Scratchbuilding For Beginners - A Model Railway Tutorial

[@sergioarturoaldabacarreon6918]

I´ve been watching a lot of your videos and tutorials. They're amazing! This one is very inspirational, even when my trains are O gauge. Thanks and greetings from Mexico.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, really glad to hear that. These techniques and skills carry over to the larger scales too - in fact if anything it should be a bit easier to manage! Thanks for watching 😃

[@brad2861]

I'm just getting into scratch building. One piece of advice; get a metal ruler. I was frequently taking chunks out of my old plastic ruler with my hobby knife! Didn't take long before it was completely unusable.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Yeah a steel ruler is definitely a good way to go if you're doing it a lot. In this instance though I was just showing what you can do with the bare essentials if you're a beginner just starting out for the first time. Thanks for watching 😃

[@brad2861]

Yeah, loved the video and the station building turned out great! Love your advice of 'just go for it an don't try to be perfect'. That's what I did and you end up learning things, like use a steel ruler, along the way.

[@scottmarsden1643]

Spot on tutorial is this. I’ve got a stone waiting room to build for an N Gauge layout and this has really given me the taste to get on with it now. Brilliant videos, keep them coming

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Really glad to hear it's given you a push Scott! Something small like a waiting room is a great little project that doesn't have be too complicated. Best of luck and thanks for watching 😃

[@JohnSmithShields]

I must admit at the beginning it looked like one of my dismal efforts. As the build progressed I found myself saying, that's clever, and, that's spot on, more and more. Channeling my own failures, the lesson is, don't judge your efforts from the initial build, look at it as a whole, once you are finished. Thank you so much for a brilliant confidence building, as well as scratch building video. Added bonus, the costs looked in the pennies rather than pounds, and the finished article looked a professional build once the weathering was added, and the windows muddied.

[@BordersJambo]

Thank you for typing exactly what I would have said. Really good video this, for all the reasons you say.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

This is such a great comment John, thank you so much! Yes it does all look a bit rubbish at the beginning but as each step is completed you can see the the progress and I'm really glad to hear it's been a confidence booster! You're right about the cost too! The most expensive thing is the embossed plasticard but you do get enough to use on several buildings. Thanks for watching 😃

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Scot! Really glad to hear you also enjoyed the video and the process. Thanks for watching 👍

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

Nice scratch build mate. One thing I like about scratch building is that you have a unique building that no one else has and that is one of the things I like about scratch building. - Nicholas.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Absolutely, even if you end up copying someone else's design or project, it will still be a unique building due to the way you've personally built it. Definitely makes a change from all the ready made buildings that often pop up on layouts. Thanks for watching 😃

[@loispadgett6306]

I have scratch build buildings and every time I learn more. Your station looks great. Thank you for great idea's. GOD BLESS from America. 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

That's awesome Lois! Yeah I definitely think you get better and learn more from each build. This is the 3rd building I've made now and I can definitely see my skills improving with new project. Thanks for watching 😃

[@wealdhurstmodelrailway9666]

Great video! Another way to make sure walls are glued at 90 degrees is to lay the wall flat, then offer up the piece you are gluing on, then push a small right angle square up to that. The squares are often able to stand up on their own and they keep the wall in place until glued. Chris @Wealdhurst.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Chris! Yes using right angled squares of some sort would definitely be my next recommendation for beginners wanting to do this more often. I figured more people are likely to have a cutting mat lying around though 😉 Thanks for watching 👍

[@gmaneis]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy What a great video! Thank you. I noticed your little station was not perfectly square, but that fact inspired me, because in the end, that "flaw" was not visible, so it was not a flaw at all. I like the way you used the paint, too, and the way you cut the chimney to the perfect angle. Also, test fitting parts before applying glue is excellent. Just a great and helpful video all around.🙂

[@railway187]

I’m looking forward to your tutorial - I have built a scratch building for the British version of my layout, but I feel I can learn lots more before building more buildings. Thanks in advance!

[@railway187]

Great result! I like your painting techniques 👍👌

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks! Really glad you enjoyed the video. Yeah I do like that painting technique, it works really well considering how easy it is to pull off! Thanks for watching 😃

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Shaun, really glad you think so! Thanks for watching 😃

[@briancollins6543]

Another super video! I'm really enjoying your videos! One thing I have noted with my RC model plane builds in the past is that if one uses a superglue for attaching clear plastic for windows, it often 'mists' during the drying process. Sometimes this can be removed and I guess for buildings it have have the added bonus of additional 'weathering' of the 'glass'. If this look is not desired simply use a small amount of PVA to attach the clear plastic and allow a longer drying time. I'm really liking the 009 build. I have all the track now and am hunting for a suitcase as we speak!! Keep up the great work 👍

