Hi!
I've been building models since the mid '50s, most all of them plastic with the rest being wood (like Campbell). I attempted my first laser kit about 10 years ago and it was junk - with splitting wood and poor laser cuts.
Recently I gave it another try (Bar Mills HO crossing shanty) and the end results are pretty decent. I have to say I disliked the cardboard roof with paper "tar paper", and am not a big fan of white metal castings. Other than that, the kit was a pretty decent quality.
That's my one experience, and my question is "whose" laser kits do you prefer (or not) and why? Please, I'm not trying to start a battle or polarize you guys, I'm just trying to get some valued opinions that will guide me towards future purchases.
Thank you !!!!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I've had very good luck with kits from American Model Builders and from AL&W Lines. Good scale fidelity, quality materials, decent instructions, accurate and clean cuts, good fit.
Mobilman,
A a personal preference, I have enjoyed quite a few Laser kits, to me the most scale ones are AMB & GCLaser, but they take a delicate touch, even for me. I also have built Branch Line & Bar Mills kits with very good success. I do say, with NE IA environment, card stock kits do not fair too well, & if not sealed (or finished in a timely manner) the wood ones can sometimes warp for me, but seem more stable than card stock.
Those are just my experiences, & thoughts.
I've had excellent results with SierraWest Scale Models: http://www.sierrawestscalemodels.com/index.html
They are a combination of stripwood and laser kits that come with very detailed instruction manuals, including some very nice weathering ideas. I still refer back to their manuals to this day for construction, staining, and weathering techniques for stripwood construction.
Wayne
Modeling HO Freelance Logging Railroad.
For anyone to "prefer" a particular firm's laser kits, one would have had the chance to sample all of those available. Can't really see that happening. Members can give their opinions on the kits they have actually assembled themselves only.
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
Gee whiz PHOTOGUY, lighten up!
A modeler can surely have an opinion on a kit - even if it is the only one he ever built. And if he built two kits - one from mfg. A and one from mfg. B - then he would likely have an informed opinion as to which of the two he PREFERRED, and why.
To tell members what they can have opinions on is really not your place - or mine.
All that being said, I would like to hear about your experience in building a laser kit. And if you built kits from more than one manufacturer, I would sure like to know which you PREFERRED.
ENJOY !!!!!
Railphotog For anyone to "prefer" a particular firm's laser kits, one would have had the chance to sample all of those available. Can't really see that happening. Members can give their opinions on the kits they have actually assembled themselves only.
Bob,
I'm having a difficult time understanding your premise....you seem to be saying on the one hand that one needs experience with all available laser kits in order to have an opinion on any one of them? Then in your last sentence you seem to contradict yourself and are basically saying what the OP is asking for---"members can only have opinions on the kits they have actually assembled themselves," which is precisely what the thread is all about. The OP wants opinions on the kits with which members have had personal hands-on experience.
I can build just one laser kit from one manufacturer and have an opinion as to the quality of that product.
Hi mobilman,
Lots of opinions? I like Bar Mills. Rusty Stumps have great instructions. Fine Scale Miniatures are my favorite, but lots of castings. Imagine That are different. They built nice though. FOS gave me a great building.
I have not had one I didn't like but FSM is my favorite, though expensive and of a certain style.
Here is a link to most of the manufacturers. Have fun.
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19714
I've built three American Model Builders (AMB) laser kits in the past and, just recently, started building a Bar Mills and Branchline kit. Although all of them make good models - of the three manufacturers, I think the AMB kits are slightly better in quality - particularly the windows.
Case in point: I didn't care for the mylar window panes in the Branchline kit. The edges along each side of the individual panes was very ragged, as compared to the Bar Mills and AMB kits. I found that I also had to trim them to fit them into the window. With that said, I would probably still buy another one of their kits because they fit what I'm trying to model.
Lastly, as you know, Mobilman, one thing you have to watch out for with wood kits is warpage. When priming the outside walls, I like to use solvent based paints because 1) they dry quickly, and 2) warpage is minimized. Once the walls are glued together and primed, I then prefer to paint the structure by hand. This allows me to create a "whitewashed" or less uniform look to the outside.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Wow, that is a pretty sweeping statement, Railphotog.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives a pretty good example of the proper use of the word "prefer" with the statement, "Some people like vanilla ice cream, but I prefer chocolate". I hardly think that someone needs to sample every ice cream variety available to state a preference. If you have sampled as few as two, you can certainly prefer one flavor over another.
Same for laser kits. If you have assembled kits from at least two different manufacturers, you can definitely prefer one over another without sampling a laser kit from every laser kit manufacturer.
As for me, I have assembled laser kits from both Bar Mills and B.T.S. I prefer B.T.S. because the instructions are more helpful and the cut lines are easier to work with. Having said that, the Bar Mills kits are very, very, nice.
