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Window Dressing

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  • Member since
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  • From: Amish country Tenn.
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Window Dressing
Posted by loathar on Saturday, December 1, 2007 1:59 PM
I'm working on my Merchants Row kit and I'm to the point where I need to do something with the glass. I'm not going to light my buildings and I really don't want to do interiors for around 20 structures in my city scene. I know about using masking tape for blinds and I don't want to pay $40 for a CD to print out drapes. Anyone have any good ideas or sites to download store interiors or drapes that I can print out. I figure I'll just dull coat the backside windows, but I'd like to dress the fronts up a little. Just fishing for ideas.
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Posted by steamage on Saturday, December 1, 2007 3:10 PM
For drapes I used a thinned down wash of Floquil paint and a small flat brush, brush downward on the inside of the window only once. Try brushing first on a piece of scrap clear stock first to get the right mix.

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Posted by OKrlroads on Saturday, December 1, 2007 3:19 PM

Maybe something like this?
Checker curtains

or venetian blinds

Used Microsoft Paint to do both styles. I see the curtain hanger needs to redo his job.  Whistling [:-^]

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Posted by loathar on Saturday, December 1, 2007 3:26 PM
 OKrlroads wrote:

Maybe something like this?
Checker curtains

or venetian blinds

Used Microsoft Paint to do both styles. I see the curtain hanger needs to redo his job.  Whistling [:-^]

Exactly like that! I've found some pictures of blinds that should work pretty good. Did you paint your windows black? (the parts not covered by the blinds?) And how did you get those checker drapes to look 3D? They look like a real piece of cloth hanging there.

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Posted by tomkat-13 on Saturday, December 1, 2007 3:46 PM

 I like to get my interiors & out side signs off the web....ebay is one good place...under the collectable heading go to advertising for signs & to postcards to find interior views. You can find buildings for backdrops. Just copy & past on a desktop, size for your scale (I'm in HO) & print on your choice of paper, card stock, full label, photo paper or decal.

Ideas are endless! (and cheap)

 

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/
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Posted by OKrlroads on Saturday, December 1, 2007 3:47 PM

No, didn't paint the windows, do have paperstock or cardboard dividers inside building for blocking light from showing thur. The curtains were folded and/or rolled to create waves, instead of just flat paper.

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Posted by loathar on Saturday, December 1, 2007 4:14 PM
Thanks guys!
tomkat-Those interiors should work great! Thanks.
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, December 1, 2007 4:26 PM

I Google for images of grocery store shelves, etc.  I print them on cardstock, and they'll either stand up by themselves,  or I'll fold them into shelf structures.  I used to look at other layouts with building interiors, and say "No way I'm gonna do that."  Now, though, I've realized that a very little extra work yields big rewards.

Part of the key is knowing which windows need stuff inside.  Generally, I go for the big storefront windows that are near the viewing edge of the layout.  The very small windows are too hard to see through, so the effect is minimized.

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

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Posted by GAPPLEG on Saturday, December 1, 2007 4:32 PM
Just for quick curtains and blinds , I have gone to J.C. Pennys website , many pixs of both in their home section.
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Posted by mikelhh on Saturday, December 1, 2007 9:34 PM

 Awning was made in MS Paint. Curtains made from paper. Pieces of Kleenex Tissues make decent curtains too.

 Interiors were made from images found on the net, as well as pieces of card.

 Mike 

Modelling the UK in 00, and New England - MEC, B&M, D&H and Guilford - in H0

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Posted by RRCanuck on Sunday, December 2, 2007 7:42 AM

If all you want are drapes and blinds, I can vouch for the Microsoft approach, although I just use fill patterns available the draw function in Word and change the colors as I wish.  If I want interior lighting to shine through them somewhat, I attach them to the inside of the window with the frosted style of adhesive tape. If the curtains or blinds are meant to be totally opaque, then I put a strip of electical tape behind them.  Cheers.

This may not be the best example I have, but you get the drift.

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Posted by loathar on Sunday, December 2, 2007 10:48 AM
RRCanuck-I love your city pics!Thumbs Up [tup] You have about every building I've got on my wish list for my city scene. Walthers has a bunch of them on sale in their 2 latest catalogs.
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Posted by BRAKIE on Sunday, December 2, 2007 12:00 PM

 loathar wrote:
I'm working on my Merchants Row kit and I'm to the point where I need to do something with the glass. I'm not going to light my buildings and I really don't want to do interiors for around 20 structures in my city scene. I know about using masking tape for blinds and I don't want to pay $40 for a CD to print out drapes. Anyone have any good ideas or sites to download store interiors or drapes that I can print out. I figure I'll just dull coat the backside windows, but I'd like to dress the fronts up a little. Just fishing for ideas.

 

My late wife use curtain advertisements from magazines that she cut to size and other like stuff..For mannequins she use Bachmann figures..

A magazine can offer up loads of window details.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by peterjenkinson1956 on Sunday, December 2, 2007 1:57 PM
hello matey,,,, hello from aus  .. long time no hear   send me an email some time  peter...........    i just cut different colored sheets of paper from magazines and glue them inside the windows  ...  before you do it give the inside of the window a very light wash of blue and grey paint   this looks like the sky is reflecting on the glass.....  peter
  • Member since
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Posted by RRCanuck on Sunday, December 2, 2007 2:12 PM

 loathar wrote:
RRCanuck-I love your city pics!Thumbs Up [tup] You have about every building I've got on my wish list for my city scene. Walthers has a bunch of them on sale in their 2 latest catalogs.

Thanks Loathar.  I have just 1 or 2 vacant places where I could still put something - make that 1, since I just picked up a kit at my LHS this afternoon.  I've responded to your PM.  Cheers.

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Posted by loathar on Monday, December 3, 2007 10:15 PM

 peterjenkinson1956 wrote:
hello matey,,,, hello from aus  .. long time no hear   send me an email some time  peter...........    i just cut different colored sheets of paper from magazines and glue them inside the windows  ...  before you do it give the inside of the window a very light wash of blue and grey paint   this looks like the sky is reflecting on the glass.....  peter

HEY PETER!!! Long time no see!!! I sent you a P.M. Check your E-mail.Smile [:)]

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Posted by Walter Clot on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 12:47 AM

Take a camera (preferably digital) with you when you shop.  When you see something you want in your HO (or other gauge) store, take a picture of it!My 2 cents [2c]

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