I am asking a question about where to obtain HO scale window and door castings, either metal or plastic. I want to build some model houses and buildings and need the windows and doors.

I've tried them all including Walthers. For euro style Auhagen is best. North American Is Tichy Train Group.

Here is the overall model. It would look good on a large city HO layout!

Some info I posted down this thread

https://www.marklin-user...er-kit-building-services


If you have never scratch built houses, start with a square basic building, then gradually do more complex buildings.

Always make some plans for the building. Sketch up elevations and roof plans to scale. Complex roofs can be very frustrating with poor drawings. Building a model finds all the mistakes in drawings.

Then place the elevation on the material and with a scalpel mark all key corners. Then remove the drawing, with a ruler connect all marks with scalpel. Small openings cut from both sides if necessary.

Do not build anything like this first off. You will throw the towel in and never build anything again.

This was made from 0.75 and 1.0mm high impact styrene sheet. Full sheets of styrene are about 750 x 1300mm and cheap as chips. Model shops sell a foot square piece for the same price, go to a plastic supplier. Front door and windows were made from Evergreen styrene strips. Other window frames are scored lines with with paint rubbed in. All spray painted with 150ml touch up cans. 1:100 scale.

I like using wood but never done models with it.

The styrene you just score with a scalpel & snap. Window opening score and flex, then the other side score the line and flex more. Use 0.75mm for most things. You can also glue on strips or various pieces to help locate corners, that would help a lot. I often do it to make positioning easier. I usually cut the floor and a ceiling and run the walls around, starting with the easiest wall.

The solvent goes off pretty quickly. You have about 15 seconds. If you don't get the position right just pull the joint apart and have another go. Even minutes later.

I often make internal "formwork" to hold the structure. Even if it is just wedged between.

Toledo rulers (matt surface is better), an engineer square as a cutting edge, god forbid, scalpel (use 10A Swann Morton, box of 100, avoid the no name blades), cutting pad (20years old this one), if using a lot of solvent I put a piece of paper or cardboard down to soak up solvent quickly, start with a Windsor Newton series seven size 0 brush. The kids will miss out on inheritance! Or at least a Sable tail brush. Artificial brushes are a waste of time.

Sanding boards, say 240 wet and dry, spray glue it to some styrene or Forex or cardboard, use both sides. Cut a handful of widths (use old blade).

Good lighting and darker desktop to increase contrast on job. I am working in a tight space currently. Still doing my Unimogs, almost there. Constructing a highrise building I could have 50 drawings to the model scale stuck on every wall, all over the floor so you can see them at a glance. It can get out of hand. You use them as templates, it's the quickest way to build... when drawings work, often finding mistakes.

Actually, for my layout I couldn't be bothered making buildings as they just take far too long. I only build what I can't buy. If you are only going to see parts of the model or only view it from one side, just build what is necessary.


(A few things on the desk for unrelated work)


I also do 3D work, a render I did over a decade ago, the customer wanted his balcony to look like the one at Villa Feltrinelli. The pool was a special marble that changes colour with the depth of water.

Hi
For those interested in making models I would highly recommend 3d printing. For perfect fit parts you will need to also learn 3d modelling, but there is a lot of free and cheap models available on the internet.
For detailed prints a resin printer should be used, but a extrusion printer can give good results. Ref picture of a home made 3d printed church. Here I printed all part but if you wish to build otherwise you can 3d print the part you want
Thor Inge

When you mention scalpel, do you mean the surgical type or the x-acto type?

Surgical

https://www.marklin-user...81-Scalpel-blade-quality

I'm more familiar with Wifey lying down while running around!


Certainly nothing happening like in the first image! The marketing people loved it, people would look closely at the model then burst out laughing.