Post by swampdaddy on Oct 25, 2018 21:42:35 GMT 1
Hi all: Just finished a kit bashed model where I stacked two of the same model for a taller building. A full article with many photos is at the link below:
www.zealot.com/threads/computer-2000-kitbash.180507/
Zealot allows the uploading of photos; and, as, Photobucket no longer allows 3rd party hosting (meaning you could see the photos on this page) I decided to put the article on Zealot; unless you sign up at Zealot all you will see are small thumbnails (which are OK in size), sign up and click a thumbnail and you can see an enlarged photo. But I will summarize the article here. A 2-story building by Pola having a large picture window on the first floor was designed as an auto show room. It was imported into the US by AHM, IHC, Model Power and others in at least 4 different versions. (one IHC version actually had two nice Herpa vehicles in it), an AHM version had two generic looking autos in the kit. It was also available under the POLA name too. Later on two non-auto oriented versions were released: Computer 2000 (with a detailed interior for the first floor) and Citibank (under the Model Power name). These latter two form the basis for my kitbash.
It was stacked as follows:
ground floor - floor 1 of the Computer 2000 building,
2nd floor - floor 1 of the Citibank building (baseplate of this needs to be used, after cutting to size, as the floor of the 2nd story),
third floor - is the 2nd floor of the Citibank kit (and the roof of that kit is the floor for the 3rd story),
Fourth Floor is the 2nd floor of the Computer 2000 building.
As I planned a full, lighted interior there would be too much heat for bulbs, individual LEDs were used at the start (little to no heat generation). But the ones that provided adequate illumination were big enough to be noticed when looking from outside the building. A relatively new technology provided the answer: SMD LEDs are now quite cheaply available (SMD = surface mounted device); they use even less current than normal LEDs and are about 1/32 thick and can be glued to the ceiling of a floor. Some need a resistor for 12-16v, some flicker on AC current so use DC, some have the resister built in for 12-16v. I used both kinds in the kitbash which you can see in photos in the Zealot article. These SMD LEDs are the perfect answer for illuminating scale buildings. So, I took out the individual LEDs and substituted the SMD ones.
As each floor was completed I made partitions of Evergreen plastic and created rooms on floor 1,2, & 3. I decided NOT to detail the 4th floor. The rooms were detailed with wallpaper created on my computer printer. Wallpaper, flooring and other decorations were made; some from the signs with the kit, some from internet pictures and textures. In order to do any maintenance or alterations to buildings I no longer glue floors or roofs permanently. I glue small squares of Evergreen shapes (usually 1/4" solid rod) to the upper corners of each floor and drill holes in them and tap the holes for 2-56 machine screws which will hold each floor to the one beneath. These items will normally be invisible when viewed from the outside.
Rooms detailed as follows:
Floor one: reception area behind the front door & large sales room (as in the Computer 2000 kit).
Floor two: break room (with vending machines) behind where the front door is and two class rooms for computer training over the sales room.
Floor three: another break room for workers, hallway (from the Citibank kit) and numbered doors from the front, design and repair room from the rear (see photos at Zealot)
Floor four: reception area behind the front window, no other details, all other windows blocked by the large blinds from the Citibank kit.
Many "Computer 2000" banners from my computer printer pasted on the outside walls. Eventually I will put a large billboard on the roof. Quite a few parts have to be sized to fit -- Citybank baseplate and roof used as floors in the structure. The "entryway" on the 2nd floor was carved out to make a window and leftover material used to block off what was the lower part of the door to match the rest of the exterior. The large roll-up door on the rear of this floor was also left out and made into a picture window that is in one of the classrooms. Otherwise windows are left stock as in the kits. In the left rear of each floor is an area made up to look like an elevator housing and all wiring will be concealed in the hidden area. The first photo in the Zealot article shows what the original kits look like.
