A recent building that I have made is of a small, and early design, model of an American church.

This is made from &--8216;5mm thick free foam&--8217; PVC, mine is called Vekaplan&--8217;, but there will be others. Check with local plastic suppliers for it, it is available in various thicknesses and colours; a large 8ft x 4ft sheet will cost about £25.00, and there is plenty left, some of that is being used for a station depot now! This building is 24&--8221; long, 18&--8221; wide (main building 14&--8221;), and 2ft tall. It is to 1/20th scale.

The design used was from a HO gauge resin kit, made by &--8216;Main Street Heritage&--8217; used with permission, as a basis for the building. This was expanded on my computer.

All the windows are made from plasticard 1/2mm thick in two layers to give strength to them. They are edged with Plastruct white styrene angle section, and fit into holes that were cut for them with a fretsaw through the walls. The walls are what are called &--8216;Board & Batten&--8217; construction and this style was much used in America and is generally known as &--8216;Carpenters Gothic&--8217;

The many 1.5mm thick vertical battens (3mm wide) are cut from PVC sheet (though plasticard could have been used equally well), and the entire construction is glued together with &--8216;Evostick&--8217;, the main joints being strengthened on the inside with angle sections and window frame sealant as an additional adhesive. This building used a cartridge full.

The small circular saw by &--8216;Proxxon&--8217; is very useful for cutting the parts for this building. My 'free foam' board can be cut with a strong knife, but the circular saw is much easier and faster.

The roof is tiled with 1mm thick (cheap) roofing felt, glued onto thin PVC freefoam sheet with window frame sealant; I use the dark brown colour. This is to simulate Cedar shingles. When all is done and they are dry they are weathered with acrylic paint.

The belfry louvers are made from plasticard, when these have been fitted in position they are backed with aluminum mesh to keep the larger bugs out; the entire compartment is sealed top & bottom. All the detailing is plasticard strips.

The doors are left open, but are part of a &--8216;box&--8217; so small cameos can be posed on the steps and doors of the church. The long sloping chimney is made from a couple of large diameter bendy straws, with a piece of the top of the window frame sealant cartridge for the cowl (add the tiny pointed top); it has a couple of paper clip wire pegs through both the straw and the roof to hold it in position.

The building is painted with a very slight &--8216;off white&--8217; colour masonry paint made for B&Q called Roman White &--8211; the &--8216;blurb&--8217; for this says it has earth tones and an touch of red oxide added &--8211; very little of this shows, but it is much better than brilliant white which would have been too bright! Get a small tester colour pot, I think it was £3.50 and there is plenty left.

The entire building sits on a cut down 1&--8221; thick paving slab (cut them to size with an angle grinder and a 2&--8221; bolster chisel), and is held down against four small pieces of plastic &--8216;right angle&--8217; section; one each end locate it, and one per side have a single screw through the lower (mock stone in this case) walls.

The cross at the top of the steeple (the inside has formers made from PVC) is removable and somewhat fragile, but is easily replaced.

The model is to 1/20th scale and is 2ft long and high and 18&--8221; wide.

Here are a couple of photos of it, this article will shortly be expanded and include much more detail.