Quick Question: I want to scratchbuild the shelter at the back of my Greyhound Bus Terminal in Derry (Bangor):
Here is my building:
What would you use to build it - Styrene, Balsa Wood or some other way?
I’m leaning to styrene for the top and maybe wood dowels for the posts.
Styrene and/or cardstock; I’d think about using heavy ‘toothpick’ skewers as stock source instead of costly model dowels.
I like the skewer idea. Probably closer to scale too. What are the pros and cons of styrene vs cardstock - it seems like styrene might be harder to paint but less likely to warp?
Styrene.
I would definitely use styrene.
-Kevin
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Styrene-- especially with sheets of bricks.
While some fine models were and have been buillt using cardstock, after decades of layout visits and tours I can say you can almost always spot an “old” cardstock model. The effects of humidity are obviously one thing but also the adhesives used with cardstock seem to give out over time. And from an ease of construction standpoint, nothing can beat the “score and snap” capability of styrene.
Dave Nelson
Yes. Styrene would suit this progect well. I make 90% of my buildings out of styrene. You just have to spray primer before you paint.
Styrene, for sure.
MAYBE for the poles. Depends how worried I was about straightness. I might use brass tubing or rod, instead.
Ed
I’m also in favour for styrene, and you can make the support posts, depending on their diameter, using either Evergreen styrene rod or styrene tubing. Styrene-to-styrene joints tend to be stronger than styrene-to-wood.
If you need square support posts, you could use 4"x4", 6"x6", etc. strip styrene, but Evergreen also offers square and rectangular tubing, along with structural steel shapes (H- columns, I-beams, etc.) also in a variety of sizes.
I used H-columns to support my scratchbuilt umbrella sheds for the station in Dunnville, and each column includes a downspout, made from styrene rod…
Wayne
Hello All,
I would stick with the same material to simplify the use of adhesive(s).
Styrene and plastics tend to use solvents that don’t work on wood.
Wood tends to work better with carpenters- -white- -glue.
Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue [Super Glue®] can work with both.
Styrene is available in a myriad of architectural shapes and sizes.
Different types and sizes of wood for modeling tend to be cheaper.
If going the wood route I recommend Basswood over Balsa.
The lightweight advantage of Balsawood is not necessarily a plus when building structures as opposed to things that fly.
If the original structure was made of metal, to most accurately represent the same structure, styrene is a better choice. Especially if the roofing material is corrugated.
However, if “just good enough” (nothing wrong with that) is your goal then the ease of working with wood is a good choice.
There is no right or wrong to your solution.
It’s a matter of compromise- -which all modelers face at some point.
Hope this helps.
If you go to a hardware store, look at pre-printed signs like Beware of the Dog or Keep out. It’s a cheap source of flat styrene, since you’re going to paint it anyway. Aluminum flash is another material you might use for the roof, although styrene is probably easier to work with.
Your local supermarket should have bamboo skewers, which might work for support poles.
I would build this out of styrene. I’ve been asked to build a bus station for a friends layout and I’ll be using the plastruct rods, beams and sheets that can be found at most art supply stores.