Anyone ever do this?

[Play-Doh]

Im still experimenting with my favorite material to scratchbuild with, but lately ive set the styrene aside to try something new.

Im a college kid, on a strict budget, but I had become frustrated with how many coats of paint styrene took to cover up the white underneath. Not to mention I missed that wood grain.

Ive been buying styrene mostly for the clapboard, but after hashing some ideas with the idiot salesman at my LHS we got to talking about how a guy could make his own clapboard...very cheap.

So, I bought a very small piece of basslewood and a mini hand lathe (sp?)

I then proceeded to strip some very very thin pieces of wood from the thickness of the board...which came to ruffly 1/8th of an inch wide and paper thin.

To make a long story short, with something as a base (I used a plastic pieces from a mangled window blinds I salvaged) I was able to glue down the strips on top of one another, each time leaving 1/16" exposed.

It sounds tedious and like it takes forever I know, but you just cant beat that wood grain and one coat of paint. Ill post pics soon!

TJ

 

[jcoop1]

Any Pics?

 

[jetrock]

a tip: rather than use multiple coats of model paint, start out with a coat of primer. Auto primer is a little rough, but it works well for rough surfaces (concrete brick, roofs, etc) where you don't mind the texture. Model primer is a finer grain and paint will bite much better on it, and you'll save a few coats of model paint, not to mention drying time.

 

[eightyeightfan1]

I also prime my plastic scatchbuilds. I've also been using Krylons Fusion spray(I don't own a paint gun or compressor...yet). Not vey much in railroad colors,(box car red) but I have found some that are close.
Plus with the big can...very economical!