MULTI-SCALE PLASTIC VENEER SHEETS
Manufacturer: Precision Products, a division of Applied Imagination International, Inc., 763 Cayuga Street, Unit #2, Lewiston, NY 14092. Price: 1206 large stone block siding, 1210 twelve inch lap siding, and 1223 asphalt shingle roofing $9.95 each, 10 or more sheets $8.95 each.
WHAT ARE PLASTIC veneer sheets? You asked that question last time. So again, in case you have missed our reviews or Precision Products' ads over the past year or so, they manufacture an extensive line of 16 inch square plastic sheets. Each has a vacuum formed representation of some kind of siding, roofing, or of various doors and windows. The color is neutral gray. The idea is to cut out what you want, cement it to a sub-wall of wood or foam, and create a building.
Our samples nominally represent 1:24 scale structural materials but, because the dimensions of actual planking, bricks, stones, shingles, and windows may vary widely, many sheets could be useful for hobbyists modeling in scales ranging from 1:29 to 1:20.3. Considering the limitations of vacuum-formed manufacturing, the detail is good and seems to improve. The detail of the latest samples is very good. As we have pointed out in previous reviews, Precision Products' intent is to offer overall effect, durability, and ease of assembly at low cost.
A model you build with plastic veneer sheets can be quite effective, especially if you paint and weather it carefully. What it could lack in perfect detail, it should make up for in its ability to withstand the elements. After all, if you leave your structures outdoors, you must make some compromises.
Let's begin with the large stone blocks. In 1:24 scale they measure about 30 inches wide by about 18 inches high; that's authentic but big. On the other hand, in 1:20.3 scale, the size drops to a more manageable 24 by 14 inches. The detail of the stonework is good. Paint, stain, and weathering should produce extremely realistic results.
The 12 inch lap siding (what many of us might call "clapboard") has very good grain detail, scale thickness, and excellent multi-scale modeling potential. One foot in 1:24 scale becomes 11.25 inches in 1:22.5 scale and a fraction over 10 inches in 1:20.3 scale. The latter, in particular, is a very common size.
Finally, the asphalt shingles: The sheet represents random length, pebble surface material. In 1:24 scale, the spacing between rows is 6 inches. That drops almost insignificantly in 1:22.5 scale and in 1:20.3 scale, the spacing shrinks only to a fraction over 5 inches. If you look with a magnifying glass, the pebbling will be oversize. True-to-scale pebbling would be almost too small to reproduce and would appear smooth. But, from six inches away, the effect of Precision Products' texturing is quite good. What a tremendous time-saver compared to cutting individual shingles! And how nice to have some variation in roofing materials.
As we have said in the past, Precision Products' concept is innovative and their product adds a revolutionary new dimension to large scale structure construction. The quality of our samples is excellent.-RR
