I have no idea what kind of paperwork is evolved with sponsorships or advertisers on RUclips channels, but your channel could easily benefit from Tamiya, Vallejo, and Evergreen Plastics. They are definitely benefiting from you. I still think your channel is one of the most instructive and interesting to watch. Your modeling skill certainly shows the experience of your previous career. I have commented before, that my model railroad in N scale and how I have struggled with adding detail at half the size, but I have learned so much about painting and weathering. Something simple like just adding miscellaneous rails, ties, or "junk" and " trash" off to the side of tracks, adds so much to the over-all look of my layout. With this video, I will try some flat car loads. It definitely is fun watching and learning. Thanks😊
I am headed down the N-scale path. I was thinking about the strapping that Boomer shows. 1mm in N-scale is 6 inches-too big. Okay, 0.5mm would be 3"-still too wide, but passable. So, take 1mm tape and cut it in half lengthwise. Just thinking about it makes my eyes hurt.
@@jimmccorison fine nylon thread would do the same. Tack one end with a touch of CA then wrap. I believe the sizing is from 0.1mm up and about 0.3 is good for 2" strap in N
I don't have a layout and don't plan to take up the hobby, but the miniature representation of reality that you achieve, combined with the innate added interest associated with the movement of the models is just fascinating. Like I think you said in another clip, it's the satisfaction of creating your own world. I can well understand the mental well-being that such a practice could bring - I get it second hand from watching these amazing videos. So relaxing.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is cool for sure. I can't imagine not having such a medium to express - or escape - the world we all strive to live in. ;-) Cheers ~ Boomer.
The first few seconds of the video, you're talking about lumber loads and I'm staring at that "junk car" with that blue tarp!! Really, I'm just looking at the tarp!! That is so cool!! I don't know why it caught my attention... haha it's just a car with a tarp... but it truly is the *little* things in modeling that make the difference!! Well done!
Boomer, very nice. Around here if the flat car was left unintended on a siding for 24hrs. When you came back in the morning all the steel would be gone. If it ain't nailed down it has a tendancey to walk. Cheers, Chris Perry.
Very nice. Very realistic. I hauled a load of those from East Chicago to Hutchinson Kansas once. The larger ones many times are used for bridge piling... driven in then concrete poured around them. On a tractor trailer chains are a must. Again very cool load
Beautifully done again. Your subtle processes for weathering and textures yield, by a wide margin, superior results to any other method I have witnessed or personally experienced. I'll be adding this to the queue for future load projects. This reminds me of my very first efforts to replicate a flat car load of rebar. The example I saw inspired me in no small part due to its appearing deceptively simplistic to replicate. Also, the model incorporated inexpensive 26ga metal wire, the weight being an added bonus, so excited was I that I bought a lifetime supply of ho scale "rebar". I learned quite a bit from that particular endeavor. I very quickly realized that even the simplest task would require establishing a process for acceptable and repeatable results or producing multiple units with any efficiency, so thru trial and error, I developed a few jigs that, at last, allowed me to create uniform, wire bound rebar bundles with dunnage bound to each layer, all strapped similarly to your tape method. Cheers.
Dear Boomer, awesome vid, love the way you used the Vallejo flat anomaly to get the almost dotted effect on the H columns. Yep, glueing with matte medium has indeed become a preferred method. Such a great way to build these kinds of loads. And I bet it’s just as easy to detach with a bit of isopropyl alcohol. Definitely will use the Tamiya tape strap method, until now I’ve mainly used paper strips, works fine too, but sometimes is a hassle for the fragility of the paper. Cheerio
This is a great idea for those who run mostly freight trains rather than passenger trains. I mostly use passenger trains, so although it’s not really for me, it’s a brilliant idea.
Great video, Boomer. A couple of years ago I went on a flat car and gon load building binge. It was a lot of fun. The AAR Open Top Loading Rules are available on line as pdf files and they are a gold mine of info on prototypet dunnage requirements. Besides plastic and wood for stakes, spacers, etc., I found that 1/64 inch chart tape works very well for steel bands. A touch of VMA Aluminum represents the band crimps. (I model 1962, so the wide fabric straps used now weren't around.) After priming I airbrushed my Evergreen I-beams with VMA Blue Gray for that steel look. I brushed some VMA Rust on the ends. Your bulkhead flat deck looks super. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Hi Boomer, Thanks for the tip regarding the Tamiya 1mm tape. This is very timely for me as I am modelling flat car loads at the moment. I have been using laser cut paper for my straps but will be adopting your method from now on. All the best from the UK.
