Just what is KITBASHING and why do they call it "Bashing"???

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
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Hello again Folks, just me, the curious Indian wondering what kitbashing is, I thought I figured it out on my own by reading posts then I see some pics that are or seem very normal and they are classified as kitbashing?

Can you folks clairify what kitbashing is and what are the paramiters for kitbashing?

I thought it was the use of different parts from models that did not go together by the manufacturer but are now used together to create a part or finished piece?

Then I thought it was when someone created their own pieces from raw stock,

Then I thought it was the use of only certain parts from kits, now I just don’t know .

Is there a big differance between kitbashing and built up.

I should find a web site with MRR words and thier meanings.

I also hope that I posted this in the right forum.

Any help in clearing this up will be most valued!

Thanks.

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OOps, sorry, I had my short cut to take me right to the forums and missed the front page with the Glossery, but would still like opinons on the phrase.

Thanks, next time I’ll check the whole site, I didn’t have much time to do so when I posted the question as I’m at work.

happy Rails, Jess.

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Kit-bashing is the combining of two or more kits or using pieces of one or kits to add to another.

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Dear curious Indian from an Irish German immigrant.

Kitbashing means you are combining readily available commerical manufactured parts from different suppliers to build something as opposed to scratchbuilt , which are parts that you would design and build yourself say from a hobby store using scale wood, plastic, etc.

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“Scratchbuilding” means taking raw materials - sheet styrene, strip wood, detail parts etc. - and making something from them like a freight car or a building or whatever. It can involve making your own plans (kinda like blueprints).

“Kitbashing” is taking a kit that is pretty close to what you want to model, and modifying it by adding detail parts, using parts from other kits, etc. to create something.

“Built Up” is kind of the structure version of “Ready To Run (RTR)” for engines or rolling stock. It means the building has been built for you; you just take it out of the box and put it on the layout.

Let’s say you want a model of a two-story brick building that is located in a city that you’re modelling. If you buy brick-embossed styrene and cut them to size, add window and door castings, roof details etc. and build a model of the building that way, you’re scratchbuilding.

If you find that say Walthers has a kit for a three-story brick building that is really close to what you want, and you buy the kit and cut it down to two stories, add replacement windows, doors and other details to more closely match the real building, then you’re kitbashing.

If Walthers makes a building that is similar to what you want and it’s available already built and you just buy it and put it on your layout right out of the box “no assembly required”, that is a built-up.

There can be a gray area between kitbashing and scratchbuilding. Some modellers buy kits of buildings just to get wall parts and windows etc. and rearrange to such an extent that they’re basically creating something completely new using the parts. Then of course there are modular “kits” where you can buy separate wall components, windows, doors etc. to build something, though that would I think generally be called scratchbuilding(?)

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Kitbashing can also involve some degree of scratchbuilding in order to achieve your desired goal if there are no commercially available parts, I do alot of this.

Classic example of a kitbash:

Commercial drive chassis (HLW Mack), cab from a battery Xmas tree train set, and a plastic generator load avalable from USA trains.

Add a little paint and a figure…looks like any typical beat up critter.

Example of combined kitbash and scratchbuild:

A small camelback (based on an old mill engine photo), LGB 0-4-0 Porter drivetrain, but with added scratched cab and deck as no commercially made alternate exists.

Now a bit larger, but the same idea, I didnt feel like spending $1300 for the only 0-6-0 available in large scale, so…Bachmann Big Hauler modified into an 0-6-0 configuration, same cab as the Critter above, domes, smokebox, and stack from another donar, the rest is styrene and the boiler is PVC plumbing pipe cut to fit the stock boiler mounts.

Again a little paint and…

…still need some additional details.

Now for an example of a scratch build:

All the colored parts are commercial parts, but everything else, all the white parts, including the drive chassis, are sratchbuilt from Stryene or PVC.

Should take a more up to date pic but you get the idea. Ideally a scratchbuild is 100% hand made but I dont know anyone still insane enough to turn their own wheels or grind their own boilers. 90% of "scratchbuilt

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Thanks to all who answered my call for help, there are some great examples of all the different techniques (sic) now I have a bettr grasp of the deffenitions.

I will be taking the time to go through the glossery to better understand just what it is that I’ve been reading about here!

I also would like to try small projects of each just to see if I can make anything worth putting on my layout.

Happy Rails!!!

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Hi, Red Horse.

Kitbashed station( from 4 "Arlee Station "kits):

Scratch built elevator(from wallmart “for sale” signs):

Hope it helps!

Terry

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I think originally it was using parts from 2 or more kits to make something. But now it seems to have broadened out to mean using parts from one or more kits which may optionally be combined with separately purchased parts and/or scratchbuilt parts.

Enjoy

Paul

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“The essence of kitbashing, which I prefer to call ‘kitmingling,’ boils down to altering the character of a mass produced kit to make it unique.”

This is from the kitbasher’s Bible, “Kitbashing HO Model Railroad Structures” (page 2) by the late Art Curren. If you are interested in trying this I would highly recommend getting a copy of this book. You can probably find it on eBay pretty cheap; maybe even in your local public library. If all else fails I’m sure you can pay full price fro Kalmbach, Amazon, etc.

After reading this many times it took many years for me to realize that I could build a kit without making major alterations and it would not be a bad thing.

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I like this pic Terry, I had a flashback of the Milwaukee Road Northern Montana Division. Nice !!

[:)][tup]