WARREN KERFOOT looks at this versatile range of plastic parts for scratchbuilding.
There’s a product in the range that we all know about and to a very large extent, we all use from time to time. But have a closer look at what Plastruct offers the modeller and you’ll see a whole world of true modelmaking opens up to us.
We’ve all bought some ‘L’ section for ridge tiles, a bit of coated rod to make a down pipe, but how many can take this fantastic product to the next level.
In my own limited way I have used the range extensively, from the obvious applications I mentioned above to some more slightly sophisticated, and not to say, time consuming jobs on the layout, but giving the opportunity to add that extra dimension to our hobby of miniature engineering.
I have taken a couple of pictures of parts of my project to show what can be done with simple skills, but the world of ‘L’ , tube’ box, H and rods along with the versatile and extensive range of warren truss sections will help you create masterpieces of your own.
I recently visited Peter Midwinter and was amazed to see what can be done with gifted hands. He has constructed an absolutely stunning road / rail bridge on his Glen Gillie, Loch Inch & Bridge of Muir layout. Construction was clearly painstaking but it demonstrates the true versatility of this amazing product.
It’s simple to work with, cuts well and cleanly and, when just using standard styrene cement like your Deluxe Materials DLAD-70 Plastic Kit Glue, it creates structures and forms that are firm and can be decently load bearing in their own right. And on the functional side of the layout it can be used as wire trunking and also as a super smooth carrier for rod in tube point operation, allowing you to have remote surface mounted points with the operating rod extended significantly, without the risk of it whipping and hampering smooth tie bar movement.
Use it in conjunction with your Dapol C kits or Walthers, Faller, Atlas to enhance detail or kitbash the core product to make your model unique. Take some of my favourite Dornaplas windows DPB20 & DPB21, cut the bottom rail way to make it look partly open, with a Preiser or Noch figure in a vest telling the postman to ‘clear off’ - it’s all these creative elements that can be captured with Plastruct.
So, take a fresh look at the Plastruct range of clever plastics, it’s far more than an RSJ over a loading bay door - it’s gutters, downpipes, window sills, fire escapes, lintels, RSJs, window frames, trusses, pillars, light standards, pipework, storage cylinders…and on… and on.. and on!
Lots of inspiration here for scratchbuilding your own structures! Warren is our Northern Rep so you might see him out and about in shops around the north of the UK.