Hi Boomer, Thanks for showing how to actually build a load, in detail, from scratch. Store bought loads of any kind, never really look realistic. This video was a hugh help in building from scratch! I normally just leave flat cars empty because of the store bought look. The load of steel is just unbelievably realistic on an 87th scale, that I now have the confidence to at least attempt this by scratch load building. As always, Thanks Boomer
Great observation. It is a mystery with what we can seem to find intriguing sometimes. You never know what other unrealized possibilities it will spawn until that point of view is shared. Thanks, Boomer. Happy Thanksgiving from the US.
Great tutorial! You’re spot on with that mill scale color of the beams that comes from hot rolling steel. We just got a load of these in at work, use them for overhead traveling crane supports. I’ve spent a lot of time grinding that scale off prior to welding, now I’m going to spend some time trying to put it on tiny pieces of plastic! Love your technique, can’t wait to try it.
What a coincidink, I was planning to do a similar load soon. Probably going to start shortly after watching. Insert fan boy comment. 😆 *I believe the plastic strapping is just called braided plastic strap.It's been a while, though.
Oh no... Another reason to go to the hobby store! 😀 Oddly enough, just went Tuesday and picked up some of the 1mm tape along with some 3mm, and a couple packages of Evergreen strips, so with the I- and H-beams already in my stash I can knock one of these out. A nice, no-stress weekend project, 15 or 20 minutes at a time spaced out over a couple days while weathering the flatcar the load will ride on. Thanks!
A very good and useful video. I was curious about how to represent strapping for my loads. Here all this time I thought Tamiya tape was for preventing paint from getting where you don't want it. If your lucky, you get to learn something. Thanks Boomer
To add to your comment about the random lengths... When steel is rolled into shapes, they just roll the batch until it runs out. then you get full lengths and some oddball shorter pieces of leftover. There's also full lenghts of welded together pieces available at a discount but not legal for structural work because those welds can't be certified. We used to get those at a shop I worked at because they were cheaper and we usually made short pieces out of them anyways, so we could dodge those welds easily.
@boomerdiorama no problem! I loved how simple you showed how to to get the raw steel look... I'll definitely need that for my N scale industrial area... I'm taking notes here!!!
Love the steel finish you've achieved. Locally, I have only ever seen steel either galvanised or in red oxide. I have a couple of yet to be loaded flat cars and I was admiring the ones you have with grass growing on the deck, but now I have a decision to make! Or more flat cars to buy and do both!!! Cheers
What I always noticed about carloads of steel over the years was the dichotomy of textures. The weathered car versus the new steel with ( carbon) scale and new rust offset by the new dunnage and strapping. The nailed on dunnage ends are a great touch The staggered strapping is spot on too. These were all too common loads on my Subdivision loaded on bulkheads and gons with steel plate being the predominant loads. Great stuff as usual Brother, the Vallejo matte trick gets filed away to use on my projects! Cheers!
@@boomerdiorama depends, I spotted most in dedicated warehouses with overhead cranes. Highway or local construction used fork lifts and cranes trackside. Your load looks like the latter given the various lengths .
Really excellent! Terrific effects as always... Thanks. The strapping gives me something to try using #8209 HOOP CONNECTORS (Tichy) for wooden vinegar vat tanks. I've been wondering what to use as a strap and never thought of tape, which also facilitates attachment (the usual straps are wire with a turnbuckle). I will try and make them appear as metal vs. the modern plastic, but the 1mm tape looks like the right base material.
Another nice and informative tutorial!!! Thx !! BTW I like the weathered wood deck finish on that flat car, have you covered a how to on that? if not possibly cover that in a future tutorial? -Alex K.
