This is what makes the hobby so great, you can really go into the areas that you enjoy. Even though there might be "easier" or "faster" ways, one's experience with the work and care into a specific area of enjoyment develops an extreme personalized layout. Things that might go unnoticed to others but will bring you personal enjoyment for years to come. Another reason it can take many many years to "finish" a layout. One might find themselves diving deep into a "new mini hobby" and spend hours upon hours there.
You remind me of a medievel stonemason, hard at work building a cathedral: putting in the extra effort, even though only God has eyes good enough to truly appreciate it!
Amazing work Michael. One of the great joys of model railways is that you can use whatever technique brings you the greatest satisfaction. And others can learn as well as admire. I find your work an inspiration to do better myself. Patrick
We are all different Michael, but I am glad this helps you unwind. I am sure I would end up like an overwound clock spring. What amazing effects you manage to achieve with the materials you use. Stunning!!! Cheers, Bob
I am truly blown away by the amount of cutting you're prepared to do to achieve the desired results. At this tiny scale, and without a magnifying glass, your eyesight must be better than 20/20. Another fantastically detailed building.
Yes, it’s worth the time and effort. Those lucky few who get to see your layout in person will inspect these details and be amazed. As for those of us on UA-cam, we are in awe of the fine details. I am sure Brittany will give us the back story about the builders of the church (hint) and we can enjoy the history and lore of Chandwell.
I think its worth the effort. Sometimes, without being able to 'measure' and obviously see small changes doesn't mean that our brains won't pick up on an effect. Most of the images we see are assembled in our brains rather than in our eyes
I can understand the immense satisfaction you get from doing this Michael. Although not visible when on the layout the fact that you know the intricate detail is present will be satisfaction enough. Another brilliant bit of craftsmanship on your part. Cheers Euan
It doesn’t matter how you spend your time, as long as you can rewind your way. Some people like to go hiking or training. We love modelling! That mentioned, I would not have build it that way. But I’m a plastic card man. But I love watching your films. They are really impressive!
My favorite part of this video is seeing the work-in-progress frontage in place on High Street. Even in its unfinished state, it already brings the street that much more to life!
Micheal,, You are incredible. The patience. The focus. The steady hand. NEVER would I have lasted beyond card four. Now what about the glazing of the side and knave windows?😱🤯 Jim in N.Y.
Stunning - absolutely STUNNING! Your work, your progress, determination, and practiced expertise has now reached levels that others can only hope to emulate after dedicating themselves to ever more hours, days, months, years of challenging and ever more complicated models. I believe that I can possibly reach about half your skill levels, if I keep on at the pace I am currently working, some time in 2046 or 47. if my hands remain steady. Congratulations sir. You have surpassed even yourself and, while you say it may not be obvious when on the layout, the very fact that it is there and you have so brilliantly documented it, makes your Wesleyan Chapel and architectural marvel, much as it would have been when the original was built all those decades ago. Thank you for once again setting standards to inspire us all.
And I seriously doubt a cutting machine could do such fine filigree. After using a cutting machine for a while, I’ve gone back to hand cutting the fine detail. I let the Cricut do the big block pieces, but the precision of hand cutting the finer points can’t be beat.
That's spectacular. As one of the remaining Methodists in the north of England, it's kind-of sad that it's going to be a car-spares shop - but bang-on accurate for the period of your layout. If you do stained glass, you might like to consider not all of the sections being still coloured - kids would have put half-bricks through some of it, and what remains would have rusty wire guards or warped / discoloured perspex sheets over the top of it, by '93. That goes for your other stained glass building too! Things have really changed in the inner city, when you stop and think about it.
Well done Mike personally I think it looks nicer as it is the way u have done it. I agree it was worth the time n effort even if it’s not so noticeable from the layout u know it’s there that’s all that matters.
Michael, this is a fantastic piece of work and great patience. However, I can't help thinking you could have saved some time and probably avoided the damaged ultra-thin pieces on the large window by doing the thin parts inside out. Instead of having to cut all those tricky inside corners, it might have been easier to make the outer window surround sperately, than measure and cut strips of card to the required width for each layer, then glue these inside the frame in vertical and horizontal pieces to build up the bevel. This means you can make the thinnest parts in a few cuts, if you make a mistake you've not lost the whole layer, and can position each part individually rather than having to get dozens of delicate bits all correct at once. Any joins would just look like stonework and you paint over it anyway. I can also vouch for the success of carving and filing 1.5mm mounting board to a bevelled edge too.
