Model Railroading > Best and worst laser kit manufactures

Who do you think are the best and worst laser kit manufactures? I just finished three HO kits, two by Laser-Art (Branchline) and one by Showcase Miniatures.

From Laser-Art, I built The Barn and the Farm Outbuildings set. Bad, bad, bad! From slots in roof panels that didn't match the tabs on the walls requiring that they be enlarged, to doors and roof panels cut from material that scales out at a whopping 9" thick, to laser cut lines that don't match where they jump the material to leave a small piece to hold the parts in place on the sheet leaving an uneven edge, to tabs that are too long when fit into the slots of the adjacent section and need to be trimmed, to rolled roofing material that the instructions describe as being installed running from top to bottom of the roof, instead of left to right. The end results are clunky looking. I doubt very much if I'll ever buy another Laser Art kit.

Showcase Miniatures is the exact opposite. I built the DeLoney's Barn kit. With parts that fit so well they almost snap together, to thin, prototypical sized materials, to intricate detailing that is easy to install. A well thought out, well manufactured, and very nice looking structure when done. And fun to assemble. I'd buy another of their kits without hesitation.

I haven't yet built any other laser kits. What manufacturers do you think are in the "best" and "worst" categories?

Rick

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I'm very partial to AMB (American Model Builders) Laserkits. Very well thought out, great instructions and everything fits where they say it does. Why settle for second best when AMB is around.

I am building some Bar-Mills kits and they are pretty simple kits. I would recommend them to first timers. Here are the kits I am working on currently.

I plan on making this kit into a more modern motel type setting with 10 cabins, an office, small park, and swimming pool I even drew up a full size layout in cad for the motel.

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Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> I'm very partial to AMB (American Model Builders)
> Laserkits. Very well thought out, great
> instructions and everything fits where they say it
> does. Why settle for second best when AMB is
> around.


Ditto this for me.

Con

There was a guy at the NTS who had some REALLY neat looking laser cut buildings but I lost his info--He had a Greyhound Bus Depot with a curved side. His booth was all the way on the right side as you come in, near the escalator. Anybody remember him? Besides that, I like Bar Mills, esp their signs, and JL Innovations. Anybody that has Wilber Shaw's Gillmore Service is a GOD to me!

I'm a complete putz when it comes to assembling kits, but I was able to assemble an AMB laserkit 2 story santa fe station with no trouble whatsoever. I just wish they made an affordable O scale 20 stamp mill, now that's something I wish was out there, instead of the $1000.00 one from Banta.

Steve,
The bus depot guy was Sidetrack laser http://www.sidetracklaser.com/
Rail Scale Minitures out of Canada had some very nice looking kits in the FSM style http://www.railscaleminiatures.com/
I've no idea of the actual kit quality - but they looked real nice on the table.
Clarence

stivmac Wrote:
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> There was a guy at the NTS who had some REALLY
> neat looking laser cut buildings but I lost his
> info--He had a Greyhound Bus Depot with a curved
> side. His booth was all the way on the right side
> as you come in, near the escalator. Anybody
> remember him? Besides that, I like Bar Mills, esp
> their signs, and JL Innovations. Anybody that has
> Wilber Shaw's Gillmore Service is a GOD to me!

I have done the Laser-Art barn and out buildings in N. Chunky best describes it. Trim boards are to big for starters. Will be better when I replace those.
Roger Beckett

THAT's the guy! THANKS!

Clarence Wrote:
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> Steve,
> The bus depot guy was Sidetrack laser
> http://www.sidetracklaser.com/
> Rail Scale Minitures out of Canada had some very
> nice looking kits in the FSM style
> http://www.railscaleminiatures.com/
> I've no idea of the actual kit quality - but they
> looked real nice on the table.
> Clarence
>
> stivmac Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There was a guy at the NTS who had some REALLY
> > neat looking laser cut buildings but I lost his
> > info--He had a Greyhound Bus Depot with a
> curved
> > side. His booth was all the way on the right
> side
> > as you come in, near the escalator. Anybody
> > remember him? Besides that, I like Bar Mills,
> esp
> > their signs, and JL Innovations. Anybody that
> has
> > Wilber Shaw's Gillmore Service is a GOD to me!