An irregular series on the construction of an HO bandsaw mill from a Keystone Locomotive Works kit:
The main framing of the building is complete and I’ve started installation of the flooring of the main floor.
You’ll note that I have elected to construct this building on a piece of luan plywood cut to size. I had done this previously with the planing mill and kindling wood factory kits from this same company. ADVANTAGES of building on a base like this are (1) Strength of construction. With the framing and central support posts glued directly to the plywood, it forms a very strong building that is less likely to be damaged later on. If the structures have to be moved to another layout later, they are less likely to be damaged in transport; (2) The ability to construct the kit at the workbench and then move it onto the layout instead of constructing a detailed structure in place on the layout itself. If I wish to bring the sawmill down to the workbench later to add further detail such as more workmen inside or for cleaning, it is relatively easy to do. DISADVANTAGES of building on a base in this way is the height of the plywood itself. This scales to about 15 inches in HO, which will have to be disguised by bringing plaster or other ground cover directly up to the building. This can be a difficult seam to disguise, especially if the building is directly adjacent to a track. For me, with all the effort that will be going into detailing this complex kit, the advantage of having a sturdy structure and base makes it worth the trouble of having to try to hide the base.
Once the floor is in, the instructions have me installing the interior machinery next, and the siding/windows go on quite a bit later in the process.
Bill