Peter Marriott assembles a new kit in a quest to discover whether paper overlays can add realism to laser-cut components.
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HOW TO
Printed building kits and components are nothing new, and card kits have been around for decades. Even downloadable kits, for printing out at home onto standard paper and light card, have now been a fixture of the hobby for some time.
Kits produced in other materials have also offered photo-realistic overlays for certain components, especially walls. Some of Gaugemaster’s Fordhampton kits, which make use of injection-moulded plastic base components from the likes of Faller, include printed brick and stone overlays.
The kit featured here, however, is produced by Scale Model Scenery (SMS) and consists of laser-cut MDF walls and fibreboard components, together with a range of optional paper exterior wraps – or overlays. This approach has been used on many previous SMS kits, giving modellers the choice of cladding the basic framework of a structure in a brick, stone or rendered finish, or maybe even a combination of materials.
In this instance, Percival Cottage is provided with a choice of four different paper overlays, each depicting a rendered finish, but with a choice of red brick or random stone lower sections. Each also presents a differing degree of weathering, with the option of stained and crumbling areas of rendering, revealing the rough stonework beneath. The quality of the printed detail is impressive, with the heavyweight paper giving the wraps an extra degree of resilience. They need to be cut out, however, so a scalpel and a few fresh blades, steel rule and cutting mat are essential aids.
The laser-cut MDF parts feature interlocking joints, and they can be quickly assembled to form a rugged base structure. Plenty of detail parts are provided, including separate window frames, that are built up in layers to add realistic depth, with clear glazing material also supplied. Laser-cut strips of roof tiles feature a convincing weathered appearance, while chimneys, guttering and downpipes are included.
If you need an attractive detached cottage for your layout or diorama, then this kit may be the answer. With a footprint of 120mm by 77mm, the cottage depicts a fairly generic architectural style, suitable for most parts of the UK, and it will also look at home in any time period from the late 1800s to the present day.
The paper overlays, provided that they’re cut out and handled carefully, produce very convincing effects. The choice of brick or stone and the weathered effects are a real bonus. The clever design of the parts, with wraparound corners, ensures that there are few areas where the joins are obvious, while the separate window sills and door frames also help create a neat finish, with plenty of detail relief.
This is a great value kit that’s easy to assemble, with only a modicum of painting required. There’s the option to customise the finish, adding extra weathering if desired, with the use of paints and/or dry pigments. Once set into a scene, it begins to look even more effective.
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Also provided is a choice of four overlay sheets, printed crisply onto good quality paper. Each sheet offers slightly different textures, a choice of brick or stone lower walls and differing degrees of weathering.
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Assembly begins with the thick, interlocking MDF parts. The first task is to fix the floor of the second storey and the intermediate wall together. I found that all of the linking tags on the kit went together very well indeed, with very little need for fettling.
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Three of the outer walls are now in place, plus the floor and intermediate wall. Study the instructions carefully as I initially fitted the front wall the wrong way round. Luckily, I noticed while the glue was still wet, so it was easy to correct.
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Next, the rear wall needed to be fixed in place. As you can see, the connecting lugs are large, presenting plenty of surface area for the adhesive to create a strong bond, while also ensuring that the walls fit together squarely.
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The SMS kit consists of laser-cut components, rendered in MDF and fibreboard of varying thicknesses. Small retaining tags hold the parts to the surrounding fret, which need to be cut through with the point of a sharp blade.
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Before the chimney breasts can be installed, the paper overlays need to be cut out and applied. I used a Swann-morton knife and a steel rule to do this, following the printed guidelines as closely as possible.
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The paper overlays for the external walls. It is necessary to cut through the lines that will form the door and window apertures. The flaps left for the windows and doors will be pushed through the holes and glued from behind.
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The glue was spread with a fingertip to create a thin, layer of adhesive all over the wall, including the insides of the window and door frames. The overlay was then introduced to the wall carefully, ensuring a precise fit.
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With clean fingers, the wraps were rubbed gently to remove any lumps and bumps. Gentle finger pressure was then used to form the folds of the overlapping sections at each corner and with the window and door apertures.
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Although the instructions recommend the use of UHU contact adhesive, I also used the Scenic Glue to stick the paper overlays on the outside of the cottage. Working on one wall at a time, I dribbled on a few drops of the glue.
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Printed paper wraps are also provided for the chimney breasts. Again, it’s important to cut the paper wraps neatly and accurately.
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Once the front wall overlay was secure, the rear wall was treated in the same way. A little extra glue was added here and there to ensure any overlapping sections of the wraps were firmly fixed to the walls.
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All of the overlays have been fitted onto the cottage walls, with the tabs wrapped around and secured inside the window and door apertures. Allow the glue to dry overnight. If any trimming of the overlays is necessary, use a fresh blade.
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After the end wall overlays were applied (remove excess glue at the corners straight away), the chimney stacks could be added. These were also wrapped before fixing in position, wrapping the excess paper around the chimney stack above roof level.
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After cutting the tile strips from the backing sheet, they were laid out in the same order in which they were arranged on the sheet. Some of the strips are notched to give clearance for the chimney stacks, so it’s important that they’re installed in sequence.
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The sheet of pre-weathered laser-cut tiles are designed to be applied in strips, which can be overlapped to mimic the real thing. Helpfully, horizontal guides have been etched into the roof panels to aid alignment of each strip of tiles.
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The coloured doors and windows were assembled, applying glue to the mating faces with a cocktail stick or fine brush. Any excess adhesive was wiped away. Once assembled, the parts look really convincing.
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Both the windows and doors are assembled from multiple layers, to give a greater sense of depth. Each was coloured with the Noch pens and allowed to dry out fully before the parts were cut from the fret.
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After installing the window frames and sills, I also fixed the porch brackets and roof into position. The base of the roof has also been added, which incorporates a protruding section that forms the gutters.
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The roof sections have now been installed. Bargeboards are provided to neaten the edges of the panels and a pair of gutter downpipes is also provided. Again, these parts were coloured with the Noch pens before assembly.
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To save time, Noch’s Weathering Pens were employed to colour the doors, window frames and sills, before they were cut from the fret. Each piece needed two passes with the pen to build up the colour sufficiently.
The finishing touch was added by fixing the gutter downpipes into position.
Capping strips are fixed to the top of the chimney stacks, having been pre-coloured with the Noch pens. Chimney pots are provided in the form of printed paper strips, designed to be rolled into cylinders. However, I used a few scraps of plastic rod, painted brown, instead.
Starting at the lower edge of the roof, a thin bead of glue was applied and the top edge of the tile strips was aligned with the guide etched into the base. Any glue squeezed out between the tiles was quickly wiped away.
The tile strips were layered in sequence, following the etched guides and ensuring an even overlap of each subsequent layer. The whole process is quick and straightforward.
A row of capping tiles is provided, which needed to be trimmed slightly to fit snugly between the chimney stacks. I scored a line along the underside to allow the strip to be folded over the roof’s ridge, before it was glued in place.
A couple of short roof tile strips are also provided for the porch. A few dabs of glue on the canopy will take the first strip of tiles. Then add the other two overlapping rows.
There’s also a pair of short tile strips to finish off the sloping sides of the chimneys.