Rigidity

Many hobbyists using cardstock will use strip wood on the backside to prevent warping or to straighten warped sections. Also many use foam core board. How thick is the cardstock in the kit? Is the cardstock supplied with the printing or are you printing onto the cardstock yourself?

Using a clear coating on the cardstock can lead to bleeding of the ink on the cardstock, so I avoid using it.

Cardstock

was common in the days before cheap plastic sheeting was available. It can vary greatly in quality. As Bill mentioned you can flatten and stiffen it with strip wood glued to the back. Paint can seal it or a spray can of clear coat like artist fixative if you want something clear on it. Brushing the clear coat is more likely to make any printing bleed, a fast drying spray usually is no problem. If you are not comfortable working with the cardstock you could trace the pieces onto styrene and use it instead but I'd try at least one cardstock model just for the experience....DaveB

Treating Cardstock

Welcome to the world of old structure kits.  That Bekins warehouse kit originated with Suydam.  Yours may be successor California Model Works.  Construction principles remain the same.  As others have noted, brace the interior.  Decades ago when I built the very similar Swift packing plant Ibranch house), I recall stripwood was supplied for the corner joints and may well have been provided for longitudinal (length of the walls) bracing as well.  Certainly stripwood to support the flat roof.  I advise having at least those two runs of interior bracing--top and bottom.  Your best glue bond will occur if you make that assembly--stripwood to walls and even building the structure up all the way--before applying paint.  Carpenters (yellow) glue will do that job.

For paint, I definitely would use a spray can--probably a "rattle can" of appropriate color from Krylon or Rustoleum. They are basically the same chemical composition as historic model railroad paints like Floquil.  < < Floquil was taken over and then discontinued by the folk who make Rustoleum.  As I recall from those kits, the signs are separate, printed on cardstock like index cards.   As such, they would be installed after the main body paint.  A final coat of a flat spray would be good before weathering.

Basic point is to assemble most of the structure first with good wood to cardstock bonds, well braced.  Follow that up with paint, with spray application highly recommended.  Seal alll of this with a flat clear overcoat.  You will need to hold off window glazing until after the spray paint steps.  Just do a little thinking on construction sequence and then dig in.  Enjoy!

Bill Decker

I might add

For cardstock construction I have recently used a product made in England by Deluxe Materials named Roket Card Glue. This product is available at a number of U.S. based suppliers, including Hobbylinc. The product as I received it included a fine applicator tip that helps to eliminate excess application.

Thanks,

Thanks for the responses, Fella's.  I certainly appreciate the tips and tricks for working in cardstock.  I was a little leery of the kit at first, but I only paid $10 for it, thinking that it will make a nice cheap background structure.  

I'll post some pictures of the progress, once I get started.

Thanks again, GS Malcolm

Carboard is similar to Photo Lamination technique

I used to seal photo lam structures but is was as problematic as it was helpful.

Now I laminate the paper/cardstock to 0.040 styrene or similar and apply to a heavily reinforced inner structure of wood.

The structure is built on a 1/4" birch plywood floor.

 3m super 77 for lamination, Devcon tube glue to attach styrene to wood, and Titebond Premium glue for wood to wood.

After a closer look I see that the rafters are square styrene. If you use a lot of styrene check out this eBay seller. I've been really happy with them on all counts.

kdarr70

@Rick

Wow Rick, that's a cool look behind the curtain!  I'm getting more excited about this project!

GS Malcolm

Cardstock seam filler

Anyone have any recommendations for a seam filler for a cardstock model?  I'd like to fill and smooth the butt joints on this model.  The primer really brings them out. 

Lightweight Spackle

Try lightweight spackle, like Paint N Patch.  I have found it works well on a lot of materials, even styrene.

Al Carter, Mount Vernon, WA

@tabooma county rwy

Is this what you are referring to:

Patch-N-Paint

?

@GS Malcolm - sealing cardstock

Assuming you are in the USA. I use Krylon Matte Finish #1311 in a well-ventilated space. I spray one side; let dry; then spray the other. I alzo seal all stripwood used for bracing.

Humidity is an enemy of long-term stability.

Mark Charles

@Bill D (UP Willy)

Yes, that's the stuff.  There are other brands, too.

Al Carter, Mount Vernon, WA