Making Containers with a Solid Core
Building the latest Shipping Containers –
I like to build shipping containers with a solid core. For this, I use foam board. It is cut 1mm less than the size of the wrap sides to allow for 0.5mm card covering for the top and bottom and the two ends.
Stick these together into a block. You require 6 sections cut out of 5mm foam board.
Cover the top, bottom and ends with 0.5mm grey board and trim to size.
The wrap is cut into ends, sides, top, and bottom. Stick the end wraps to the ends of the container core. (Be careful to get them the same way up.)
Select the same colour as the body of the container and paint the edges of the wrap and the corners of the container core to prevent any white edges showing.
Stick the remaining wraps to the correct sides.
The last thing to do is to apply a coat with a clear matt or silk acrylic varnish.
There are many container wraps available on the internet. Be careful many are in HO – if you work in OO they need enlarging by 114% when printing.
Some of the best series of containers is available from Scale Model Scenery. Their latest offer is easy to use and well detailed.
Interesting article but I thought the value of a solid core would be to give the container a bit more weight and I’m not sure the foam board would do this.
If more weight is required you can build this in to the foam board core by cutting a section out towards the base and adding the weight you require. The main reason for a solid core, in my case, was to make the container less crushable.