# Scratch Building to Scale



## WickedRail38 (Apr 13, 2017)

Alright all, good evening.
I need a little help and I am curious. I apologize if this is a discussion that has been repeated over and over again, as I am sure it has...  I don't have a workbench yet, much less a track or train, but I'd like to at least start creating my buildings. I want to do HO Scale.


What is the favorite Medium or materials you use when creating scale buildings? (wood, plastic, Styrofoam, etc.)

Why?

What kind of paints do you use?

How do you get your fictional buildings to scale?


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## J.C. (Dec 24, 2016)

WickedRail38 said:


> Alright all, good evening.
> I need a little help and I am curious. I apologize if this is a discussion that has been repeated over and over again, as I am sure it has...  I don't have a workbench yet, much less a track or train, but I'd like to at least start creating my buildings. I want to do HO Scale.
> 
> 
> ...


model late 50.s library of congress had many measured drawings to chose from.


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## 1905dave (Sep 18, 2016)

_What is the favorite Medium or materials you use when creating scale buildings? (wood, plastic, Styrofoam, etc.)_

Generally styrene, sometimes wood, occasionally resin castings.

_Why?_

Styrene is easy to cut, easy to glue, doesn't warp, available in many sizes. Takes paint well.

_What kind of paints do you use?_

Acrylic. Generally craft paints I have modified or still working off my last bits of Poly Scale.

_
How do you get your fictional buildings to scale?_

Scale rule, dial calipers. I use photos from online sources, photos I've taken plus plans from old magazines and the HABS-HAER website. That has thousands of pictures of al types of structures, some with scale plans and elevations. Another key tool is a calculator that I use to convert the measurements taken from the photos or plans to HO scale. With a little bit of math it doesn't matter what scale the photo or drawing is.

Actually the majority of my buildings are kitbashes. I start with something that is close or a reasonable approximation to the building I want and modify it to my space and requirements. I maybe have 2 or 3 buildings that are stock, everything else has been chopped up and put back together. The first thing I do when I buy a kit is photocopy the pieces and a then cut apart the photocopies to plan the kitbash. About 1/3 of my buildings have a plain sheet of plastic for the back side or an end. You can't see it and it allows me to use those pieces to make the front of the building larger.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Scratch building models can be a very enjoyable
part of our hobby.

When a full size building is built they start with
drawn plans. The modeller should do that also.

The best way to draw plans is with a scale ruler.
You can measure real things, doors, walls, 
windows and the like, then using those feet and
inches, use the HO, N or 0 gauge scale on the
ruler to create your scale building plan.

I don't have 'favorite' building materials. Each
one available has a purpose. Use Balsa for your
wood parts, styrene, which comes as various scale
building material designs, paper stock which is easy
to use for some walls or roofs. 

Then the typical hobby shop also has various metal
and plastic building materials, stairs, railings, beams
of various types, tubing, rods, and other shapes.

A typical scratch model building would likely include
parts from all of the above as well as things you might
find around the house, fine sand paper for roofing,
clear plastic from packaging for windows. The head of
a straight pin for a door knob.

I find the water based paints from the Walmart
craft section ideal for scratch buildings. They come
in all colors and you can easily mix them for your
own custom color. Get an inexpensive set of artist
brushes there also. You'll need various sizes for
your painting, even the tip of a toothpick for tiny
spots.

Start with a small building such as a crossing guard
shack, or a construction site office. You'll make 
mistakes but it'll be fun. 

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Get a scale ruler. These have real world measurements in scale units (so if the wall is 30' long, you find the 30' on the ruler, an actual distance of a little over 4-1/8" in HO scale). This is a great help in converting plans and reproducing measurements.

You can often find scale plans on line.

I've never built a building totally from scratch, but when I kitbash a model, I tend to use styrene, basswood, or cardstock. You can download "textures" from the internet and create quite convincing images which can be printed on cardstock. To reinforce a cardstock model, try Gatorfoam (basically artists foam core with a thin wood veneer instead of paper).

For my painting needs, I use Vallejo Acrylics. Superb paints that I discovered through my other hobby of painting 25mm miniatures.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

I enjoy scratch building. The first photo is a little industry build using Evergreen styrene. I needed something to fir into a limited space and couldn't find a kit, so I built what was needed. 










