Quality craft models

[TinyTurner]

I got a coaling tower kit, old style house and farm supply for a bargain price.
As far as the pictures go, looks like near empty large boxes with bits of strip wood in.
I guess this is way before laser cutting?
Were Quality craft models ever rated to be any good?

The main motive is to build a small old style coaling tower for a branch/depot.  Could turn out to be massive 
I have never built an N wood structure kit before.
Has anyone completed a build write up?

[Spades]

I got a coaling tower kit, old style house and farm supply for a bargain price.
As far as the pictures go, looks like near empty large boxes with bits of strip wood in.
I guess this is way before laser cutting?
Were Quality craft models ever rated to be any good?

The main motive is to build a small old style coaling tower for a branch/depot.  Could turn out to be massive 
I have never built an N wood structure kit before.
Has anyone completed a build write up?

Quality Craft later Gloor Craft kits for the day were the best. Metal castings, quality wood, excellent instructions.  QC released the first correct ACF Railbox and All Door Boxcar.  They made a modern warehouse.  A feed meal that had metal castings for the silo.  The seams matched up fine but the details on the exterior didn't

[randgust]

I've done every car kit they ever made.

I'd rate the metal castings at a B+. 

The wood quality is excellent.  It was all color-coded by size, and the instruction sheets were to full-size.   Photos were lacking.   I was lucky on the cars that I fell back to prototype photos to help.  Sheet stock if any is usually cut to size, it's the stripwood that isn't.

Now, you're going to need a decent small steel machinist ruler down to 32nds., if I remember right dimension were all in actual inches, not N scale feet.   Sharp Xacto blades.   You'll want a nice solid work surface.   Don't skimp on even a slightly dull blade.

Make sure you paint windows, trim, castings, or weather wood before you glue it up with white glue.  If you don't want warping of sheet stock, paint both sides at the same time so it won't cup.

You'll want some kind of square and 'stuff' to hold things, can be tiny clips, rubber bands, magnets, tape, something during assembly.

I did the lumber shed and it is still a very nice looking model today, holds a forefront view on my Santa Fe layout.

For weathering, my favorite for weathered wood has become the tie stain from Micro-Mark, right out of the jar.

[mmagliaro]

Good times!
Those Quality Craft and Gloor Craft kits were the best there was.  But yes, this was WAY before laser kits were
a gleam in anybody's eye.  These kits were essentially scratchbuilding projects.  You got all the necessary
strip and sheetwood pieces, a bunch of metal castings for windows and doors (and sometimes a chimney
or other details), and a set of plans.  After that, you are on your own.
 
I think Randy did an excellent job with his list of pointers for assembling these.  I would only say that I prefer using
a carpenter's glue (Titebond 3 being my preferred one) instead of yellow or white glue.   Also, when I would get the basic structure of the walls together, and the roof, I always added extra wood ribs anywhere I could hide them from being seen through the windows.  Extra blocking at joints and in corners is a good idea too.  That's part of the reason this happy little
store has survived multiple moves and packings since the 1980s when I built it.  In fact, I still do that on wood laser kits.

(I have since made a much better sign for this (this is the one that came on a sheet with the kit!))

[Angus Shops]

I remember the “Thrall door boxcar” - might have been the first kit I ever built (being 15 or so). I remember it as being a successful project, although it’s long gone now.

[TinyTurner]

Hearing this has spurred me on to look for other goodies, good call on pointing out 'Gloor Craft', I had no idea.  Most are obscene prices so I keep pestering the seller for discounts.  I also discovered the white metal automobile kits, but the shipping puts me off.  As the Autos come in kits, it might be possible to replicate in silicone moulds in the future...

It might not be too hard to scratch build entirely in this way from wood, built in rustic effect.  Might be able to route siding with the right shaped bits in a small hobby drill press, and I have a handheld Makita router somewhere.

Wood looks nice.

[nkalanaga]

I also built that Thrall Door car, and, like Angus Shops, mine is long retired.  But it is still better than the later plastic model in one way:  Depth of door detail.  Not only were the ribs closer to prototype depth, but the real wire operating rods look very nice.

[OldEastRR]

I've got the mostly brass PRR NC5 caboose under restoration. I had to construct a whole new frame out of plastic to get the right ride height but she's a beauty. I stripped off all the old paint and will repaint soon. And MS makes PRR caboose decals that are correct.

[TinyTurner]

Think I ought to have a go at wood structures, dispel the fear of 'it's to difficult'.  I'm quite well set for wood supplies and can get whole sheets of model grade wood if needs be.  I made things fly out of balsa, this will probably be ok. 

Coincidentally, when solvent welding some plastic kits together, I noticed the solvent is Dichloromethane.  This might not seem remarkable, except it is an excellent paint stripper on small metal models, but largely unavailable in my locality when sold as actual paint stripper.  So a little clever thought and all is well.
I think it's stinks less then Mek.  Both have warnings about 'sleepyness' on the label and most of it evaporates. 

Some people use drugs.  I build models, another reason to use wood

[nkalanaga]

Yes, that's not usually mentioned, but it's practical to build wooden models with no hazardous materials or chemicals.  If one is sensitive to such stuff, or someone in ones household is, or if one has small children present, that can be a consideration.

[randgust]

I always considered Quality Craft/Gloor Craft the gateway drugs to scratchbuilding.

Ya know, with a decent set of plans, I could do this other one with some stripwood and basswood sheet stock.......

I still have all my car kits that they had.   Both PRR cabooses were just excellent.  And my Thrall all-door boxcar is in service yet today.

The B&O round-roof boxcar was excellent, too, etched brass.   The wood-sided ATSF reefer (50') was unique in its time.  And they were the first to do a Railbox car.
I 'think' I did every car kit they every made, and the original cast metal log cars are still the majority on my logging modules.

Vehicles?  None would make the grade today.  Not terrible, but background models.