Model Railroading > Here comes a E Suydam kit ,,, wish me luck

Actually this one doesn't appear to be too difficult - the "Diesel House" Kit 522

I have completed the Triangle Cafe and metal Roundhouse kits.  Both were somewhat intimidating
at first, but ended up as nice models and very enjoyable to complete.  This one requires two between-the-rail pits
so I have to cut holes in the benchwork to accommodate them.  I read that painting the Strathmoreboard panels
before assembly will keep them from warping years later, so I will do that first, although the Triangle Cafe
was built 15 years ago and has not warped yet.

I don't get the craze in built-up models now being sold .... what fun is that?

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Good luck Shane.I take it you have been granted permission to use Mrs Murphy's craft room.To tidy for a model railroader.
Regards,DK

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> Actually this one doesn't appear to be too
> difficult - the "Diesel House" Kit 522
>
> I have completed the Triangle Cafe and metal
> Roundhouse kits.  Both were somewhat
> intimidating
> at first, but ended up as nice models and very
> enjoyable to complete.  This one requires two
> between-the-rail pits
> so I have to cut holes in the benchwork to
> accommodate them.  I read that painting the
> Strathmoreboard panels
> before assembly will keep them from warping years
> later, so I will do that first, although the
> Triangle Cafe
> was built 15 years ago and has not warped yet.
>
> I don't get the craze in built-u

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/20 21:31 by needles_sub.

Great kits for their time...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> Great kits for their time...
I tried, unsucessfully, to work on the Day & Night Water Heater plant made from corrugated metal.  Soldering was the preferred assembly method and that's where I fell short on skills.  Otherwise, the wood, cardstock kits were very nice and pleasant to work on.  Again, in those days, if you wanted structures on the layout 99% had to be made from kits.
Even in the larger scales, the Bachmann Plasticville snap together buildings were "kits".  They helped many a Lionel and American Flyer layout look complete.

> accommodate them.  I read that painting the
> Strathmoreboard panels
> before assembly will keep them from warping years

If you build them as Ed Suydam intended they won't warp. Much. Ambroid glue and natural color, unpainted illustration board.

If you use white glue or other water cleanup glues you will have swelling at the joints. If you use water paint on one side of the panels you will have amazing warps.

Seal the parts with Krylon before assembly paying particular attention to edges. Use something like Duco, Barge, Goo, or one of the zillions of scrapbooking glues for assembly. Scrapbooking glues are intended for paper and don't cause joint swelling. Martha Stewart all-purpose gel adhesive is the one I reach for when I wear my other modeling hat and make paper models of civil war river gunboats. Solvent glues will also not make for swelling. If you just gotta use glue that's white Weldbond works very well. Elmer's doesn't.

Back when I was a gainfully employed contributor to society - living in the good part of Texas - I frequently needed to construct 1/2" or even 3/4" scale models of projects. I used illustration board for the most part. I confronted the warping problem with sturdy bracing and by hosing both sides of the parts with black paint using my trusty Binks Wren. Then I could brush or spray anything onto the panels. I've saved one model from 1977 and the panels are perfectly flat.

Shane, you saw this at my place.  This is over 40 years old and still working.
The poster talking about sealing the paper is correct.  Way back when I used White Rain hair spray for this and I still use hair spray for my Campbell kits as a sealer.

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The easiest way to assemble a Suydam metal kit in my opinion. JB Weld. 2 part epoxy will work too.