One of the things I like about your site is you show work in progress. Here’s mine.
Thought you might like to see it because it’s made entirely from your new kit.
It’s not finished and nor will it ever will be because I’m just messing around.
If youre scratch building never make the mistake of just jumping in and expecting perfect results.
Start with a prototype, one that you use just to find your feet and get ideas.
I’ve been thinking about a fire station for some time so thought I’d have a go.
One thing about John’s videos is he seems to play with the prints and just have fun.
I think this is the way to do it so here’s my first attempt.
I’ll get finished pics to you when I do the thing for real. I just wanted to see if the ideas in my head would work.
Pleased with the way it turned out.
that’s the great thing about a prototype. It needs more shouty signs, i just printed them off in corel. There needs to be more ‘relief’ as John calls it on the doors. Some weathering will make all the difference. There’s lots I’ll change but pleased with it so far.
The doors haven’t worked out as well as I’d hoped. that’s the great thing about a prototype. Not sure how I’ll fix. I’ll probably use a different pattern from another kit but i wanted to see what I could do just with the latest one.
DId have fun and it got me thinking about what I can do in the final build.
I’m happy for anyone to comment on what I’ve done and how I can improve it.
Mike”
A huge thanks to Mike – absolutely love what he’s done – I think it’s a great start.
I do totally agree with him about John – he seems to play and have with fun with his builds.
And it looks like Mike has done the same with his prototype. It’s all from the latest kit too.
And then of course, there are the latest scratch kits:
It’s unoriginally called ‘Scratch build kit 2’, but look what you can build with it:
Here’s an example of the backdrops you can build.
And have a look at the town houses:
And there’s different brickwork prints too:
Side view:
But perhaps the best thing about Scratch build kit 2, is that Scratch build kit 1 comes completely free with it.
So you can use the brick prints from that and make lots more:
Best of all, I thought it was about time a did another silly sale to help keep the site going.
So the new Scratch build kit 2 is just $9.
And don’t forget, you get Scratch build kit 1 completely free too.
The good new doesn’t stop there though.
I thought the best way for people to start tinkering with trains and layouts is to bundle the Scratch build kits with the Beginner’s Guide.
So this means you get Scratch build kits 1 & 2, the Beginner’s Guide and all the free bonuses that come with the Beginner’s Guide – all for just $9.
Of course I’m biased but it really is a proper silly sale. Ridiculous value.
I know many of you have the Beginner’s Gude and you are only buying it for the prints – and that’s absolutely fine.
So, for a few days only, you get Scratch build kits 1 & 2, the Beginner’s Guide and all the free bonuses that come with the Beginner’s Guide – all for just $9.
Here’s what you can build with scratch build kit 1 (which comes free with Scratch build kit 2 – and all for just $9)
Here’s John with another video on how to make these buildings:
All the prints are HO scale. For N scale reduce the print size to 54%. For O scale increase by 143%.
The entire package – everything I’ve listed – is just $9.
In a nutshell you are getting $135 worth, for just $9.
I do get a real kick whem somebody tells me they’ve started their layout because of the blog or the Beginner’s Guide. It’s just as satisfying when somebody sends pics of the print out buildings too.
And when I get both – some of my print out buildings on a new layout – well, that just makes me smile from ear to ear.
So I thought this package really should give a gentle nudge to all those who have often thought about making that start, or just want to make some buildings.
It’s $135 worth for just $9. If that doesn’t get you started, I don’t know what will.
With so much to gain and nothing to lose, I’m really hoping you’ll take the plunge, whether it’s for the Beginner’s Guide, the new building prints, or all the other freebies.
And you really have nothing to lose – it’s a one time $9 payment that also comes with a 60 day, no quibble, money back guarantee.
So here are the new prints (I hope you like them).
Here’s John holding the prints and a building he’s made from them:
And here’s some more buildings John has made from the prints – have a look at the video below to see how he did it.
All these buildings are free with the Beginner’s Guide this weekend – and it’s just $9 too.
All of these buildings, and lots of others too, with the Beginner’s Guide for just $9.
Here’s a pic what you get in the new print collection:
As you’ve probably worked out, you’re only restricted by your imagination, you could make as many buildings as you like, to whatever design you like.
It’s a crazy deal and I hope you like it.
I know some of you who aleady have the Beginner’s Guide will buy it again just for the prints – and that’s absolutely fine.
But remember – today is the last day – then everything goes back to how it was.
So if you’d like to grab $135 worth of Guide and prints for just $9, grab it here, right now.
Just wanted to share a little project that I scratch built today.
This is a 1/4 inch scale (O scale kingpost bridge).
I made this little bridge today 100% from card that I salvaged from soda can boxes.
The card was glued together with Elmers Glue All (a brand of PVA glue).
All the card was stained with Minwax stains to make it look like wood.
There are some small details left to work on.
Here is the thing — I could never have built this little bridge without the skills that I learned while building and kitbashing your wonderful Print-Out kits.
