looked at and was very puzzled, because he thought he was looking at the IRT but could not place the station name.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
First scratchbuilt building i made was a 3 stall roundhouse. Sorry no pictures. Made from balsa wood with plastic trim parts. The exterior was finished and the next thing to do was the interior. Sadly, before i got to do this, i tore it and the layout down. This was back in the 70's.