Scratch-Built Background Factory – Bridgeport Scrap Metals

This is shaping up to be a great looking structure.  I think it highlights how scratch building can be pretty straightforward and allow you to add very unique structures to our layout.  What do you plan to do for the foundation?

Rich883 posted:

This is shaping up to be a great looking structure.  I think it highlights how scratch building can be pretty straightforward and allow you to add very unique structures to our layout.  What do you plan to do for the foundation?

Thanks. The foundation will be cut from plastic sheets that represent stone blocks.

MELGAR

Very nice Mel. Looking forward to continued updates.

Bob

Awesome work!

Peter

Really nice!

Very nice Mel. I look forward to your progress.

Andy

Excellent, can't wait to see the progression.

The vestibule is a nice detail.

Nice work, Mel - a couple of questions, if you don't mind:

1. Where did you source the milled clapboard basswood ?

2. How thick is it ?

3. Did you use an X-Acto knife to cut out the doors and windows ?

4. Did you consider trying to bevel the edges of the walls at 45 degrees ?

Thanks in advance.

Mel:

Beautiful work so far!

How thick is the clapboard?

Joe

Richie C. posted:

Nice work, Mel - a couple of questions, if you don't mind:

1. Where did you source the milled clapboard basswood ?

2. How thick is it ?

3. Did you use an X-Acto knife to cut out the doors and windows ?

4. Did you consider trying to bevel the edges of the walls at 45 degrees ?

1) Northeastern Scale Lumber in Methuen, Massachusetts

2) 1/16-inch thick, available in several clapboard widths

3) I use only single-edge razor blades and a metal ruler

4) Most frame buildings have vertical trim at the exterior corners of the clapboard walls. I purchase stripwood (see above) with a 90-degree angle (1/8-inch width on each side of corner, 1/64-inch thick, 24-inches long) which covers the corners and makes it unnecessary to bevel the clapboard edges. Will post pictures when applied on this model. In cases where there is no trim, I cut a clapboard effect on one of the edges, but no bevel.

MELGAR

Mel, The building looks great so far!  I'm glad to see someone describing scratch-building with wood.  The clapboard looks great!  I have scratch built clapboard buildings in styrene, but not wood.

I added side walls to the center tower, painted the exterior walls with acrylic burnt umber color and cut three pieces for the sections of the roof. I covered the roof pieces with black construction paper to provide texture and painted the pieces tarnished black for a realistic color.

The roof pieces were glued into place and attached directly to the framing that had been installed on the insides of the main walls and outsides of the tower side walls. I then painted the windows and doors “roof brown.” Next, I cut five pieces of plastic stone foundation blocks, painted them gray, and then applied a combination of India ink and alcohol to create a variation in color on the foundation stones. Note that two plastic pieces had to be used for the long foundation wall and even though this will be a background building, I cut a pattern into the two wall sections so the seam between the pieces would be less noticeable.

I next installed polystyrene glazing and tan paper window shades. Since I do not plan to add a rear wall to the model, I also installed black construction paper behind the windows to prevent seeing through to the white wall behind the model.

To be continued.

MELGAR

Very nice work Mel.

Nice work Mel'.  All your alignments look perfect'.  Your engineering skills are quite evident on this build'..

Mel, that building is looking really nice, I really like the look of it and the way you are putting it together.  This is a great article on the construction and thank you for posting it.  It's always nice to see how others come up with their ideas and put them to the finished product.  Terrific job.

Thank you to Alan G, QG48 and JEM. More on this in a few days.

MELGAR

Further work on model. Foundation – Sign – Begin Cornice

The five plastic foundation pieces were attached to the lower part of the structure using polystyrene glue and allowed to dry. Note the seam at the left of the foundation “front.”

The vestibule was added to the right-side wall.

I prepared a PowerPoint slide with various signs and had it printed on matte photographic paper.

A sign was selected, cut out and glued to a piece of basswood whose edges were painted brown.  I then began to make a cornice by gluing two layers of basswood strips to the top of each exterior wall.

MELGAR

The building is coming out great Mel. Nice attention to detail with the stone foundation.

Bob

Mel, the stone foundation and the sign are nice touches, the building looks really nice.  Are you going to detail it or no, I realize its a background building but I was thinking that maybe some rain gutters with downspouts and maybe a light over the side entrance would just round it out even more.  Just a thought, I really like it just the way it is too.

That building looks great, Mel!  That is a very nice stone foundation!

Thanks JEM and Mark. Will add some roof detail and maybe an extension on the left side.

MELGAR

nice work love the river

Absolutely incredible, MELGAR. As someone who hasn’t the skills to build a kit, this is WAY above my pay grade. Part of my problem is that I don’t seem to be able to cut a straight line!!! And I have to agree with some of the prior comments - the stone base is a very nice touch... very New England 

Mel

Fantastic, Cant wait to see the finished product...