This freight station was built from wood. Using aN HO scale ruler you can build to scale quite easily. 



















It's a lot of fun to add interior details especially is the structure is at the front of the layout where the details cane be appreciated. 

This cafe was built from what scraps I had laying around in my scrap box. With the exception od some white metal castings (phone. radio, stove, cash register and chairs) 
most was from scraps. The stools are small nails. Even the windows were from scratch. The floor and wall paper are from stuff I found laying around the house. 



















I have built some structures using wood, styrene, paper and cardboard together in the project. 

On the first building, I was a bit intimidated, but after completing it, I found that it was really easy and you could build just about anything you want.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Seems like there are plenty of wood and styrene pieces available today in plenty of different textures. I'm not sure why anyone would want to build from a kit when they can make a custom piece pretty easily?


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Look around the railroad tracks where you live.
See what kind of small buildings are there.

You may not be able to measure them but you
could do a good estimate. The size of the windows
and doors is likely to be standard traditional
building code measurements.

Use that info the create your own model of it
using your scale ruler.

Don


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Photo measuring*



DonR said:


> Look around the railroad tracks where you live.
> See what kind of small buildings are there.
> 
> You may not be able to measure them but you
> ...


Wickidrail;

Don's suggestion, above, is excellent. There is a trick you can use to get a fair idea of the dimensions of the structure. Place a bright-colored, one foot long, ruler in the photo. I use a "Day glow, passionate pink" ruler I found. I usually place it on an outside window sill of the full-size structure I plan to model. When you look at the finished photo, you can tell the size of one foot in that photo. This works no mater how far back you need to stand to get the whole structure in the photo. Whatever the "scale" relationship between the real structure, and the photo, the ruler will be reduced the same amount as everything else in the photo. By using a pair of draftsman's dividers, you can quickly, and easily, measure off any dimension you need from the photo. How many rulers wide, tall, etc. is the building? How many rulers wide and tall are the windows? How many rulers of space between the window and door? You can measure anything. Add in CTValley's suggestion of getting, and using, a scale ruler, and you can transfer any dimension from the photo onto the model.

good luck, have fun;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Great work!*

Chet;

Your structures, interior detail, and photos are excellent! Thanks for sharing them!

great work;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## J.C. (Dec 24, 2016)

TF using a rule is good idea but I prefer a yard stick with the first foot a bright red second foot a brilliant white the third foot broke into 2 inch bands of red and white , would post photo of it but youngest boy had it now, also I prefer black and white photos using a yellow filter to increase contrast. there are many different standards that you can get measurements off from bricks, traffic lights , stop signs, wheels on cars(yes once I did a build using the rim diameter off a Plymouth fury knew they were 14 inch rims) also track gauge . if you think about it there are many objects that have a standard measurement .


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## WickedRail38 (Apr 13, 2017)

DonR said:


> Scratch building models can be a very enjoyable
> part of our hobby.
> 
> When a full size building is built they start with
> ...


Don these are some great tips, thank you! 


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## WickedRail38 (Apr 13, 2017)

traction fan said:


> Wickidrail;
> 
> Don's suggestion, above, is excellent. There is a trick you can use to get a fair idea of the dimensions of the structure. Place a bright-colored, one foot long, ruler in the photo. I use a "Day glow, passionate pink" ruler I found. I usually place it on an outside window sill of the full-size structure I plan to model. When you look at the finished photo, you can tell the size of one foot in that photo. This works no mater how far back you need to stand to get the whole structure in the photo. Whatever the "scale" relationship between the real structure, and the photo, the ruler will be reduced the same amount as everything else in the photo. By using a pair of draftsman's dividers, you can quickly, and easily, measure off any dimension you need from the photo. How many rulers wide, tall, etc. is the building? How many rulers wide and tall are the windows? How many rulers of space between the window and door? You can measure anything. Add in CTValley's suggestion of getting, and using, a scale ruler, and you can transfer any dimension from the photo onto the model.
> 
> ...


These are all fantastic tips, thank you all so much!

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## WickedRail38 (Apr 13, 2017)

DonR said:


> Look around the railroad tracks where you live.
> See what kind of small buildings are there.
> 
> You may not be able to measure them but you
> ...


Don these are great suggestions, thank you!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

I love that cafe, Chet! Nice job!


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