Excellent, Tom!

Tom,

I enjoyed Part 2 every bit as much as Part 1 and thank you for sharing.  I'm planning on using your techniques in the expansion of my downtown area.  I especially like the porch bash on the back of the building - a great way to make an interesting one-of-a-kind.

Rick

Detailing by Tom Wilson

Great article and super photos.  I also checked out Tom's videos on his web site.

Frank P.

Tom, Great work!  It is

Tom,

Great work!  It is amazing how a few well planned and executed details add so much character to an otherwise sterile model structure.  I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into your models.  However, you included one detail technique that lots of model railroaders attempt to include without any real understanding of what they're trying to duplicate.

The biggest mistake that always jumps out at me on most modeler's wood sided structures is the "inaccurate" placement of nail holes and siding joints.  Many modelers seem to think that all one has to do is measure and mark vertical lines at 16 or 24 inches on center, then apply the nail holes.  Some modelers even scribe vertical lines in selected siding boards to represent butt joints between two board ends, but often locate these joints between the rows of nail holes.  Some will even add a nail hole on either side of such joints.  Having done a bit of wood frame construction myself, I can attest to the fact that wood framed structures rairly achieve uniform spacing between studs along a side of a building (unless it is a totally blank wall).  This is due to the fact that studs must be located on either side of every window and/or door, regardless of whether the window or door location fits into the 16 or 24 inch spacing.  It would be more accurate to start the desired spacing from one corner of the building until the first window or door is reached.  A row of nail holes should then be located directly adjacent to both edges of that door or window.  Next, one or more additional rows of nail holes should be located above the door, or above and below the window to ensure that the spacing between these rows of nail holes don't exceed the 16 or 24 inch maximum spacing (there is no code rule that states the spacing cannot be less than 16 or 24 inches).  Depending on the number of windows and doors in the face of a building, any number of stud spacings can and do occur, as long as none exceed the "maximum" 16 or 24 inch spacing.  Likewise, all butt joints between siding board ends must occur over a stud.  Otherwise, there is nothing to drive the nails into and the joint floats between the studs.

Again, Tom, great work.  I just wanted to offer my opinion on this common modeling mistake.

It seems odd to me that so many model railroaders can nitpick a locomotive model to death because minute details aren't quite right even when few modeler's have ever seen the real thing.  However, it is surprising how many layout visitors have participated in some form of major home improvement project and so are much more likely to know that nail holes and siding joints should only appear at the locations of the framing studs.  Such people may not notice that you dutifully recreated the correct rivet pattern on the side of that brass tender you scratch built.  However, they are quite likely to congratulate you for your nail holes and siding joints if they look similar to what they experienced on their home improvement project.  Our modeling success is only as good as our ability to entertain our layout visitors.  If there are details they can both recognize and appreciate, then they will enjoy visiting your layout that much more.

nail holes

Enjoyed the articles but I also must comment on the common nail hole error.   Clapboards NEVER have two nails in them into a stud location.   Only one nail, at the lower edge of the clapboard into the stud.   Why modelers insist on putting two nails into the board is beyond me.   And if it's a painted building, nails most likely will not be visible.

Nail holes

On that model you can't even see them. They are too far backon the porch. i the building is close to the edge of the layout I would do them, but the model here is the rear of the yard. You are right about finished wood walls. You should not see themthe nailholes. Unless it is really run down or want to give it some character. My old house in Pa, had clapboard siding if there was any nails showing you putty them and painted them.

 My building I am working on has no nail holes in it.That building in the article is the second one that I built for that spot. I built the first for a clinic I do and never took any in progress pictures. When I did the article I decided to do a step by step. Now I have two building with a rear porch. I will use the first one somewhere else on the layout.

Glad you guys like the article.

Tom

VERY Helpful

Mr. Wilson's two-part series on detailing the backs of buildings provided plenty of inspiration and modeling tips, with clear photos - both model and protoytype.  This is the sort of article that gets me into the workroom!  Thanks.

Terrific Article...

I love how the little details brings so much more real life to the backs of these buildings.  I'm going to try some of these techniques on my upcoming N-scale layout.

Thanks!

Matt

PW&NJ RR

Nail Holes

Lets be honest here for a second. In OH scale you would NEVER see the nail holes in a  building from the viewing distance we have.  On average even at the front of the layout you are still most likly a foot or so away from the building so here is my suggestion. Take a 1/4 dot tape it to your building and walk 80 to 100 feet away and see if you really see it? Now go to 250 to 300' (say about 3 ft in HO) and see if you can see the dot?

In HO scale a nail hole is 1.87 or .25" that equals .002" Frankly from 2 or 3 feet you are not going to see that, and on top of this most wood buildings have paint on them and this goes over the nails so now you will not seem them one way or the other. And that is for a 16d nail finish nails like that used in siding can be 1/2 that size or even smaller so  you would be looking at .001 or even .0005".

Do not get me wrong on some buildings (those without paint or stain) that are located very close to the edge of the layout you may see the nails and in bigger scales it becomes more obvious.  But frankly this is one of those "fun" details that folks started putting on there buildings that in many instance turn the model into more of a caricature then a true model.

-Doug

Nail holes visible?

Doug,

You are correct - I don't believe that when "in scale" we would be able to see nail holes; however, they can look good even "horribly oversized".  This is true of many things in the hobby.  If you think about shingles on a roof if for HO, the thickness of the paper shingles would be about an inch thick if "in scale".  This is WAY thicker than the real thing, but if you made the shingles to true scale they wouldn't look as good (not enough relief).  The same can be said for grout lines in brick buildings (way too deep) and for the thickness of laser cut wood fences.

The point that I'm trying (and not doing well) to make here is that often things that are oversized actually look better than if they were to scale.  Being to scale is important, but looking good (to me) is more important.

One man's opinion......