Excellent Blog and good review of Laser Cut Buildings

[Mindenbrush]

Wargames and Railroads - I have not managed to work out whose blog it is but he has some excellent reviews and comparisons on Old West Laser Cut Buildings from at least 4 different companies and a very complex looking laser cut ship kit.

http://wargamesandrailroads.blogspot.ca/

[Elbows]

Not bad, though we might need a thread for all of the MDF Old West stuff --- since there are a lot of "levels" involved.  For instance the Tri-City stuff can be purchased with full interiors, and the Battle Flag stuff is available in "super" level configurations for nearing 100 pounds.  There are also a few other companies also doing Old West stuff too! 

[Heisler]

I will admit to that being my blog, I'm glad someone is finding it useful.

One the Knuckleduster/Tri-City Laser buildings, you need to read the descriptions carefully, not all of them come with full interiors.

The Battle Flag buildings I have built are all from their deluxe kit line. The other line only consists of the small, single story buildings with flat roofs. They are still quality buildings but they don't have the details that I want.

If there are other laser cut MDF or plywood kits out there let me know. I'm interested in just about anything that is currently being produced.

Kris

[Elbows]

I know they don't all come with interiors...I know the guy who makes em.    That's why I said they 'can be purchased' 

I've seen a couple blogs with a half dozen other companies, but I can't recall them.  I also don't know how expansive their lines are.  You've hit the big ones on the head I think.

[Heisler]

I guess that's my point though. On the Knuckleduster website they are advertised with full interiors.

If you are looking for furnishings though as opposed to shelves and counters Gamecraft Miniatures has a nice set that includes beds, chairs and tables along with a few other interesting pieces like a piano.

[Mindenbrush]

I have the Sarissa Plantation mansion and barn ready to build plus a coup of the OW Heroic buildings on their way.

I intend to re-shingle the pitch roofs with shingles from Wild West Scale Model Builders  http://www.wildwestmodels.com/Welcome.html . I have used their paper shingles on a Pennsylvania barn and they look good. I do have the "recipe" for making shingles the Herb Gundt HGWALLS way but that requires a jig and a scroll saw.

Wild West Scale Model Builders also do some very nice but expensive laser cut buildings.

[Heisler]

Builders in Scale also make a line of real wood shingles in different scales. I have used theirs and the Wild West Scale Model Builders paper shingles. Both work really well.
http://www.builders-in-scale.com/bis/parts-shingles.html

[Mindenbrush]

There is way too much useable stuff on the Builders in Scale site.

Which scale shingles did you buy - 'O' or 'S'?

[Heisler]

I bought the O scale shingles to try first. You can see the results here:
http://wargamesandrailroads.blogspot.com/2012/11/battle-flag-saloon-adding-some-detail.html
I think they look pretty good but are a little on the large side. I think I would go with S if I decide to use them again. My biggest issue is that shingles are expensive and I have a lot of buildings to cover. I have purchased some "textures" from here: http://clevermodels.squarespace.com/textures/
They have some good looking shingle textures, I'll just have to buy some new color ink cartridges for my printer and run some off to see how they look. If they look as good as I think they will then I can just run off sheets of them and apply shingles that way. I'll try cutting them into strips and applying them the same way I would other Builders in Scale or Wild West Scale Model Builders.
Oh and while I'm thinking about it here is an example of the Wild West shingles being used: http://wargamesandrailroads.blogspot.com/2012/11/calamity-buildings-finishing-details.html

[Cosmic Moose]

Those Truewood Oak shingles look great.  Is there anywhere in the UK that sells them (or a similar product)?

I also like your idea Heisler about covering the corners of the buildings with a cover strip.  I may have to borrow that idea 

[Heisler]

Antenocitis Workshop has these from Builders in Scale: http://www.antenocitisworkshop.com/index.php/brands/?name=45

Feel free to borrow any idea you like! I'm sure I borrowed it from someone else. 

[Heisler]

Here are three of my buildings that have received the first step in my painting process. Two are from Sarissa Precision and the third is from Gamecraft Miniatures.

[Brian Smaller]

Those S and O shingles are fantastic. Man we are spoiled for choice these days. Thanks for the info guys.

[Mindenbrush]

Having mixed experiences with my Sarissa buildings at the moment.

Plantation / Town House
I will start with the 'challenges':
1) I was having problems inserting the tabs into mating slots - seems there is some variation in the thickness of the MDF so the tabs had to be sanded down.
2) This thickness variation had a knock on effect with the delicate parts for the porch, veranda and window shutters - the laser had not cut all the way through so there was some careful cutting with a scalpel - not always successful.
To be fair to Sarissa they did offer to replace parts that were a problem but I need to have the building on the table for the 23rd Feb so could not wait for replacements.
3) Access to certain areas once assembled - I did leave the first floor veranda off of the supports from the ground floor porch but even then getting a brush in to paint the brickwork is impossible.
The access problem was soon solved as I accidently put the porch supports against my painting table without realising and they broke away 

Positives:
They do make up into nice buildings if you take your time and think about how you are going to assemble them.

I am considering painting as much as possible whilst they are unassembled – window shutters and the edges of the parts especially.
Also using a carpentry wood glue rather than any old PVA glue.
I primed the building grey using car primer and went back to using Humbrol enamels as the acrylics were not covering that well.
Graham W

[Elbows]

+1 to wood glue or even gel-super glue (Loctite makes a fantastic super glue gel which has been brilliant...gone through five or six tubes with excellent results on everything from models to buildings).

Yeah, I wish I had painted mine before hand...so I won't be going back and painting my old Sarissa buildings.  I assembled mine when I thought I'd just have 4-5 buildings and some beige cloth, play a few games and retire it to a box....didn't happen.