Where to start?
- Thread starter TerryR
- Start date
Terry: Nice project... glad to see it progress the way it did. Now we'll be expecting to see more of your work. I learned a thing or two today!
Good job.
Matt--Hershey, Pa.
Good job.
Matt--Hershey, Pa.
Yup, Terry from research to results... and the 'results' are very good. Well done!
Whats next?
Drew
Whats next?
Drew
Terry:
This project went from "Where do I start" to "Moving in" in 10 days.
And now I think you have a collection of tricks to try on your next buildings.
This project went from "Where do I start" to "Moving in" in 10 days.
And now I think you have a collection of tricks to try on your next buildings.
Thanks all for your kind words.
The next project is going to be bigger - a whole town - but, in some ways, easier - it isn't any specific town. This means I can freelance the buildings. I have plenty of pictures to use from various parts of France and can just pick out the nice buildings
I'll start a new thread for my town.
I learned a lot on this project but, unfortunately, I can't put the biggest lesson to use any time soon. If you are going to model a building, shoot each side square on! The most time consuming part has been the time spent in my photo editor squaring up trapezoidal walls. This, of course, is the complete opposite of what normally makes for an interesting picture. The good news is that I now shoot digital exclusively so the extra shots won't cost me anything.
I also spent a lot of time experimenting with various materials for the walls. I still haven't found one material that I am truly happy with but here's a quick summary of the results so far:-
Basswood sheet (3/32") - makes a nice wall and isn't too thick. Hard to cut out the window openings etc. because it is quite hard and the knife tends to follow the grain.
Foamcore (3/16") - Easy to cut but lacks mechanical strength for thin parts. Way too thick which means windows have to be recessed into the front of the material instead of just glueing them to the back. 3/16" is 2'6" in N scale.
Styrene (Various thicknesses) - Nice product but pricey. A little easier to cut than the basswood particularly as it can be thinner for equal rigidity. The thinner grades can also be curved which will be important when I get to my chateau.
Cardboard (various) - too flexible and I wonder about long-term stability. I know some people have used it but I don't feel comfortable with it.
So far, the best compromise seems to be styrene for the visible walls and foamcore for the unseen ones and internal support. Basswood is a good second choice for the styrene.
The next project is going to be bigger - a whole town - but, in some ways, easier - it isn't any specific town. This means I can freelance the buildings. I have plenty of pictures to use from various parts of France and can just pick out the nice buildings
I'll start a new thread for my town.I learned a lot on this project but, unfortunately, I can't put the biggest lesson to use any time soon. If you are going to model a building, shoot each side square on! The most time consuming part has been the time spent in my photo editor squaring up trapezoidal walls. This, of course, is the complete opposite of what normally makes for an interesting picture. The good news is that I now shoot digital exclusively so the extra shots won't cost me anything.
I also spent a lot of time experimenting with various materials for the walls. I still haven't found one material that I am truly happy with but here's a quick summary of the results so far:-
Basswood sheet (3/32") - makes a nice wall and isn't too thick. Hard to cut out the window openings etc. because it is quite hard and the knife tends to follow the grain.
Foamcore (3/16") - Easy to cut but lacks mechanical strength for thin parts. Way too thick which means windows have to be recessed into the front of the material instead of just glueing them to the back. 3/16" is 2'6" in N scale.
Styrene (Various thicknesses) - Nice product but pricey. A little easier to cut than the basswood particularly as it can be thinner for equal rigidity. The thinner grades can also be curved which will be important when I get to my chateau.
Cardboard (various) - too flexible and I wonder about long-term stability. I know some people have used it but I don't feel comfortable with it.
So far, the best compromise seems to be styrene for the visible walls and foamcore for the unseen ones and internal support. Basswood is a good second choice for the styrene.