Thank you for the hints. I actually considered this method first but the more I looked at it, the less confident I was that I could get it all lined up properly. I decided to do it this way so that all I had to do was align the main building and I would know that everything else was automatically in alignment. This has worked really well as the corners are almost perfect in most cases. I think for the extra time cutting, I got results that I wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise. To be fair though, I didn’t actually try it the other way! 🤔🤔🧐
True, the detail is a bit hard to see in situ - but YOU know it's there. As, of course, do we ! Having so much detail means that an onlooker is drawn to look closer and closer, revealing more wondrous things. All they need is a small bottle marked 'Drink Me'..........
Like it and gives me some ideas for my layout. Was going to mention use of a laser cutter but as you said prefer to use a scalpel...good on ya. Thanks for the ideas.
I think this layout is your full time job Michael. And your hobby is helping friends and relatives with odds and sods of vascular surgery on the kitchen table... Well? Am I right Michael...? You are accurate and you are fast, so you should do more of that vascular surgery malarkey. 😂🤣😂 It could even be a nice little earner from them posh buggers from Leeds?
I've heard you say how much you enjoy the hand cutting process but i can't help but think how much better these buildings would be if cut with a laser printers. Your buildings are fine as is, no complaints or criticisms, just thinking they could be better yet.
It all depends on our interpretation of “better”. When I look at what I have done, with my own hands and less than £20.00 worth of blades, I think to myself, “this layout is amazing”. I can’t imagine being happier with it. If ultra-realism at sub-millimetre medical precision is your definition of “better”, then that is fine; it’s all personal preference. I’d argue that you would lose the artistic interpretation. The lightly scruffy look which makes the layout seem warm and interesting. I’ll not be getting a cutting machine no matter how many people recommend them to me! But that’s just me, and many others get wonderful results with their machines to an infinitely higher precision than I manage. 👀
You always amaze me Michael with your patience and scratch building technic skills, I also agree with other subscribers it was well worth your time and effort, well done. Looking forward to the glazing section. Please take care regards Barry..
Love it, the kind of detail I like!! It's worth the effort to get the effect YOU want.. Even if you can't see it from a distance.. you know what it looks like.. And it's amazing how much the small details really do make. Craig
Great work .Can I suggest a couple of things that may make life easier cutting fine lines. firstly grey board is just not well suited to fine cuts, so I would say to try better card. personally I find quality old greeting cards pretty good. If you do still want to use grey board, I will pre treat it with a couple of coats of shellac,(allow to dry fully) fine clean edges then become a doddle.
Thank you for the tips. I find Weetabix box is best for detail work but chose greyboard on this occasion for no real reason. I’ve not tried the shellac method before; I’ll bear that in mind for next time. Cheers!
That’s a good idea but speaking personally, I know I’d never be able to get a consistent angle, especially in the corners and joins of the tiny tracery elements.
As a left handed person currently working in paper and card, I am truly grateful for the corner cutting tips. I have moved on from beloved Inkscape for some things to the world of BLENDER. I was wondering whilst watching this whether two hours of Inkscape was 'competitive' compared to using the bevel tool in Blender and then using booleans to slice out the templates for printing. In Inkscape you can just select all and change your line thicknesses, plus you can layer everything up with transparencies to see if mistakes were made. I concede that Inkscape is the quicker process in this instance, if multiple layers is the way to go. But it could be worse, you could be working in stone in Ilkley, centuries ago, before health and safety or power tools, chipping away with no mistakes allowed. In Blender I am modelling paper/card and what I enjoy most is modelling 3D objects that have to be made from folded card, with the tabs to hold it together. It is satisfying to work in 3D space, to animate the unfolding and to then print it out. I am getting to the stage where rough prototypes won't do and I need your power-corner-cutting technique, so I am particularly motivated to do that this weekend. Thanks for the video!
I always find your videos interesting, Michael. There is something very compelling about one man pitting himself against tiny fiddly, N-scale detail, but winning through resoundingly at the end. And the townscape is looking so amazing, that you almost forget about the trains. In fact, I can't help feeling that you are more interested in Chandwell's atmosphere than you are in the trains. I wonder how you are planning to join the Wesleyan chapel to the building next to it, or is there to be a dark and insalubrious alleyway down that side of the building? Many thanks, Tom (from France)
Thank you Tom! You have found me out, I hardly ever think about the trains. To me, Chandwell is the town rather than the model railway layout. I think I would be more interested in the trains if I had enough space to make the layout a roundy-roundy that I could use to just watch the trains go by. There will be a narrow dark alley next between the Hall and the Town Hall.
