Another O-scale house

You have a lot to look forward to with your new home (particularly if it is close to this beautiful model). Very professional job.

NICE!

I have to ask, though, as you went through all the hard work to make wood outlines for the house, why you didn't just use scale siding?

Beautiful work!

I'm curious as to why the siding and roofing printouts are taped to newspaper.  Some kind of clear spray before installing on wood?

I'm thinking about trying something like this for a tinplate layout, with a glossy clearcoat to look more like the metal tinplate buildings.

Ed

Cost . ..

I build all my models using prints of finishes that I've gotten off the internet.

Yes.

I spray them with a matte clear finish to seal them.

That is cool.  I love it.  

Cost. Fair enough answer, and I'm glad you didn't take my question the wrong way!

That's a good idea for multiple reasons.

Did you print them on adehsive paper? If not, how do you prevent warping of the paper surface over time?

I use regular paper and spray the back with a heavy coat of 3M-77 adhesive.

So far I haven't had any problem with warping but the oldest building that I have here is only about a year old.

Maybe spraying the papers first with the clear will help with that.

I know it makes the paper itself feel stiffer.

Wow! A brilliant work. I am very delighted from that I see on your pictures.

Great!

Very nice job!

Dave

Great craftsmanship.

Beautiful job...best of luck in your new home.

I never used paper materials but after seeing yours, .........

Congrats on a very nicely done project.

- walt

Very nice workmanship. I like the extended eaves. A lot of buildings used this method to cut down on ground water around the structure to deter termites.

When I was growing up, my dad built balsa models of family members' houses, and the Church he belonged to when he was growing up.

Don

I have seen other people use paper siding, most of them don't look nearly this sturdy. Ray's methods of having a very solid base for the paper to adhere to is the key to a good looking model, as his results clearly show.

Yes, I agree that the wood underpinnings are the secret to sturdiness.  I've never used a paper topping though - I've always used one of the various patterned styrene sheets, such as clapboard.

In photos, especially as shown here (above), it looks 3D.  Wonder in person closeup how it would look.  I should just try on an experimental build.

- walt

First of all the model home looks great.  I am liking the paper siding more and more as I will need to watch costs more as I am getting closer to retirement.

Second, I really like the design for the the real home.  I like the idea of the detached garage connected to the house with a small enclosed area.  I like the green siding and the stone on the porch pillars looks great.

JD,

Excellent work.

I like the color choice.

Alan Graziano

That house looks very real!!! Excellent work!

I have been retired for 15 years now and the cost of buildings for a layout is the only reason that I'm using paper siding instead of the existing model kits or the styrene sheets.

This house cost me about $6.00 total.

Granted, using paper coverings will never look as realistic as the model kits or the styrene sheets.

However they don't look too bad even close up.

On the buildings that I've used this rock pattern on, I've had people reach out and touch it and were surprised when they couldn't "feel" the stones.

Well done!

Peter

Beautiful.  I've used paper in the past for signage.  My printer ink fades under fluorescent lighting.  You may want to spray them with a UV protective coating as well.

Excellent work.  There is certainly no reason to apologize for paper. Truly great results can be obtained using paper or bristol board. Cutting individual "planks" out of randomly-painted bristol board can produce very convincing effects.  Here is a little trolly barn I did awhile ago, using this technique over foam core:

Pete,

That is exceptionally convincing!  Great work!

Indeed!

Don

I certainly hope not that in some way, any way, that my comment above was interpretted as derogatory!  It was just a run-of-the-mill statement, no more.

I have used paper so I'm not saying anything negative about its use

- walt

Here are 2 with paper:

I love that house you built. Would love to see the

"Full Scale" when you have it built.

I find that I am using paper more and more in projects

and love how you use it so well.

Great work, thanks for sharing and inspiring.

Walt, my comment wasn't at all directed at you. I was replying to Ray's "the cost of buildings for a layout is the only reason..." comment.  I think his work is great and he should be really proud of his use of paper.  I was just trying to say that the use of any material that works well is not a compromise.

BTW: Your paper work is great, too.  Thanks for sharing.

If you haven't tried paper buildings, the link below is N gauge but covers basic techniques.

http://www.instructables.com/i...ilroad-or-/?ALLSTEPS

Walt,

Any ideas as to where we can buy some of those Wally Fries?

York, perhaps?

Ed

The bag said "Johny Rapp's" originally.  A forum member (apologies for not remembering right now who that was) photoshopped an image of the bag that I took to say "Wally Rapp's", Wally sounding more informal for a label than Walt.

It gets its fair share of comments!!!

- walt

OOPS, forgot to answer the 'where' question.  I have no idea.  A friend gave me the bag saying he got it from a vending machine.  That was while I still worked in Pittsburgh about 5 years ago.

- walt

Very convincing and  well done.  We certainly have a wealth of ideas and talent here don't we?

If you want to see what can be accomplished with some paper and paint do a search for Troels Kirk and his Coast Line RR. Troels models in On30 and his work is nothing short of spectacular. He is a professional artist in Europe but his railroad depicts the Maine coast, and he very generously shares many tips and techniques. 

Joe