MELGAR posted:NICK_R wrote:
I have three on my layout. They are great for a beginner modeler (like myself) and are affordable. My only complaint is the walls came warped in all three kits I have. Very frustrating... Next time I will spend a little more on a better quality kit and hopefully avoid that issue.
-Nick
Ameritowne buildings are used by beginning and craftsmen modelers alike. They build-up into realistic buildings when painted and decorated. As far as warpage of the walls is concerned, it is usually slight and can easily be overcome as follows.
The first picture below shows one of my Ameritowne buildings in which three walls have been assembled. At the intersection of the front and side walls, there are four short vertical strips of 1/8th-inch square basswood which had first been attached to the inside of the front wall with styrene cement. These strips should be applied at both edges of the front and rear walls before assembly of the walls. When the cement is dry, these strips will align the outside corners of the walls during assembly. To assemble, place the four walls together and put rubber bands around the outsides to hold them flat and in position. You can also use pieces of masking tape to hold the edges together. Align the walls to be perpendicular using a small square. Then, glue the walls together on the inside edges. This process makes the assembly process easier and removes any initial warpage which may be present in the plastic walls. I also glue horizontal basswood strips to each of the walls and place a basswood “floor” on each level to serve as a view block so that, when the building is finished, you can’t see through the interior from one floor to another.
MELGAR
I love those conservative color choices!
They really bring out the building details
