I am a fan of kits that are laser-cut wood. I have found Laser kit by American model builders to be the most straightforward.
We recently purchased a Campbell kit that was $75. When it arrived, it was cardstock. What a nightmare. For that price, it should have been wood. We were expecting a box of sticks which would have been hard enough.
Thanks for the tip on GC Laser.
Sue
The walls are Matte Board, and are laser etched, so a light coat of paint shouldn’t hide the etchings.
That said, there is still the “fibers” problem, and that one I can’t explain. Contact GCLaser ( email or phone: 815-354-6627 ), explain the situation, and, if necessary provide a mailing address so replacement part / parts, can be shipped out to you.
We used to cut micro plywood for our kits, and still do for our older kits, but the cost of that material went “out of sight”, so we looked for a satisfactory replacement, to hold the kit costs down. The Matte Board is a very stable material, and cuts well, if not better than the plywood. The fibers may be from the “core” of the Matte Board, and if that is the case, it’s the first time we’ve heard of it. ( first time it has been mentioned, where we could be aware of it )
For the sake of general information, the colors of the buildings are done ( with the exception of white ) with artist quality marker pens. The material seems to handle air brushed lacquers well, but Acrylics might be too thick for the laser etched details, unless well thinned.
Pete
GCLaser
I have it from a reliable source that the lines are laser-etched, and should still be visible after the wall has been painted (unless, of course, you have a heavy hand when painting [swg] ). The material is matte board (same stuff as used when framing pictures) and is used because it’s more stable than micro plywood and also cheaper, so it helps to keep costs down. The visible fibres, though, are a concern, so I’m hoping that the owner of GCLaser will reply to this thread. Otherwise, I’ll pass along whatever further information I can glean.
Wayne
EDIT: Thanks, Pete. [:)] Looks like you’re not only a great modeller, but also a faster typist than I am. [(-D]
Matte board is nothing more than a fine cardboard, get a real wood kit!!! As far as the Campbell kit, in most you don’t get much cardboar except for sub roof except for one or two discontinued ones like the tilt-up.
Guess what I got!!!
Yup, I think it may be the kit in question here.
My kit #1901, is all cardstock, with exception to the front steps which are micro-ply. In this picture I am showing the sub base structure, painted siding sheet, & painted trim parts. I hand painted the trim parts, using Floquil Reefer white, & Roof brown, after trying to determine which parts went where. I airbrushed the siding sheet with Depot Buff, & as you may know, the Floquil dead flats can… ghost, ash, frost, or otherwise build up unevenly, which I will refer to as ‘sooting’ -where it does not lay down smoothly, but has a 'sooty’appearance. This mix was a little on the thick side, but not severe, if it were a locomotive, I may have added just s few drops more of thinner, it was borderline. However, despite that, I laid it in pretty hard & it did NOT fill the laser scribed lines, so I think anyone can paint these without much issue. I did modify the kit to include an Omni LED (meaning it is a wide angle reflector & lens unit), & added a couple shelves using scrap from the frets. Next, I will paint the trim on the siding & then apply them to the substructure. More to follow!
Wow thats fantastically opportune for me that you have the exact same kit! Your description of what you did will be very handy 
I have a question though, I dont have an airbrush (being the poor college student I am) but if I use a spray can, and apply as fine a coat as I can, do you think I can still get the siding to show through?
Chad - Thanks for the post. Good to know how the laser-etched cardstock retains its detail after painting. Plus I’m glad to see the manufacturer responding above as well. GC Laser has a few kits I’m really interested in, but they do have the cardstock appliques. Based on this tread I think I’ll go ahead and get them.
If you do spray it with a can run the can under hot tap water in the sink & agitate the can to warm it up, Doing that will raise the pressure in the can & make the paint spray in a finer mist, also don’t get too close to the walls with the nozzle. I think you can paint it with a can of you are very light in about 3 coats. As it dries it will look better & better. Also the cardstock is very absorbant, as it may look dark until the paint color begins to stay on the surface & not soak in anymore. One other note, on my kit when looking at the walls & trim sheet, mine had a very miniature pulpy speckled pattern similar to OSB or MDF, my paint covered that up as the color built up. When painting the trim do not bump them when wet, they are really soft from the thinner/wetness of the paint. I used as thin as possible Double Stick non permanent Poster Tape cut into thin strips. Hope that helps, I think that is most of what I may have forgot to mention.
You might find that an airbrush works much better than a rattle can for this application.
Also, I’ve found that if you apply a layer of acrylic sealant to the model (wood or cardstock) prior to painting, this helps a lot with both paint absorption and coverage.
Acrylic sealants are available at most art supply stores (I bought my last bottle at Michael’s).
Awesome advice Chad! Thank you
And those grey flecks I was talking about… pulpy would have been the right word to describe them. That is exactly what I had. Hopefully sometime this week I can get started on this kit and see what happens.
Did you spray the trim or paint with a brush?
Although I have not gotten back at it, I was planning on hand brushing on the trim color.
Have best of luck with your build!