Laser cut buildings review

I like laser cut kits, have used quite a few on my layout. Not sure what you mean by horrible gaps Garry. Perhaps it depends on they make of kit.
Brian

 

Most of my buildings are made from plastics, mainly kit bashed, a few items scratchbuilt, I find that is my preferred construction medium in 4mm scale, I don't really get on with card, printed paper overlays or laser cut building kits.

Some laser cut kits are finely made but some are just very crude, e.g. my low relief warehouse frontages, wood grain is fine for a timber building but for a brick, stone or concrete building it is not a good starting point.

But to each their own preferences

Jim

 

I agree, we all have our favourites.

 

Noted, I had these problems with my warehouse frontage buildings too, hence I replaced the original roof panels with printed sheet covered card supported by foam board.

The corner interlocking I was able to improve on partially because the corners of the walls were stone blocks so the interlocking teeth were 'paint tweaked' as blocks, can't remember their technical term off hand.

The other issue I had was the laser cut ends are typically black from burnt resin which was difficult to disguise and blend without a thick primer, it was too much to sand off.

So, not a great fan of laser cut, certainly not for non-timber structures in 4mm scale.

Jim

 

The gaps on the roof are there because there isn’t any flashing.

 

Rather fiddly though, I can't do that in 4mm scale any more, so I just go for as narrow a gap as I can see with glasses, I don't notice it after a week or so, only in my middle age did I say "well I can't see it but I know it's there", older and wiser, well older anyway, "if I can't see it without an eyeglass don't waste time doing it"

Jim

 

Meaning please, Jim

 

That’s why I changed to O gauge. Can only see that clearly with one eye.

 

Bit late for me Brian, although 7mm really appeals, I'm heavily commited now, trouble is for me it was a trade off when my layout was started some 15 years ago, I preferred a smaller scale so I could run longer trains, I also had Dublo and British Trix bought in the 70's I wanted to run.

No going back now, I just reduce the detail of what I build now, it's bad enough when I only notice some detail on new rtr stock when something makes a cracking sound.
Or the bits found lying between the rails after a running session that fell off which get added to my lost and found box in a hope to reunite them with their owner someday

Jim

 

I thought it was a bit late to change for me as well. I had over 100 locos and countless amounts of rolling stock but got up one morning and thought I’m going to go for it. 2 locos and half a dozen wagons was the plan. 12 locos and 49 wagons later things didn’t go as planned.
75 in June so perhaps it is time to change to G scale.

 

Yes, my planning went wrong too, it went from enough Dublo/Trix stock to populate the railway to the reverse, I got seduced by modern stock and now the railway is a display for a sample of my stock of all ages, nevermind I only bought two second hand locos early last year, and none so far this year so I may be getting a grip at last

Jim