The end result is a 4-story, fairly large commercial structure which could be made into any business and when detailed and illuminated it is quite impressive. In HO scale it would fit any layout or diorama; and, it could easily be a "two story" auto showroom with your best cars inside.
have fun, Swamp Daddy
www.zealot.com/threads/computer-2000-kitbash.180507/
Zealot allows the uploading of photos; and, as, Photobucket no longer allows 3rd party hosting (meaning you could see the photos on this page) I decided to put the article on Zealot; unless you sign up at Zealot all you will see are small thumbnails (which are OK in size), sign up and click a thumbnail and you can see an enlarged photo. But I will summarize the article here. A 2-story building by Pola having a large picture window on the first floor was designed as an auto show room. It was imported into the US by AHM, IHC, Model Power and others in at least 4 different versions. (one IHC version actually had two nice Herpa vehicles in it), an AHM version had two generic looking autos in the kit. It was also available under the POLA name too. Later on two non-auto oriented versions were released: Computer 2000 (with a detailed interior for the first floor) and Citibank (under the Model Power name). These latter two form the basis for my kitbash.
It was stacked as follows:
ground floor - floor 1 of the Computer 2000 building,
2nd floor - floor 1 of the Citibank building (baseplate of this needs to be used, after cutting to size, as the floor of the 2nd story),
third floor - is the 2nd floor of the Citibank kit (and the roof of that kit is the floor for the 3rd story),
Fourth Floor is the 2nd floor of the Computer 2000 building.
As I planned a full, lighted interior there would be too much heat for bulbs, individual LEDs were used at the start (little to no heat generation). But the ones that provided adequate illumination were big enough to be noticed when looking from outside the building. A relatively new technology provided the answer: SMD LEDs are now quite cheaply available (SMD = surface mounted device); they use even less current than normal LEDs and are about 1/32 thick and can be glued to the ceiling of a floor. Some need a resistor for 12-16v, some flicker on AC current so use DC, some have the resister built in for 12-16v. I used both kinds in the kitbash which you can see in photos in the Zealot article. These SMD LEDs are the perfect answer for illuminating scale buildings. So, I took out the individual LEDs and substituted the SMD ones.
As each floor was completed I made partitions of Evergreen plastic and created rooms on floor 1,2, & 3. I decided NOT to detail the 4th floor. The rooms were detailed with wallpaper created on my computer printer. Wallpaper, flooring and other decorations were made; some from the signs with the kit, some from internet pictures and textures. In order to do any maintenance or alterations to buildings I no longer glue floors or roofs permanently. I glue small squares of Evergreen shapes (usually 1/4" solid rod) to the upper corners of each floor and drill holes in them and tap the holes for 2-56 machine screws which will hold each floor to the one beneath. These items will normally be invisible when viewed from the outside.
Rooms detailed as follows:
Floor one: reception area behind the front door & large sales room (as in the Computer 2000 kit).
Floor two: break room (with vending machines) behind where the front door is and two class rooms for computer training over the sales room.
Floor three: another break room for workers, hallway (from the Citibank kit) and numbered doors from the front, design and repair room from the rear (see photos at Zealot)
Floor four: reception area behind the front window, no other details, all other windows blocked by the large blinds from the Citibank kit.
Many "Computer 2000" banners from my computer printer pasted on the outside walls. Eventually I will put a large billboard on the roof. Quite a few parts have to be sized to fit -- Citybank baseplate and roof used as floors in the structure. The "entryway" on the 2nd floor was carved out to make a window and leftover material used to block off what was the lower part of the door to match the rest of the exterior. The large roll-up door on the rear of this floor was also left out and made into a picture window that is in one of the classrooms. Otherwise windows are left stock as in the kits. In the left rear of each floor is an area made up to look like an elevator housing and all wiring will be concealed in the hidden area. The first photo in the Zealot article shows what the original kits look like.
The end result is a 4-story, fairly large commercial structure which could be made into any business and when detailed and illuminated it is quite impressive. In HO scale it would fit any layout or diorama; and, it could easily be a "two story" auto showroom with your best cars inside.
have fun, Swamp Daddy
