Build laser-cut kits Chris Leigh builds a laser-cut timber kit for his latest ‘O’ gauge project.

Laser-cut timber kit-building is a blossoming area of the hobby. Chris Leigh shows you how to get the best from them.

The Bible warns us about temptation. In this hobby we tend to call it ‘impulse buying’. But temptation is the first step to an impulse purchase…

It was at the Bristol O Gauge Group’s 2010 show that I was seriously tempted. Only one thing prevented me from making an impulse purchase – my weekend’s spending money was all gone! Twelve months later and the same item can’t be called an impulse purchase. This time I went to Bristol with a clear aim – if the model was still available I would buy it. It was and I did.

The model in question was one of a series of kits in the Timber Tracks range offered by C&L Finescale. At the time, C&L was a leading exponent of laser-cut timber technology. Laser-cut timber has traditionally been more prominent in the USA where timber buildings are more prevalent. What makes the Timber Tracks buildings special is that the process is used to ‘engrave’ the brickwork pattern (English bond, in this case) onto rigid MDF walls.

Since then, Timber Tracks and C&L have gone their separate ways and lots of suppliers now offer laser-cut timber kits. Whether you start with something like a Petite Properties base (which requires your choice of finish) or a highly detailed kit from Timber Tracks, much of the secret of success in building this kit will be in the quality of painting and finishing but there is no reason why much of this should not be done while the parts are ‘in the flat’ before assembly.

Doors and windows are a flush fit within the walls, the oversize glazing pieces serving to support them from behind. Protective blue film needs to be removed from both sides of the glazing.

A mix of roughly two parts light brick to one part weathered stone provided the colour that I sought. All parts were painted before assembly, the window frames weathered stone over white primer.

The first job was to sort the bags of parts and to separate out all the ‘blanks’ which come from window openings and have dropped out in transit.

As I painted, I blotted off excess paint from the surface of the bricks with a soft pad of tissue, taking care to leave concentrations of paint in the mortar lines.

Single-ply strips of the correct size are provided for all the window sills. These were painted in a dark blue-grey before gluing in place with Velo-set quick-drying PVA.

Railmatch acrylic concrete colour was then painted on the walls with an artist’s brush. I diluted the paint slightly with clean water and brushed it into all the mortar lines.

I allowed the ‘mortar’ to dry and then lightly brushed the red brick colours over the surface. There wasn’t a lot of difference but the light brick colour on the white base looked best.

Like the windows, the doors are a flush fit supported by the glazing. Once all four walls reach this stage, assembly can begin.