Just so you all know where I stand on this…
I’ve scratched a couple of things, but not a bunch.
I do find it enjoyable to do once in a while.
Let me know what you think. [8D]
I don’t find I fit in any of the categories. I know that I will end up kit bashing the majority of the structures on my layout, but haven’t executed them yet. If you are talking rolling stock, I’ve just built a few kits. Most are still in pieces.
I love it. I make buildings all the time. I also like to kit bash but not as much as scratchbuilding.
I’ve done some scratchbuilding. I prefer it, but it takes time which is in short supply.
Enjoy
Paul
Scratchbuilding is great, and I do it as often as possible. Using ready-made windows and detail parts, and Evergreen styrene, scratchbuilding is as easy as assembling high-end plastic kits, and simpler than building many craftsman resin or wood kits.
I mostly scratchbuild structures in HO and N, but I’ve dabbled in scratchbuilding N scale rolling stock too, with two cabooses and 20 34-foot wood gondolas under my belt (scratching freelanced cars in N is REALLY simple!). Some of my HO scale kitbashing projects couold be considered semi-scratch too: I’ve turned Roundhouse Pullman Palace 80-foot passenger cars into flat kits, chopped up the sides & rearranged them to get the window combinations I needed, and reassembled them with scratchbuilt roofs.
On the agenda is to start scratchbuilding more rolling stock in HO (my primary scale). Mostly 36-foot double sheathed boxcars, but I’ve also got a few cabooses and passenger cars in mind as well.
I’ve got the erection drawings converted to 3/16 scale for the SP C-8 2-8-0 on the workbench, i’ll be building two at a time from scratch now that a source for drivers and rods-valvegear has been found. My Bachman On30 2-6-0s are back from re-guaging, have to fini***hem up as T&NO M4s. One might say I use nothing as is out of the box.
When it comes to kitbashing, I’ll limit myself to structures, thank you. Pikestuff building materials are practically modular, so I can do interesting stuff with them.
I’ve built a couple of trestles, signal lights and a Turntable (uncompleted) I intend to do more as I find the house kits way to expensive ($60+ CDN for a Branchline Kit). I have pre formed bass wood and several size windows and doors and plan on building several homes over the next month time permitting.
Fergie
I have only done a little scratch building but consider it to be the most fun. My latest project is the Ice House (red building)pictured below. Completely built out of scale (HO) lumber cut on a Micro Mark table saw, the only pre made part is the steps. Even the paint was mixed from several shades of red and black to get the “barn red” close to what I wanted.
I am starting to accumulate a stock of styrene sheets and will very soon undertake my first scratch building project. It will be a model of the 2 room house of my wife’s grandmother, in which she raised 10 kids in a mining village in Illinois.
I go inbetween I don’t do it all the time but it’s been a long time since I’ve done a plastic (3yrs or so.)
I have the plans for some replica HO scale mine buildings that I got two years ago from my parents and I still haven’t found any time work on building it so I put myself in the “I’d love to find time for that someday” catagory. I did make some mountains from scratch last winter, but they ended up looking kind of weird because I made the plans myself. I am not a kit basher though because many people would never have time to build anything for their model railway if they didn’t build kits.
I kitbash Buildings. I know i’m decent. i took a mine complex and turned it into a grain elevator. i have also Scratchbuilt a couple things. i’d like to do more
howmus,
Very nice! So when you commin’ over? [:D]
All,
The results so far are very telling don’t you think?
17% Scratch a lot
38% Scratch some of their stuff
21% Kitbash
7% Find their stuff on the hobby shop shelves
3% run them right out of the box
14% would love to give it a shot, if they only had the time!
Very telling indeed!?!? [8D]
I am becoming a scratchbuilding fiend. Might give up new items entirely and becoming a rebuild and scratchbuild freak.
James
Have scratchbuilt a couple of water tanks (see the link in my signature for photo), building or two, catenary, loading docks and a few flat cars. Enjoy it quite a bit. Not much time for it now.
I scratchbuild quite often, generally for contest modeling, after which the model goes somewhere on the layout.
CNJ831
Hey Guy,
Love the water tower. Very nice work, as is your whole layout.
Those fences bring up a question though. The coloring is so good.
You mention an alcohol and shoe dye mix. What are the ingredients and ratio’s of this mix if you don’t mind sharing. It just looks so much like the old weathered wood that I would like to reproduce for a barn project I’m planning that it would be perfect.
So if you don’t mind tipping your hand a little… [;)]
I started a pole. Most people that posted go with plastic???
Anyway It’s Craftsman or Scratch building for me. I can scratch build something for a lot less money. The wood to build it costs $10-$15 dollars and the same plastic one cost $30-$40 say that’s a lot.
I’ve scratchbuilt [or at least heavily kitbashed] several of my steel mill structures; I’ve also kitbashed a few Athearn BB locos. Usually, if I can find [and afford] a ready-built version of a loco I want, I prefer to buy that rather than try to kitbash one.