Scratch Building Materials, Styrene, Brass, Tubing & Structural Shapes
Build beyond the box with scratch building materials and supplies from MegaHobby. Scratch building gives modelers the freedom to create parts, structures, details and complete projects from raw materials rather than relying entirely on a manufactured kit. Whether you're fabricating a missing component, modifying an existing model, building a structure from plans or creating something completely original, the right materials turn an idea into a physical model.
Our Scratch Building department brings together styrene sheets and strips, metal tubing and shapes, structural materials, siding, roofing, wiring and other supplies used by scale modelers, model railroaders, diorama builders and hobbyists who fabricate their own components.
Styrene Sheets & Strips
Explore Styrene Sheets and Strips for one of the most versatile materials used in scale modeling. Styrene can be cut, shaped and assembled into walls, panels, brackets, floors, structural components and countless other custom parts.
Sheet material is useful when a project requires larger flat surfaces, while strips provide convenient stock for framing, trim, reinforcement and smaller fabricated details. Keeping several common sizes on the workbench gives builders raw material for modifications that would otherwise require a dedicated aftermarket part.
Rods, Tubing & Structural Shapes
Browse Rods and Tubing for materials suited to piping, shafts, supports, framework and other round or tubular details. For structural projects, explore Channels, Beams and Columns for shapes that can be incorporated into buildings, industrial scenes, bridges, machinery and custom structures.
Structural shapes are particularly useful when a model needs visible framing or when a builder wants to reproduce the construction methods of a full-size structure in miniature.
Brass Strips & Brass Tubing
For projects requiring metal components, browse Brass Strips and Brass Tubing. Brass can be useful for details where strength, thin sections or a metallic material are desirable.
Brass strip can be incorporated into brackets, straps, reinforcement and fabricated details, while tubing can be used for pipes, sleeves, structural components and other cylindrical parts. Metal materials can also complement plastic components when a project requires a combination of fabrication methods.
Aluminum Sheets & Tubing
Explore Aluminum Tubing and Sheets for additional metal scratch-building options. Aluminum provides modelers with another material choice for fabricated panels, tubing and custom details where a lightweight metal component fits the project.
Copper Tubing
Browse Copper Tubing for custom piping, lines and other details. Tubing can be particularly useful when reproducing mechanical, industrial or structural features that are difficult to create convincingly from flat material.
Siding, Roofing, Shingles & Surface Patterns
Scratch-built structures need more than walls and framing. Explore Groove Siding, Tiles, Roofing and Shingles for textured materials that can help reproduce exterior building surfaces and architectural details.
These materials can be used for structures, dioramas and model railroad scenes where surface texture plays an important role in making a miniature building look convincing. Builders can also browse Miscellaneous Patterns and Numbers for additional patterned materials and specialty shapes.
Scratch Building for Model Railroads
Model railroading provides countless opportunities for custom fabrication. Browse Scratch Building for Model Railroading for materials useful when constructing structures, industrial details, scenery components and other railroad-related projects.
Scratch building allows a model railroader to create a structure that fits a specific location instead of adapting the layout around an existing kit. It can also make it possible to reproduce a prototype building or piece of railroad infrastructure that is not available as a commercial model.
For additional railroad products, visit the broader Model Railroading department for trains, structures, scenery, track and layout accessories.
Wiring for Models & Hobby Projects
Explore Wiring for scratch-built and customized projects requiring electrical connections. Wiring can support lighting, motors and other powered features in models, structures, dioramas and railroad projects.
Builders interested in adding powered or illuminated details can also browse Motors, Gears and Lights within our Tools & Supplies department.
Taps, Dies & Punches
More advanced fabrication projects sometimes require specialized tools. Browse Taps, Dies and Punches for tools associated with creating or modifying small components during custom modeling work.
Tools for Cutting, Shaping & Fabrication
Raw material becomes useful when it can be measured, cut and shaped accurately. Visit Tools & Supplies for the equipment needed to work with scratch-building materials.
Browse Cutting Mats and Rulers for measuring and work-surface protection, Cutting Tools and Knives and Blades for shaping material, and Drills and Bits for precision holes and modification work.
Finishing fabricated parts may also require Filing and Sanding tools, Putty and Filler, and adhesives from our Glues and Adhesives collection.
Build What the Kit Doesn't Give You
Scratch building is one of the areas of the hobby where the workbench becomes a small fabrication shop. A strip of styrene can become a bracket. Tubing can become a pipe or structural member. Patterned sheet can become the side of a building. Raw materials give builders the freedom to solve problems and create details that may not exist as ready-made products.
Whether you're modifying a scale model, building a railroad structure, creating a diorama or designing an original project from the ground up, MegaHobby's scratch building materials provide the styrene, metal, structural shapes, surface materials and supplies needed to turn plans and ideas into miniature reality.
