When is scratch building , when using shop bought parts?

 Hi All. I am doing my best, but, when I “ enter a model shop “ and purchase Wills and Ratio brick sheet or fencing, isn’t that straying from the ethos of Scratch Building? Or is that part of scratch building? And what you make of, and how you assemble and paint the parts? And when it comes down to paint , one false stroke of the brush could ruin the job. I don’t think that I have that much time to learn the true art of scratch building with balsa wood, cornflakes boxes, or even Plasticard , so I will do my best with Wills and Ratio. But I must learn to paint plastic so that it doesn’t look like plastic, but wood, steel, or Precast Concrete As favoured by the Southern.  Best wishes Kevin 
  PS. As often as I replace blades, would someone please tell me how I cut the Wills brick type plastic sheet, bare styrene is easy,  one cut and it snaps cleanly in a straight line, along the line.

Do what ever you feel comfortable doing Kevin! I’m using Wills kits as I’d never be able to make something that detailed and I don’t have the patience or time! 
My station is a Wills Kit, as is the occupational bridge and brick walling. Assembling can be tricky at times with fat fingers but I seem to do it!  For cutting I use a sharp stanly knife but gently score and repeat many times before it comes away with a little folding. You aren’t likely to get a nice accurate cut if you go for it in one!

Hope that helps a little!

Hi Chris.   Thank you for your reply.  By faffing around , I have found a solution ? I score a line on the plain side, then I make a razor saw cut at each end , then I can cut from the brick side without causing any damage. Best wishes Kevin 

Scratch building is making something from raw materials Kevin - such as embossed plasticard or any other medium.

Kit buiding is, as it's name suggests, assembling a kit, although some of them can be quite challenging !!

I think buying Ratio fencing would be classed as either kit building or "ready to plonk".

Painting doesn't change the above one way or the other but I'd agree, it is a skill to be learnt and can, in my case usually does, ruin any model …………………….

Hi Petermac Thank you. But is that not how I began the thread. When I enter a model shop etc. Isn’t that like straying from the ethos of Scratch Building etc etc etc. If I had stayed with the hobby 50 odd years ago then I would have built everything by hand, instead of trying to play catch-up.  Best wishes Kevin 

If you don't go into  model shop Kevin, how are you going to acquire the materials you need for your build ?  Unless you grow your own trees or have your own oil wells, you have to buy the timber/card/plastic somewhere………………..

I suppose you could boil up some roadkill for the glue …………………… :hmm

Hi Petermac. Thank you again. But a lot of Modellers manage with cornflakes packets, pritt-stick and a scalpel with a supply of blades. And if I was an expert I would do likewise.    Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Kevin,

I wouldn't worry too much about terms like 'scratch building' or 'kit building' – just find something you want to build, and build it with any materials you find that might do the job.

I think people tent to do 'scratch building' where there is no available RTR model or kit, or if the available products are either too expensive or not good enough.

A lot of professional model makers (I am into sci-fi, so I am thinking Battlestar Galactica and the like) will raid kits or find they can lay their hands on to get a part that will do the job.

Don't make it hard work for yourself – unless you really want to?

All the best

Gordon

Hi Gordon. Thank you. But it does feel like cheating. Really though I am just happy playing trains , until now that is. Now I am playing catch up.  Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Gordon. Thank you. But it does feel like cheating. Really though I am just happy playing trains , until now that is. Now I am playing catch up.  Best wishes Kevin 

Kevin

I agree with all of the above - Rule 1 applies here - its your railway and you can/should do whatever you want  to.  In reality, we all buy and plonk, make kits as they are meant to be, modify kits and build some stuff from scratch and often, all together………..



This is a Wills signal box kit with levers operated by a "RTR" signalman.  The base and the back wall, along with the waist rail on the back wall are bits of plastic card - scratchbuilt if you will.  Likewise, the shelf unit for the instruments is built from scratch.  The whole thing will live in a Hornby Scaledale buy-and-plonk signal box.

I am not professing to be any different here from anyone else - I buy the things I cannot/can't be bothered to make, use kits where required, bits of old kits (ALWAYS keep any unused parts from kits whatever they are) and make things.  That combination makes each of our layouts unique.

The secret is to have a go - you will be amazed how amazing you can be!!!!!

Oh and one last thought…

When someone looks at your layout and picks up a particular detail that you modified/kit-built/scratchbuilt/kit-bashed/etc, you get the satisfaction of saying "I made that".

Barry

Hi Kevin, and everyone else!
An interesting debate this has turned into! (Some nice creations too!)

A couple of thoughts that have occurred to me:

1st, I tend to read more about modelling than I actually produce, and I cannot recall ever reading that when scratch-building, you should make all the parts yourself.

2nd, as modellers, when we look at someones layout, do we ever think "He did not make that brickwork himself, that's cheating!"? No, we are far more likely to think, "What has he used to create that nice brickwork? It's worked really well, I must have a go at using that product myself!"

Well, that's how I see it!

However you model, may it be enjoyable.

Gordon :-)

Hi Kevin,

Scratch building is building from raw materials. Which is a very narrow definition. Is styrene sheet a scratch material or modeler's aid? Ditto PVA glue. Making ballast by pounding rocks with lump hammers would be scratch. Using commercial products such as granulated nut shells would be aids.


For me the list is scratch materials, building aids, kit bashing/modification, and RTR. Forget the definitions, use what works for you. As Barry showed, a model can encompass the whole range. Cornflakes packets to plonk um downs.


Nigel

Hi Terry.  Now I am out of Hospital, I have more thinking time, but, the carer has to escort me down the stairs, where I remain during the day. And that is what I do all day, plus of course, eating, drinking, and trying to exercise my legs, I cannot understand the muscle wastage that has taken place during my Hospital stay. I am re reading? some earlier correspondence and considering my mistakes and panic trying to catch-up with the scenery, alas all in my head.I have gone along with the “ Ratio” and “ Wills “ parts idea. I have a collection of cereal packets, that I have to keep hidden, in case they get mistaken for trash already for when my health, hopefully, returns. But all can do now is dream about playing/ running trains again. Best wishes Kevin 

He's back!!!!   :Happy :Happy

Welcome back, Kevin. Stay positive and keep working towards the goal of getting back to modelling again. 

:pedal :pedal :pedal

:cheers

Hi Jeff.  Thank you. Definitely back, but, not quite capable as far as dexterity is concerned. I am having trouble with building anything from scratch, soldering, etc. Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Jeff Thank you. More on Hospitalisation? Now that I am home it is like “Oxford Circus Underground Station “ in the Rush Hour. Today one cheeky visitor had the nerve to moan about my supply of Cereal packaging, bloody cheek.
Too many helpful people poking their noses in.    Best wishes Kevin 

So back to normal then … almost!

:cool wink

Hi Terry. I may have asked this question before? But, I often have trouble cutting Wills and Ratio plastic Brick, Tiles, etc sheets, even though I often replace the blades. And when I have finished it takes a lot of sanding to straighten it out.Would you please advise me on how to work it so that I can cut it without a lot of faffing around. Best wishes Kevin