# new siding for building



## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

i need new siding for my engine house. the old siding wad a few problems. if i cant find an alternative that will work, it may end up like my water tower, the devils canyon bridge and the tw converted office from caboose...
the bridge was not strong enogh to safely handle a ruby with weights and a full boiler, so the bridge was burned.. yes, burned.., and the water tower's tank became very badly rusted, and the glue holding the supports together left go 3 too many times.. so it was dissasembled, put on a flatcar, and saved for a day when i feel like putting it back together.
the office caboose was removed and had trucks re-installed, and i use it to test the joints in my rails, and other stuff.

so i need siding for the engine house before it meets the fate of the devils canyon bridge.. and it needs to be cheap, durable and look okay..ish.

i once built a turn table, but it is 3' long and the pit would have made it 4'x4' so it was too big for the tomahawk and western Railroad


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I used cedar fence pickets milled to look like clapboard and flat planking and then cut to about 1/4 inch thick. Paint with acrylic paint on both sides and attach with acrylic caulk. I used this method on my fist scratch built building which is now 6 years old and has survived with very little maintenance.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Check out Precision Products' veneer sheets. I've used them outdoors with very good results. I'll build a core from 1/2" thick blue insulation foam, then glue the veneer sheets onto that with 3M "77" spray adhesive. (Note, the blue foam has a plastic film on it which needs to be peeled off first.) You may also check with dollhouse supply shops to see what they may have for dollhouse builders. the Precision Products sheets are 16" x 16". Some other manufacturers offer sheets in different sizes. I've used roof panel sheets (I forget who made them) that came in 12" x 24" sheets.

One word of caution on the roof panels, especially if you're in an area prone to hail. You'll want to use a different adhesive--preferably a paste of some kind (caulk, or similar?) that you can spread on the back of the veneer sheet so that there are no air gaps between the veneer and substrate you're laying it onto. This will help prevent it from chipping and breaking when being abused by golf-ball-sized hail and other things that go "WHACK!"

Good luck!

Later,

K


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## JerryCarstens (Aug 5, 2016)

Nice ideas.


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