Meanwhile, at the cottage...a scratchbuild!

[ocalicreek]

While cardstock fallen out of favor with most modelers, it certainly has its perks and is still a viable material! The cost is tough to beat...and the satisfaction in having an essentially free building which blows away someone else's $40 Walthers kit or rivals a $200 FSM kit.

Galin, your lines may not be all that straight...but the more obvious detail...your windows...look nice and square!

Thanks, Michael! I may not measure 10 before cutting one, but at least 2 or 3 times, maybe 4. The priming and painting (especially with the peeling paint dry brush technique I use) hides the wavy lines a bit.

I agree 100% about the cost being tough to beat. While I admire the intricate detail, run-down character, and overall quality of craftsman kits by FSM, SRM & others, I have ranted about them before (see my blog back at that other site on 'Craftsman Kit Hoopla'). The initial price may be justified by the mold-making and casting costs, material cost, planning, packaging and instructions, etc. but the resale values have gotten to be ridiculous.

I know there has been and will always be a market for such kits...heck, there are a few I'd like to own and build! But for now, at least, I can have fun honing my scratchbuilding skills. And once the tools & techniques are there, structure size really doesn't matter much except for the time involved in planning and construction, maybe in material costs.

Okay...off to Spanaway again tomorrow. My wife bought a replacement camera today for my defunct digital camera I had been using for train pictures. Actually it's for our family camera which now becomes my train camera. Megapixels for me just went from 3.1 to 7.1. Cool. Also means I'll be able to get a few pictures of the work from last week. I'll take a few shots before resuming work in a few days. Lent is a busy season (along with other additional duties like planning a council retreat) so it's sure nice to have a diversion in the evenings to settle the mind.

Thanks everyone for contributing to this thread so far!

Galen