Rich
Alton Junction
My own experience has been very much like Chad Ryan's--American Model Builders and GC Laser kits seem to be really well designed and fit beautifully. I also like Bar Mills kits, especially since Art Fahie, the head honcho at Bar Mills, has such a great eye for design and visual interest in a model structure. Two newer manufacturers who also do top quality work are Full Steam Ahead, out of Canada, and Stella Scale Models. And I'd love to try one of Imagine That Art's kits, but they're kinda pricey.
I try to have a good supply of stripwood on hand when I;'m doing a laser build. Some parts are a bit out of scale--this is an economic issue rather than poor design, since a single sheet of micro-plywood has to be used as efficiently as possible (meaning a lot of parts must be cut from it, including ones which should really be done in thinner stock). In those cases, i'll simply use my stripwood stash to build scale-size corner trim boards, or rafter tails, or window casings...whatever. It really improves the model and is often easier than trying to use the big, clunky kit part.
Best to all, and I hope this helps a little.
Paul
I have only built one laser kit, a GCLaser model of a small wood shanty/office. The catalog photos looked very good and I thought that after 50 years of building models I would try one. This kit to me is a little pricey ($15) for a very small building, about 3" x 4". My first impression after opening the package was; What, cardboard?. Well, I decided to give it a try and after a few hours was impressed at how well all the parts fit. When I saw how the windows were constructed I started to look for Tichy plastic windows as an alternate. Not finding ones to fit, I went ahead and assembled them from the kit. I am 70 years onld and my eyesight is less than desirable, so getting glue on all these very small, narrow pieces of cardstock and acetate was a little messy by my standards. The finished kit came out quite nice and most importantly it looks like a craftsmen type model with much finer detail than the plastic kits I have built. I still don't like the cardstock as a window frame but I will have to see how it holds up. A lot of work for a small but very nice structure. I may consider another laser kit if I find one that fits a spot on my layout that will be up front and personal to the viewers.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Over the years I have built a number of laser kits and very much enjoy them. There are several build threads on my photobucket page linked in my sig.
I do think it is worth noting that there are a number of manufacturers that offer kits from a very basic level, with simple construction and limited detail, up to complex expensive kits that would be better described as a Craftsman kit rather than just a laser kit. Usually these larger, more costly kits will have several types of construction including plaster castings, resin castings, board-on-board (euphemism for bundle of sticks) as well as laser cut parts. These larger kits will also come loaded with detail parts as well.
A good basic kit can be an excellent introduction and you will quickly realize that you can develop the skill to scratch build your own structures using the same techniques. Kits from Sierra West and FSM are like taking a master class in model building. The instructions introduce wonderful techniques that will be of value for years to come. The number of hobby hours that can be absorbed when you are enjoying the process is of immense value IMO.
This image is of the least costly Sierra West kit that I built, there was so much to be learned from this process. Well worth the cost IMO
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
Lazer-wood kits are easy to make because the parts fit, at least most all of them designed in the last decade or two. Some have lots of parts if the structure is complex, but are still easy but not necessarily quick. I always stain/paint most/all parts before assembly. Most Campbell kits are much more difficult since there is a lot of cutting, shaping, and fitting.
A couple manufacturer I don't think have been mentioned Banta Modelworks and FOS Scale. My last structure was a Foscale kit built not too long ago.
simon1966 This image is of the least costly Sierra West kit that I built, there was so much to be learned from this process. Well worth the cost IMO
The couple of Sierra West kits I've built were of the bundle-of-sticks variety, not lazer cut. This manufacturer is known for its castings and detailed assembly/painting/staining/etcetera instructions.
I can't say that I've come across a craftsman kit that I don't like. I particularly enjoy Bar Mills. Currently I have Rusty Stump's Pawn Shop on the work bench (among other things). Though I haven't purchased one yet, I CANT WAIT to get my hands on an FSM kit. Just remember, a craftsman kit is nothing but a box of wood and castings. That is, until you put it on your workbench and make magic happen! You are limited only by your imagination. Enjoy and have fun!
PJ
I bought Branchline's "Weimer's Mill" laser kit. I was afraid my modeling skills weren't up to the job, so I kept it in a box for years before I thought I was "worthy" of building such a kit.
It takes a bit of care, but once I started it was the most enjoyable kit I ever built. Laser kits, to distinguish them from "craftsman" kits, are largely pre-cut and much more goof-proof. The skill is more in painting/staining than in assembly. Paint both sides of flat pieces to keep the wood from warping.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasley Paint both sides of flat pieces to keep the wood from warping.
Some of these kits could do with more internal bracing, especially under the roofs I keep 1/8"-square stripwood on hand for this purpose.
Hey Guys,
Thank you so much for all the good advice and comments. .
Yesterday, I actually went to Walthers and reviewed each of the kits offered by the mfgs you all liked. As my layout is almost complete (structure wise), I only found 5 that I could really use - and placed the order.
What amazed me were the truly interesting versions offered of structures I already have - like passenger stations, feed mill, factory, etc., etc. Once the layout is scenicked and I find myself with kit withdrawal, maybe I'll pick up some of those and upgrade my existing structures.
Once again, you guys came though......................................