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hi Brian, yes superglue can mist up the windows if you use too much. The way to avoid this is to use just a really tiny amount of superglue at each corner or as you suggest use PVA instead. Additionally having the windows mist up can be a desired effect if you haven't gone to the trouble of creating interiors! Glad you've been enjoying the 009 videos and best of luck with your own suitcase layout. Thanks for watching 😃

[@adam_fordham]

I really liked that tutorial, never tried scratch building because I find it scary but after watching the video it certainly made me wanting to give it a go so thank you for that 😀

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

That's really great to hear Adam! I have a very similar opinion of scratch building before I gave it a go myself so I wanted to make this video to show it doesn't have to be that scary and you can get good results even as a beginner. Thanks for watching 😃

[@OlivierGabin]

Superb building, very convincing, and straightforward to build. I'm thinking of doing a small station this way, I had noted your tips to do that, they are very useful.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Amazing, that's great to hear Olivier. I say go for it, don't be afraid to make mistakes at first as that's how you learn. But generally it really doesn't have to be as complicated as a lot of people think it is. Thanks for watching 😃

[@MisterCreamyDude]

Very good video! I built something similar a few years ago, same method but I used an old damaged hornby booking hall station as the carcass and clad it in the same sort of rubble brought to course embossed sheet as you have, then on the corners I used some slaters (any make will do) paving slab sheet cut up into 2 toothed strips glued on vertically, to represent quoins. Another method! Thanks for posting.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, sounds like a great project! You can also get scratch-aid kits now which are a similar idea. Essentially it's a basic building structures with no detail or texture, ready to have embossed sheet or cladding added by the customer. They allow you to put together the main structure really quickly but still allow for lots of customisation. Thanks for watching 😃

[@MisterCreamyDude]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy That's a good idea, I know a lot of people might struggle to get that perfectly square and true 'shell' built to start with, myself included! Also I'm not sure how much card stock is, not tried it yet but I've found foam board is also quite good for this sort of thing. Happy modelling to all!

[@railwayjade]

Thanks for the awesome video! One small suggestion from my own experience - try to purchase a steel ruler, you may dig accidentally in the plastic one and then its not straight anymore.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Yeah a steel ruler is definitely a good idea if you really start to get into scratch building. Not so crucial for beginners who just want to try it out though. Thanks for watching 😃

[@railwayjade]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy of course yes, absolutely agree! Forgot that you were trying to indicate that one can just get into it with what is on hand!

[@pipafumador]

Hola. Te agradezco el tutorial. La simpleza en la construcción es justo lo que andaba buscando. Gracias denuevo. Saludos desde Chile, Sudamérica 🇨🇱

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hola, disculpas, estoy usando el traductor de Google para responder, ¡pero estoy muy contento de que hayas disfrutado los videos! Gracias por ver 😃

[@pipafumador]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy gracias por responder. Seguiré viendo tus videos. Son muy interesantes, útiles y entretenidos.

[@RJVEK]

Amazing! Your style it superb- I’m off the my picture framer in the town to blag his off cuts! I need something to do whilst strictly come dancing is on!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, that's great to hear. Even better if you can get some offcuts for cheap. One of the beauties of scratch building is you can get some really fantastic results for very little cost. Thanks for watching 😃

[@Keyswiz71]

That's a really good outcome! If I may make a couple of suggestions though; firstly always prime plastic parts as it saves an awful lot of hassle when applying the paints and ensures they stick properly. Secondly using CA glue for clear parts is a dicey prospect as it can easily fog with a white residue. Instead I always use a specialised glue such as Zap Canopy Glue as this dries clear and is designed for RC aircraft canopies. Hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing the rest of your series as I'm thoroughly enjoying it!

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Justyn, and all valid points too for those wanting to get into scratchbuilding more seriously. In this instance I was really just trying to show a very simple process for complete beginners without over complicating things too quickly. Thanks for watching 😃

[@paulbolton1071]

Really enjoyed watching you scratch build, it just goes to show what can be done with some imagination and some patience but also built very cheaply , ive never scratch built but will certainly be giving it a try . Paul

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

It's definitely something that can be a bit daunting at first but the great thing with scratch building is that there's no rules. Just start with something simple first and build the skill up from there. Thanks for watching 😃

[@tagsdm]

Nicely done. The brickwork overlay seems very convincing to me. Sometimes scratch building is the only way, especially for difficult spaces or other requirements. Coming along well.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Yes the embossed plasticard bricks really do make a big difference, especially when painted up! Usually I prefer making kits but I agree that sometimes if you have an idea in your head you have to build something from scratch to get what you want. Thanks for watching 😃

[@kevinmanley9226]

Another fantastic project you have shown this new be love watching your projects. One tip I could if I may pass on to you give the plastic card a a little sanding down before you cut it. Just a idea.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Ooh that's a new one I haven't heard before. Thanks I'll keep that in mind for any future projects. Thanks for watching 😃

[@madmerlinsart]

Very helpful video for beginners. I love Scratch Building, I do it all the time for wargaming terrain and plan to do quite a bit for my future model rail project.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, as I'm sure you know it can be very rewarding and its alway nice to have something a little bit unique in a scene. Thanks for watching 😃

[@AmaiaOrtiz-v7z]

Hola muy buen video que material es el q usaste q grosor tiene??

