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Discussion Boards => General Discussion => Topic started by: Robertj668 on August 13, 2009, 09:23:58 PM

Title: Cardstock Structures
Post by: Robertj668 on August 13, 2009, 09:23:58 PM
After reading this months Model Railroader article on "Building realistic cardstock structures.  I became curious about it.  I am looking on the recommended websites they listed but am curious if anyone here has worked with them before. 

Any advice or comments would be appreciated.

Robert
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: buzz on August 13, 2009, 11:31:45 PM
Hi Robertj668
Did not see that article are you sure it was August's MRR.
However it is vital that your craft knife blade is razor sharp at the first sign of bluntness get rid of it, otherwise you will end up with fuzzy edges that will spoil your model.
Your rule and set squares need to be steel so you have a straight edge to run your craft knife down while cutting the card.
If you are scratch building in card take the time to shelac your card parts to harden them up prior to assembly.
Make your own shelac using shelac flakes and industrial grade methylated spirit not the rubbish methylated spirit you get down the local hardware shop.
If you are building card Kits take the time to run a coloured texta pen down the edge of the parts so no white edges show.
Think about how much wood needs to go in to reinforce the structure and where card gussets will do.
Measure Three Times and Cut Once

For scratch building make sure you have enough layers of card per side to get a level of relief that you are happy with.
You will be amazed at what can be achieved with patience and a few sheets of good quality card.
Find an old timer who can show you a few neat tricks to get good results working in card.
I say this because I have seen card scratch built structures and passanger cars built by some one who had been at it for years and it took a while to convince my self that they where card
regards John
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: Robertj668 on August 13, 2009, 11:39:26 PM
buzz
Great advice.  There is a software program to looks interesting that would love to get. It lets you design your own buildings.
Robert
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: r0bert on August 14, 2009, 12:19:22 AM
a whole bunch of free ones are here, just download and print on heavy cardstock
http://www.illinois-history.gov/ps/construct_mainstreet.htm (http://www.illinois-history.gov/ps/construct_mainstreet.htm)
tall warehouse bulding is one from this site.
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f123/river_eagle/CMRRA/HOlayout/cmrralayout190.jpg)
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: Robertj668 on August 14, 2009, 12:25:03 AM
r0bert
That is cool I Bookmarked the page!
Thank you
Robert
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: Jim Banner on August 14, 2009, 12:36:53 AM
Haven't done a card stock building in years.  I used to carry a kit with me when doing field work in the arctic - Xacto knife with #11 blade, a small square of 600 grit wet and dry paper for sharpening the knife, a small pair of scissors, a steel scale rule and a small tube of Ambroid cement.  For materials, I used cigarette packages (Canadian style, not the American pouches) and pages cut from my field note book.  We weren't supposed to cut the numbered pages out of our note books but I used to get more flack about the back covers which were always cut and scarred from using them as a cutting board.  And besides, the paper was heavier than normal and made great shingles (that was what the scissors were for.)

I rarely painted these buildings, in fact, I rarely kept them.  Mostly I gave them away and let the recipient paint them.  I usually recommended that they paint the inside as well as the outside and that they stick to fast drying lacquers.  With some of the buildings, I lined the insides of the walls with the aluminum foil from the cigarette packages so that light would not bleed through.

Thanks, buzz, for bringing back some pleasant memories.

Jim
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: jerryl on August 14, 2009, 07:08:57 PM
Paper Creek has a free download on thier site (Google " Paper Creek" )  It's an old outhouse.  I made one & it is VERY hard to tell from wood if you do it according to the instructions.   Jerry
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: jerryl on August 14, 2009, 07:21:52 PM
  PS just remembered that Dover publishers has put out at least 3 HO scale sets of buildings in book form. One is " An Early New England Seaport" Which has 10 structures on very heavy cardstock.  The other one I have is "Victorian Houses".   The one I don't have is "A Western Frontier Town"  at the time I bought them they were $5.95  & $3.50. Be prepared to shell out a little more today .Just remember they are HO scale & some of the detail is VERY small, Take your time.
   Also about a year ago RMC did a review of some of Clever Models structures. Very good with some good tips.    jerry
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: Robertj668 on August 14, 2009, 07:26:50 PM
Jerry
Thanks for the advice. After all this I think I need a better printer now.  However I am going to make one anyway.
Robert
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: RAM on August 15, 2009, 12:00:10 AM
I down loaded the Paper Creek ho outhouse.  However when I print it it looks O scale.  Has anyone printed it in ho?
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: Robertj668 on August 15, 2009, 12:14:08 AM
RAM
I read on some sites that to get HO it must be printed at a scaling of 87%.  Not sure if that is correct though.
Robert
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: jward on August 15, 2009, 01:48:22 AM
for your first attempt, i'd build the outhouse as you printed it. if it is o scale, the size may make it easier to work on until you get the hang of things.

i may have my calculations wrong, but i think the reduction from o scale to ho scale is 33% at least that is how much area an ho building will take up compared to the same one in o scale.

Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: Jim Banner on August 15, 2009, 04:47:02 PM
Let's see now.  H0 scale is defined as 3.5 mm per foot.  That would be 3.5 / 25.4 = 0.1378 inches per foot.  American 0 scale is defined as 1/4 inch per foot.  So the reduction ratio should be .1378 / .250 = 0.5512 or about 55%.

For anyone wondering why it is not exactly 50% when H0 stands for Half 0, it is because 0 scale was originally defined as 7.0 millimeters per foot, or about 1:43.54.  American toy makers were not used to dealing in metric, so they made their trains slightly smaller at 1:48 or 1/4 inch per foot.

Jim
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: jerryl on August 15, 2009, 05:19:48 PM
If I rememder correctly, the web site tells you what % to use when copping for HO, I'll have to recheck.   But it was good advise to build it in O scale to get your feet wet.  Jerry
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: CNE Runner on August 15, 2009, 06:22:13 PM
It is amazing, to me, that we are rediscovering materials and techniques in the hobby that were common place some 50+ years ago. I continue to be surprised by what the early model railroaders accomplished given the materials, money, and methods they had available.

"Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it."

Never have truer words been spoken.

Ray
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: renniks on August 16, 2009, 08:00:14 AM
Ray,

The difference is that now the materials can come ready printed.

Some years ago I obtained a HO card set of "Canyon City" by Schreiber-Bogen. Using the PC, I cut and pasted parts of scanned copies and printed out in O scale.

(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa1/damsonskin/Structures1.jpg)

The two buildings on the right were generated this way while the left hand pair were "hand generated" using various graphics software.

Has anyone a site for Dover--would like to see what they have. Now that I have an A3 size printer,I can print out whole cards and do the cut and paste with my knife.
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: CNE Runner on August 16, 2009, 10:30:46 AM
Renniks - I see what you mean. Those structures came out very well...excellent! On my previous layout, I experimented with taking digital photographs, printing them out, and laminating them to foamcore. The 'buildings' were then cut out and layered for a 3-dimensional effect. For a person who can only draw stick-figures, they came out well (so well that we sold the lot at a train show!). I will seriously consider making some deep background structures the same way (deep background structures are those that are behind background buildings...at least in my lexicon) in my next layout attempt.

Thanks for sharing the image.

Ray
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: Robertj668 on August 16, 2009, 01:49:33 PM
renniks
Those are beautiful.
Robert
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: buzz on August 17, 2009, 04:33:00 AM
Hi Ray
I don't think card modeling truly disappeared in the UK there are two manufactureres of card kits OO scale, I know of one in Australia for HO.
And it still crops up from time to time in the model press.
I think it is some what idicitive of the "I want it now mentality" that you seem to see less of it and less plastic kits as well
If I had a plan for a small easy US something out of the wild west station building (Depot) I would probably have another go at card building
regards John
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: renniks on August 17, 2009, 06:17:23 AM

One advantage is that signs and posters can be added on PC rather than later.

(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa1/damsonskin/Structures5.jpg)

Rear walls are cut so that building overhangs track to partially hide hole in backdrop.  Piece cut from backdrop is mounted on foam and replaced at angle to help prevent black hole effect.
In foreground is an Evergreen kit gas station.

Printed card can also be used for Boxcabs, Passenger and frt. cars.

(http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa1/damsonskin/Reefers2.jpg)

Some of my expanding fleet of printed card sided reefers mounted on Bach flats or scratch chassis. Future builds will use the new Bach underframes. Caboose is combination of two Chivers cars on stretched chassis.

Eric UK (forgot to sign last post   :()
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: CNE Runner on August 17, 2009, 10:12:29 AM
Buzz - apparently a lot of good things haven't disappeared in the UK: sensible small vehicles, Peco products, real Land Rovers (Defender series...not the junk they import stateside. I still miss my 1970 Series IIA...after almost 30 years no less.), and small - yet interesting layouts. I believe it was on YouTube that I watched a video clip about an English layout wherein the presenter talked about how he made his cardstock structures...fascinating stuff!

Your structures are extremely well done and are an inspiration!

Thanks,
Ray
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: jerryl on August 18, 2009, 11:10:34 PM
Clever Mpodels has a free download of a storage shed on thier website. You can enter it in a contest when finished & win a complete set of thier buildings on CDs. It will only be on thier website for a short time, so act Quickly.  Jerry
Title: Re: Cardstock Structures
Post by: mabloodhound on August 19, 2009, 11:32:33 AM
I will second the Clever Models patterns.   I downloaded the free one today and it looks great.   I've built a few cardstock kits and they can be made to look very realistic.