...please let translate my text, my english is not good enough ... die runden Partien mit sehr feinem gerolltem Schleifpapier nachbearbeiten. Ich pinsel leicht verdünnten Weißleim/Holzleim mit einem feinen Pinsel auf, lasse die Pappe trocknen, so lässt sich die Pappe vorsichtig fast wie Holz schleifen. Und solche schwierigen Fenster werden noch besser. Dein Kanal hat mir vor bald einem Jahr ein anderer Modellbahner empfohlen. So verfolge ich Deine Arbeit schon eine ganz Weile, gefällt mir nach wie vor sehr gut... best regards Roland
Wow - that would be a challenge in its own right! I've only used foam core a couple of times, but I found it incredibly difficult to cut with accuracy. Some of these window elements are only 1mm wide (39 thousandths of an inch) at their thickest point, and taper down to about 0.3mm (12 thousandths of an inch). Do you think that would be possible with accuracy in foam core?
Michael Good to see some more progress on your latest High St Building. Who knows how sympathetic the Revs alterations or rebuild to the overall building are going to be. If the building is a listed one any alterations would have to be agreed through planning if no Listed status who knows what devilish abomination the designer had in mind. Perhaps a giant spark plug or something above a new canopy which is supported by struts that look like giant shock absorbers or other larger than life car parts. Ian
I have decided to abandon my list of favourite Chandwell buildings because it constantly changes and I cannot keep up anymore. The bevelling on this building would mean that one has to go from the list so i think it would be easier all round to just like them all and be done with it. Amazing patience as always.
It is just as well you enjoy this type of work and I won't mention mechanical means. But would you be able to achieve the same effect with less layers of thicker card cut, at the appropriate angle, rather than straight on? Just a thought, but excellent work the way you've done it. Cheers.
The answer's yes and no, I think. I probably could do it for the large arch and possibly the small rectangular windows. But I did test it like that first and the lines were wavy, and the corners irregular, so it would have taken more time in practice, and/or parts thrown away than the way I ended up doing it. I don't think it would be possible on the smaller elements; that tracery is incredibly delicate - just 1mm wide to start with, and it all interlocks with its neighbour leaving a large number of corners I'd need to get into at JUST the right angle. I doubt I could be at all consistent.
Already know that the glazing is going to look amazing! I've visioned it in my mind from the work you've done on the law building. I will try not to mention a lazer.... oops, but may try the paper stacking technique for ornate work and see how fine I can get it. Thanks Again, Don
Hmm. I have not decided yet whether REVS the car pars supplier will have kept the original glazing, or simply painted it over with boards... Watch this space!
Michael, I always enjoy your videos and craftsmanship and have especially applied the sticky paper/ window method you’ve demonstrated and with good results but have wondered: when you are actually cutting, are you wearing glasses or using a magnifier of some sorts?
Beautiful work as usual Michael ! Question ! When you first started your "N guage" layout, did it ever occur to you how difficult it would become to master the exactitude required to maintain the authenticity of the buildings etc. Much more dexterity than your average railway modeller needs. Enjoying your videos Michael, Thanks !
You know what... When I started I had no idea what I was doing. I wanted a "layout" and I wanted it on a viaduct. I had no idea that I could scratch build. I was intending to plonk some Scalescenes buildings here and there. but as I worked on the viaduct and made some changes here and there, it started to dawn on me that I could do whatever I wanted. So I never thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew... it all just seemed to fall into place. When I started, I had no idea at all!! :)
Nothing you've done on your layout is a waste, ti looks awesome! It's hard to keep in mind that it's N scale, the level of detail looks more like HO/OO or even O.
Has anyone told you that you are mad! In a good way. Is it that you take masochistic delight in cutting out by hand? With great results, I may add though.
I am very tempted just to type, yes of course I did. That would be by far the easiest and most sensible option. But… despite using that feature to get many parallel lines before, and despite knowing exactly what it does… I didn’t even think of it! I have no idea why. I ended up using the Offset path effects (multiple times) for the second part. Something about the way I constructed the finer window tracery meant that the path effect failed though on the main shape - I ended up with HUGE triangles sticking out all over the place - so I used lines of various thicknesses to trim away the bits I didn’t want. I wish I’d thought of interpolate!! Thank you for the nudge. I will remember next time! Maybe! Who knows… I naturally tend to think of the more obscure and labour-intensive things! 😂
@@Chandwell I'm really glad I found the channel. I normally do a scout to find out how Inkscape is being used and what I can learn about problems people are having. But I love this on a warm cultural level and always click to watch when you post a new video.
