Modellings tips and answers - Inspiration - Using styrene plastic

Roger Coffin sent us some pictures of his "minimal effort" N gauge layout with the following explanation:
"The story is that I don’t really want to drive trains or mess around with scenery, but want to learn electronics, so have done everything myself starting with voltage regulators, capacitors, resistors, potentiometers and some wire. Then to make the layout look a little better, I collected a few items scavenged out of an old computer and video recorder plus spent printer cartridges. Added to that was a bit of moss and lichen from the garden, old grape stalks and lumps of waste wood some decorated with 'graffiti' (as you would find in railway sidings). The base is cork mat with gravel pattern strips of lino under the tracks." See more pictures by clicking on the images.

 

This week in history - On 16th January 1943, the British Ministry of Supply received their first WD Austerity 2-8-0 heavy freight steam locomotive. 935 of the class were built making them one of the most-produced British steam locomotives.

 

If you are not a scratch-builder, then you may not of heard about styrene plastic, but it could be just what you're looking for if you need to build or adapt a model to suit your layout. Styrene plastic comes in the form of flat sheets or strips of varying thicknesses, the sheets are available plain or with different patterns engraved into them to replicate stone, brick or corrugated metal etc and also come in different colours including clear. The strips are available in different shapes such as girders, beams, gutters, channels, hollow tubes and different shaped solid rods. This makes them perfect for modellers who want to make a bespoke model that either replicates a prototype or simply one that fits into a layout where a ready-to-plant model would not. Styrene plastic is also great for adding extra details such as drain pipes, railings or gutters to existing models. The range is very large but here are a few examples to show you the potential.

 

 

Styrene plastic can be cut, shaped or engraved using a craft knife, different types of blades will create different bevels, and grain or finer detail can be added using a line engraver. Parts can be permanently fixed together using a plastic weld so your models can be sturdy as well as looking great.

If you have never constructed a model building from scratch before it can be quite daunting, but by starting with something simple like an industrial unit you will soon see how easy it is.

 

 

 

 

We keep on adding modelling tips to our website. Here are the latest ones:

 

You can also access all the articles by visiting this page or simply click the link called "tips" on our website.

Send us an email or give us a call to check availability or to reserve anything, whatever scale you model in. As usual, if we do not have in stock what you are looking for, we will order it for you and you will get it fast (usually within a week if the manufacturer has it in stock). We place weekly orders with most suppliers.

Gift vouchers are a great gift for any occasion. They can be customised with your own message and sent on a specific date. You can order them by clicking here.

 

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Upstairs Downstairs
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Sandown, PO36 8JR
Isle of Wight
Tel: 01983 406 616
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