Simple Card Kit

Discussion in 'Tutorials' started by paul_l, Jan 16, 2016.

  1. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    This How to is aimed at those who have yet to try a download and print kit.

    For this I have used the Free Scalescenes Low relief Warehouse.

    http://scalescenes.com/product/t002b-low-relief-warehouse/

    Available in Red or Yellow brick, I'm using the 4mm scale (00 gauge) red brick version. A 2mm (N gauge) version is also available.

    The download is in the form of a .zip file containing two .pdf files

    The instructions and the actual kit.

    Print the sheets with no scaling (unless you are going to build the kits to a different scale).

    You may also need to play with the paper quality settings - my HP Office Jet Pro 8500A, is a nightmare if you use non-HP paper as the colour cast of the paper is not available.

    I have used Sumvision 180gsm matt inkjet paper for this build - probably a bit too heavy, I usually use 120gsm matt photo paper, but ran out.

    [​IMG]

    The tools I use most of the time are

    [​IMG]
    Knives - Stanley hobby knife for cutting the thick card. Swan morton hobby knives brass and plastic handle versions both fitted with a No 1 bladeand a Swan Morton No3 Scalpel handle with a 10A blade.
    A good heavy steel rule, a square, various clamps including inside out pegs, pin vices for drilling holes, pencil, glue sticks (I like the Tesco kids Go Create glue, as it goes on purple / brown and dries clear so its easy to see where the glue has been applied). Finally a Brayer - a roller, that allows me to roll out the air bubbles.

    Scalescenes recommend the following card / paper thicknesses to stick the print outs on to.

    Print Only - normal paper / photo paper

    Light Card - 00 200gsm, N 80 gsm

    Medium Card - 00 1mm card, N 200 gsm

    Heavy Card - 00 2mm card / grey board, N 1mm card

    You can use other sizes at your own peril - read on and I will demonstrate this perfectly :whatever:

    Inspect the print outs and glue them on to the appropriate card.

    I used grey board that I thought felt a little heavy, I later measured it to find it was 2.6mm thick.
    I also glued two pieces of Tesco pizza box (other manufacturers boxes can also be used) together to make 1.2mm card.

    IOts was glued using the glue stick applied to the printed side, and held flat between an old glass chess board and mdf with additional weights, and left to dry.

    [​IMG]
    The medium card parts were then cut out loosely and glued to the card and rolled flat with the Brayer roller.
    [​IMG]
    The same procedure was carried out for the Heavy & light card print outs.

    They were all overnight to dry.

    Now we can start.

    Read the instructions they are very helpful - they also recommend spraying matt varnish on to the prints to protect the surface - very good advice, must do that next time :whatever:

    First cut out the heavy card parts
    [​IMG]
    On the inner layers that will be covered, you can cut beyond the line, this will help get squarer corners. Cutting the heavy card is hard going, I find standing over the blade, looking directly over the blade you should see both sides of the blade, I find this helps keep the blade verticle.

    [​IMG]

    I use an old viennetta tray to keep the offcuts that will be needed later.

    Now cut out the wall overlay from the print only sheet.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Glue the overlay onto the base layer, again using the glue stick, then rolling with the brayer.
    Turn over and wrap and glue the flaps.

    Before folding the flaps over, run the wrong side of the blade down the edge to help the fold form a sharp corner.

    Apply a small amount of glue both to the side of the card and on to the back surface.
    My not so secret weapon :-

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Allows very fine and accurate placement of glue - I am using standard hobby PVA, and keep the bottle permanently upside down, so the skin doesn't get into the nozzle.

    [​IMG]

    Next the walls

    [​IMG]

    This is where I got bit - 4 x 2.6mm = 10.4mm, it should be 8mm, If I had noticed before gluing the assemblies, I could have left layer B out. But as this is an easy mistake to make, I decided to live with it so we can see the consequences and how to fix it.

    And here it the consequence

    [​IMG]
    The brick section on part C needs to align with the inner end of the end wall, so the side wall now extends beyond the end of the building :twitch:

    I should have really just printed out and made a new set of parts - one of the big advantages of these type of kits. But I didn't :facepalm:

    The walls were glued in place - sticking beyond the front wall.
    [​IMG]
    But means the roof etc will be correct, and will be covered up by the corner wraps, if they are not big enough I will print another front wrap and use the brick section from there.

    [​IMG]
    Now the roof, as per the instructions

    Cut out the parts
    [​IMG]
    Note the upper surface folds up not down as shown in the above photo :facepalm:
    The print outs have an indicator, to remind you to run a felt pen or marker pen arround the edge, a hint to the colour of pen is also given in the box.
    Glue the roof in, and get the flashing tight into the corner and stuck down.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    Cut out and glue in the roof supports
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    Cut out the roof and score the card approx half way through along the dotted red line.
    Fold the roof to shape, test fitting until correct, then glue in place. Use clamps to help secure the roof.
    [​IMG]
    Now lets see if I can cover up the earlier mistake
    The corner wraps were made up as per instructions

    [​IMG]
    The base layer scored halfwau through along the red line, the wrapper layer scored along the fold, then glued in place, Finally the edge wrapped over.

    They were just too short, so the white section was coloured with a BG2 Spectrum Noir Alcohol pen, the when completed the whole bit will be covered up with a drain pipe http://www.click

    [​IMG]
    Next up the Door way edge caps. Again the edges were coloured with the Spectrum Noir pen, being alchol based they leech into the paper and give a stained appearance. I should have stuck on the door next, but as I hadn't varnished the paper I fitted the door slide firts and will fit the doors after varnishing.
    [​IMG]

    And now the varnish - Winsor & Newton Galeria Matt Varnish, applied with a 3/4" brush.