"On the layout it probably won't be seen" Nonsense, it's apparent even from 5 inches away, when it's glazed it will look astonishingly good. Of course you didn't need to go to these lengths, but you know they're there, and now, due to the magic of UA-cam, the World does too.
2mm card is incredibly hard to cut, and with some of these pieces being less than 0.4mm wide, it would not stand up to it. It would be impossible to cut the chamfered edges at a consistent angle too, hence building up in layers of paper to ensure accuracy.
Michael. Absolutely brilliant. I so admire your ingenuity and patience. Pete.
Thank you!
This is what makes the hobby so great, you can really go into the areas that you enjoy. Even though there might be "easier" or "faster" ways, one's experience with the work and care into a specific area of enjoyment develops an extreme personalized layout. Things that might go unnoticed to others but will bring you personal enjoyment for years to come. Another reason it can take many many years to "finish" a layout. One might find themselves diving deep into a "new mini hobby" and spend hours upon hours there.
Very wise words indeed. Hobbies within hobbies, here.
"... only 7 layers deep."
Got to be the quote of the year!
Stunning work once again Michael.
Hahah - thank you!
I honestly don't know how you have the tenacity with this project. It's staggering
Thank you! I do love it!
Chandwell, your channel is a treasure!
Thank you!
You remind me of a medievel stonemason, hard at work building a cathedral: putting in the extra effort, even though only God has eyes good enough to truly appreciate it!
:) Thank you. That made me smile.
Amazing work Michael. One of the great joys of model railways is that you can use whatever technique brings you the greatest satisfaction. And others can learn as well as admire. I find your work an inspiration to do better myself. Patrick
Thank you Patrick. Very true.
We are all different Michael, but I am glad this helps you unwind. I am sure I would end up like an overwound clock spring. What amazing effects you manage to achieve with the materials you use. Stunning!!! Cheers, Bob
:) Thanks Bob!
Love your commitment to all the small details. Yes, yes it's worth it!
Thank you!
Michael the Ripper strikes again! Was it worth it? Absolutely! Stunning detail. I look forward to your next update. Take care.
Thank you Norman!
I am truly blown away by the amount of cutting you're prepared to do to achieve the desired results. At this tiny scale, and without a magnifying glass, your eyesight must be better than 20/20.
Another fantastically detailed building.
I do need to wear my glasses.
Your patience is legendary. Amazing.
Thank you
Patience of a Saint don't think I would bother especially in N but your buildings always look great 👍 👌
Fascinating video Michael. The patience of a saint indeed. What a fantastic result! Thanks for sharing. Roy.
Thank you!
Yes, it’s worth the time and effort. Those lucky few who get to see your layout in person will inspect these details and be amazed. As for those of us on UA-cam, we are in awe of the fine details. I am sure Brittany will give us the back story about the builders of the church (hint) and we can enjoy the history and lore of Chandwell.
I will be seeing Britney this weekend. I will see what I can do!
I'm surprised that it took you so little time to do all that cutting!
Remarkable work, as ever.
Thank you!
The railway seems somehow very secondary to the cityscape, which I guess is exactly what you are seeking to achieve. Quite brilliant workmanship.
Thank you so much. Yes, you have spotted my intentions. I want the railway to be just another part of the town rather than the main feature.
I think its worth the effort. Sometimes, without being able to 'measure' and obviously see small changes doesn't mean that our brains won't pick up on an effect. Most of the images we see are assembled in our brains rather than in our eyes
Good point. Thank you!
Michael, your work is just amazing
Thank you so much.
You have surpassed yourself. Brilliant
Thank you so much!
That is a lesson in perseverance. Well done Michael. Cheers Peter.
Thank you Peter!
You absolute madman. Very impressive work. Clearly you missed your calling as a surgeon.
Haha - thank you
As always looks utterly stunning. Chandwell really reminds me of a 3D version of an L.S. Lowry painting
That is a very kind thing to say. Such atmosphere is what I am trying to achieve.
