Has anyone ever built a Campbell Scale Models kit? I wish to purchuse the Santangelo Fruit Co., but i don’t want to be stuck with a craftsman kit, cause i’m not that skilled yet. Can anyone offer some insight?
Campbell models are craftsman kits, I’m working on one now (Quick’s Coal Co), and I’ve built them in the past. The best analogy I can give is to assemble one, it’s like scratchbuilding, but Campbell has collected the instructions, templates and all parts you’ll need into that box. There’s no debate, they are time consuming to put together, but if that’s not a problem, take your time and maybe “cut your teeth” on one of the simpler models. The Columbia Gazette was my first Campbell kit.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/200-380
After all, learning new skills and building confidence is one of the more attractive parts of the hobby.
Tom Diehl has summed it up very well – Campbell models are craftsman kits that require slow, tedious work to assemble. Certainly no one hour project like gluing four plastic walls together.
Don’t be scared off, though – if you take your time, study the instructions carefully before gluing anything together, and make sure the parts fit correctly, you can wind up with a very fine model.
Yes, they are Craftsman type. Here is a link to a few instruction sheets for Campbell Scale Models.
Anyone having any kind of mrr catalogs, instruction sheets, documentation can scan them and send them into HO Seeker to benefit other modelers. I have done that with quite a lot of material. They give you credit.
http://www.hoseeker.org/structures.html
Rich
I love Campbell kits, but they certainly are not plastic kits. I use the brown woodworkers glue. I figure 2 - 5 weeks to get one done. The coaling tower took all of that. I pre stain all the wood with mulitiple shades of the stain. You need to enjoy the process as much as the finished product. You learn by doing them. Your first one will be ok, but your tenth will be a lot better.
We can atlk more as you go. I have not done that specific model.
I have found that Campbell structure kits are more difficult generally than contemporary laser-cut craftsman kits. The laser kit parts are cut more precisely so parts fit together without all the fiddling/filing/cutting/shaping required for Campbell’s.
Mark
Definately not for begginers. Even for wood models, they require a lot of experience and time (compared to AMB and other laser cut kits). I’ve built two cambell’s double track truss bridges, definately not styrene… but they look good. There’s something about wood models that styrene just don’t have…
Yes, they have a kit for beginners. It’s the shed nex to the yard masters office.
And this water tower, not for beginners. [:)]
It was fun.
BTW, those old car belongs a friend, not mine.
Wolfgang