UPGRADE BILTEEZI SHEETS

Once I had decided to use the Bilteezi sheets and to create a ‘retro’ look, I realised that I would need to adapt them to suit the angle from which they would be viewed. They were designed to be used flat and viewed from the front, but I would be using them in a scene where the flatness would be too obvious. Looking at them obliquely, I would need to recess the windows and doors, and to provide windowsills, doorsteps and a roof overhang.

1

I would need to adapt the kits, so I began by scanning them and printing off the parts I needed on A4 sheets. If originals had been available, I would have used them. I began by cutting out the windows and doors.

2

I then mounted the wall on 2mm mount board, which I had previously cut to size. 3M Spray Mount can be used for this, or Velo-set or Speedbond PVA glue, which tend to be a bit more permanent than the Spray Mount.

3

Using a steel rule and a sharp new blade in my Swan-morton craft knife, I cut the window and door openings out, following the edge of the printed sheet and avoiding cutting into it. The short steel rule is favourite for this job.

4

The exposed card edges around the openings were painted with Omen Miniatures brick base colour. You can mix a colour to match the brickwork or use a darker shade to emphasise the recess.

5

I mounted the windows and doors I’d cut out onto thin card and cut out with a border wide enough to fit behind the aperture. The frames are shaded. The lighter colour goes to the bottom, the darker (for shading) at the top.

6

It’s a good plan to try and return window frames to the same aperture they came out of to ensure a good fit. I replaced one large door opening with a panel of brickwork cut from another sheet.

7

Side walls. The one with the bricked-in panel has recessed windows and will be towards the front of the layout. The lower wall is in original condition and will face the layout’s rear. This saved time as I was up against a deadline.