[@rhetoricbytolyan1987]

Реально крутая моделька получилась. Спасибо за видео - оно реально мотивирует попробовать себя на новом поприще.

[@harrytodhunter5078]

Making the models from Hornby Magazines are a food introduction to kit building and scratch building too! Really helps with learning the basics.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

I definitely agree with you on that one Harry! They have some great projects in Hornby Magazine and they're very easy to follow along with I've found. Thanks for watching 😃

[@thatguydann9663]

cant wait, about to build my first layout and fancy building my own buildings.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, hopefully this video will give you a few ideas! Good luck and thanks for watching 😃

[@simplesimon2802]

You make it look so easy! Maybe tho', it is easy once one has some experience.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

This was the second building I ever scratchbuilt so not a huge amount of experience. Don't try anything too complicated when you're just getting started and the key is really in getting all your measurements correct. I'd also recommend building a simple imaginary or freelance structure at first to give you some flexibility before attempting to build something that exists in real life. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@simplesimon2802]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy Although I've never scratchbuilt I have modified kits, the next example of this will be the Metcalfe Modern Day Platform Shelter to which I'm going to add Scale Model Scenery automatic opening doors, plus make other changes. Its a shame but (as far as I'm aware} no-one sells truly modern glass wall platform refreshment / waiting area (etc) platform buildings with flat roofs that are designed to go under a platform canopy. It will be November before I start doing this, as I have other projects (not model railway) underway.

[@yvoheaton6402]

Lovely job. I am really no modeller as my attempts will prove when I get around to loading up some images of what I have been doing. That will be my next challenge - filming and loading up! Watch this space lol.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks! I really wasn't a modeller either when I started this channel - I still don't really consider myself a proper modeller anyway. I think a lot of my skills have improved over the years but it's all based of fairly simple techniques. Filming it all is a completely different kettle of fish though so best of luck! Thanks for watching 👍

[@sarahmartiniom]

Wow what a great building

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Sarah! Good to know it doesn't just look good through my rose tinted spectacles 😆

[@willbreckinridge8010]

Very interesting tutorial! I might have to try my hand it at soon! :)

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome, that's definitely the idea behind the video! Thanks for watching 😃

[@davidjohnfarrell4579]

A very inspirational video.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

I don't know about inspirational but hopefully it might give a few people some idea where to start 😅 Thanks for watching 👍

[@laszlokaestner5766]

I'm just considering doing my first layout. from watching your videos it turns out that I have a number of transferable crafting skills from doing other things. What I do like about your videos compared to others I have seen is that you really simplify things and explain what the process is very well, so that even absolute beginners should be able to follow and get a result.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Fantastic! Yes modelling really does draw on a lot of other skills from different areas as it's such a varied hobby! I do find that a lot of the techniques I use are actually very simple when broken down so I try to show each simple step this way so that anyone can follow along. I'm glad it seems to be working and best of luck with your first layout build! Thanks for watching 😃

[@tobysullivan3510]

Excellent video! You've really inspired me to get started in designing my own buildings I can have a go at constructing from scratch! I'm curious, what sort of thickness is the mount board you used? I'm interested to know what sort of thickness of card is best for scratchbuilding.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Fantastic, that's great to hear. It's one of those things were you really can just jump in and start experimenting as there's no wrong way to do it. I used 1.5mm thick mount board but that's not a hard rule. You could definitely try with different thicknesses depending on what scale you're working in and how you want to clad it. For example, the plastikard I used here adds some extra thickness but you could use sandpaper to create a rendered look instead which would be quite thin, so a thicker substructure would probably be beneficial. Best of luck and thanks for watching 😃

[@barrybautista4781]

Nice job that. Had an idea put a glass lid on top and on four legs and you have got a model railway inside a table or has that been done before.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Barry! I've heard of people building layouts inside a coffee table before which is a similar idea I think. Thanks for watching 😃

[@sarahmartiniom]

I’ve never done scratch building but soon ima start doing it

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Amazing, it's definitely worth giving a go in my opinion. It really lets you be fully creative! Thanks for watching 😃

[@krazytroutcatcher]

I miss scratchbuilding, haven’t done any in years. At the moment I’m kit bashing and detailing Dapol buildings.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

It's definitely rewarding although I have to admit I personally only do it when it's really necessary. Kit bashing and detailing existing kits and buildings can also provide really fantastic results too though. Thanks for watching 😃

[@RGJTrains]

thats gorgeous mate

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 😃

[@kevinb9327]

