I think I have taken on a project above my skill level. I am going to make a module with a western theme based in the 1800’s. I have the train so no problems there. It’s the structures I am wondering if I have bitten off too much to chew. What I want to do is scratch build the structures. I know I can get them in laser kits but I want to try making them out of wood first. Not sure where to start on this project. I want a saloon, sheriff office/jail, black smith shop, possibly a station, and other small town structures. Thanks for all the help.
I would get some strip wood for siding and stain it. Then layout some store front flats for some of the more generic buildings. Most early western buildings were rough cut lumber and very simple in design. Most probably weren’t even painted or maybe just white washed. Throw in some plastic window castings or try to frame your own. Should be a fun scratch build project. Google old west buildings and “go to town”.
I’m planning on watching a whole lot of gunsmoke to start with and doodle as I watch. I am thinking I may want some scale wood. Since I am an HO guy and all my other scratch builds were styrene this is a new format for me.
I have worked with both wood and styrene and probably 20 or so Laser cut wood kits. The one key to working with wood is to either do a paint wash or a stain prior to gluing. Glue tends to seal the wood preventing stain from penetrating and sometime effects the coating of paint. I often brush a very light thinned coat of paint on the wood not expecting it to completely cover and some wood to show through. Then I use a solution of India Ink in alcohol (91%) to give the entire surface a wash. That gives a weathered look to the structure with weathered faded paint. Below is one of my mills which is a laser cut wood kit finished with a very light coat of paint and then washed with India Ink. 2nd Mill for the brewery complex, loading dock side. by John Moore posted Sep 8, 2006 at 9:42 PM
Blacksmith shop is usually a barn, any barn will do you since the blacksmith usually ran the local livery stable as well. I know you said you wanted to scratch build, but I seem to remember Model Power (?) having a western 'railroad hotel' kit that would be great for kit bashing and some other western style buildings. American Model Builders (Laserkit) also has some very nice kits that would fit in a western theme.
Oh, and here's your blacksmith: Burt Reynolds was Quint the blacksmith on 50 episodes of Gunsmoke before he became famous (er)
If you are going to model Rock Ridge in Blazing Saddles, don't forget the toll gate...or the quarters.
"(when confronted with a toll booth) ... "Le Petomane Through Way"? Now what'll that a**hole think of next? Has anybody got a dime? (cowboys grumble) Somebody's gotta go back and get a s***load of dimes!" HAHAHA!! Wolf
Unfortunately, they cut & edit so much of all of Mel Brooks movies when they show on tv that the movies are almost unintelligible.
Just remember that what they call the “Wild West” font with the points half way up the letters is a Hollywood invention. In real life, sign painters used easy to read (imagine that!) fonts.
I have a pretty good stack of books with pictures of different buildings in them. Looks like a variety of different fonts were used.
False front architecture started before the Civil War and ended around 1900 or so. This was before the general use of cameras, so some care must be made to distinguish originals from later day interpretation. The sign painters of the day were a skilled guild, and their artwork was quite professional.
Thanks to my Grandfather whom purchased a lot of books, I now have quite a few that are out of print that can help me. Here is one of many that I have in my personal library. As I flip through the pages I find one or two pictures that work. In this book it actually has plans for cars that I might use to build from. In the second pic is a book that has a pic from 1888 that has a station and platform in it that caught my eye.