I can understand the immense satisfaction you get from doing this Michael. Although not visible when on the layout the fact that you know the intricate detail is present will be satisfaction enough. Another brilliant bit of craftsmanship on your part. Cheers Euan
Thanks Euan - you get where I am coming from definitely!
It doesn’t matter how you spend your time, as long as you can rewind your way. Some people like to go hiking or training. We love modelling! That mentioned, I would not have build it that way. But I’m a plastic card man. But I love watching your films. They are really impressive!
Thank you - very wise words!
I think I'd have gone cross-eyed with all that cutting! Amazing result though👍
Andrew🙂
I think I nearly did!
Well done again ! And 4h is actually superquick for such delicate manual cuttings !
Thank you!
I'm not sure interesting is the right work, but I have to salute your attention to detail and perseverance. Mind you, it does look good!
😂 Thank you!
My favorite part of this video is seeing the work-in-progress frontage in place on High Street. Even in its unfinished state, it already brings the street that much more to life!
It does! It makes such a difference doesn't it!?
Micheal,,
You are incredible.
The patience. The focus. The steady hand. NEVER would I have lasted beyond card four.
Now what about the glazing of the side and knave windows?😱🤯
Jim in N.Y.
Thanks Jim!
Hi Michael Just awesome, as ever. Thanks
Why thank you sir.
Absolutely worth it
Thank you!
absolument génial et fabuleux ... c'est une excellente idée mais quel travail !!! ...Félicitations
Thank you!
Wow! I've run out of adjectives to describe how your work looks.
Thank you!
Stunning - absolutely STUNNING!
Your work, your progress, determination, and practiced expertise has now reached levels that others can only hope to emulate after dedicating themselves to ever more hours, days, months, years of challenging and ever more complicated models.
I believe that I can possibly reach about half your skill levels, if I keep on at the pace I am currently working, some time in 2046 or 47. if my hands remain steady.
Congratulations sir. You have surpassed even yourself and, while you say it may not be obvious when on the layout, the very fact that it is there and you have so brilliantly documented it, makes your Wesleyan Chapel and architectural marvel, much as it would have been when the original was built all those decades ago.
Thank you for once again setting standards to inspire us all.
Very kind as usual! Thank you!
Amazing, simply amazing.
Thank you!
So impressed. I'm just starting out in 4mm and that challenges my eyesight. Can't wait to see this building develop. Cheers
Thank you! I hope you enjoy where I take this building.
And I seriously doubt a cutting machine could do such fine filigree.
After using a cutting machine for a while, I’ve gone back to hand cutting the fine detail. I let the Cricut do the big block pieces, but the precision of hand cutting the finer points can’t be beat.
That's really interesting - I did wonder. Thank you!
That's spectacular. As one of the remaining Methodists in the north of England, it's kind-of sad that it's going to be a car-spares shop - but bang-on accurate for the period of your layout. If you do stained glass, you might like to consider not all of the sections being still coloured - kids would have put half-bricks through some of it, and what remains would have rusty wire guards or warped / discoloured perspex sheets over the top of it, by '93. That goes for your other stained glass building too! Things have really changed in the inner city, when you stop and think about it.
Thank you!
Well done, thanks for sharing
Thank you!
Well done Mike personally I think it looks nicer as it is the way u have done it. I agree it was worth the time n effort even if it’s not so noticeable from the layout u know it’s there that’s all that matters.
Thanks Steve!
@@Chandwell ur welcome mike
Michael, this is a fantastic piece of work and great patience. However, I can't help thinking you could have saved some time and probably avoided the damaged ultra-thin pieces on the large window by doing the thin parts inside out. Instead of having to cut all those tricky inside corners, it might have been easier to make the outer window surround sperately, than measure and cut strips of card to the required width for each layer, then glue these inside the frame in vertical and horizontal pieces to build up the bevel. This means you can make the thinnest parts in a few cuts, if you make a mistake you've not lost the whole layer, and can position each part individually rather than having to get dozens of delicate bits all correct at once. Any joins would just look like stonework and you paint over it anyway.
I can also vouch for the success of carving and filing 1.5mm mounting board to a bevelled edge too.
Thank you for the hints. I actually considered this method first but the more I looked at it, the less confident I was that I could get it all lined up properly. I decided to do it this way so that all I had to do was align the main building and I would know that everything else was automatically in alignment. This has worked really well as the corners are almost perfect in most cases. I think for the extra time cutting, I got results that I wouldn’t have been able to get otherwise. To be fair though, I didn’t actually try it the other way! 🤔🤔🧐
True, the detail is a bit hard to see in situ - but YOU know it's there.