    [​IMG]
    And left to dry, I also varnished the remaining parts as well.

    The doors and windows were cut out using the scalpel, then stuck to a piece of acetate sheet - packaging from something at christmas - it all gets saved.

    [​IMG]
    When dry assembled into the inner office
    [​IMG]
    Roof added and installed inside the building along with the door and window.
    [​IMG]
    As can be seen above the capping stones have been fitted, these had to be hand made, as the kit parts were too small for my over size walls :whatever:

    The kit wrapps have 7mm slabs, so I scribbed lines 7mm apart on to greyboard, then cut out a strip 6mm wide, and carried the scribed lines down the edges.
    [​IMG]
    A pencil helped define the lines further, then a lot of varnish was applied, causing the greyboard to swell, allowing me to thin it down a bit. While still wet the spectrum noir pen was used to apply a bit of mottling. The same procedure was used for the end wall capping stones.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Now to fit the drain pipes, my usual method is to use coloured spaggetti, there's none left in the cupboard, asked the boss, and was told, well you don't like spaggetti, so I got penne pasta instead :whatever: First time anyones listened to what I don't like !!!!.
    So the drain pipes will have to wait.

    Paul
     
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  2. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Hi Paul,

    a fantastic tour through the building of this kit. I like the weathering of the doors etc that comes ready applied to the kit. It gives it instant appeal.

    I'll need to invest in one of those rollers that you use as well. At the moment, I take a ruler and drag it down lightly over the surface of the paper once laid over the glued card. Its just a matter of time until I end up ripping it.

    great stuff

    cheers

    toto
     
  3. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Excellent Paul. :thumbup:

    I have built one of these kits some time ago and it does give a great insigt to Scalescenes kits and how they come together quite easily. It actually prepares you well for the more exuberant kits that John Wiffen supplies. The best thing about this kit is that it is free and can be put together in a few hours.

    Scalescenes have a few free kits :

    Low relief w'house : http://scalescenes.info/product/t002b-low-relief-warehouse/

    Coal office : http://scalescenes.info/product/r024-weighbridge-or-coal-office/

    Inspection pits : http://scalescenes.info/product/r002c-inspection-pit/

    Cheers, Gary.

    ps. Scalescenes also has a facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/scalescenes
     
  4. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    Interesting project Paul, I started building one a couple or three years ago, a free one from Hornby magazine, I made the mistake of using too thick a card plus the card bowed so I gave it up as a bad job :whatever:.At an exhibition I visited a couple of years ago I saw an O gauge layout with scalescene buildings that had been scaled up, they looked brilliant, one thing that has always worried me about printed buildings is fading, photos I have printed myself always fade unless covered in an album or left in a drawer, is the artists matt varnish used to prevent fading or is it used for another reason?

    Cheers, Pete.
     
  5. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Hi Pete

    The varnish is there to protect the ink from handling, and moisture, plus fading.
    Many have tried different varnishes, to greater or lesser effect, some prevent fading better, and some react with different inks, and cause a colour cast.

    The Galeria Acrylic Matt Varnish I use, so far hasn't faded, or caused a colour cast with HP and Cartridge Discount ink refills, but my models are not in direct sunlight either.

    Paul
     
  6. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Trip to the shops and spaggetti situation resolved

    Two strips coloured with Spectrum Noir TB5 - from the blues range
    A downpipe hopper was made from greyboard, again coloured with the pens.
    Horizontal lines were drawn on with black pen ti indicate brackets.

    [​IMG]
    The spaggetti was than glued in place, then cut to length
    [​IMG]
    and repeat for the other side

    [​IMG]

    Paul
     
  7. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Hi Paul,

    I like the addition of the detail. The spaghetti works a treat as does the penned on brackets.

    Top notch.

    Cheers

    Toto
     
  8. cmcan

    cmcan Full Member

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    Hi Paul

    This tutorial has been really useful.

    I am currently building one for my layout but need to modify it - I am turning it into a parcel depot at the station so I needed to raise everything. and add a platform I will post pictures as soon as I have something to add. I will be joining it with the industrial warehouse which will need to be modified as I don't have the depth so I am using the this low relief mode as a gauge. Looks like the roof will have to be a similar profile.

    I like these kits as they are easily modified - sort of.

    Cameron
     
  9. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    Excellent tutorial Paul I must admit I'd never built a Scalescene (isn't that Mr Griffen a nice man) kit until I joined this forum but now I swear at ... ? ... by... them. One extra addition I would like to suggest is boil the spaghetti for around 17 mins, only use best mince and go easy on the garlic

    Ian
     
  10. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Well funny you should mention kit bashing, this model was used as the entrance to my Two level parcels / goods depot.

    Based on the Low Relief Warehouse - above, the Goods Shed and the Factory kit (which I think is currently unavailable). I produced this (roof still to be completed)

    [​IMG]

    The thread for the build is in the Victoria Road Layout thread

    Goods shed / warehouse kit bash

    When I get some spare time, I'll try and condense it into its own thread - note to Flounder I need some spare time, checked Hattons and they're out of stock :avatar:

    Paul
     
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  11. Setaf

    Setaf Full Member

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    Very much enjoyed this lesson. I am just now about to plunge into the world of card stock and though I haven't built anything as yet, I very much enjoy reading and watching about it, thus soaking in some knowledge and thereby hopefully making fewer mistakes. Ink isn't cheap. :) :)
     

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