I am looking for someone with extensive model building experience to assemble and paint some high-end railroad structures. These building kits are expensive and I do not have the talent to build them and I want to avoid blemishes. I am seeking someone to build these structures for me. Fee is negotiable.
Can anyone give me someadvice/information on how to get this done?
I live in the Detroit, MI area.
Have you tried the classifieds and ads in MR magazine? Some of the folks who advertise professional layout construction could probably help.
Why not try to build one yourself? I built my first Fine Scale Miniatures kit about 6 years or so ago (Skinners Row) and it turned out great!! I learned a lot about techniques for building structures and had a great time. I did take my time building it (about 6 months or so). I have built a total of 8 FSM kits to date and love every moment. Classified section in Model Railroader magazine would be your best bet.
I do test builds for a company, what kits and what do you want, just well built, weathered, kit-bashed, custom modifications etc. Do you want upgrades for some parts or ? Done as Dio’s or as separate builds. Interiors or not. Not trying to be disrespectful but these are all things that need to be considered.
You sound like a creative fellow. I am looking to have soem of these kits made/assembled and painted with lights. No weathering needed. Here is the link: http://www.cmrtrain.com/. As you can see thwy are expensive and my level of talent is not up to the task.
You sound like a creative fellow. I am looking to have soem of these kits made/assembled and painted with lights. No weathering needed. Here is the link: http://www.cmrtrain.com/. As you can see thwy are expensive and my level of talent is not up to the task.
Don’t sell yourself short. A few years back, I bought a craftsman kit, Weimer’s Mill from Branchline Trains. I eagerly opened the box, and then quietly closed it again. I felt that this kit was way above my skill level. I wasn’t “worthy” of trying to build it. So, I went back to building and painting less expensive kits from DPM and City Classics. Slowly, my skill set improved, as I learned new techniques, and most of all, patience, from turning these simple 4-walls-and-a-roof kits into individualized models I could be proud of.
After a year or more, I opened the Mill again and began building. I was very happy with the result.
If you want to try this, you might want to look at some of the smaller “beginner” craftsman kits offered by Walthers and others.
I’ve found that one of the most enjoyable parts of this hobby is challenging myself and improving my own skills.
Sometimes at shows I see custom builders with their products displayed.
You might ask the kit manufacturer if they know of anyone.
Good luck
Paul
Which one of the CMR kits are you talking about? What exactly do you want done with them - kitbash, detailing, paint jobs, etc. I could build them. Cost would depend on which kit and how much detail you want add.
After perusing some of the downloadable instructions for these structures, I think the folks encouraging you to give it a shot yourself are on the right track.
A small investment in modelling tools might be in order first – the right assortment of tweezers, needle files, a mill file, sanding sticks, and 90 degree clamps should get you through alright.
If you’ve never assembled anything more complex than a DPM, you might want to try one of the laser cut wooden structures first, but I think that if you are patient, and strive for quality work rather than rapid completion, you should be able to do yourself proud with these kits.
For me, that’s the joy of this hobby - - building things! I don’t have a lot of experience with building kits, but what I have built I (or kitbashed) I have not only enjoyed the experience but loved the result. One of the very first HO scale structures that I have built was not a kit at all; it was a scratch-built grain elevator with fairly complicated roof lines and a moderate amount of doors and windows. After doing one of these boys, ANY kit seems quite easy. In scratch building you have to MAKE almost all of the parts. In a kit, the most you may have to do is modify some of the parts - - but they’re all there for you. Just follow the instructions.
De ja vue, familiar with the kits though I have not personally built one of theirs. Funny thing is I used to live in Baltimore and my Alma mater is the same one as theirs. The first time I saw one of their kits I thought the building looked familiar and found out it was of a bank that I banked at in downtown Baltimore.
I would say dont sweat the blemishes and minor mistakes you might make… a little bit of weathering paint and you cannot even notice any mistakes
Here ya go, probably tow of the best in the business, oh and their fee’s aren’t negotiable Some peopel are a lot better at model building then others. I have some structures on my layout that had been built by a close friend mainly because we swapped services and the fact that he was a better model builder then I am. I have built 98% of the structures on my layout and several for the club. My problem is I just take too long and am too critical of my own work. I have scrapped more then one building because it was flawed. No one else could see it but I couldn and knowing it was there would have bugged the heck out of me. So I can see your point of not wanting to build your own structures. May I suggest you build some of the not so important ones, like small houses, sheds barns etc.Maybe starting off small might be more appealing to you.
Hi, I’m in Allen Park, Mi… I do a pretty fair job of it… Contact me at rolleifix@rolleiman.com and maybe we can work something out. That is, if you aren’t in a real big rush.
Here’s a quick and dirty clinic I put together a few years ago. Maybe you can get enough out of it to gain the confidence to do it yourself. There really isn’t a lot of difference between something like this and the craftsman kits. Most of the time, it’s just knowing where to start.