I've yet to have a problem with a Walthers kit. The ADM elevator was a bit warped, but a quick bath in warm water, and some "remolding" helped it. Are you guys using Ambroid, or Testers liquid glues? They're much easier to work with on these kits.
Most of the Walther kits I have I didn't built straight out of the box(also known as SOB). So if there was a problem I thought it was my mistake. The couple of kits I built SOB were newer kits and not much problem. There module sets I have struggled with ,can't get them lined up.
I built the ADM elevator and had very little problems..When I added the second set of silos I had a whale of a time getting to match-reason? warp..I finally got 'em build. My George Roberts printing company--well the sides was so warped I decided to use along the backdrop. I had the same types of problems with my HO Walthers building.
Glue may be your problem. Testors or Ambroid liquid cement applied with a brush seems to work best for me. The testors in the needle applicator doesn't seem to works as well and I reserve tube glue as a last resort for parts that I can't get to fit together seamless.
I have never had much luck with the Testors needle applicator glue ever since they changed from the metal tube to the plastic piece. The flow of glue is poor. However...I love the brush on liquid glue.
I'm just wondering if anyone else here gets as frustrated with building kits as I do. I attempted to put together the ADM Grain Elevator kit(by Walthers,I believe). Sir, this kit was one of the worst for me as well. I suggest skipping the silos altogether. Try sustituting PVC pipe for them. It is SOOOOO much easier. Then add the head house etc. (Mind you, you'll need different glue for the PVC.) You'll be much happier!!
Hey guys. I found the secret. Scratchbuild. Every part is your own, therefore it will fit with every other part, also your own. You can build anyting in the world, just the way you want. It is soooooooooooooooooooooooo much more fun, and a lot more satisfying than building someone else's ideas. I just finished the coolest sugar beet facility you ever saw. I wouild send a photo, but I don't know how.
I've got the walls and roof on the building now with that glue,for the most part it seems to work fine for me. I still think part of my problem is my big ol' fingers. To give you an idea of how big my fingers are,when I was in high school(which wasn't that long ago),I had a class ring that was big enough that you could put a quarter inside of it and still see light around the edges. I just think it might be easier if they'd do us a little bit of a favor and maybe offer some parts of the kit preassembled. I like putting them together,it's just the tiny pieces that drive me nuts. I got one fire escape done today,figure I'll do one of those a day to preserve my sanity. I decided to omit the roof supports on the backside of the Red Wing Milling building(part 32 if you've got the sheet at home). Those poles don't fit right between the wall and the roof. It looks fine without them,anyway.
In the past few years I've been getting the distinct impression that many newer hobbyists don't fully appreciate that model railroading is and always has been a craftsmen's hobby. As such, it is unreasonable to expect kits of any sort to fall together. Their construction is supposed to take considerable time and care, with many small parts needing fitting, adjustment and then re-adjustment before the go together perfectly. The toy train hobby (Lionel, Flyer, etc.) is where kits are simplistic and all but fall together but that situation should not be expected to prevail in scale model railroading. On many occasions it has taken me many weeks to complete a single complex structure kit, often repeating the same construction step several times before getting it absolutely perfect. Such trials make you a far more skilled and accomplished modeler and led me into scratcbuilding structures far more difficult than any Walthers kit (see below). If one wishes to be successful in model railroading, patience is the first thing that must be developed. After that, it's the ability to construct each kit very slowly and with far more care than the instructions suggest. If one finds themselves unable to do either, it's really best to switch to Lionel. NYW&B
Might I suggest investing in a few sets of tweezers, both clamping and standard, some small files, nail files, and sand paper. Don't assume parts will fit. Before gluing, trim flashing, sprue connections, and any other irregularities then test fit the part. If it doesn't fit, continue sanding and filing the high spots till it does. Then and only then should you glue. As said above, it takes practice and patients. I am very comfortable working with small parts but I still use any and every tool available to me to make it easier. The number one tool I use: http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=SQU10310 Curved, cross action self closing tweezer. That one tool has made building so much easier.
I second the suggestions on getting a nice set of files, some different tweezers including self-closing, some sandpaper, some flush-cutters (good ones, like the Xuron ones). I got used to having to fiddle with parts that didn't quite fit when I was in architecture school. I got to the point where I could accomplish nearly any modeling task with a sharp X-acto knife, some glue, some sandpaper, some cutters, and maybe a small razor saw. My fingers are not all that small, either. If I were a horse instead of a human I would probably be a draft horse.
I'll second the Walthers instructions. They are no good unless you are more than a beginner. I build more structures than I have room for and I have been staying away from Walthers because of this reason along with very poor injection molded part quality. I would also recommend many other kits as being much easier to build. Wood kits are my favorite although they tend to require more work but the results are worth it. The plastic kits alway look to toyish even with paint and weathering.
Well said, folks. Every material has advantages and limitations. For example, we all know that rail changes length with temperature, and we make accomodation for it. Mass-produced parts naturally will have noticeable variations in quality, and we have to accept as much if we are unwilling to pay a higher price for the same product. An observant modeler will see that warped styrene pieces can be straightened at an appropriate temperature since styrene is a thermoplastic (as is polyester resin). Could it be that the warped part took on its errant shape in a tractor trailer parked in the Arizona sun in July? My take on kit quality? I'm just happy to have kits available in N scale that weren't available a few years ago. Yes, I scratchbuild and kitbash a good bit, so a warped part or a difficult fit up has never kept me from using a kit I've purchased. Those aren't problems. They are opportunities - opportunities to learn a new skill, create a unique solution, or reconsider my options. Given the advancements in structure kit development over the last several years, we have a lot to be happy about. The glass is half full, folks; the glass is half full.
