Laser cut wooden buildings

[SR71]

Hi,

 

I am sure these have been discussed on here before but I've searched multiple combinations of wording and found nothing.

 

Has anyone built any of the  multitude of fiber board kits that are on eBay these days? A few example links below.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BS001-Bus-Station-OO-Gauge-Model-Laser-Cut-Kit/111602740018?hash=item19fc0aab32

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coal-Order-Office-Railway-Model-OO-Gauge-1-76-Scale-Wooden-Kit/322544603964?epid=2298937485&hash=item4b1928133c:g:gRAAAOSwvNVcN1k9:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

 

I like the idea of wooden buildings being wood but will it work for masonry? Also what it is the relief like, a step up from superquick or more towards a Dapol (Airfix) engine shed?

 

I'm not so interested in the nitty gritty of who's kits require 6 arms and skyhooks to build but what can/has been done with these?

 

Thanks,

[Chris Chewter]

I’ve not used those kits in particular, however personally I think that Laser cut kits in general are excellent. Made from plywood, they create robust models, and because there runs are smaller, they breakaway from the mass produced plastic kits. The relief is as good as plastic in my opinion.

 

I used Timbertrack ply kits for my layout. These are more expensive than the eBay kits. I presume the cost difference is design as they all use the same materials.

 

[88D]

Some of the kits are carcasses, thus allowing you to overlay the full fibreboard/wood with brick paper, Wills stone, etc. Others include the brick detailing/ engraving already. Pros and cons in both directions, but not sure if it has made much difference as to whether a kit is cheap or expensive. Some lower cost kits that I like include lcutcreative and petite properties.

[birdseyecircus]

Lcut creative are in the smaller supplier section.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/90445-lcut-creative/

 

Paul

Edited January 19, 2019 by birdseyecircus

[SR71]

That station looks great Captainalbino. I think I'm going to have to get a kit or two to experiment with.

[Vecchio]

Have an example of Lcut-creative. Parts really match well. Of course everything has to be painted to get the right effect. But this is true for most building kits, even pre coloured plastic ones. 

 

DSC04955

 

DSC04952 

 

by the way the interior is not from L-cut and I also used my own floor. 

 

DSC04954 

[Gilbert]

I've used a few Lcut kits on Dock Street for the yard office, overbridge brick work and the brick built factory  - they are a board material rather than wood I think. I am happy with the buildability and variety they bring to the scenery BUT - I strongly suggest sealing the parts with an acrylic spray before building especially on interlocking corners where the surface layer is vulnerable.

Chris

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/127585-dock-street-sidings/?hl=%2Bdock+%2Bstreet+%2Bsidings

[Nearholmer]

They are not all ‘made alike’ in that the cheaper ones use fibreboard in applications that the more expensive ones use birch-ply.

 

This is a material difference when it comes to the robustness of fine-section parts.

 

Also, in 0, I don’t know about 00, the cheap ones really need some additional bracing, using stripwood that doesn’t come as part of the kit.

[Vecchio]

Kevin, they all need some reinforcement, what you see in the photo above is 0 scale. The cardboard used for the main structure is quite thick so it rather stable. There is some reinforcement structure in the kit and the floor gives it stability. On top of that in the basement I have balsa profiles in the corners. 

The advantage of the board against wood is that it doesn't warp if the humidity is changing. As you can see in the picture I paint also inside, so humidity should be banned.

 

I have built also some H0 structures, none of them was real wood, all were cardboard or rather a special version of it, especially for laser cut applications. And of course I reinforced all of them. 

Another example, this time continental. This kit has more than a hundred parts and was rather challenging. 

It was from an Austrian company and is a scale version of the (no longer existing) station of Strobl at the Salzkammergut line (county Salzburg).

IMGP5418 

 

or another one, a bridge from Noch. Also the bridge is made from card board and is surprisingly stable. 

 

IMGP5431

 

As you can read I like laser cut kits. 

Vecchio

Edited January 20, 2019 by Vecchio

[SR71]

Thanks all,

 

I will decide on a kit to try and be sure to post back on my progress. I am most definitely encouraged by your responses.

[hayfield]

I have found Petite Properties stand at several shows now and have been very impressed at their products, they sell models for model railways in 7, 4 & 2 mm scales made from  MDF. They come in either full or half relief and are inexpensive

 

The kits themselves give all the basic bones of the model, but the builder has to supply the outer finish (brick paper, Plasticard, plaster or textured paint). I think the company derived from the dolls house hobby.  I have bought two half relief buildings, (which I have not built yet) and happy to upload a photo of the contents of one of them if anyone is interested. At the shows there are examples of built buildings which are quite impressive, more of a scratch aid rather than a fall together kit, but you will end up with a more individual model

 

https://www.petite-properties.com/railway-models 

[hayfield]

I remembered I too a couple of photos at Stevenage

 

 

The selection of built buildings, (I cut the top off the top row). In the middle two rows of half relief 7 mm scale buildings, unclad top row, clad beneath. Bottom row a couple of full relief buildings. You can just about see 2 mm scale buildings top right

 

 

A full relief building

 

 

I think its 4 mm scale above the full relief 7 mm models

 

There is a station building in progress of being designed

Edited January 26, 2019 by hayfield

[hayfield]

 

I have enlarged one of the photos to show the buildings in the raw clearer

[Nearholmer]

Very nice, I will have to look out for these.

[hayfield]

 

These are the MDF parts, front, back, sides and 2 floors + chimney stack

 

To give you an idea of the models size

Front 12 cm wide by 13 cn to the gutters,

Sides 7.8 cm wide (half way 5,8 cm), height 18.5 cm to the ridge

 

 

Cardboard and clear glazing included in the kit, also comes with a decent set of instructions

 

Not bad value for £14.99

 

Cladding is up to the modeller, could be as simple as textured paint (sold by the company), plaster or clay which is then scribed, or plasticard or perhaps a mixture of both. Think the company sells brick paper