Can someone tell me where to find window clear styrene? for my n scale endeavors? The price at hobby shops is a bit steep in my humble estimation.
There must be some packaging that uses clear styrene that I could use? So far I have not found it.
Any info will be greatly appreciated!!
I buy Evergreen Clear Sheet .015 x 6" x 12" which costs $3.49 for a package of 2.
You won’t find many N scalers over in this forum as most of us are working in scales 10 times that size. You can use the the flat portions of clear plastic packaging (the kind that is a pain in the [censored] to open) though it might be a bit thick for your purposes.
Many will also use the plastic from old cd cases.
-Brian
All of the above are good suggestions (especially the plastic packaging idea–can’t beat that for price!).
Having said that, there are actually liquid products you can buy for making window glazing in the smaller scales. Here’s a link to one that Micro-Mark sells.
http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80894
Essentially, it’s a liquid that you “paint” into the window frame, where the surface tension allows it to hang in the opening, kind-of like bubble fluid on the bubble blowers. This liquid hardens, though, leaving a very thin piece of “glass” in the opening. I’ve not used it myself, but have seen locomotive and station windows done with this material. According to the description, it’s capable of filling openings 1/2 x 1". That’ll be fine for almost any N-scale window.
Later,
K
I use clear 8 1/2" x 11 " transparencies for overhead projectors to make windows for my G-scale buildings. For N-gauge, the thickness would probably be even more realistic. A few advantages are that the transparencies can be run through a color printer or copier to make stained glass or printed muntins (the wooden vertical and horizontal bars that hold each of the small panes to make up a large window. They are also called mullions and transoms) if you are not going to make them out of styrene or wood. You can also print curtains on them.
Captain Stryker
I use the HP brand that is designed for color printers. It has some fine texturing on one side, something for the ink to adhere to. After printing I grab a sheet of self adhesive clear acetate and press it onto the “inked” side of the transparency, thus “trapping” the ink and making it very waterproof. I started doing this for my daughters bedroom window art several years ago an it held up to the sunlight surprisingly well, 5 years before noticeable fading.
I get window glazing free with each purchase of an Atlas turnout. I use the packaging - it works like a charm.
WeldBond, which can be purchased at any home improvement store, can be used to glaze windows and doors. A 4 fl. oz. bottle of WeldBond should last the typical model railroader a lifetime. I’ve used it to glaze windows and doors in all of the scratch-built buildings on an HO scale layout. Spread a film of WeldBond across the window or door opening and let it dry. It comes out of the bottle as a white, liquid latex that dries clear. It appears more realistic, too, because it is inside the window sash openings instead of behind the frame.
I use the clear plastic from the cd jewel cases. They cut easily using a box cutter.
Try clear mylar, comes in varying thickness and is found around computers for maps and prints, I think the same stuff is used for overhead slides. try an art supply store.
I use the clear stiff packaging that seems to come on everything from Wal-Mart these days. Once it’s in the structure, most people can’t tell the difference even close up.
Yeah, there’s all sorts of clear stuff. And it all works. I used the one clear piece that came with a cylinder of CD-ROMs. I’ve also used the clear sheets that come with photo album pages.
The other night, I was at a weathering seminar. The instructor gave us a great tip - Canopy Glue. This is a plastic glue that dries completely clear. It’s used for gluing the “glass” canopies on fighter planes. It makes a great window for trains, too. I bought a jar, and tried it on a spare multi-pane window. I backed it with a pieces of plastic bag, and just squirted the glue in. The effect is great - it looks like individual panes of real glass, much better than just putting a piece of plastic behind the frame.
But, one of of the wimmen of the household walked off with the camera, so I can’t give you a picture. If the thread is still around in a couple of days, I’ll try again.