Hi Boomer, I see that you are using most of the time Burnt Umber for rust colour. Do you know the Vallejo colour 70822 Geman Black Brown this is a super colour to use also as rust. Thanks for this great video. It became awsome. Cheers and have a nice Sunday. Br. Ronald
One thing I stumbled on with Vallejo ModelColor/ModelAir. First off, I detest airbrushing with water as the solvent, absolutely hate it. What I found, totally by an experimental accident, is you can thin Model Color with alcohol for airbrushing !! Then, again by accident, I had a color in Model Air I wanted to shoot so I mixed it up with a splash of alcohol in the airbrush cup and, to my surprise, it turned into a gloppy mess 😡😡. So, lessons learned. Vallejo Model Color airbrushes beautifully with alcohol, Model Air NO, NO, NO 😁😁
I only shoot Tamiya with alcohol as you say. I use Vallejo with traditional brush and water only. Glad to hear you can shoot it successfully with IPA. ;-)
@@boomerdiorama yup, Tamiya with alcohol airbrushes soooo nice !!! I know you don’t care for the “potent” solvents, but Tamiya with lacquer thinner is a dream 😃😃. I mostly model armor these days, and the color selection Vallejo offers is hard to beat. And it is superb thinned down with a heavy dose of water and used as filter washes as you’ve shown many times 👍🏼👍🏼
I continually get comments about how I should use 3D printing for the things I scratch build, but I never see the kind of details in 3D printing you can achieve in plastic fabrication building.
I know what you mean, even though some 3D printing is awesome, and I am all for it. However, 3D printing involves so much more than just printing. There is a certain look to scratch building the traditional way from plastic as you say. Cheers.
I have given up (for now) trying to learn 3D printing. I have been disappointed by YT channels claiming to offer "How-to" vids taking you from 2D drawing to model that don't explain enough really... I keep looking for a night school class or something. My conclusion is you need to buy a printer / software / materials and figure it out yourself... that's a steep learning curve.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I have no idea what kind of paperwork is evolved with sponsorships or advertisers on RUclips channels, but your channel could easily benefit from Tamiya, Vallejo, and Evergreen Plastics. They are definitely benefiting from you. I still think your channel is one of the most instructive and interesting to watch. Your modeling skill certainly shows the experience of your previous career. I have commented before, that my model railroad in N scale and how I have struggled with adding detail at half the size, but I have learned so much about painting and weathering. Something simple like just adding miscellaneous rails, ties, or "junk" and " trash" off to the side of tracks, adds so much to the over-all look of my layout. With this video, I will try some flat car loads. It definitely is fun watching and learning. Thanks😊
Sounds like you are getting the hang of things!
I am headed down the N-scale path. I was thinking about the strapping that Boomer shows. 1mm in N-scale is 6 inches-too big. Okay, 0.5mm would be 3"-still too wide, but passable. So, take 1mm tape and cut it in half lengthwise. Just thinking about it makes my eyes hurt.
@@jimmccorison fine nylon thread would do the same. Tack one end with a touch of CA then wrap. I believe the sizing is from 0.1mm up and about 0.3 is good for 2" strap in N
Always a great start to my day when I see Boomer has dropped another video!
Cheers!
You amaze every time Boomer. Thanks for the tips, tricks and techniques.
You are very welcome!
Great work as always 👍🏻 The fabric straps are called ratchet straps, at least as I know them.
Yes! Thank you!
I don't have a layout and don't plan to take up the hobby, but the miniature representation of reality that you achieve, combined with the innate added interest associated with the movement of the models is just fascinating. Like I think you said in another clip, it's the satisfaction of creating your own world. I can well understand the mental well-being that such a practice could bring - I get it second hand from watching these amazing videos. So relaxing.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is cool for sure. I can't imagine not having such a medium to express - or escape - the world we all strive to live in. ;-) Cheers ~ Boomer.
Good stuff Boomer!
Thanks
Cheers
Bob
Thanks for watching, Bob. Cheers!
The first few seconds of the video, you're talking about lumber loads and I'm staring at that "junk car" with that blue tarp!! Really, I'm just looking at the tarp!!
That is so cool!! I don't know why it caught my attention... haha it's just a car with a tarp... but it truly is the *little* things in modeling that make the difference!! Well done!
I'm glad that little detail caught your eye!
Boomer, very nice. Around here if the flat car was left unintended on a siding for 24hrs. When you came back in the morning all the steel would be gone. If it ain't nailed down it has a tendancey to walk. Cheers, Chris Perry.
Lol . . .
Very nice. Very realistic. I hauled a load of those from East Chicago to Hutchinson Kansas once. The larger ones many times are used for bridge piling... driven in then concrete poured around them. On a tractor trailer chains are a must. Again very cool load
Thanks, those steel beams are fun to build!
