Beginners Guide to Scratch building structures

[Anonymous]

Don't be affraid of cardstock, start with a simple shed or single stall garage, plank construction. A simple lean to style, you can use a cerial box or macaroni box as the inner structure, then glue strips of thin card over it. Spray with cheap primer, inside and out to seal, then when dry, give it washes of acrylics,you'll have a nice little structure for a backyard.

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by orsonroy

Evergreen's got a great book on scratchbuilding with styrene. If you've built a few plastic kits, you've got 80% of the skills required to scratchbuild with the same material.

I really wouldn't recommend scratchbuilding with wood or cardstock, unless you REALLY have an overpowering desire to do so. Working with these materials is tricky, requires slow-drying adhesives, lots of sanding and sealing, and overall, don't produce as nice results (let's face facts: wood grain on real wood is gigantic in HO scale, and while we might "see" it as sorrect, it really doesn't "look" correct). Scratching with plastic, OTOH, is a fast, easy, completely enjoyable experience, and I use it for just about everything on my layout.

Interesting how different modelers can reach totally opposite opinions. Like Ray, I've been in the hobby for a long time and have modeled, at one time or another, in virtually every medium there is. I've personally come to much perfer working in wood (I enjoy scratchbuilting FSM-like structures) and find styrene more difficult to work and less forgiving for such projects. Nor do I feel styrene takes paint or weathers as realistically as wood does. I'm sure there are those here who would say that they like card stock far better than either wood or styrene!

No real pro or con nor absolutes here, just a personal observation.

CNJ831

[jacon12]

You guys have convinced me to stay away from the card stock for now. Styrene looks like a better way to go.
Thank you all for your advice and I will heed it.
Ed, thanks for taking the time to provide that really indepth answer. I'm sure other people that are thinking of doing the same will get benefit from it also.
Jarrell

[edkowal]

There are some decent guides to scratchbuilding, but they're hard to find. Wayne and Mary Cay Wesolowski produced an excellent book. It was published twice, with slightly different names. Tha TAB books version is called Model Railroad Scratchbuilding. Carstens Publications brought out virtually the same book with the title Model Railroad Structures from A to Z. Neither version is currently in print; but you may be able to find it at a good library. For instance, the central library in Buffalo NY has at least one copy of both titles of this book.

Years ago, Kalmbach had a number of books on scratchbuilding projects. These were compilations of articles that had appeared in Model Railroader. One which springs to mind was called Dollar Model Projects. Tha ads from Kalmbach Books which appeared in Model Railroaders from the 1960's through probably the 1980's will contain titles which were produced which would be useful to get a hold of. Most can be found at libraries, and can also be found at used book dealers if you find that you want to own a copy.

There's also a book published by Wild Swan Publications in England, and available through International Hobbies in the US. http://www.interhobmodels.com/index.html It's called Cottage Modelling for Pendon, by Chris Pilton. Although it is emphatically not a beginners guidebook, it can be very imformative, in that it's subject is exactly what you've mentioned, namely using card stock to make beautifully realized miniatures of buildings which can still be seen in some cases, although some of these structures now only exist in 1:76 scale. The card stock which is used is not index card stock, or similar thin material, but a fairly substantial material, similar to scale wood in general thickness. The nearest US material might be Strathmore board or Bristol board, although it's not an exact match, according to the author.

Finally, there's a column which runs in Railroad Model Craftsman each month called Scratchbuilder's Corner, written by Bob Walker. Although it's not a how-to column, it's valuable reading for anyone interested in the subject .

The best thing to do, though, is pick a simple project, and get started. The result will be valuable experience, and might even find a place on your railroad. By the way, I differ with Orsonroy about using wood when scratchbuilding. I've found it to be an easy to use material, in many ways easier than styrene for workability.

If you can find the book by the Wesolowskis, that would be a great start. There are a number of simple projects there, which use a number of basic materials. Between that and the book from Evergreen on working with styrene, you'll have a good basis for a start.

-Ed

[orsonroy]

Evergreen's got a great book on scratchbuilding with styrene. If you've built a few plastic kits, you've got 80% of the skills required to scratchbuild with the same material.

I really wouldn't recommend scratchbuilding with wood or cardstock, unless you REALLY have an overpowering desire to do so. Working with these materials is tricky, requires slow-drying adhesives, lots of sanding and sealing, and overall, don't produce as nice results (let's face facts: wood grain on real wood is gigantic in HO scale, and while we might "see" it as sorrect, it really doesn't "look" correct). Scratching with plastic, OTOH, is a fast, easy, completely enjoyable experience, and I use it for just about everything on my layout. The only things I still scratch out of wood are fences and small trestles (I do build a lot of laser cut wood structures and cabooses, but that's mostly because they're the only way I can get the specific building or car they represent!)

Head over to a hobby shop and pick up a decent supply of Evergreen styrene siding and stick material; $50 will last you several structures. Then head over to the Tichy website and lay in a stock of windows and doors. Finally, start scratching!

[cwclark]

I do a lot of scratchbuilding using plastruct, brass, and sheet styrene plastic...cardstock doesn't hold up as well as plastic and you'll have to glue sheet upon sheet together to get it thick enough to support a structure...i'd reconsider using the brass and /or styrene plastic materials instead of the cardstock...the secret to scratch building anything is to get your cuts absolutely as straight as possible...one cut out of square will ruin the entire project...chuck

[jacon12]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

There's a book by Klambach called Trackside Structures you can Model That has several plans....

Stations
Interlocking Towers
Engine Servicing Facilities
TurnTables
etc.

Thanks Chip, I'll check it out.
Jarrell

[SpaceMouse]

There's a book by Klambach called Trackside Structures you can Model That has several plans....

Stations
Interlocking Towers
Engine Servicing Facilities
TurnTables
etc.

[jacon12]

Do you know of a good book for a beginner like me on scratch building structures using card stock etc.? I'd like to try my hand at some of the simpler, small projects and need some good beginner basic instructions.
Thanks,
Jarrell