Your Print Out buildings and the videos you sometimes share taught me first about how to make card models look realistic. Then they helped me build skills so that I can build “beyond the box”.
Thank you for your wonderful site AND thank you especially for teaching me about modeling with paper beginning with your amazing Print Out buildings.
Sincerely,
John
Chatsworth CA, USA”
John’s always sending me stuff of his builds – he’s using the print out scenery exactly what it’s best at: scratch building.
Here’s another of his projects:
“Hi Al…
This is a little O scale building that I constructed over the past two or three days.
The inspiration was a challenge by a Facebook friend to build something that would fit on a business card. I love it when I am challenged to build something —
I used my favorite soda can boxes for most of this…They farm the base for the buildings, the base for the walls, and much of the “stripwood” that I also used fr many of the details.
The “glass” in the window came from a food tray — Takeout container.
The clapboard siding was cut from yellow printing card –
To make the siding, 1/8 inch wide strips were cut and shingled to give the appearance of 3 inch clapboards.
The “wood” was stained with felt tip pens that I had lying around.
The roofing came from one of your kits — The blue office building if I remember.
A standard business card is roughly two inches by three and one half inches.
That determined the size of the roof “dripline”.
My shed is roughly 1.5 inches wide (6 scale feet), and three inches long (12 scale feet)
These photos capture the first part of the build.
The fun that I am having now began about five or six years ago with the first “Print Out kit” that I purchased on this site. That was an enginehouse… And since then I just keep working to make every model better than the one before.
Even if you believe that you do not have room for a layout, I would suggest having a go at a few of Alastair’s kits… They are fun to build, you develop your modeling skills, and sooner or later you will build a diorama or a layout to put them on! It is a START!
Sincerely,
John
California USA”
A huge thanks to John (he’s a different John – not the one in the video below).
Of course, he’s right, the big thing in this hobby is to make a start – even if it’s making a model building to get your feet wet.
Over the years, you lot have sent in some fantastic model built from the print out scenery:
And then of course, there are the latest scratch kits:
It’s unoriginally called ‘Scratch build kit 2’, but look what you can build with it:
Here’s an example of the backdrops you can build.
And have a look at the town houses:
And there’s different brickwork prints too:
Side view:
But perhaps the best thing about Scratch build kit 2, is that Scratch build kit 1 comes completely free with it.
So you can use the brick prints from that and make lots more:
Best of all, I thought it was about time a did another silly sale to help keep the site going.
So the new Scratch build kit 2 is just $9.
And don’t forget, you get Scratch build kit 1 completely free too.
The good new doesn’t stop there though.
I thought the best way for people to start tinkering with trains and layouts is to bundle the Scratch build kits with the Beginner’s Guide.
So this means you get Scratch build kits 1 & 2, the Beginner’s Guide and all the free bonuses that come with the Beginner’s Guide – all for just $9.
Of course I’m biased but it really is a proper silly sale. Ridiculous value.
I know many of you have the Beginner’s Gude and you are only buying it for the prints – and that’s absolutely fine.
So, for a few days only, you get Scratch build kits 1 & 2, the Beginner’s Guide and all the free bonuses that come with the Beginner’s Guide – all for just $9.
Here’s what you can build with scratch build kit 1 (which comes free with Scratch build kit 2 – and all for just $9)
Here’s John with another video on how to make these buildings:
All the prints are HO scale. For N scale reduce the print size to 54%. For O scale increase by 143%.
The entire package – everything I’ve listed – is just $9.
In a nutshell you are getting $135 worth, for just $9.
I do get a real kick whem somebody tells me they’ve started their layout because of the blog or the Beginner’s Guide. It’s just as satisfying when somebody sends pics of the print out buildings too.
And when I get both – some of my print out buildings on a new layout – well, that just makes me smile from ear to ear.
So I thought this package really should give a gentle nudge to all those who have often thought about making that start, or just want to make some buildings.
It’s $135 worth for just $9. If that doesn’t get you started, I don’t know what will.
With so much to gain and nothing to lose, I’m really hoping you’ll take the plunge, whether it’s for the Beginner’s Guide, the new building prints, or all the other freebies.
And you really have nothing to lose – it’s a one time $9 payment that also comes with a 60 day, no quibble, money back guarantee.
So here are the new prints (I hope you like them).
Here’s John holding the prints and a building he’s made from them:
And here’s some more buildings John has made from the prints – have a look at the video below to see how he did it.
All these buildings are free with the Beginner’s Guide this weekend – and it’s just $9 too.
All of these buildings, and lots of others too, with the Beginner’s Guide for just $9.
Here’s a pic what you get in the new print collection:
As you’ve probably worked out, you’re only restricted by your imagination, you could make as many buildings as you like, to whatever design you like.
It’s a crazy deal and I hope you like it.
I know some of you who aleady have the Beginner’s Guide will buy it again just for the prints – and that’s absolutely fine.
But remember – today is the last day – then everything goes back to how it was.
So if you’d like to grab $135 worth of Guide and prints for just $9, grab it here, right now.