:thumbs I've truthfully been afraid to have a go at a card kit before. By chance at Car Boot Sale a few weeks back I came across this kit for sale at £3 so I thought I'd give it a go ……..



As you can see, it's still under way.

I can well understand why Bob has given Metcalfe the thumbs up and its own area on this website.

Detail ……. excellent; card is of excellent quality; the reinforcers inside give it real strength; accuracy beyond doubt …… as you can see, so far I'm really sold.

I perhaps wish I had started off with a simpler model but this was a gift horse.

So far ….. it's making me think …….. but I'm already happy to put Metcalfe on my Christmas List for the family.

More later …….

All my buildings, engine shed, warehouse, brewery, goods shed, boiler house etc etc are all Metcalf. I find them easy to assemble but i do tend to read the instructions a few times before i suss out what to do then just take my time. I would recomend Metcalf to anyone, as you say thre detail is excellent.

I like the look of the one you have, boot fair you say, :hmm where is the nearest one to me.

Phill

Many thanks, John!

[user=312]dooferdog[/user] wrote:

When you get your next one, don't forget to scan it, and or draw around various bits so that you can add extensions and so on, covering them with paper downloads from Scalescenes and similar.

What a good idea Doof, never ever thought of that so clever, thanks :thumbs

John

I don't think this will not be the last card kit that you make, if you fancy trying some free one's try looking, for or ask if anyone has any of the Hornby Magazine's laying around, as most of them came with a free Scalescenes building in them, that you could try next, I have quite a few of them if you fancy trying one.

   

:doublethumb Cool ideas Doof ………. this is what I just love about our hobby, there are so many dimensions to it!

I'll you know how the model develops. Won't do any just now as I've just drunk a large rum and blackcurrant! :cheers

I think the Metcalfe kits are exellent and a real joy to make , the coaching kit is a impressive model here is the one i made and the goods shed with wills tile sheet for the roof but you can see the join as the sheets were,nt big enough also fitted gutters and down pipes





 

I also think the Metcalfe kits are excellent.  They're not difficult (with care and a bit of patience),  they're pretty good value although I wouldn't actually say "cheap" and the printing quality and fit is superb.  IMHO much better offerings than Superquick.

Your Inn  is coming along very well John - bet you wish you'd taken the plunge ages ago.

Doug,  those hints and tips about weathering are great ideas and,  as ever,   the photos say a thousand words - it's little bits like that which make this forum so good - unsolicited input from guys with more skill than we'd ever have just to help us to up our game a little - all freely given.

What a wonderful forum this is thumbsthumbsthumbs

Diesel,  I'm impressed with how your lead flashing looks in the gulleys on your Inn.  Mine never seems to lie without a slight seam down the tiles thus looking as if it sits on top of the tiles rather than under them where it actually should be.  Any tips ?

Also, why did you use the Wills roofing on the engine shed ?

Petermac I just used thin strips of paper they were off a metcalfe sheet of tarmac card and on one of the sheets the paper had come away from the card , glued it on then ran a scribe lightly down the centre . the wills tiles are what I had lying around so thought I would try it to see what the effect was and not too bad apart from the join .

:thumbsTrue enough, Petermac ……. I really wasn't prepared to risk the dosh on a failure on my part, so the Car Boot purchase opened the door for me to have a go. I don't think I'll match Diesel's efforts though!

A New Dawn 2 gives the chance because of its five themed sections to have different buildings and these plus the Oasis models makes it affordable.

I think the Metcalfe models are good for the present front for family, which is also good. I like some of the Wills models and as Brian says, later it will be good to have fun with one of those.

 

Thanks Diesel - that explains it. :thumbs  The supplied flashing is, IMHO, just a tad too thick - maybe I'll try your method on my terraced houses I'm currently building.

I'm also pretty impressed by the Wills roof - the joint isn't really a problem but I do like the proper relief of the tiles. :cheers:cheers

I use baco foil for my roof flashing petermac ,and paint it gunmetal grey . That gives a metalic appearance rather than plain grey.Just the flashing i mean.:thumbs

Nice job mate!
I notice the pub is a Bank's house! A good old Black Country brewery!
Their mild ale makes good paint stripper! and the Bitter is skull cleanser!
No, Joking apart, they do a good beer. I should know, I've drunk enough of it!

[user=31]sparky[/user] wrote:

I use baco foil for my roof flashing petermac ,and paint it gunmetal grey . That gives a metalic appearance rather than plain grey.Just the flashing i mean.:thumbs

That sound like a useful tip Reg.  I'll give it a whirl.  I presume it's enamel gunmetal paint you use :roll:

[user=194]Dukedog[/user] wrote:

Nice job mate!
I notice the pub is a Bank's house! A good old Black Country brewery!

Sorry to digress on this excellent thread, but I'm so glad that Bank's is still brewing.  It was/is an excellent brewery, and, at the age of 16 provided my first pint!

To digress even further, I was at Chepstow Racecourse last week and was speaking to one of the senior brewers at Felinfoel Brewery.

It seems that the reports of their shut down were greatly exagerated, it's once again an independant brewer using some of the old, traditional recepies. Now that's what I call a pint :exclam:exclam

I agree baco foil does sound useful have to give that a go .

[user=3]Gwent Rail[/user] wrote:

To digress even further, I was at Chepstow Racecourse last week and was speaking to one of the senior brewers at Felinfoel Brewery.

It seems that the reports of their shut down were greatly exagerated, it's once again an independant brewer using some of the old, traditional recepies. Now that's what I call a pint :exclam:exclam

Forget Bacofoil.  Now that's great news indeed:exclam:cheers:cheers:cheers:cheers

The Metcalfe kits look excellent in this thread and John your "conversion" is perhaps overdue though I can understand a reluctance to start something unfamiliar.

I have been surprised and very happy with my Metcalfe items, most significantly my 4-arch stone viaduct.  The kit is easy to build, looks good, takes detailing and has (in my case) stood up to four summers outside in the almost-open air.  This will be its last season as I have an identical kit to build a replacement section but the original would be good for several more years yet if other things such as the liftout arrangements didn't need atention.

A great range and sensibly - albeit not cheaply - priced for what you get, which is very well designed and printed items on good quality card.  And they tell you a few tips such as how and where to reinforce.