How to cut windows

Hi Kevin,

I used to do mine using an inkjet printer and overhead acetate sheets for OO/4mm. Including cobwebs.

I use Tichy frames and inserts or clear acetate for O scale. You can always make your own panes using canopy glue. Ideal for old windows.

Nigel

If you are asking how to use the pre-printed windows supplied with a particular kit, this is how I go about it.

1. Cut them out leaving as much spare edge as you can.

2. PLace them matt side downwards and put a small piece of sellotape along one narrow edge with just a little s'tape on the acetate.

3. If the walls are still flat and unassembled, lower the face up wall over the window/tape and when aligned, lower fully and press to stick the tape/window to the inside of the wall.

4. Turn over without disturbing the alignment and put a little Roket canopy glue around the other three edges. 'Caterpillary action' will pull it under the edges of the acetate, DON'T use too much. Anita's Tacky PVA will work but will take longer to dry. When dry, hold down the acetate and pick off the little piece of s'tape and replace with glue as above.

5. If you have already assembled the walls, put a little s'tape on two opposite sides of the window acetate, and with a blob of blue tack on a pencil manoeuvre it inside, press the tape to the inner walls and add the glue as above,when dry etc..

If that's not what you wanted, sorry to have wasted your time and 2 billion electrons…

Good luck,

Doug

Hi Doug.      Thank you for your reply.   I do have a Metcalfe Warehouse , but so do thousands of others, and I just cannot be bothered building it. I have go the scratch building bug. But moulder plastic or etched brass looks much better than I can do. The windows that I have are printed on plastic are very close so I will have to sacrifice some of them. Best wishes. Kevin

Hi Nigel    The first sign of snow in London puts every one in a panic. But no one bothers to grit the side streets. So I can’t get very far, and I have time to spare. I have been saving the cereal packets to practice OO for the  warehouse project, I will have get the brick sheet once I can get out. which may not be for a while. Best wishes. Kevin

Hi Mike.  I have been rethinking my warehouse idea, I went to a Model Railway Exhibition and everyone else that had a warehouse on their layout, and there was several, had much smaller windows than the ones I have. It was a busy day, and I didn’t get a chance to ask, but, none of the warehouses looked like kits? Best wishes. Kevin

Have you looked at the Scalescenes range? Great starting point even if you are scratchbuilding. It helps take the guesswork out of some of the dimensions and easily adaptable with different texture papers or can be over-layed with styrene brick sheets. There is a choice of matching brass windows to fit each kit (available seprately via Brassmasters - expensive though), or the kit comes with a printable sheet where windows can be printed on transparent overhead projector sheets (cheap from Amazon). 
I have used both and made my own windows from styrene rod (painful process). The brass windows are excellent, but pricey. For my church I used the OH transparent sheets and they came out really well.

They do several warehouse kits at very reasonable prices. Providing you have the means to print, all you need is 1mm/2mm greycard (Amazon), good strong knife (i use a stanley and lots of blades), and Pritt-stick & good card glue.

https://scalescenes.com/townscenes/

have just noticed they also sell pre-printed window set sheets which they post out to you:

https://scalescenes.com/scaleglaze/

Ian

Hi Ian.  Thank you for your reply. I have been a customer of scalescenes already, I purchased their Viaduct , and some Under the arches Windows from brassmasters, but the computer that would “speak” to my Printer has found a new home, and my laptop is out of action. I have some 2mm greyboard, tough to cut? But I do have a Stanley knife and spare blades. I have just clicked on your ref. for scalscenes preprinted paper, but, couldn’t get through?? I will look them up after this. A mate of mine, recommended a WiFi printer ( dirt cheap, he said?) for my iPad .The brass Etch windows that I have are most likely destined for a scratchbuilt signal cabin, or at a stretch terraced houses, if I pull my finger out? But I would like a cabin to put life into the scene. The terraced houses in “ N gauge “ 
to sit in the scene to give a sense of distance? now that would be a challenge? best wishes. Kevin

The good thing with Scalescenes is you buy the 00 gauge version and reduce the print ratio to a size that would work. I model in 00 but printed their church and farmhouse at 75% so effectively they are 3mm/ft. Works well at the back of the layout.