I have seen several kits that look interesting. How are they to build. Is there a lot of cutting, what about castings, how about the instructions? Are they like a FSM kit or like a Walthers kit?
8500HPGT,
I have not built any but they would be more like FSM kits rather than Walters kits.
Tom
I built the N-scale Salena’s Tavern. Minor cutting (trim mostly). Otherwise, the major pieces are laser cut. Instructions were sufficient. This one had few castings. Some of the trim even had adhesive on the back, so it was just peel and stick in place.
I’d build another one of their kits.
Bar Mills laser cut kits are very good. I assembled their Rusty’s Radiator Repair Shop and found that all of the parts fit very exactly.
The Bar Mills kits are excellent, with virtually all the materials pre-cut. I have built many of these (some altered from their orginal shapes) for my layout. However, I would recommend starting out with one of the small BM kits if you have no experience either scratchbuilding or building a modern wood structure kit. Working with the wood kits is a significant step up from building a Walthers plastic structure kit. They take considerably more time to construct properly than a similar sized plastic kit.
CNJ831
Bar Mills kits are really good. I built the Selena’s Tavern in HO… lot of small detail wood parts and trim, it went together well and was happy with the outcome.
I have built several FSM kits over the years, including EMPORIUM SEAFOOD & SAWKHAMMERS WELDING. They were hard to get right. Thanks for the replies. I am going Ebaying now.
Before you do, you may want to go to Bar Mills web site and get accurate price comparisons.
http://www.barmillsmodels.com/
I did and this example on ebay is exactly retail, no bargin there!
I’m getting ready to do build the Bar Mills Majestic Hardware and Feed Store in HO. Will be posting my progresss on my website (see signature)
This being my introduction to wood kits, I opted for the Bar Mills Revelia Shipping & Storage and Miracle Chair Company. All the parts were there, everything fit and the instructions were clear and concise. Heeding their advice to use the interior bracing (they supply) to prevent warping after painting is important. The “Basics” kits are inexpensive and yield a pretty nice rendition – and gave me the confidence to try something more complex. I’ll certainly buy more of these.
I build Bar Mills Signs.
I did the A&P in HO-O scale for a food distribution cold storage some time ago and it came together very well. For a small wood kit it was very well made and only needed sealing after the assembly was completed.
I find myself with a batch of signs from Bar Mills for future buildings.
They are the only wood kits I build at this time. Everything else is plastic or nearly so.
If looking for a bargain on Bar Mills kits, I recommend swap meets and train shows…much better prices (usually) than Ebay…of course, the selection may not be as good.
Brian