As, of course, do we !
Having so much detail means that an onlooker is drawn to look closer and closer, revealing more wondrous things. All they need is a small bottle marked 'Drink Me'..........
Hahaah, yeah, I think that is a good point!
The dogs proverbial bits.
Thank you!
Amazing patience and at N scale, I can barely manage OO scale
Thank you. It does take some patience
Mad!! More like absolutely crazy. 😂
Fantastic job though, well done.
Completely crazy!!
Like it and gives me some ideas for my layout. Was going to mention use of a laser cutter but as you said prefer to use a scalpel...good on ya. Thanks for the ideas.
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
Wow!
Thank you!
I think this layout is your full time job Michael. And your hobby is helping friends and relatives with odds and sods of vascular surgery on the kitchen table... Well? Am I right Michael...? You are accurate and you are fast, so you should do more of that vascular surgery malarkey. 😂🤣😂 It could even be a nice little earner from them posh buggers from Leeds?
If only you could patch up a heart with a bit of paper and some PVA, UHU at worst...?
I've heard you say how much you enjoy the hand cutting process but i can't help but think how much better these buildings would be if cut with a laser printers. Your buildings are fine as is, no complaints or criticisms, just thinking they could be better yet.
It all depends on our interpretation of “better”. When I look at what I have done, with my own hands and less than £20.00 worth of blades, I think to myself, “this layout is amazing”. I can’t imagine being happier with it. If ultra-realism at sub-millimetre medical precision is your definition of “better”, then that is fine; it’s all personal preference. I’d argue that you would lose the artistic interpretation. The lightly scruffy look which makes the layout seem warm and interesting. I’ll not be getting a cutting machine no matter how many people recommend them to me! But that’s just me, and many others get wonderful results with their machines to an infinitely higher precision than I manage. 👀
Amazingly bonkers ) looks great
Bonkers!
Genius 👍
Thank you!
Amazing effort, amazing effect!🚂
Thank you!
You always amaze me Michael with your patience and scratch building technic skills, I also agree with other subscribers it was well worth your time and effort, well done. Looking forward to the glazing section. Please take care regards Barry..
Thank you!
I’m wanting to scratch build antebellum houses and 1940 s southeast coastal homes. I need to find out more about cutting machines.
Good luck!!
As always brilliant maybe St Michaels Church?
Haha. Good shout!!
it looks very good
Thank you!
Bloody hell. 20 layers and all that fine cutting. You trying to drive yourself to drink mate? Looks fantastic though. Arthur
I may or may not be drinking right now. Hic!!
Love it, the kind of detail I like!! It's worth the effort to get the effect YOU want.. Even if you can't see it from a distance.. you know what it looks like.. And it's amazing how much the small details really do make. Craig
Thank you Craig!
you have the patience of a saint when it comes to cuttig card. I tend to use my laser cutter for this kind of work. Great video
I love cutting card! It must be madness! :)
Amazing! Once again very detailed and great modelling! Thanks for sharing! 👍
Thanks!
Great work .Can I suggest a couple of things that may make life easier cutting fine lines. firstly grey board is just not well suited to fine cuts, so I would say to try better card. personally I find quality old greeting cards pretty good. If you do still want to use grey board, I will pre treat it with a couple of coats of shellac,(allow to dry fully) fine clean edges then become a doddle.
Thank you for the tips. I find Weetabix box is best for detail work but chose greyboard on this occasion for no real reason. I’ve not tried the shellac method before; I’ll bear that in mind for next time. Cheers!
Wonderful work. Could you glue layers together and then shape them with a small file?
That’s a good idea but speaking personally, I know I’d never be able to get a consistent angle, especially in the corners and joins of the tiny tracery elements.
As a left handed person currently working in paper and card, I am truly grateful for the corner cutting tips.
I have moved on from beloved Inkscape for some things to the world of BLENDER. I was wondering whilst watching this whether two hours of Inkscape was 'competitive' compared to using the bevel tool in Blender and then using booleans to slice out the templates for printing. In Inkscape you can just select all and change your line thicknesses, plus you can layer everything up with transparencies to see if mistakes were made.
I concede that Inkscape is the quicker process in this instance, if multiple layers is the way to go. But it could be worse, you could be working in stone in Ilkley, centuries ago, before health and safety or power tools, chipping away with no mistakes allowed.
