New scratch builder wanna-be - Page 2

nkp174 · 04-09-2008, 10:55 PM

You can also look into getting thin basswood sheets/strip wood and try building structures out of wood. It's cheaper than styrene (in my opinion).
The big 4 wood manufacturers are:
Midwest Products and Northeastern Scale lumber - which offer strip wood in fractions of an inch: 1/32x1/32, 1/8x1/4, etc. Commonly $0.20-0.50 for a 2' piece. They sell Basswood and balsa
Mt Albert and Kappler offer true to scale lumber. They sell HO scale 4"x8"s...not stuff that is just close to a 4"x8". The downside is that you have to purchase it in larger quantities and it is harder to find.

Evergreen scale models is the primary styrene plastic supplier (brits call it plastic "card"). They have all sorts of interesting materials that can represent board and batten siding or tile floors.

Plastruct offers all sorts of cool structural shapes in plastic.

Grandt Line offers all sorts of cool windows (I like to make my own from styrene). Grandt Line products started off as Cliff Grandt's hobby when he retired 40 years ago...and now employs several of his kids.

There are so many different ways to create "glass" for windows...whether cut from transparencies, clear styrene, or real glass! I've seen several models utilizing microscope slide cover glass...and most interesting to me is Clover House's thin glass for hobbyists. Clover House is run by a nice little old couple in the 80's.

There's also so much fun in making stuff out of junk and free stuff. I like a little of both.

Here's a few links to the above suppliers:
Welcome to Midwest Products Co., Inc.
Northeastern Scale Lumber Company
Welcome to www.mtalbert.com
Kappler Scale Lumber
Evergreen Scale Models
Plastruct, Inc. - Home
*Grandt Line Products home page
Model Railroad Supplies - Clover House

Jim Krause · 04-10-2008, 04:02 AM

Hi and welcome: I came across the following book of cutout, HO scale buildings at a bookstore quite a few years ago. I don't know if they are still available. Cut and Assemble a Western Frontier Town by Edmund V. Gillion, Jr. Publisher; Dover Poblications Inc. 180 Varick St. New York, NY10014, USA.--- General Publishing Co. Toronto, Ontario, Canada--- Constable and Company Ltd. 10 Orange St. London WC2H 7EG.
There is also a book of Victorian houses listed, by the same author.

04-09-2008, 10:55 PM	#16 (permalink)
nkp174 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cincinnati, O. Posts: 1,255	You can also look into getting thin basswood sheets/strip wood and try building structures out of wood. It's cheaper than styrene (in my opinion). The big 4 wood manufacturers are: Midwest Products and Northeastern Scale lumber - which offer strip wood in fractions of an inch: 1/32x1/32, 1/8x1/4, etc. Commonly $0.20-0.50 for a 2' piece. They sell Basswood and balsa Mt Albert and Kappler offer true to scale lumber. They sell HO scale 4"x8"s...not stuff that is just close to a 4"x8". The downside is that you have to purchase it in larger quantities and it is harder to find. Evergreen scale models is the primary styrene plastic supplier (brits call it plastic "card"). They have all sorts of interesting materials that can represent board and batten siding or tile floors. Plastruct offers all sorts of cool structural shapes in plastic. Grandt Line offers all sorts of cool windows (I like to make my own from styrene). Grandt Line products started off as Cliff Grandt's hobby when he retired 40 years ago...and now employs several of his kids. There are so many different ways to create "glass" for windows...whether cut from transparencies, clear styrene, or real glass! I've seen several models utilizing microscope slide cover glass...and most interesting to me is Clover House's thin glass for hobbyists. Clover House is run by a nice little old couple in the 80's. There's also so much fun in making stuff out of junk and free stuff. I like a little of both. Here's a few links to the above suppliers: Welcome to Midwest Products Co., Inc. Northeastern Scale Lumber Company Welcome to www.mtalbert.com Kappler Scale Lumber Evergreen Scale Models Plastruct, Inc. - Home *Grandt Line Products home page Model Railroad Supplies - Clover House __________________ My favorite engine My favorite RRs: the Denver, South Park, and Pacific The New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad My Current Passenger Project My current freight car project

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04-10-2008, 04:02 AM	#17 (permalink)
Jim Krause Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Polson, MT Posts: 1,358	Hi and welcome: I came across the following book of cutout, HO scale buildings at a bookstore quite a few years ago. I don't know if they are still available. Cut and Assemble a Western Frontier Town by Edmund V. Gillion, Jr. Publisher; Dover Poblications Inc. 180 Varick St. New York, NY10014, USA.--- General Publishing Co. Toronto, Ontario, Canada--- Constable and Company Ltd. 10 Orange St. London WC2H 7EG. There is also a book of Victorian houses listed, by the same author.