Material Question

I have found that building from scratch actually cost more, however the biggest advantage is you get what you want. I have found that kit bashing is the best way to go, for me anyway. Just bought 3 Rico stations 1 new 2 on a parts lot on ebay. I will be making one building out of the three for a nice passenger freight station. With a little imagination you put kits together and make them look very nice. Try either google or youtube for idea's, good luck and God Bless.

842 posted:

I have found that building from scratch actually cost more

That depends on what you mean by "building from scratch".  If you are going to purchase all the architectural details (windows, brick paper, shingles, steel beams, pipes, fixtures, etc, etc), then I agree with you. Kitbashing is a great way to in effect purchase such parts in bulk at lower total cost.

But, for many of us, "scratchbuiding" means starting with very basic and inexpensive materials (bristol board, balsa and basswood, foam core, pink insulation...) and using traditional techniques to scratchbuild not just the gross structures but the details as well. It really is close to making something from nothing, which I for one find very satisfying.

This is the approach taken by the great Troels Kirk in his Coast Line RR, and also by the lamented Vulcan (whose contributions to this group I really miss), among others. This approach gives a less-precise, sort of "impressionistic" result, and it isn't for everyone. But, for those of us who love the look of the old Lionel showroom layouts and the many home layouts inspired by them in the '50s and '60s, it has a lot to offer. If this is your cup of tea, then the material costs are literally negligible. You are simply substituting time and skill for money. A lot of people say "I don't have that kind of skill", but I believe that anybody can acquire these skills. All it needs is a bit of knowledge, practice and patience.

Mike:

I use 1/8 hardboard (masonite). Many people also use styrene sheets but the hardboard is cheaper. to make the hardboard look like cement I paint with black (~80% coverage), then red oxide (~80%), then dark gray (almost 100%), then either light gray or white depending on how light you want the concrete to look. sometimes when I am in a hurry I will use Satin river rock over black.

Joe

Satin rock rock over black (base and steps)

  A good portion of material choice would have to do with the "style" you are looking for. I like a surreal, dingey , almost folk-art look. It lets me use a broad range of materials. (and I can be sloppy too. Not a lot of effort to be "new and pretty" here)

   Few set out to be as cheap as I am about building things. I like "free" a lot.

   Much of my wood is simply scrap. Thin, vaneer thicknesses, scrap from trimming for "real" projects, or even a 2x4 sliced like cheese on the table saw (with the grain). Poles, or round timber from chopsticks, and shish-kabob skewers. Pop-sicle sticks provide planks. There's tooth picks, etc too.,. Square stock, I do buy sq. dowels at the hobby shop, as well as some "fancy" trim But some trim is homemade too.

Glass: I like clear Q-tip containers or similar

   Old sheet metal from a cookie tin, a can of soup, etc. (I avoid it if heavily galvanized, it doesn't really hold paint as well). Soup cans make nice "wavy" sheet metal roofs like the old metal roofs and the metal for quonset buildings. The "wave" size differs from can to can too. On some the waves are too big.

   A small block of foam will make a good base, and sidewalk as well. Light, and cheap, maybe free. Carve your cement lines, and paint. 

    Hardboard, or wall paneling, is an old favorite, and some has a nice texture on the backside for cement (some is too coarse).  Stippling paint with a brush when tacky can add texture.(or lift the paint, but water base makes covering up mistakes easy too)

   I have a Wal-Mart at the end of the block and find the .50¢ Apple barrel acrylic craft paints, suit my needs well enough, when a super smooth, or glossy surface isn't   needed. Good for dry brushing, and creating washes to weather with too. Its water based, so cleanup and use is easy. Its also the best paint for foam. It doesn't react chemically, covers well on the foam. ( and seems like it lays flatter on foam than other items). 

Stick with flat paints, or a semi-gloss unless you want an oily, or really shiny, toy-ish look. Check out the factory stacks below (an AF talking station bash) for shine overkill with Testor's gloss.

  Black, brown, red, and/or white first, then dry brush &/or stipple grey on top to give some age to your concrete. (despite covering with grey, the base colors do change the appearance. Your eyes see more than you realize

   If you want a super smooth PW, or "store bought" look, use the smooth side of hardboard, sheet plastic, and metal. And 2 thin spray paint coats dries flatter than a thick one by spray, or brush. Thinning paint, and using multiple coats by brush is effective too, but time consuming, and spray is still nicer.

Not much "new concrete", but look around pic.s for stone and old cement, metal roofs, poles etc.

You can't really do any worse .... a monkey could have done the painting better with the care I used. Spontaneous imperfections make things look better IMO.

More pictures in the attachments below, this is a "general shot".

Here is a slideshow of a Turntable build using Diamond Scale, Bowser, and a lot of other materials.

842 posted:

I have found that building from scratch actually cost more, however the biggest advantage is you get what you want.

Given that you get what you want, and that it's availability otherwise is very close to zero, I'm not sure how you can put a price on it to compare to anything so hat you can state it costs more. 

All of my scratchbuilt structures (and rolling stock) are unique items so supply is pretty limited - demand is real, but I rarely build for others anymore.

Also, I look at $200-300 kits and I know that I can build it for less since that cost is frequently lot of laser cutter time.  I don't charge me for my time or I couldn't afford to build for me,

Mike,

I love styrene. You can buy it in sheets, structural shapes, pipe and various types of corrugation. It is easy to glue and  work with.

Alan Graziano