1:48 scale achitectural modelling

[Jeremy Harris]

I've just had an advertising flyer from a company I've bought electronic components from for years, and for once it looks quite interesting.  It's  bit expensive, but looks to be re-usable, so might well be cost-effective if refining a design using scale models.  It might well have a resale value, too, within the self-build community.

I built a total of six 1:50 scale models of our house, at a cost of around £50 in materials (foam board, liteply, cutting board, glue etc), so maybe the cost of these kits isn't all that high, given the possibility to re-use the components.

I'm not endorsing this at all, as I've only had a quick look at both the details from the supplier and the manufacturer's website, but it looks like an interesting system: http://arckit.com/

[Barney12]

It looks very "american" which would make me wonder how appropriate for UK scale and style it was?

[Jeremy Harris]

Good point, I thought that from the scale, 1:48, which isn't a typical UK scale (1:50 would be more common here for house models, I think).  However, it does say you can print off paper to cover the model with a range of scale finishes, so may be there's an opportunity there to make it fit better with UK appearances.

[TheMitchells]

Maybe not as much fun as making your own though.  We still plan to have a go making our own scale building, using your instructions. Thanks Jeremy.

 

[Gone West]

Back in 2009 I made a 1:50 scale model of our proposed design using foam board and balsa wood to help with our planning application. It turned out to be useful in many ways not just for the planners.

[Jeremy Harris]

My view is that we'd never have had such an easy ride with the neighbours and Parish Council without the models.  The site model (the one in the photo at the head of all my early blog entries here) was invaluable, as lots of people (including planners) seem to have difficulty understanding what something will look like from a plan.

[Russell griffiths]

On 28/06/2016 at 21:20, TheMitchells said:

Maybe not as much fun as making your own though.  We still plan to have a go making our own scale building, using your instructions. Thanks Jeremy.

 

I would like to have a go at ours as well, can I find Jeremy's instructions somewhere. 

Thanks russ. 

[TheMitchells]

 From jeremy as sent to me - hope this is enough. 

Scale model house

 

 

 

I've posted the info on the model a few times, here's one of the posts with photos: http://www.ebuild.co...nks/#entry78433

I used the standard white foamboard bought from the local stationery shop, WH Smiths IIRC. It was white and came in A4 or A3 sheets. I used a scale of 1:50 and printed the plan and elevations out then stuck them to the foamboard with spraymount (also from the same source) then used a steel rule and sharp craft knife to cut the parts out. I glued it together with quick drying modellers PVA, from a local model shop, who were also able to sell me a bag of 1:50 size people, to give an idea of scale. My wife was concerned about the shower size, but didn't appreciate the lady in a bikini I stuck in the model to show her how big it was!

To get the external wall thickness right for our build up I used an extra external layer of 2mm Liteply (available from model aircraft shops, it's soft and easy to cut with a craft knife). 2mm is also a reasonable approximation for the width of internal stud walls at 1:50 scale, so I made the internal walls from Liteply. I went OTT with the staircase and machined it to scale with a milling machine from a block of solid oak, silly really, as it took me an hour to make, whereas the rest of the model was done in half an hour or so!

 

 

Jeremy.

Edited December 27, 2016 by TheMitchells