I have a question about American Model Builders Laser kits. Are they easy to build? What is meant by peel and stick windows? I want to buy the Frisco caboose, and I’m trying to decide which station to I want to purchase. I figured I would ask before I bought and got in over my head. Thanks
Jason
Lasker kits? Whazzat?
AMB kits go together very well. They are some of the best of the wooden laser kits as far as fit is concerned. They take a little more care than a simple shake-the-box plastic kit. Things that you need to pay attention to are some possible fine sanding for perfect fit. Test fit before you glue. Also painting can be a bit traumatic the first time. Water based acrylic paints in particular can cause the thin wooden pieces to warp. Make sure you paint both sides of the thin flat bits and don’t be afraid to have parts sit under a pile of phone directories to get them flat again after they have dried.
Peel-and-Stick windows are neat little touches. The laser cut wooden window frames have a sticky backing so that you remove then protective wax paper backing and press them together to create the windows. The glazing also sticks on in this way.
I very much like AMB kits and would recommend them to anyone. Just don’t expect it to be a one evening throw together project.
Jason,
How much kit building experience do you have under your belt? I put together a few Walthers kits before I put together my first AMB kit.
I REALLY like AMB kits! I have their boxcar shed, interlocking tower, and Dill’s Market. I thought that they were very straight forward to put together. The peel 'n stick windows come with an adhesive backing that is covered by a non-stick paper backing. All you have to do is to peel away the backing and gently press the window into place. (Just like when you peel stickers and place them onto paper.)
The protective backing can sometimes be tricky to peel off. I’ve found that needle-nose tweezers are helpful in getting between the protective backing and the adhesive backing.
Jason, the other nifty thing that you can do with the AMB kit windows is to cut off the top part of the inside windows to make them shorter. This gives your structure the appearance of having certain windows open and others closed. (See upper left and middle window in picture below for example.)
Click picture to enlarge
On the topic of painting. As Simon mentioned above, water-based (acrylic) paints can warp the wood. I painted my structures with Floquil (enamel) paints and had no problems with warping whatsoever. However, some of that may have been due to the fact that I waited to paint my structures (or structure pieces) until they were either fully or partially assembled. As Simon wisely instructed you, painting both sides (i.e. inside and outside) will greatly reduce the chance of your structure warping down the road.
Also, make sure that you prime your wood first BEFORE painting it with colors. Wood is very porous and absorbant. The primer will fill in the wood pores to give you a better surface to paint on.
Tom
My first foray into laser kits was with several Bar Mills kits - the small simpler ones. I then tried a Branchline gas station and then AMB’s Dill’s Market and F Bruckner Woodworking. All of these wood laser kits were fun kits to build and all yield a nice end result.
It’s true, you do have to be careful painting. I prime both sides with an inexpensive spray paint and use 1/16" bracing on the insides of walls to help keep them from warping. After that, I just apply finish coat with a brush. Dry brushing can give you a nice weathered look. Make sure you paint any trim before assembly.
Jason, They are the easiest ones that I have done so far. I thought that it was a great place to start and will purchase more.
Sue