Nice job! 👍

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it Kevin! Thanks for watching 😃

[@philpanbeegen7746]

Step son is going to try scratch building Rye Railway station circa 1940s. Never done this before. I do the maths, step son does the measurements and cutting. What can possibly go wrong? Watch this space... Lol

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Awesome! If you're both trying it out for the first I'd recommend building something freelance first just to get the hang of it - less to go wrong that way. Then once you've got your own personal technique down you'll be much more confident in trying to recreate a scale model of an actual building with proper measurements. Best of luck and thanks for watching 👍

[@nicholasbishop3300]

Great video Nick Australia

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Glad you enjoyed it Nick! Thanks for watching 😃

[@aleopardstail]

tip: paint the whole thing black first, a primer works but you want a flat black so even a flat black over primer - if you ever fit lights this stops light leaking through - then paint over. also worth checking some of the wargaming paint ranges, higher pigment densities and when thinned with a bit of water go on wonderfully smooth

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hey Dale, the good thing with using mount board for the structure is that the light doesn't bleed through this so there's no need for an undercoat before painting. Thanks for watching 😃

[@remittanceman4685]

If you're willing to take an idea from a wargamer and leatherworker (with scars), may I offer one piece of advice? Use a metal ruler or straight edge. A sharp craft knife (and there really shouldn't be any other kind) can either cut into or even ride up onto a plastic ruler. At best that's a wonky cut. At worst it's a sliced finger. Other than that, thanks. A good vid and good inspiration 🙂

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

True but this video was more about doing things with the bare minimum. A beginner may not have a straight edge lying around so the idea was to get somebody up and running with the basics in the hope that it inspires them to continue in the future. Thanks for watching 👍

[@greggmundkowsky5798]

Very well done, the only question I have is why you didn't paint the inside of the door and windows. If you look in you will see the white with green smudges on the back of the windows. Over all an outstanding job

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Greg! In all honestly it was just down to time for filming. There was a point where I was considering doing an entire interior for the waiting room but it's really too small to see what's going on inside anyway. A general coat of brown paint was enough to disguise the mount board structure inside but there's no reason why you couldn't go all out I you wanted to. Thanks for watching 😃

[@SteamintheNorthWest]

I have got into scratch building lately and it can be VERY time consuming. For a starter I would say buy a steel ruler, square and 1mm square paper. It means you can plan out your design and get everything straight and square. Stick it on the card and then simply cut everything out 👍

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

I've found personally it tends to depend on the complexity of the build. This little station halt took about two days to complete, working on it at various intervals. Drawing it all out beforehand transferring it to the card is also a great way to go. In this instance though I didn't really have a plan, I was just having fun and was kind of making it up as I went along 😆 Thanks for watching 👍

[@shaunclass47]

Outstanding

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Thanks Shaun, so glad you think so! Thanks for watching 😃

[@shaunclass47]

Your welcome you’ve got great skills I’m trying to get there on my layout keep up the brilliant work

[@davidbarnett8199]

Odd question, in the video the board you use is white but the link takes me to grey board. Is that the same stuff?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Hiya, the stuff I used was secondhand mount board from picture frames but seeing as I figure most people weren't going to have a set of unused picture frames hanging around I linked to the next best thing I could find. Hope that helps and thanks for watching 😃

[@barrytillman2818]

Just a thought it may be easier to cut out doors and windows before cutting out the big bits 🤔

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

With scratchbuilding you're free to do it any order you like - it's not like a kit where you have to do things in a specific order. That said, personally I prefer to do them afterwards (especially when working on a more freelance structure like this) as I find it easier to position and space any openings is much easier once looking at a section in isolation rather than when it's still attached to a sheet. Thanks for watching 👍

[@VauxhallRailfan]

Any specific rules for scratch building ‘to scale’?

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Not really - measure twice, cut once would be my suggestion. Also you can use an online scale calculator to help with converting the real world measurements to whatever scale you're working in. Thanks for watching 😃

[@VauxhallRailfan]

@@ThatModelRailwayGuy thanks!

[@shambo69er]

Try and avoid if you can using a plastic ruler when cutting.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

True, but this is a tutorial aimed specifically at beginners who probably don't have all the proper tools yet and just want to give it a go. Thanks for watching 😃

[@darkfrag83]

A handy idea for helping keep the walls square, use a lego brick..

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Nice one! I’ll definitely have to try that in the future. Thanks for watching 😃

[@rossdark713]

It looks like you forgot to paint the window sill as you can still see white on them. To me this should have been done when y ou were painting the walls and definatly before you put in the windows and the door. Nice end restult though.

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Maybe, but it doesn't bother me when I look at the finished result. Obviously the beauty with scratchbuilding is that each individual can do it how they like it - this is just a beginners guide to help get you started. Thanks for watching 👍