I am trying to determine the best way to cut out window holes from sheet styrene. I have some clapboard siding sheets from evergreen. I trired cutting out the windows, but didn’t look too great. I have seen where you cut the wall into different pieces and then reassemble, but I tried it and it also didn’t work too well. Are there any secrets to doing this that I am missing? At this point, I feel like scratchbuilding from wood is easier than styrene. I just can’t get the windows cut out geometrically, and the resulting siding looks like crapola. Any tips would be appreciated.
I rarely have any problem doing this . I make sure I know where the window is going of course. Marking the center I drill a hole with the largest drill I can get away with . ( not larger than the final hole size) [:D] I just file the hole square from there.
Either that or cut out the center with a knife and file it out to the full window size. File slowly with an extrafine file so you don’t take off too much. Check frequently with a straight edge. Patience will pay off.
I might be mistaken, but I believe that cutting a sheet of styrene into pieces and then reassembling it minus the window areas works better if you are going to cover the sheet with a thin layer of brick or other textured material. I can’t see how you could do it with a sheet of clapboard siding and not have have the cut lines show. Especially the vertical ones.
If you are going to cut an opening and then file it to size, I think that it helps if you can find a large flat file (about 1/2" wide). Unfortunately, they can be difficult to find at hobby shops. Most seem to sell sets of small hobby files. I found mine years ago at a hardware store that was going out of business. I’m not sure where I’d find them today. Some better stocked hardware stores may carry a selection of files that would work. I know that some hobby dealers can order directly from tool suppliers who may have more tools available than the typical hobby distributor they deal with.
I think using a wide file makes the work much easier when it comes to filing openings down to size. When I get close to the finished size, though, I switch to the smaller hobby files to make sure I don’t remove too much material.
In prototype construction, it’s pretty rare to butt finished siding to window trim. The siding goes on first, then the window trim, usually 1x6 but sometimes 1x4 or 1x8, covers the ragged ends.
I’ve done it the other way around, when ordered to, but because the siding surfaces are painted to resist weathering, and the cut ends are not, running the siding behind the trim is the better method for longevity.
In modeling, you can cut a slightly oversize ragged window hole, then make it look square and neat by lapping the window trim over the ragged siding, just like real life.
I don’t think they carry it anymore. I couldn’t find it online, and haven’t seen one in the stores in a while. Micro-Mark, however, does seem to have one:
Maybe it depends on the structure, but it’s actually quite common here: window framing and headers roughed in; window package installed and attached to framing (leveled w/shims if needed); foam sprayed into any gaps; trim (‘brick molding’ is common, because it’s deeper than lapped siding) attached to window package, leaving uniform reveal; siding boards butted to trim and attached to framing. The siding ends are sealed against the side of the trim with a thin bead of caulk. Unless fully caulked, trim applied over clapboard siding creates hidey holes for varmints.
To get clean window opening edges on styrene clapboard siding, pencil in the opening on the back (smooth) side of the siding, drill holes at the corners (1/16th in. bit or smaller works fine and lessens cleanup), scribe between the holes including the diagonals, drill another hole where the diagonal scribes cross, lift the siding off your cutting pad and push on the center of the penciled rectangle with your thumb to snap out the opening. Should end up with 4 triangles of styrene and 4 straight edges along the opening, with cleanup limited to squaring the drilled corners with files or Xacto blade.