I wanted to add a bank to my small commercial district and the DPM Other Corner Café kit by Woodland Scenics fit the bill perfectly. This was my first DPM kit and if you have never built one either, it’s a very good idea to follow the preparation directions before assembling the model. The Design Preservation Model (DPM) series kits have high quality details and styrene but do require a good amount of sanding and trimming before assembly.
As I did with my Merchant’s Row I kit, I used small strips of masking tape to mask the windows and trim before painting the brick walls. Once the walls were dry, I covered the newly painted sections so I could now paint the trim and window frames. After drying for 24 hours, any touch-ups were made with a small detailing brush. The masking is tedious but worth it in the end. However, it’s only effective if it’s done correctly and carefully. If not, you will have a ton of touch-ups to deal with. The structure was then brushed with dark powdered pastels for weathering effects and sealed with a final coat of Testors dull coat.
Most DPM models do not come with a pre-molded roof or base though bulk styrene is provided for at least the roof. This needs to be cut to fit. A length of strip styrene is also provided to create supports for the roof panel. Clear bulk styrene is also included for the window glazing. Window blinds were used from the same templates I used on previous structures that I built.
I built the interior structure of this building in almost the exact same way as may Merchant’s Row I kit, utilizing my light diffuser box method. The first level interior of the building is built upon a removable styrene base with the light box installed on second floor. The removable base allows access to the bulb in case it ever needs to be changed.
I built the bank’s teller desks out of scrap styrene pieces, as well as the large support column which actually supports the light diffuser box on top. The bank’s floor is a tile design that I made in Adobe Photoshop and printed on matte photo paper. The walls are coloured cardstock.
The second level interiors are attached directly to the main structure. I built these with a combination of coloured cardstock and styrene which I secured directly to the inside walls. When the base and light box are inserted, the light box sits just behind the second level interior rooms. To allow light into the rooms, I simply cut doorways into the back walls. For the rooms I didn’t want to light, I simply omitted cutting in a door.
I decorated the final structure with dry transfer decals from Woodland Scenics as well as a vertical corner sign that was left over from my Merchant’s Row I kit. For the roof material, I used medium burnt cinders from Woodland Scenics which I spread about 1/8” thick. I then secured the cinders with thinned white glue that I applied with a small pipette, mixed with a few drops of isopropyl alcohol to break the glue mixture’s surface tension.
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