Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
You may be aware that Philip, who goes by the moniker BrushType4 here, has a laser cutter. You might have seen some of his efforts in various threads on the forum. Well, a few weeks ago, Philip contacted me to see if I'd be interested in taking a look at one of his creations in complete kit form, with a view to feedback and general comments. Eventually, a neat cardboard box arrived.
What I had was a laser-cut MDF kit of Chelmsford Goods Yard Weighbridge Office, to a scale of 7mm to the foot. A lovely smell of charred wood accompanied a series of ziplock bags and a couple of sheets of exploded diagrams.
Aside from the structural parts for the building, there were some exquisite sash windows and door parts cut from reasonable thickness paper, with a couple strips of clear plastic glazing material, and a sheet of tiles. A smaller bag contained parts for a chimney stack. It all looked very neat and tidy.
The basic carcass went together very well. I used a basic craft PVA to glue the parts together, where an interference fit wasn't sufficiently strong. I found there was no need to file or sand the main components. The four walls build up around the floor, instantly ensuring all is square. Tabs on the front and back edges of the floor are the same size as a brick stretcher, so can be disguised readily if they remain visible after planting the finished model on a layout. The corners of the brick walls are cut to interleave to appear like the real thing.
In a surprisingly short amount of time, four main assemblies were be built up. I opted to build the internal walls outside the main structure, which necessitated the use of some engineeri squares to keep things aligned and at right angles, so I could paint them more easily. Once the glue has set, the internal part simply slips inside the main structure. I had no fettling to do for the main structures. When dry, the assemblies are reassuringly solid and rigid during handling.
I found I needed to make a few passes with a fine file on the window cill slots, and the slots at the top of the walls where the rafters fit. The cill parts are a good interference fit and don't need any glue. The only major problem I encountered was with the brick ring that sits at the top of the chimney stack assembly. It's cut as a single open square of MDF which has to slip over the chimney. I managed to break it, as it I s very fragile. I was attempting to file the inside edge when it snapped at a mortar line. What I should have done - and indeed subsequently did - was to sand the chimney itself. I would make the suggestion to Philip that this part might be better as two parts.
Over the next few days I shall consider the tiles and what colours I'd like to paint the model. I will report on my findings in due course. One aspect I will need to look at is how to disguise the brick corner joints. I will also show how the doors and windows are assembled.
These joints are not bad, as you can see. The mortar depth has been cut away to allow the corners to interlock. I think a dilute wash of filler of some kind will fill the gaps. Such things can come in future posts; I wanted to post my immediate thoughts to get the ball rolling.
I have to say I enjoyed building this little model. As a quick way to get a nice structure for a layout or diorama, I don't think it can be beaten. Philip has hit the mark with the design, which has been carefully thought out to make the model accurate and easy to build. Improvements I would like to see, beyond those mentioned above, would be limited to making the instructions a tiny bit clearer for some of the smaller parts, and possibly a photo of the real building so colours and details can be followed during construction.
I have no idea of how this kit fits into any pricing system for the range that's bound to follow! This model was sent to me as a sample for my comment, and I have no other links to Philip beyond that. I should add that it was agreed I could share my thoughts with Western Thunder.
It's under construction, but there is a web site which has promise of goodies to come: http://www.intentio.co.uk
What I had was a laser-cut MDF kit of Chelmsford Goods Yard Weighbridge Office, to a scale of 7mm to the foot. A lovely smell of charred wood accompanied a series of ziplock bags and a couple of sheets of exploded diagrams.
Aside from the structural parts for the building, there were some exquisite sash windows and door parts cut from reasonable thickness paper, with a couple strips of clear plastic glazing material, and a sheet of tiles. A smaller bag contained parts for a chimney stack. It all looked very neat and tidy.
The basic carcass went together very well. I used a basic craft PVA to glue the parts together, where an interference fit wasn't sufficiently strong. I found there was no need to file or sand the main components. The four walls build up around the floor, instantly ensuring all is square. Tabs on the front and back edges of the floor are the same size as a brick stretcher, so can be disguised readily if they remain visible after planting the finished model on a layout. The corners of the brick walls are cut to interleave to appear like the real thing.
In a surprisingly short amount of time, four main assemblies were be built up. I opted to build the internal walls outside the main structure, which necessitated the use of some engineeri squares to keep things aligned and at right angles, so I could paint them more easily. Once the glue has set, the internal part simply slips inside the main structure. I had no fettling to do for the main structures. When dry, the assemblies are reassuringly solid and rigid during handling.
I found I needed to make a few passes with a fine file on the window cill slots, and the slots at the top of the walls where the rafters fit. The cill parts are a good interference fit and don't need any glue. The only major problem I encountered was with the brick ring that sits at the top of the chimney stack assembly. It's cut as a single open square of MDF which has to slip over the chimney. I managed to break it, as it I s very fragile. I was attempting to file the inside edge when it snapped at a mortar line. What I should have done - and indeed subsequently did - was to sand the chimney itself. I would make the suggestion to Philip that this part might be better as two parts.
Over the next few days I shall consider the tiles and what colours I'd like to paint the model. I will report on my findings in due course. One aspect I will need to look at is how to disguise the brick corner joints. I will also show how the doors and windows are assembled.
These joints are not bad, as you can see. The mortar depth has been cut away to allow the corners to interlock. I think a dilute wash of filler of some kind will fill the gaps. Such things can come in future posts; I wanted to post my immediate thoughts to get the ball rolling.
I have to say I enjoyed building this little model. As a quick way to get a nice structure for a layout or diorama, I don't think it can be beaten. Philip has hit the mark with the design, which has been carefully thought out to make the model accurate and easy to build. Improvements I would like to see, beyond those mentioned above, would be limited to making the instructions a tiny bit clearer for some of the smaller parts, and possibly a photo of the real building so colours and details can be followed during construction.
I have no idea of how this kit fits into any pricing system for the range that's bound to follow! This model was sent to me as a sample for my comment, and I have no other links to Philip beyond that. I should add that it was agreed I could share my thoughts with Western Thunder.
It's under construction, but there is a web site which has promise of goodies to come: http://www.intentio.co.uk