Beautifully done again.
Your subtle processes for weathering and textures yield, by a wide margin, superior results to any other method I have witnessed or personally experienced.
I'll be adding this to the queue for future load projects.
This reminds me of my very first efforts to replicate a flat car load of rebar.
The example I saw inspired me in no small part due to its appearing deceptively simplistic to replicate.
Also, the model incorporated inexpensive 26ga metal wire, the weight being an added bonus, so excited was I that I bought a lifetime supply of ho scale "rebar".
I learned quite a bit from that particular endeavor.
I very quickly realized that even the simplest task would require establishing a process for acceptable and repeatable results or producing multiple units with any efficiency, so thru trial and error, I developed a few jigs that, at last, allowed me to create uniform, wire bound rebar bundles with dunnage bound to each layer, all strapped similarly to your tape method.
Cheers.
I appreciate your kind words, especially about the subtle rebar process, as that's what makes things feel and look believable. ;-)
Dear Boomer, awesome vid, love the way you used the Vallejo flat anomaly to get the almost dotted effect on the H columns. Yep, glueing with matte medium has indeed become a preferred method. Such a great way to build these kinds of loads. And I bet it’s just as easy to detach with a bit of isopropyl alcohol. Definitely will use the Tamiya tape strap method, until now I’ve mainly used paper strips, works fine too, but sometimes is a hassle for the fragility of the paper. Cheerio
Thank you!
A great evening viewing many thanks Boomer my list gets longer of projects to start 😮regards Fred 👌😎☕️
O.K. Fred. Cheers!
What a great lesson looks like the prototype picture turned out really nice 🚂🇦🇺
Thank you! Cheers!
This is a great idea for those who run mostly freight trains rather than passenger trains. I mostly use passenger trains, so although it’s not really for me, it’s a brilliant idea.
Thank you. Your passenger trains sound cool . . . ;-)
Great video, Boomer. A couple of years ago I went on a flat car and gon load building binge. It was a lot of fun. The AAR Open Top Loading Rules are available on line as pdf files and they are a gold mine of info on prototypet dunnage requirements. Besides plastic and wood for stakes, spacers, etc., I found that 1/64 inch chart tape works very well for steel bands. A touch of VMA Aluminum represents the band crimps. (I model 1962, so the wide fabric straps used now weren't around.) After priming I airbrushed my Evergreen I-beams with VMA Blue Gray for that steel look. I brushed some VMA Rust on the ends. Your bulkhead flat deck looks super. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Sounds like a fun project!
Hi Boomer, Thanks for the tip regarding the Tamiya 1mm tape. This is very timely for me as I am modelling flat car loads at the moment. I have been using laser cut paper for my straps but will be adopting your method from now on. All the best from the UK.
Glad to help! Have fun!
Hi Boomer & it's is Randy and i like yours video is Cool & Thanks Boomer & Friends Randy
Cheers!
Have a happy thanksgiving, enjoy the weekend! I’m adding boomer to my Christmas list so he can come help out with my layout😂
Lol . . . O.K. Same to you!
Good morning sir and thanks as always for sharing your expertise. HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
Same to you!
Hi Boomer,
Thanks for showing how to actually build a load, in detail, from scratch.
Store bought loads of any kind, never really look realistic.
This video was a hugh help in building from scratch! I normally just leave flat cars empty because of the store bought look.
The load of steel is just unbelievably realistic on an 87th scale, that I now have the confidence to at least attempt this by scratch load building.
As always,
Thanks Boomer
You are welcome! The only way to get the look you want is to make it yourself.
Building with evergreen plastics is realy nice , i doing it also for all of my buildings for my tram layout of Ghent (Belgium) .
Yes indeed!
Wow Boomer - that is the most realistic steel I have ever seen! Many thanks as always for showing us how to get those results 👍
Thanks 👍
Nice Another good project❤
Thank you!
" NICE to hear you laughing " ...Nice built mate, that's stuff I for my own modeling really extremely love!!! 😉 ...✌️👍
Thank you . . . ;-)
FR I thought the Thumbnail was a Real place. Very Nice work.
Thank you!
Fantastic finish on that steel. Love structural and plate loads on the rails.
