Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Bank Building Slated to be Demolished! Cardstock Model

 


Tragedy strikes.  An old building in Rochester is slated for demo.  

I had created a stylized model of it a while ago, so I'm making a post with the PDF for it now.  You can download the PDF from Google Drive with this link.

To build it, print it on card stock paper using a color laser printer.  I usually send it online to OfficeMax to print it (about 50 cents a sheet).  Then cut it out, fold the tabs, and use Elmers glue.  







Monday, February 15, 2021

Cardstock Model: Boxcars?

Playing around with the idea of card-stock boxcars. 

I'd have to buy wheel trucks for the bottom and weight them down.



Cardstock Model: Avalon Building

 


I had designed a model of the Avalon building a while ago.  At the time, I didn't know of its history.  I put "Elysian Music" on the side since I wasn't sure if "Avalon Music" was the name of a current business.  

Anyway, I had no idea at the time that this once was the historic Avalon Hotel (see link):

As the only hotel in the area which welcomed African Americans before desegregation, its guests included Duke Ellington and boxer Henry Armstrong. It housed the Avalon CafĂ©, one of two restaurants in the city which served people of color. It became a local focus of the Civil Rights Movement and opposition to it; both a march for racial equality and a cross burning occurred at the property on August 23, 1963.

I'll have to change the model a little and make it into the historical Avalon Hotel and share the PDF to make it.   In the meantime you can find more information here.





Thursday, February 11, 2021

Cardstock Model: Train Station in Rome, NY

The train station in Rome, NY is of a neoclassical design.  It was built between 1912 and 1914 by the New York Central Railroad on the south side of Rome to replace the one downtown.  It is currently used by Amtrak.  This model is the most complex one I've designed so far, having 3 separate structures that get glued together.  
The finished model

To build it:

  1. Download each of these 4 PDF files:
    1. Rome_NY_Martin_St_6599_TrainStation_page_1_of_4.pdf
    2. Rome_NY_Martin_St_6599_TrainStation_page_2_of_4.pdf
    3. Rome_NY_Martin_St_6599_TrainStation_page_3_of_4.pdf
    4. Rome_NY_Martin_St_6599_TrainStation_page_4_of_4.pdf
  2. Print out each PDF on 8"x11.5" cardstock using a color laser printer.  (You can do that through a print service from OfficeMax for example.  It costs me about 50 cents per sheet printed).
  3. Using a ruler and a utility knife, gently score the folding edges where the tabs, roof, and building corners will need to be folded.  That will give you sharp lines.  
  4. Using Elmer's glue and a toothpick, gently apply a small amount of glue to the tabs, and glue the building together.
Image of station from Google Maps
 
Assembling the station

Comparing finished station to prototype


Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Cardstock Model: Godzilla Visits MedCity

 My N-scale efforts have focused on making simple card-stock models of Rochester, MN (which is where the Mayo Clinic is based). Imagine my surprise when Godzilla showed up for some medical attention (from the clinic) for wounds he incurred making his new movie coming out. 


Note:  No civilians, buildings, or mega-monsters were injured in making this photo.


300 block of S Broadway in #PaperRohester

Google Maps of the real 300 block of S Broadway


Sunday, February 7, 2021

Cardstock Model: Bike Shop

 When we first moved to Rochester many years ago, we bought bikes from a shop in SE Rochester, MN.  Over the years, we made more purchases from there and were always happy with the service.  Recently the store has closed down.  This was the first cardstock model I made of buildings in Rochester, MN.  I'm sharing it here.  I changed store and brand names to avoid any issues.

To build it:

  1. Down load the file from this link.
  2. Print out the PDF on 8"x11.5" cardstock using a color laser printer.  (You can do that through a print service from OfficeMax for example.  It costs me about 50 cents per sheet printed).
  3. Using a ruler and a utility knife, gently score the folding edges where the tabs, roof, and building corners will need to be folded.  That will give you sharp lines.  
  4. Using Elmer's glue and a toothpick, gently apply a small amount of glue to the tabs, and glue the building together.


Completed Model

Photo from Google Maps

The Inkscape project that I export to a PDF


Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Cardstock Model: Transfiguration School from Rome, NY

Transfiguration school was offered K-12 education until about 2003 when it was merged into other schols in the city of Rome, NY.  The building was subsequently demolished.  

This is a simple facade model of the school as it faced South James street.  The actual building was at least as deep as it was wide on the front that you see.

To build this N scale (Japanese 1/150) model:

  1. Download the PDF from this link
  2. Print out the PDF on 8"x11.5" cardstock using a color laser printer.  (You can do that through a print service from OfficeMax for example.  It costs me about 50 cents per sheet printed).
  3. Using a ruler and a utility knife, gently score the folding edges where the tabs, roof, and building corners will need to be folded.  That will give you sharp lines.  
  4. Using Elmer's glue and a toothpick, gently apply a small amount of glue to the tabs, and glue the building together.

 

Completed model

The model was designed using Inkscape and exported to PDF

Front of school facing south James Street circa 1973

Transfiguration school assembly hall circa 1973


Thursday, January 28, 2021

Cardstock Model: Old City Hall of Rochester MN

 

This city hall of Rochester, MN was built in 1932 and was used for that role 67 years.  It is now used as a living space (see here).  I made a stylized model of it (the building is quite large) and I had to omit the back end so it would fit on my fireplace mantle. 

To build it you just need to:

  1. Down load the three (3) PDFs from these links:
    1. Rochester_MN_SW_1_Ave_224_OldCityHall_page_1_of_3.pdf
    2. Rochester_MN_SW_1_Ave_224_OldCityHall_page_2_of_3.pdf
    3. Rochester_MN_SW_1_Ave_224_OldCityHall_page_3_of_3.pdf
  2. Send them to Officemax or a similar print service.   Choose 8.5"x11" size and 100-lbs cardstock.  And color.  
  3. Assemble tools/materials:  scissors, a utility knife to score edges, and Elmer's glue.  Oh, and a toothpick to spread the glue on the tabs.
Assembled card stock model of old City Hall

Photo from Google Maps

From an old postcard

The 1/150th Japanese N-scale model being made in Inkscape



Saturday, January 23, 2021

Cardstock Model: Mantorville Opera House

 





A short ride from Rochester, MN is the Mantorville Opera House.  There the Mantorville Theater Company puts on plays and melodramas.  I made models of some of the Opera House and some of the buildings near it.  This blog entry makes the Opera House PDF model available.  

To build it you just need to:

  1. Download the pdf from this link
  2. Send it to Officemax or a similar print service.   Choose 8.5"x11" size and cardstock.  And color.  
  3. Assemble tools/materials:  scissors, a utility knife to score edges, and Elmer's glue.  Oh, and a toothpick to spread the glue on the tabs.

Image from Google Maps




Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Cardstock Model: Office Building Shared by Mayo Brothers and Father

 

Rochester, MN is home to the Mayo Clinic.  Started by brothers Charles and William Mayo, they shared an office with their physician father early in their careers.  It was in the "Cook Block" building.  It no longer exists, but I made an N-scale (1/150th Japanese scale) card stock model of it.  Feel free to download and build it.  Just print the two pages on 8.5"x11" card stock (I send them to Officemax for a really nice print job).

The two PDF files for the building can be downloaded here:

  1. Rochester_MN_CookBlock_OriginalMayoOfficeBuilding.page_1_of_2.pdf
  2. Rochester_MN_CookBlock_OriginalMayoOfficeBuilding.page_2_of_2.pdf


Photo of assembled card stock building

Cook Block photo from Wikimedia.org

Two Inkscape Projects to create two PDFs...