I've started work on MIniart's "Ruined German Houses w/ Base" kit, and have a few questions for everyone out there.

Is an 8-foot door unheard of in WWII Germany? Just getting an eyeball on it, it seems that the doorways and windows are a bit over-sized, but it could just be me. There are door jamb and window jamb inserts provided that do shore up the openings about a 16th of an inch all the way around.



The door measures 2.75 inches, which converts out to a little over 8ft in 1/1. The door handle comes in around 3' 7", which seems a little high to me.

Anyway, what do you think? Too large a door? I'm not trying to nit pick, simply trying to figure out if I'm going to have to do a little converting!

Hi

As I understand it Miniart buildings are based on having the use in two scales, being used for 1/32nd as well as 1/35th scale so what you are seeing is indeed they are a bit too big in 1/35th scale but probably just right for 1/32nd.

It's the one thing that bugs me since 1/35th has to be more popular in this context than 1/32nd. Also, and I'm going by memory, the brand the kits as 1/35th.

They need to sort this out.

Alan

Hi Justin,

I have no reference on the height of the door but I have several Miniart kits which use the same door. On those instructions, the door handle should be put on the lower half of the door making it more sensible. Please go and check the Miniart gallery photos showing the door handle position. May be they have made a mistake for this one. It does look a bit too high.

http://www.miniart-models.com/Gallery/Gallery1_35_b.shtml

Regards
Paul

I have to say, that door does look both too tall and too wide. Try scaling it down to about 7 feet tall (and narrow it proportionally) and it would look better. 8-foot doors are kinda big for anything less grandious than a high-street bank or hotel.

Tom

you need to scratch a door step,then with the door suround etc everything will fit.

Using the doors on my own plaster bldgs. I just cut them down a bit. They seem to be on the tall side to me.

can you take the row of bricks out along the bottom? just a thought.

Not sure how historically accurate it is.... but you could do something like this...



Basically putting a piece of glass, or some other material and use that as additional signage area for the store. Then just cut the door down a little.

There is no really set standard for door sizes. When looking through WW2 images, you´ll see all shapes and sizes. Tall doors ... although not the norm ... are still plentiful and I don´t see anything wrong with what MiniArt have offered. Maybe if you made a street scene with 4 buildings, it would do no harm to shorten one or two of them, but in your case where you are building one building, I think its OK. Jesse´s suggestion of putting in a small window at the top is a good one ... this is quite normal.
When Im in Stockholm walking around, I usually look around for different types of architecture for tips and ideas, and the tall door in the old city is quite normal. Im in the process of going through some WW2 images now, that another member has just posted, and found this.
Click here
What height do you think this door, on the right of the photo, is? Compare it to the small girl for reference.
Another thing ... not all door handles are symmetrically in the middle of a door ... some are higher up.
But its your model ... adjust what you are not happy with. Personally I dont think the Miniart buildings are wrong ... but maybe not a standard either.

There are a lot of ways to use that shop front kit that would all look correct and to scale.

Double wooden storm doors that the shop keeper closes in the evening with the normal glass panel entrance set back from the main entrance about a metre back.

A resessed door way with or without glazing and with or without a cast metal gates to protect the glass.

A single flush mounted door with or without glazed panels.

A step up to the doorway proud of the wall, flush with the wall, or resessed.

A fixed pane over the door and no step or simply a tall and wide door.

Add a few courses of stone to the bottom and it could be several steps up to the doorway.

Any of the above is possible as shops vary so much.

Nige

Is Gastof in German translated as an inn or pub?

Could this actually be for the soldiers to have a good beer?

PROST

Nige

Folks!

Thanks for all the responses!!

@ Alan- Agreed. Do they make anything in 1/32nd scale? I'm new to armor, but I haven't seen many kits or figures in 1/32nd.

@Paul- I love their website. It's really helpful, but like you, I think that maybe this is just a little too high. Won't be hard to fix/alter, anyway. This is a really cool kit.

@Tom- I think that I'm going to have a hard time scaling the paneled door down, but we'll see. I may have to do that.

@Jesse- I think that if I am going to alter the door, your idea is the one that I'm going to have to use. A little window up top may do the trick, but I'll have to become a modeler and figure a way to reshape the door evenly.

@Frank- Thanks for that photo, buddy. That door DOES look rather large, at least 8 foot, wouldn't you say? I think that it's the design of the door that's getting me. It seems like a "standard" panel door, and I think that I'm simply used to seeing those "panels" at a foot or so big, and so it makes these look HUGE. I'll need to take a photo of the actual door as compared to the figures I'm using.

@Nige-- Yeah, I think that Gastof, or some version of the word, is the name for a "beer hall" or something. Kinda looks like this one is out of commission, but I may put some broken glasses or mugs behind the wall...

Seems I'm not the only one to wonder if their doors are too big.

http://www.ipmsusa2.org/reviews2/fig-dio/kits/miniart_35_ruined-house/miniart_35_ruined-house.htm

Looking at the building a little better, I'm also going to have to worry about the distance from the floor to the windows. The bottom floor could work fine, but the upstairs portion is definitely too tall.

I can make do, for sure, but overall I'm a bit disappointed in this kit so far because of these scale issues.