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My next project is building windows, shutters and doors for the aera 1920 up to 1960 . They have to be usable as "closed" windows in facades and as "open" windows in ruins. For this kind of models it is ideal to build masters and cast lots of them in silicon molds. I intend to do differnt types of windows but only a few sizes to make them interchangeable. 

I will update this page over the next months with infos and pictures as soon as I finish (build/cast/paint) something new.

The first one : Window Nr.1

I built it from a sheet of plastic and stripes of different sizes of plastic (Plastruct or Evergreen)

The size of this window is 27 x 20 mm (= Size I).

Here you can see the master and the first castings.

And here is a picture of my Window Nr. 1, showing both, the closed (left) and the open (right) versions of this window.

As a test I built a storey of a house facade out of Styrodur (50 mm) and made the window (Size 1) makt fit. Then I built a mold and did some castings in dental plaster as basis for a future project - German townhouses of the 30th.

Windows with the Size 1 are also compatible with one of my last projects, the Bombed out Building. But I still haven't used it on the finished model but testfitted it in the WIP.

The second one: Window Nr. 2

This is the basic piece for the second size. The look is much narrower and the measures are
32 x 18 mm (= Size 2). This picture shows the master and some castings of this still plain masters.

On top of one of the castings I added more profiles to do a typical transom window. This model is done with 22 different stripes of platic. I like the finished piece very much. Thes slim shape and the richness of detail makes it look kind of noble.

Again a picture of the master and the first castings (with an airbubble in the first mold).

And here is a picture of my Window Nr. 2, showing both, the closed (left) and the open (right) versions of this window.

The third and fourth: Window Nr. 3 and Nr. 4

In a next step I did some variatons of the first two windows by adding more stripes of plastic.

Here is a picture of the Window Nr. 3 as a variation of window 1, both as closed (left) and  open (right) versions.

This is a picture of the Window Nr. 4 as variation of window 2, also as closed (left) and  open (right) version.

With the following windows I tried to rebuilt the kind that was opend by pulling the lower part upwards. I intended that the windows could be finished either open, partly open or shut. For this I had to construct and later cast it in three parts.

Here is a picture of the master.

The first test casting, still uncleaned.

The first finished window, built in a half opened fashion.

The three pictures above show the cleaned up parts and the assembly of the window. The window panes are cut from some overhead transparency. The wall is scratchbuilt and casted in plaster.

This picture shows the window assembled as partly open (left), open (middle) and shut (right).

I plan to do one or two more variations of this typ of windows in the next weeks.

Many houses of my intended perios had shutters for their windows.  So it was a "must do" for me. Also it gives modelhouses a lot of character and allows more variations.

The first: Split Shutters for Windows Nr. 1 and Nr. 3

After looking at some references I started the work on the lamellae by cutting a suitable piece of thin plastic sheet to size. Because I expected this to be the most timeconsuming work in building the shutters, I opted for a larger piece. From this master I wanted to build a mold and cut the needed sizes for the different shutters.

Then I cut many stripes of plastic to the right length. The stripes were glued with plasticglue from REVEL. The first stripe was attatched flat on the sheet, the second diognal (half on the sheet, half on the first stripe). All the other stripes were paralell glued to the second stripe.

Here you can see the master andt the casting of the lamellae. But in my first attempt I used stripes of plastic that were to thin and to narrow. I don't liked the structure of the first finished testpiece and started a second attempt - with more success.

I cut and trimmed the (new and bigger) lamells to the needed size using a sharp knife and sandpaper. Next I cut piece of a stripe of plastic and glued it around the cutted piece of lamellae mit supergue. The hinge was done by small pieces of plastic tube, slightly filed down with sandpaper and attached with superglue.

This is the first casting and I am very happy with the way it turned out.

The two pictures above show the shutters next to a matching window (Nr. 3).

The second: Split Shutters for Windows Nr. 2 and Nr. 4

And here comes the pictures with the new shutters that match the slimmer windows.

On the left the master and on the right the casting.

The picture above show the second shutters next to a matching window (Nr. 4).

The next pictures show the building of two variations for a frontdoor with door frame.

I startes with some thin plastic card I cut to the right measures. On top I glued some small stripes of plastic card with the same thickness. Then I cut two small rectangles in different sizes and filed the edges sloping. From this early masters I built a mold and casted the needed amount of pieces.

For the door frame I also cut a correctly sized rectangle and stripes of thin and slightly thicker plastic card. For the frame I glued the stripes upright along the sides with the thicker and broader stripes outside. The door hinges are made from thin plastic tube.

The miniature shown is a 28 mm Thrilling Tale from ARTIZAN to give a clue of the relative size.

The following two pictures show the finished master of the front door. The doorhandle is also done from thin plastic card und tube with a drilled hole for the keyhole.

The next pictures show the two different designes (left) and possible backsides (right).

And here a picture of the door frame and a front door and a (multipart) window fitted to a roughcast wall. The German officer is the same from the picture above. 

Next on the list is a slightly smaller room door. The door frame is already finished.

  to be continued ....

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