Railwayscenics card model assembly tips

The following notes are intended as helpful hints to enable you to get the best out of your Railwayscenics model. If you have specific queries on the assembly of the kits, please use the Contact Us facility.

Tools.

You will need the minimum of tools to complete our model kits. We recommend that the minimum you should have is:-
1. A sharp scalpel type craft knife and spare blades.
2. A straight edge to cut along, either metal or plastic
3. A pair of scissors.
4. A cutting mat or something similar.
5. Glue of your choice.
6. Felt tip pens to touch up bare edges and corners.
7. A scoring tool of some sort.
8. A fixing spray to protect the printed surface.

Cardboard.

All of our models will use card. We base the designs of our 4mm scale models on using card 1.5mm thick. If you do not have card this thick it is possible to print out more than one copy of the relevant pages and use two, or more, layers of a thinner card. We have found that mounting board is ideal. Its easy to cut and is quite strong. It can be purchased cheaply from good craft shops, and comes in large sheets.

The texture sheets.

The texture sheets should be printed onto good quality photo matte paper, or paper of 120gsm or160gsm weight. It is possible to use thinner lower quality paper, but this may affect results. Print at a high resolution as possible. Printing at a lower resolution will affect the quality of the print out. Once printed we also recommend that you should apply a few light coats of matt clear varnish to help protect the image.

Scoring and Folding.

Scoring is used to make folding easier. Before you cut out the parts, prepare the folds by scoring them with a scoring tool and a straight edge. Anything blunt is OK as long as it does not cut or damage the paper. We use an old ballpoint pen. It is essential that your score marks be straight and parallel. Take your time in this very important step, otherwise the assembly will suffer and the model will not look square.

Cutting out.

Care should be taken when cutting out parts. Use a straight edge and a sharp knife to achieve best results. Ensure that all cuts are at 90 degrees to the top surface of the card. Once cut out, trial fit all parts before final assembly and gluing. Small alterations may be necessary to get a good fit.

Gluing.

Use glue sparingly. More glue will only make the paper wrinkle and the drying time will get longer. Glue only one thing at a time, and let the assembly dry a few minutes before moving on to the next step. We recommend that you use either a PVA based glue, or something similar to UHU. We have used a contact adhesive with very good results. Do not use super glue as the excess glue turns everything near it white and cannot be removed.

Instructions.

We do supply a basic set of instructions. These are there for your convenience. They give you the ideal procedure to complete the model. Whilst they are there as a guide, we do recommend that the order be followed. New instructions are being written for every model, but this is taking longer than expected. The instructions include a finished picture of the model, and again this should be used as a guide.

Adding detail.

If necessary it is possible to add extra internal and external detailing items such as gutters, down pipes, curtains, interior decor and lighting. These should be added at the relevant stage of assembly. If adding lighting to a room, please ensure that you use a low wattage bulb that does not give off too much heat. We use grain of wheat bulbs running a slightly lower voltage to extend bulb life. On lit buildings we also model a window opened where the bulb is fitted.