Scratchbuilding: Don't be Intimidated! 

Thanks!

Comments like yours remind me why I produce these videos. Starting a new hobby can be overwhelming, and my goal is to take some of the mystery out of model railroading. Enjoy!

Thank you - that is high praise indeed.

Thanks!

Thanks for the praise - it is indeed welcome. I have taken almost the opposite path from you: I retired less than 5 years ago, and as I have built more and more from kits, I find I enjoy the challenge of building from scratch. Yes, steady hands are an issue, but I am learning the tricks to compensate. Nevertheless, I still build way more kits - for me, the driver is this: can I find a suitable kit? The answer is always found in the following areas: (1) interesting building? (2) fits my layout "theme"? (3) not too large? If the answer to all three is yes, then I'm happy to go with the kit - or, perhaps, a kitbash (as Paul Lindell mentions below.)

Thanks!

thanks

Thank you!

Thanks!

I remember those English Leather boxes - I kept a lot of odds and ends of model pieces in one for years: an Atlas Signal Tower, a few figures, some ladder stock, etc. An easy way to cut openings for Tichy parts: Tichy provides the required opening dimensions on their web site. I use Inkscape to draw rectangles to the exact size, then print out the rectangles, tape them to the structure walls, then use the rectangles to guide my cutting. I'll demonstrate this in my next video. Everybody has their own philosophy on modeling the back sides of their structures. My philosophy is this: someday, my current layout will make way for a different layout, and my structures will inevitably get relocated. Who knows which side will end up facing the viewer next? Or maybe this is just my OCD rearing its head...

Thanks for the compliment, but the point is this: it IS easy. After you've built half a dozen (or so) laser cut kits) you'll see what I mean when I say they're all pretty much the same. My layout is freestanding, with a walkway around the outside. Eventually, I will have a backdrop down the center of my layout, to divide the two scenes on opposite sides of the layout.

@@rwissbaum9849 OK, thanks for the feedback

I cut the rollers from a length of styrene tubing - I think I was aiming for about 6 scale inches in diameter, so in HO scale that would be about 1/16". I used my chopper to cut a BUNCH of thin slices, then I selected the best disks (that is, most even and cleanest cuts). Next, I cut straps from scale 1x4 styrene. I think I made them about 8 - 12 scale inches long. I glued the straps to the disks, painted the straps to match the building and painted the rollers and rails a grimy black. The rail the door rides on was, I think, a scale 2x2 - I had basswood on hand so I used that. I did not create any plans for my structure - I sort of "winged it" based on the original magazine article. Sadly, I cannot send you a copy of the article because the copyright is still in force. However, if you are unable to get your hands on the May 1949 Model Railroader, the article was reprinted in the book "Easy to Build Model Railroad Structures" by Willard Anderson. Amazon has used copies for sale here: www.amazon.com/Easy-Build-Model-Railroad-Structures/dp/0890245142 The various elevation drawings are not in any consistent scale, but as I mention in the video, it is a simple matter to reduce/enlarge the plans to any scale you like. Good luck, and drop me an email showing your completed building.

Sorry - should have included the links. Go to MicroMark and search for decal paper. There are four basic types: two for inkjet printers and two for laser printers. The two styles are clear film and white film. If your image has any white in it, you'll need the white film paper (because, obviously, no reasonably-priced printer prints with white ink). I like to cut my decal sheets in half and print on 8.5 x 5.5 paper - you may need to adjust the settings on your printer and you will certainly have to adjust the paper size in your document. Now copy and paste your graphics images into a document. I use LibreOffice Writer, but MS Word works just as well. I recommend making several copies of each image - you could adjust the sizes if you're not sure which size works the best. When you have your graphics arranged and sized to your liking, just print it - no special settings. Especially, DO NOT use "photo quality" printing - that applies too much ink and the image will smear. Make a test print on plain paper! Allow the printed sheet to dry for a half hour or so; then seal the image with two or three light coats of Dullcote. I have tried other matte varnishes and had problems with the image smearing. I have tried a single coat of Dullcote - ditto. I have tried a heavier coat of Dullcote, and it makes the image cloudy. Allow the Dullcote to cure completely (how long? I'm not sure. I usually wait overnight.) Now it's just like any other decal: trim as close to the printed image as you can; dip in water for 10 seconds or so; let the soaked decal sit (out of the water) for a few minutes until the film loosens; apply Micro-Set to the model surface, and slide the decal onto the surface. Blot any excess Micro-Set away and adjust the position of the decal to your satisfaction. When dry, you may need to apply Micro-Sol to get the decal to snuggle down around surface details. Use a very sharp #11 blade to poke any air bubbles and repeat the Micro-Sol. ONLY when you are very happy with the decal, seal it with a coat of Dullcote. Additional tips: - Like all decals, these self-printed decals apply best to glossy finishes, so you might need to spray a clear gloss finish (I use Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X) before applying decals. - Remember, decals do NOT like to adhere to unpainted plastic. As a minimum, apply the clear gloss coat first. - If you want your finished decal to have a glossy appearance, try sealing the printed image with a clear gloss coat - using Dullcote will spoil a nice glossy finish. Then seal the decal with clear gloss varnish instead of Dullcote. Good luck!

@@rwissbaum9849 Thank you for the fast and detailed reply. It was a lot more than I expected. Have a great day.

First, I should mention that I have tentative plans for a video discussing lighting strategies - both interior and exterior. For the grain elevator, I used a gooseneck lamp from Evan designs (evandesigns.com/products/goose-neck-lamp?variant=31800525815856) for the light fixture over the dock. The interior light was a warm white small LED from Amazon (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P8PMCCS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1). I connected the two LEDs in parallel, added a 1000 Ohm resistor, and connected them to my 12 VDC bus using a 1.25 mm JST plug.

As I mentioned in the text below the video, I have no recollection of where I got those. (I have been accumulating parts, details, figures, decals, etc. for nearly 30 years, and suppliers come and go.) I found a link to a discontinued product that looks very much like what I used. Go to eBay, search for "model railstuff sacks pallets" and you'll find a few links to something very similar.

I create all of my signs using either Impress (the LibreOffice version of PowerPoint) or Writer (the LibreOffice version of Word). If the sign is text, I just type in the text, then select a font style, size, foreground color and background color. If the sign is a graphic image, I find a suitable image online and download it as a jpg file, then import into the software document. For the Alamosa Milling & Elevator sign, I created the two lines of text separately, then I used a screen capture tool to copy the second line of text and paste it as an image underneath the first line. Then I could stretch it or shrink it to make the width exactly the same as the top line of text. Often, I will print multiple copies of the same sign to different sizes and select the size that works best on my building. You can see some examples of these techniques in my video "Building Downtown Deco's Classic American Block."

When I'm working with wood or mat board (as on this project) I use yellow PVA glue such as Elmer's Carpenter's Glue or Titebond. I use Aileen's Tacky Glue to attach plastic or metal parts to wood. I use yellow PVA because once cured, it will not loosen if it gets wet. We use a lot of water and water-based materials in model railroading, and I want to be sure that I can safely apply scenery materials around my structures.

Almost forgot: *Never* squeeze glue (not even Elmer's white glue) straight from the bottle onto your model! Instead, buy yourself a box of *flat* wooden toothpicks. Then squeeze a dollop of glue onto a piece of scrap paper (I use 1.5" square Post-It notes) and use a toothpick to pick up a drop of glue and spread it in position on your model. This gives you much better control of how much glue you apply and where you apply it.

Gracias por los amables elogios