Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Yikes. Those "metal castings" that come in the DPM kits.

2106 views
11 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: ARCH CITY
  • 1,769 posts
Posted by tomkat-13 on Saturday, November 11, 2006 12:09 PM

This is DPM Laube's Linen Mill. You can always add your own roof details and just because something come in a kit does not mean that you have to use it on that kit! I like to take detail items from one kit and place them all around the layout.

 

I model MKT & CB&Q in Missouri. A MUST SEE LINK: Great photographs from glassplate negatives of St Louis 1914-1917!!!! http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/kempland/glassplate.htm Boeing Employee RR Club-St Louis http://www.berrc-stl.com/
  • Member since
    December 2010
  • From: The place where I come from is a small town. They think so small, they use small words.
  • 1,141 posts
Posted by twcenterprises on Saturday, November 11, 2006 2:11 AM

I love the DPM kits.  They may take a bit of time to sand/file/square up/clean/whatever, but the finished product is well worth the effort.  I only have about 6 of these kits at the time, but I've built some more for a club layout as well.  I do plan on buying more of these (and Smalltown USA is about the same).  I usually take about 5-7 evenings (not necessarily consecutively) to build, paint, put texture on the roof, install "glass", detail, and finish a "kit".  This does not include time spent on any detail castings, which I will often simply toss into my detail box, and do a bunch of them at one time.  When the building is ready, I will rummage around in the detail box for some ready, suitable details.  I might take 2-5 evenings (definately NOT consecutively) to finish 100 detail castings, I'd have to spread these out over time so as not to get burned out doing them.  This *IS* a hobby after all, so why get stressed over a few metal detail parts?  Just do them as the mood strikes, and when you're done, you can take pride in them knowing you took your time to do them right.

Brad

EMD - Every Model Different

ALCO - Always Leaking Coolant and Oil

CSX - Coal Spilling eXperts

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,484 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, November 10, 2006 10:44 AM

For 55-gallon drums, anyway, you can't beat metal models.  All the plastic ones are closed-top, and any time I've seen plastic barrels, drums, garbage cans, etc., with open tops, the sidewalls are always unrealistically thick.  Take a look at the nice 55-gallon drums from JL Innovative Designs, for example. Nice thin metal walls, open top, and they look great either painted or left as bright shiny metal.

Not that plastic can't be used for good details, though.  I've been putting fire escapes on some of my structure kits, and I've found that both the Tichy and Walthers plastic models are very nice, sharp, clean plastic castings.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 10, 2006 9:38 AM
Thank you all very much. I was about to "86" these items and buy individual plastic pieces, i.e. - 55 gallon drums, pallets, chimneys, etc. and paint them instead. But you guys convinced me to not give up, and to......"git 'er done."  Big Smile [:D]
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Metro East St. Louis
  • 5,743 posts
Posted by simon1966 on Friday, November 10, 2006 8:22 AM
I slice off the big burrs with a hibby knife (the blade is well shot afterwards!).

Go to work with my selection of needle files.

Wash in warm soapy water to clean.

Rince and let dry completely.

Prime with a light coat of dark grey primer.

Then paint and weather.

It does take time, but these can be very effective kits. I like to make the Woodland scenic mini-scenes and these are the same white metal.

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • 169 posts
Posted by RoyalOaker on Friday, November 10, 2006 7:33 AM

It is a big chore to clean and sand/file the burs off of all those pieces.  I just finished the Motercycle bar kit.  It came with two DPM buildings and about a 100 small metal castings, including ten motercylces, two dogs and a cat.  It also came with a pair of pants and a shirt that can hang over the balcony railing.   It took quite a while to complete because I was working on it during soccer season (I am a coach on one team and assistant on another) I think it turned out great.  So much so, that at the last show I was at, I bought the Train station and freight building kit.  This one only has about 60 metal castings.   

If you take your time and sand these properly, these detailed pieces will truly make the scene you are working on.   I get great comments on this kit all the time.

There are some instructions that should have come with your kit.  Personally,  I would wash the pieces to get the oils off them and then prime them.     I should probably spray them with dull coat, but I am afraid it will change the color and I really like the way it looks right now.

 

 

 

Dave
  • Member since
    August 2002
  • From: Corpus Christi, Texas
  • 2,377 posts
Posted by leighant on Thursday, November 9, 2006 9:57 PM

I had a lot of fun and satisfaction with my DPM N scale feed store/implement dealer kit.  But took lots of time.

Wayne implement

 

Mostly scratchbuilt heavy eqpt unloading platform

 

Service dept interior

 

Planning to use DPM modulars, including some left over from feed/ implement to model Galveston baggage room for future layout.

 

 

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • 2,844 posts
Posted by dinwitty on Thursday, November 9, 2006 9:53 PM
wanna build a 1949 2-6-6-6 kit?

http://www.qtm.net/~dinwitty/rr/rr1.html

click the 2-6-6-6 link
Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,255 posts
Posted by tstage on Thursday, November 9, 2006 9:47 PM
Yea, the chimneys do need a bit of cleaning up but they aren't too bad.  Even so, DPM kits are very nice looking structure once you square, glue them up and paint them.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,484 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, November 9, 2006 8:45 PM

You mean like the chimneys?  Yeah, they're not very clean.  But, it's a kit, right?  You've got to cut stuff off of sprues, and trim flashing.  The roof is fer-shure the wrong size, and has to be cut down, and you've got to sand the mating sidewalls square like it says in the instruction sheet.  A few seconds with a file will clean up the metal castings, and then you can paint them.  I usually use cheap acrylics.

A DPM building kit is just a starting point.  I usually spend about a week to put one together, if you count all the trimming, fitting, painting, brick-mortaring and "accesorizing," as Martha Stuart would say.  But, I like to provide a nice scenic setting for my Alco RS-2, after all.

Welcome aboard.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Yikes. Those "metal castings" that come in the DPM kits.
Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, November 9, 2006 8:30 PM
Holy Crow! Are these things actually paintable? And what about those burrs and what not that has to be razored off. Geez, someone please tell me they are awsome once finished. Banged Head [banghead]

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!