Love the crappy blue tarp bunched up on that old car too. 🤘
The simple blue tarp . . . Oh how I love a simple blue tarp. Cheers!
Howdy Boomer! Well done sir... well done. Love the attention to detail. Thanks for sharing 🤠
Thank you! Cheers!
Great observation. It is a mystery with what we can seem to find intriguing sometimes. You never know what other unrealized possibilities it will spawn until that point of view is shared. Thanks, Boomer. Happy Thanksgiving from the US.
Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
Great tutorial! You’re spot on with that mill scale color of the beams that comes from hot rolling steel. We just got a load of these in at work, use them for overhead traveling crane supports. I’ve spent a lot of time grinding that scale off prior to welding, now I’m going to spend some time trying to put it on tiny pieces of plastic! Love your technique, can’t wait to try it.
Have fun with it!
What a coincidink, I was planning to do a similar load soon.
Probably going to start shortly after watching. Insert fan boy comment. 😆
*I believe the plastic strapping is just called braided plastic strap.It's been a while, though.
Thanks, that's great! The plastic (tape) strapping stuff is so handy!
@@boomerdioramaoh yeah. Simple and effective. Looks great! Hope it all translates to n scale.
Wow Boomer what a fantastic share enjoyed the techniques really realistic share great tips on how to make loads thanks for sharing
O.K. Thank You!
Looks great!
Thanks!
Oh no... Another reason to go to the hobby store! 😀
Oddly enough, just went Tuesday and picked up some of the 1mm tape along with some 3mm, and a couple packages of Evergreen strips, so with the I- and H-beams already in my stash I can knock one of these out. A nice, no-stress weekend project, 15 or 20 minutes at a time spaced out over a couple days while weathering the flatcar the load will ride on.
Thanks!
Sounds like a great plan!
Another great tutorial on realism..when someone makes it look so easy,they are truly good at their craft..
It’s a lot of fun to do!
@@boomerdiorama " 🫡🤝 " ... Indeed, that's what it is :-)) 😁
Another interesting steel load is one covered up with a plastic tarp. Usually it's clear and flopping in the air as the train goes by.
Yes! "The flapping tarp" . . . ;-)
Great video, my friend. Your work is always inspiring!
Glad to hear it . . . thank you!
Great video. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thanks! You too!
Looks really good , just like the real thing .
I got lucky . . . lol. ;-)
Thanks!
Thank you very much! You are awesome! ~ Boomer.
A very good and useful video. I was curious about how to represent strapping for my loads. Here all this time I thought Tamiya tape was for preventing paint from getting where you don't want it. If your lucky, you get to learn something. Thanks Boomer
Tamiya tape is awesome stuff. It takes paint quite well and hold the sticky as well.
@10:25, that triangle warning in the rattle cans always remind me of the 80s game Tempest for some reason.
I think they are banning those rattle cans from Tamiya in Canada . . . sucks.
To add to your comment about the random lengths... When steel is rolled into shapes, they just roll the batch until it runs out. then you get full lengths and some oddball shorter pieces of leftover. There's also full lenghts of welded together pieces available at a discount but not legal for structural work because those welds can't be certified. We used to get those at a shop I worked at because they were cheaper and we usually made short pieces out of them anyways, so we could dodge those welds easily.
Thanks for that information, that's really helpful!
@boomerdiorama no problem! I loved how simple you showed how to to get the raw steel look... I'll definitely need that for my N scale industrial area... I'm taking notes here!!!
Sometimes we fluke out on process and things turn out well! ;-)
great work keep up the great vid thanks for share nice tips on channel thanks lee
O.K. Thank you!
Man Boomer . . . What a good car build man Happy Thanksgiving bro
I love those bulkhead flats. ;-)
Love the steel finish you've achieved. Locally, I have only ever seen steel either galvanised or in red oxide. I have a couple of yet to be loaded flat cars and I was admiring the ones you have with grass growing on the deck, but now I have a decision to make! Or more flat cars to buy and do both!!! Cheers
Yeah. I have been into flat cars lately. ;-)
What I always noticed about carloads of steel over the years was the dichotomy of textures. The weathered car versus the new steel with ( carbon) scale and new rust offset by the new dunnage and strapping. The nailed on dunnage ends are a great touch
The staggered strapping is spot on too. These were all too common loads on my Subdivision loaded on bulkheads and gons with steel plate being the predominant loads.