Mel the building is coming along very nicely.  I'm sure there are some more additions before it's done.  Thanks for sharing the techniques along with the photos.  I like how you "blacked out" the windows so one can't see through the building.

Cornice – Corner-Board Trims – Vestibule Roof – Chimneys and Roof Vents

I prepared and installed pieces for the top of the cornice, the vertical corner-board trims, and the vestibule roof.

Chimneys and roof vents were installed next.

Vestibule Steps – Completed Model

I built a narrow set of steps that lead to the vestibule door and painted it to look like concrete. The steps were made from four layers of fiber board. This view shows the side of the steps to be glued to the vestibule. The other (visible) side was covered with a piece of construction paper to conceal the seams, as shown on the second photo. The steps are narrow because the building will be only 3/4-inch from the edge of the track ties.

At this point, the building as planned initially has been completed.

This image shows the building on the layout.

The building still must be mounted on the layout. I do this by adding ground cover that surrounds the foundation and positions it exactly, although I do not secure the structure to the layout. However, before doing that, I am considering the addition of a 6-inch (24-foot full scale) brick extension to the left side of the building. If I decide to build the extension, I will post it on this thread.

MELGAR

Great job Mel.

Where do the windows and doors come from ?  Thanks. Jack tylenda

trooperty@comcast.net posted:

Where do the windows and doors come from ?  Thanks. Jack tylenda

https://www.tichytraingroup.com/

Mel,

  Excellent job on your building. You should be proud of how it came out. Maybe you need a fenced in area overflowing with scrap now? 

Tom 

MNCW posted:

Mel,

Maybe you need a fenced in area overflowing with scrap now? 

Tom 

Agreed! There is a small area (8 inches by 2 inches) at the left side of the building that I could use as a scrapyard or for a building extension. There is another area on the opposite side of the bridge that is 6 inches by 2 inches. These are the only remaining unfinished areas of the layout, so I'm trying to dream up some small projects to keep myself occupied working on the layout. That's what Bridgeport Scrap Metals was. After that, I may add a 4-foot by 5-foot piece of table to extend the track and create room for some more modeling. I have numerous kits with which to enlarge the town.

MELGAR

          looks Great Mel !!   very nice !

The building looks great, Mel!!

Mel - excellent work especially the wood paint

Joe

I decided to add a 6-inch (24-foot full scale) extension at the left end of Bridgeport Scrap Metals so that the model would cover the entire length of the white rear wall between the Idaho hotel and the truss bridge. I also did this to create a project for myself so that I had a bit more work to do on my virtually complete model railroad.

I cut two brick walls from the remnants of an Ameritowne plastic model kit.

I glued the walls together, reinforced the inside of the joint to keep them perpendicular, and added two basswood pieces at the bottoms to back up a foundation beneath the bricks.

I added a basswood side wall that will be used to attach the extension to the main building. I also inserted a basswood floor to align the walls and make the structure more rigid. Note the reinforcements on the inside corners to maintain squareness of the three walls. The photo also shows two pieces of urethane “stone wall” that will serve as the foundation.

Next, I painted the structure and added glazing to the insides of the windows.

To be continued.

MELGAR

MELGAR posted:

Cornice – Corner-Board Trims – Vestibule Roof – Chimneys and Roof Vents

I prepared and installed pieces for the top of the cornice, the vertical corner-board trims, and the vestibule roof.

Chimneys and roof vents were installed next.

Vestibule Steps – Completed Model

I built a narrow set of steps that lead to the vestibule door and painted it to look like concrete. The steps were made from four layers of fiber board. This view shows the side of the steps to be glued to the vestibule. The other (visible) side was covered with a piece of construction paper to conceal the seams, as shown on the second photo. The steps are narrow because the building will be only 3/4-inch from the edge of the track ties.

At this point, the building as planned initially has been completed.

This image shows the building on the layout.

The building still must be mounted on the layout. I do this by adding ground cover that surrounds the foundation and positions it exactly, although I do not secure the structure to the layout. However, before doing that, I am considering the addition of a 6-inch (24-foot full scale) brick extension to the left side of the building. If I decide to build the extension, I will post it on this thread.

MELGAR

  From a fellow scratch builder; that is some first class modeling. Excellent in every way.

The brick addition is looking great!

Extension – Stone Foundation – Window Blackout – Roof

I glued the two pieces of urethane “stone wall” foundation beneath the brick walls.

I added window shades and blacked out the windows so that the white wall behind the layout would not be visible through the windows.

I cut a piece of basswood to make into a flat roof. However, I’m looking into the possibility of building a sawtooth roof with skylights.

To be continued.

MELGAR