In Blender I am modelling paper/card and what I enjoy most is modelling 3D objects that have to be made from folded card, with the tabs to hold it together. It is satisfying to work in 3D space, to animate the unfolding and to then print it out. I am getting to the stage where rough prototypes won't do and I need your power-corner-cutting technique, so I am particularly motivated to do that this weekend. Thanks for the video!
Thank you! This is really interesting.
I always find your videos interesting, Michael. There is something very compelling about one man pitting himself against tiny fiddly, N-scale detail, but winning through resoundingly at the end. And the townscape is looking so amazing, that you almost forget about the trains. In fact, I can't help feeling that you are more interested in Chandwell's atmosphere than you are in the trains. I wonder how you are planning to join the Wesleyan chapel to the building next to it, or is there to be a dark and insalubrious alleyway down that side of the building? Many thanks, Tom (from France)
Thank you Tom! You have found me out, I hardly ever think about the trains. To me, Chandwell is the town rather than the model railway layout. I think I would be more interested in the trains if I had enough space to make the layout a roundy-roundy that I could use to just watch the trains go by. There will be a narrow dark alley next between the Hall and the Town Hall.
...please let translate my text, my english is not good enough ... die runden Partien mit sehr feinem gerolltem Schleifpapier nachbearbeiten. Ich pinsel leicht verdünnten Weißleim/Holzleim mit einem feinen Pinsel auf, lasse die Pappe trocknen, so lässt sich die Pappe vorsichtig fast wie Holz schleifen. Und solche schwierigen Fenster werden noch besser. Dein Kanal hat mir vor bald einem Jahr ein anderer Modellbahner empfohlen. So verfolge ich Deine Arbeit schon eine ganz Weile, gefällt mir nach wie vor sehr gut... best regards Roland
Thank you! Really useful too!
You have more patience's than I do. I would have used foam core.
Wow - that would be a challenge in its own right! I've only used foam core a couple of times, but I found it incredibly difficult to cut with accuracy. Some of these window elements are only 1mm wide (39 thousandths of an inch) at their thickest point, and taper down to about 0.3mm (12 thousandths of an inch). Do you think that would be possible with accuracy in foam core?
Michael Good to see some more progress on your latest High St Building. Who knows how sympathetic the Revs alterations or rebuild to the overall building are going to be. If the building is a listed one any alterations would have to be agreed through planning if no Listed status who knows what devilish abomination the designer had in mind. Perhaps a giant spark plug or something above a new canopy which is supported by struts that look like giant shock absorbers or other larger than life car parts.
Ian
:) Great ideas Ian!
I have decided to abandon my list of favourite Chandwell buildings because it constantly changes and I cannot keep up anymore. The bevelling on this building would mean that one has to go from the list so i think it would be easier all round to just like them all and be done with it. Amazing patience as always.
Hahah - brilliant! Thanks Stu!
It is just as well you enjoy this type of work and I won't mention mechanical means. But would you be able to achieve the same effect with less layers of thicker card cut, at the appropriate angle, rather than straight on? Just a thought, but excellent work the way you've done it. Cheers.
The answer's yes and no, I think. I probably could do it for the large arch and possibly the small rectangular windows. But I did test it like that first and the lines were wavy, and the corners irregular, so it would have taken more time in practice, and/or parts thrown away than the way I ended up doing it. I don't think it would be possible on the smaller elements; that tracery is incredibly delicate - just 1mm wide to start with, and it all interlocks with its neighbour leaving a large number of corners I'd need to get into at JUST the right angle. I doubt I could be at all consistent.
Already know that the glazing is going to look amazing! I've visioned it in my mind from the work you've done on the law building.
I will try not to mention a lazer.... oops, but may try the paper stacking technique for ornate work and see how fine I can get it.
Thanks Again,
Don
Hmm. I have not decided yet whether REVS the car pars supplier will have kept the original glazing, or simply painted it over with boards... Watch this space!
Michael, I always enjoy your videos and craftsmanship and have especially applied the sticky paper/ window method you’ve demonstrated and with good results but have wondered: when you are actually cutting, are you wearing glasses or using a magnifier of some sorts?
I am slightly short-sighted, so I use my reading glasses, but no other magnification.
Anyone else noticed he sounds just like Wearside Jack?? 😂 Joking aside, really impressive work, many thanks for sharing.
😬
Michael I would be surprised if you could get such small differences cut on a cutter machine
I do sometimes wonder.