Great stuff as usual Brother, the Vallejo matte trick gets filed away to use on my projects!
Cheers!
I imagine they must have used large forklifts or crane to load and off load eh?
@@boomerdiorama depends, I spotted most in dedicated warehouses with overhead cranes. Highway or local construction used fork lifts and cranes trackside. Your load looks like the latter given the various lengths .
Happy Thanksgiving
Same to you!
Museum quality wonders. (Art museum.) Happy Thanksgiving!
Same to you!
Really excellent! Terrific effects as always... Thanks. The strapping gives me something to try using #8209 HOOP CONNECTORS (Tichy) for wooden vinegar vat tanks. I've been wondering what to use as a strap and never thought of tape, which also facilitates attachment (the usual straps are wire with a turnbuckle). I will try and make them appear as metal vs. the modern plastic, but the 1mm tape looks like the right base material.
I am glad it gave you some ideas . . . good luck with the straps. ;-)
Another nice and informative tutorial!!! Thx !!
BTW I like the weathered wood deck finish on that flat car,
have you covered a how to on that? if not possibly
cover that in a future tutorial?
-Alex K.
Thanks Alex. I'll see what I can do!
Another winner, Happy Thanksgiving Boomer,don’t think you folks celebrate but the sentiment can be universal
Same to you!
@6:15, after watching Boomer’s videos I just had to buy some of that too 😂
Cool! ;-)
Saw 2 loaded flats with monster sized tires,probably mining truck tires
Yeah . . . that would look cool. I have a big loader that I might consider pulling the tires off of. ;-)
BTW, the reason that burnt umber is a great rust colour is that the pigment is literally iron oxide.
Sounds great. It is also nice that the color is on the warm side as well. ;-)
Hi Boomer, I see that you are using most of the time Burnt Umber for rust colour. Do you know the Vallejo colour 70822 Geman Black Brown this is a super colour to use also as rust. Thanks for this great video. It became awsome. Cheers and have a nice Sunday. Br. Ronald
I will check that out as I did see it on the rack recently. Thanks for the tip!
The company where I had worked built process equipment for Evergreen. I didn’t know what they made until years after first dealing with them.
That is interesting.
One thing I stumbled on with Vallejo ModelColor/ModelAir. First off, I detest airbrushing with water as the solvent, absolutely hate it. What I found, totally by an experimental accident, is you can thin Model Color with alcohol for airbrushing !! Then, again by accident, I had a color in Model Air I wanted to shoot so I mixed it up with a splash of alcohol in the airbrush cup and, to my surprise, it turned into a gloppy mess 😡😡. So, lessons learned. Vallejo Model Color airbrushes beautifully with alcohol, Model Air NO, NO, NO 😁😁
I only shoot Tamiya with alcohol as you say. I use Vallejo with traditional brush and water only. Glad to hear you can shoot it successfully with IPA. ;-)
@@boomerdiorama yup, Tamiya with alcohol airbrushes soooo nice !!! I know you don’t care for the “potent” solvents, but Tamiya with lacquer thinner is a dream 😃😃. I mostly model armor these days, and the color selection Vallejo offers is hard to beat. And it is superb thinned down with a heavy dose of water and used as filter washes as you’ve shown many times 👍🏼👍🏼
Not to worry that no one talks about using plastic. You do and I see your name all over RUclips. So it will get it out.😊
I think plastic is a great medium for scratch building.
What's the code for the Evergreen Plastics I-beam you've used please?
There were several sizes. I - Beam ~ # 278, 277, 276.
@@boomerdiorama Thanks for this. Will certainly be giving this a go.
Now you need a way to load and unload it. Lol. Never done
It’s a good thing these are models. ;-)
I continually get comments about how I should use 3D printing for the things I scratch build, but I never see the kind of details in 3D printing you can achieve in plastic fabrication building.
I know what you mean, even though some 3D printing is awesome, and I am all for it. However, 3D printing involves so much more than just printing. There is a certain look to scratch building the traditional way from plastic as you say. Cheers.
I have given up (for now) trying to learn 3D printing. I have been disappointed by YT channels claiming to offer "How-to" vids taking you from 2D drawing to model that don't explain enough really... I keep looking for a night school class or something. My conclusion is you need to buy a printer / software / materials and figure it out yourself... that's a steep learning curve.