This post is all “fluff.” Anyway, I just complete my first scratchbuilt/kitbash structure … an old industrial building. My introductioin to model railroading came when I saw an industrial module, and I was hooked. I got a book on building industrial models (the book really pushed Plastruct) and I got started.
Now it is finished. Such a feeling of satisfaction. I have built two Walthers’ kits before, but I am really proud of this one I put together myself. Now I understand what so many of you guys here talk about … the hobby … the building of things.
I have to take a break from railroading for a while, but scratchbuilding structures and stuff will be a big part of the hobby for me for now on. I’m dreaming of building a big, industrial complex.
No RTR rolling stock for me. I’ve seen the light! Lol.
45 yrs. in the hobby and now I find out theres a secret handshake.
Anyway welome to the word of kit bash and kit building. I might suggest that you get the late Art Currans book on kit bashing. He was the master.
From one Jim to another, I am glad you have seen the light. I do not know if you have been following my posts any at all. But I am a big advocate of model building, kit bashing and scratchbuilding in general. I am glad that for all my ranting and raving I have managed to find at least one convert. (Well two. Noah Horfricter entered my scratchbuiding contest last year with a good scratchbuilt model of a WSOR transfer caboose.)
I feel if I can get eneugh people interested in building models again. MR might return to a more model building focused magazine rather than showing how many boxes you can open.
Well before I outgrow my welcome Congradualtions and good day.
Jim welcome to the world of Scratchbuilding. After I did my first for James Scratchbuilding contest last year, I haven’t looked back. I’ve got many, many scratchbuild plans on standby, and I haven’t build a comercial building kit in a while. I’ve even decided to scratchbuild the roundhouse for my new HO Module that I’m doing for the local club. It will be the centerpeice of my module, and I want it to look better than just like a mass produced kit. So I’m going to scratchbuild it.
And Jim, if James(Student of Big Sky Blue) get’s his scratchbuilding contest back up, I’d suggest building something and entering. It’s good motivation to do a scratchbuild and to to your best.
is there some kind of special Ho scale for scrathcbuilding? like 1 inch for every 2 feet or somthing. i ve got the materials i need, foam board, plasticard,the works, just need to know how many inches per feet in HO
Well, since HO is 1:87, then every one inch on the model equals 87" (7’-3") in real life. But what you want to do is buy a scale ruler that’s marked in HO dimensions. You can measure directly using the ruler. Your LHS should have one available.
I plan to hold another one again in the future. However My living arrangements are in a near constant state of flux at this point in my life so I do not have the time or the stability to hold one right now. But in the future I will keep you posted.
Just wi***here were a lot more letters like yours, but we do live in a society of quick fixes and instant gratification,we can blame our schools for some of this,no more music, art, woodworking, oooooh we don’t want anyone working at a job and get their hands dirty, now do we, it truly is satisfying to use a little imagination and some skill and actually construct a “one of a kind” keep at it ! !
I agree. Too often we see exactly the same structures on many layouts. What happened to personalizing things? Very little makes it onto my layout without being redone in some way. I repaint my buildings (especially the ones from Model Power…that are usually molded in ghastly colors) to look different. I swap windows around, install (or remove) details and other things to make the buildings look “mine.”
The only thing I didn’t mess with (other than installing grab irons) were my Walthers Penn Central passenger cars. I didn’t feel like messing up a nice paint job. However, I did repaint and weather the truck and roof, but that was it
My first scratchbuilt-- built in a hospital bed in 1969-- as a feasibility project to see if I could model in this newfangled little N scale… I used an X-acto knife, balsa wood, figured scale measurements from a school supply ruler, and used the hospital menu card as subbase for the roof.