23 layers!!
I know! :)
Beautiful work as usual Michael !
Question ! When you first started your "N guage" layout, did it ever occur to you how difficult it would become to master the exactitude required to maintain the authenticity of the buildings etc.
Much more dexterity than your average railway modeller needs.
Enjoying your videos Michael, Thanks !
In other words Michael, did you think you'd bitten off more than you could chew doing Chandwell.
You know what... When I started I had no idea what I was doing. I wanted a "layout" and I wanted it on a viaduct. I had no idea that I could scratch build. I was intending to plonk some Scalescenes buildings here and there. but as I worked on the viaduct and made some changes here and there, it started to dawn on me that I could do whatever I wanted. So I never thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew... it all just seemed to fall into place. When I started, I had no idea at all!! :)
3D printed inserts for the tracery perhaps?
Good idea - that would work. Maybe on Chandwell II. For now, this version of the layout is an experiment in what can be done without 3D printing.
Ready to start a second channel where you show how to make baklava?
Maybe! :)
Stunning as usual. How did you change the sizes for the bevels in Inkscape?
Thank you! I used the Offset path effect, but I realised later I could have just used the Interpolate extension to do it in one go.
Nothing you've done on your layout is a waste, ti looks awesome! It's hard to keep in mind that it's N scale, the level of detail looks more like HO/OO or even O.
Thank you!
I know you like hand cutting but a laser cutter would make your life so much easier, you've done the hard work with inkscape
I don’t do this for ease. I do it for enjoyment.
@@Chandwell Fair enough
23 layers plus 15 more later on, that is pretty much manual 3D printing with the paper thickness as layer height.
It was 23 in total, but still, yes, I did think that this was a manual version of what a 3D printer does.
Has anyone told you that you are mad! In a good way. Is it that you take masochistic delight in cutting out by hand? With great results, I may add though.
Oh yes... I tell myself that quite often!
Michael, I am now convinced you are a masochist.
You’ve on,y just worked that out! ? 🤔🤔🤔
Did you use Extensions > Generate from Path > Interpolate Between Paths to get the drawings done?
I am very tempted just to type, yes of course I did. That would be by far the easiest and most sensible option. But… despite using that feature to get many parallel lines before, and despite knowing exactly what it does… I didn’t even think of it! I have no idea why. I ended up using the Offset path effects (multiple times) for the second part. Something about the way I constructed the finer window tracery meant that the path effect failed though on the main shape - I ended up with HUGE triangles sticking out all over the place - so I used lines of various thicknesses to trim away the bits I didn’t want. I wish I’d thought of interpolate!! Thank you for the nudge. I will remember next time! Maybe! Who knows… I naturally tend to think of the more obscure and labour-intensive things! 😂
@@Chandwell Of course. I ask only in the spirit of a Sayers pasty for lunch. Labouring being part of the joy of the project.
@@doctormo Your input and comments are always welcome. It is a true honour to have you taking an interest!
@@Chandwell I'm really glad I found the channel. I normally do a scout to find out how Inkscape is being used and what I can learn about problems people are having. But I love this on a warm cultural level and always click to watch when you post a new video.
You are a glutton for punishment my friend - but it was MASSIVELY well worth it
Thank you!
"On the layout it probably won't be seen"
Nonsense, it's apparent even from 5 inches away, when it's glazed it will look astonishingly good.
Of course you didn't need to go to these lengths, but you know they're there, and now, due to the magic of UA-cam, the World does too.
Thank you!
You’re cutting it a bit fine, Michael.
:) Oh yes!
Would it not be better just getting some 2mm thick cardboard I would make life easier
2mm card is incredibly hard to cut, and with some of these pieces being less than 0.4mm wide, it would not stand up to it. It would be impossible to cut the chamfered edges at a consistent angle too, hence building up in layers of paper to ensure accuracy.
@@Chandwell well yes I agree with what you are saying but there’s sharp blades on the market I am sure Bill
@@billmoore1936 There are indeed sharp blades. You use 2mm card to cut your tracery and I’ll do it this way and we’ll both be happy.
Looks like a few false starts, in the background, at the start of the video.
Only noticed on the second viewing.
Bob
Indeed. they are my folded paper mock ups from the previous video.
If I ever need brain surgery, you’ll be getting a call.
A spot of PVA and you'll be reet...
Too late to train to be a surgeon?
I don't think you can glue people together with PVA or patch over the mistakes with a bit of paint...?