What are the pros and cons of each?
Thanks,
Kurt Laughlin
The walthers foundation is going to have to be precise.
I built a cold storage that was roughly 5 40’ Boxcars long and 2 stories high out of Walthers modules over 3 months. I can tell you that you will need a flat surface such as a peice of glass or machined surface to build on.
The walls need to be built as a sheet and then installed onto the building. Otherwise the error in fit will eventually reveal itself.
I am planning to use the pile of left overs in a few more buildings with the walthers, but plan on buying many boxes of wall sections, particularly wall sections (Blank),. They only pack a few instead of dedicated boxes.
The bigger the building, the expensive it’s going to get.
Kurt,
I don’t have any experience with the Walthers modulars but I have built 2 DPM models. The walls should be much thicker than the Walthers. If the DPM modular kits are like the regular kits, you will need to sand the bottoms of the walls flat on a piece of sandpaper that is sitting on a flat surface.
From a detailing standpoint, the DPM kits have sharper lines than the Walthers. That’s NOT to say that the details on the Walthers are not good; just that the DPM kits are better.
Tom
I have built both types. The major difference to date it the availability of different sections for the DPM vs the Walthers… I know further options are available “soon” but right now all Walthers modulars have the same window structure and there is a “sameness” to every building you make. Both make great looking industrial buildings. With the right amount of paint and effort they look more than happy as a foreground building.
Walthers are a thinner wall but both types require a lot of filing/sanding to ensure a good fit and similarly both need the walls assembled on a glass surface to ensure they are flat and solid. The hardest part with both kits is getting the seam between the vertical wall sections almost invisible. It does take some effort.
I will continue using both types because they both have a purpose, look different to each other and soon hopefully I will have some further options in Walthers that will enable me to keep building.
Both workout reasonably expensive, but walthers more so because of the lack of blank walls as a seperate option… It would be good if they sold things more like the DPM style, in smaller packages of the same item rather than combined packs [;)]
That was my first impression with the Walthers Mod kits. While I have not used the Walthers Mods I have used the DPM kits and I like the fact that they have the blank walls separate.
And Yes they have to built on a very flat surface or you will run into problems.
Sanding and fitting is a must also.
But once I have the walls built the building goes together very fast and looks different enough because I am able to build it to fit odd shaped areas of my layout. It is well worth the time if you are looking for unique looking buildings.
BOB H – Clarion, PA
Kurt,
I did a rather long review a while back on my first attempt using the Walthers Modulare system. You can read it here.
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=40810
As others have said, the Walthers stuff is more limited than DPM but you won’t have to do any sanding or have pieces that don’t fit just right. I think it is more expensive than DPM too. Anyway, check out the review and that should give you a good idea as to how hard it is to put one of these together.
Good luck,
Several people have mentioned sanding DPM parts. . . Are they excessively flashy or something that requires a lot of clean-up?
KL
Kurt,
Some of the edges are beveled. I believe DPM does this because of the manufacturing process. The beveled edges allow for cleaner and crisper lines with no flash.
The method for sanding the edges is quite simple:
- Lay down and secure a piece of 320 grit sand paper so it doesn’t move.
- Lay a piece of wood on top of the sandpaper that has one edge that is exactly perpendicular to the surface of the sandpaper. (A 6" long piece of 2 x 2 works great for me.) The wood will serve as your sanding guide.
- Place the back of the piece you are wanting to sand flat up against the guide, with the beveled edge to be sanded flat against the sandpaper surface.
- Use firm back and forth motions to sand down surface till bevel is just flat. Be careful NOT to rock the piece you are sanding, as this will create rounded corners to your walls.
Kurt, the directions for sanding are also included in each DPM kit. Hope that clears things up a little more for you.
Tom
Huh - I got the impession from the Tech Tips on their site that yould never sand the front or sides, only the bottom. Any ideas about the apparent inconsistency?
KL
You dont need to sand anything other than surfaces that meet which are the bottoms and tops of each wall. The sides are covered by pilasters so other than making them fit, you dont necessarily have to sand them