The Old Castle of Stuttgart [FERTIG]

Model: The Old Castle of Stuttgart
Model Series: Schreiber's Modellothek
Publisher: J.F. Schreiber
Size: 18 x 18 x 9 cm high
Scale: Unknown
Number of Sheets: 6
Number of Parts: 46
Style of Construction: Die-cut parts / glue required

I would think that this little miniature work of art represents the zenith of hand painted three dimensional building models that came out of this Esslingen publishing house. The colouring is outstanding. The paper weight is just perfect.

Günter introduced me to this series. Two years ago, he sent me four such models. The inside of the shipping sleeve lists townscapes, monuments, cathedrals, and other models in the series. What I am discovering with the construction of this model may be well known to many reading this thread. Are the models now out of print?

Thank you Günter.

Construction begins with assembling the three corner towers. Added template disks really help define a nice round cylinder.

The tops of the three towers do not have fastening tabs. The templates in the towers create a firm, perfectly circular edge. In the past, I've depended on this firm region to draw the conical roof into round when it is applied. I now like to place a template inside the cone as well. Doing this ensures that everything is round before any gluing takes place.

The conical template is set far enough up inside the cone to allow the cone to slip over and down onto the wall.

This setup really makes it easier to get the cone on the tower straight, with its eaves parallel to the ground. The template also provides a gluing region inside - tabs are not necessary.

Hi Fred.
Yes, these models are not in the current Schreiber catalog.

One glitch that has occurred with the roof is that the cutouts for the tower walls are leaving gaps.(Photo 1) This is not surprising. A lot of variables are at play when it comes to fitting roofs around towers. In my mind, its one of the trickiest areas to get a really tight seal.

So... I have decided to add material to the gap from below. A piece of roof from another part of the castle was first photocopied. (Photo 2) Then a pattern was made that will fill the gap. (Photo 3) It was transferred to the roof material and a printed part was cut out. (Photo 4) Lastly, it was glued into place from below. (Photo 5)

When all the gaps are filled we will have a look at the result.

Hi Norm,
Thanks for the kind words. Sometimes, I think the difficulties are of my own making. I do enjoy the challenge of overcoming them.

I agree with you. Schreiber's artists capture the warmth of light and shadow so nicely with their hand-painted models. Hubert Siegmund comes to mind. The human brain is quite a computer!

Hello Bernd B.

Thanks for the historical background behind the commercial packaging of the models.

Here are two shots showing a better seal between roof and tower. The first wing of the castle is complete.

These three photo comparisons speak for my preferences. I think that is why I am drawn to German and French models. However, I embrace photo enhanced work as well. I give an example here with 3D Karton's recent publication out of Hungary.

It's nice to be able to aim camera into the courtyard to get a shot of these galleries. The use of shadow really makes them appear three dimensional.

Yes Ricardo. You are right. I should finish the thread today.

The fit of the roofs on this little model was excellent. To keep everything stable before installation, strips of card were placed inside the plane surfaces of the roofs. It looks a bit much, but the pieces prevent the roof segments from bowing outward and distorting the shape of the roof overall. With the reinforcements, the roof is able to be placed down onto its tabs as a solid unit.

And here are the resulting two castle assemblies. Once they are joined, the model will be finished.

And here is the assembled castle.

Here is the castle on display. I really like the flexibility of the miniatures for decorating the house. They can be placed and rearranged easily. They don't take up a lot of room.

I think I will pursue more miniatures. Of course, there has to be a big build for 2009. It has been posted as it was built on the Forum, but I'd like to take a crack at it.

Cheers...John

Good Morning Hagen and Ricardo,
Thanks for the nice comments. This little guy was a lot of fun to build.

Hi Fred,

Great minds think alike. The box was under construction as the display photos were taken. It is a storage box rather than a display box. But this time I will not fasten the model down to the base. The model itself has an appeal when it sits on a piece of furniture by itself. It sort of lends itself to accent groupings of items as seen in the display photo.

The packaging of this model was historic. As mentioned above, it was Schreiber's attempt to make card models more competitive in the model market. So, I have cut the package so it remains intact and forms the information cover for the box.

Hi Herbert,
Good to hear from you. May 2009 be good to you and yours!

Cheers All...John