Gaugemaster Kestrel Designs KD23 Domestic Garages N Gauge Kit – Step by Step Guide and Instructions

In the first of a series of videos we plan to put together. Here is a step by step guide to building Kestrel Designs kit KD23 – Domestic Garages. A great little kit for N Gauge modellers. The packaging has been updated since Kestrel came under the Gaugemaster umbrella, however the product remains the same.

As a general rule, Kestrel kits are relatively simple to make up, and offer good value for money. My biggest gripe is their frequent lack of instructions, hence putting this guide together.

Tools required for assembly

• A sharp cutting knife – ideally the sharper the better as you will be able to do a neater job.
• Hard plastic glue – I tend to prefer Humbrol Poly Cement, available to buy at Amazon (ad) as well as your local model shop
• Cocktail stick or similar fine item to apply the glue with
• Sandpaper or a file file is recommended but not compulsory to tidy any cuts that are not 100% perfect
• Similarly masking tape may be helpful if you don’t want to wait for the glue to dry.

Step by step guide

• First step is to take all components and lay them out. They thing to remember here is to check before you start building you have everything that you should and the kit is complete.
• Next step is to neatly trim all items from the sprues, taking care not to damage any of the parts.
• If necessary take a piece of sandpaper or a fine file and tidy up any edges that have been trimmed to finesse the finish
• Glue all four side of the model together to make the shell of the building. Key here is to make sure it is sat square while the glue dries of the roof wont fit. Apply the glue carefully with a cocktail stick or similar to make sure you don’t end up with excess glue on the walls.
• Once the glue is reasonably well set and you have some strength to the corners (doesn’t need to be fully set) add the roof. Again, use a cocktail stick to apply glue neatly and sparingly.
• Once dry weather to taste.

Top Tip

This is for if you are using sandpaper to tidy up edges where you have trimmed from the sprue.

From personal experience I have found the best way to approach this is to lay the sandpaper on a flat surface. Then gently move the part over the sandpaper. This way you should get a smooth and even finish, and a straighter edge to the part.