These structures facinate me and I have been wanting to build something like this for some time. I was thinking of using cardstock built upon a strip wood framework. As I see it you could build the lower floors securly and then continue to build on the upper floors. I have studied many of these structures and there are many ways to fashion these structures.
I have many half-done projects that I have packed up for another go at them. I am assembling another small model train layout and will need a few more small structures, so I have taken these half done structures out of storage.
Full sized plans for wooden water tank.
I really do not remember when I started this kit from Durango Press. It is a light craftmens kit that came with loads of metal parts. I have the basic structure complete, but still need to add the roof. After applying the metal roof I will deal with the metal detail parts. You might have noticed that the surface of one side hasn't been finished, That is because the building prototype was built into a hill. A thought just came to me, I could add a stone surface to this area.
This a Will's Garage Kit in 1/76 scale. "A 1930's style garage and petrol station." Although the 1/76 scale is slightly larger than 1/86 scale, 1/76 seems to blend into my 1/87 scale railway.
As you can see the on the picture to the suppliers webpage, the kit provides some basic detail parts and detailed panels, doors and roof parts.
Ratio 507 Grounded Goods Van Body. The grounded box car will fit perfectly on my layout. As you notice, there is very little to do in as far as construction, but there are a few details like a table, chairs, ladders, and wood planks.
Most of these parts are either still conected to the sprue or are at the bottom the box. Some like the table and chairs need to be constructed while other details need some weathering.
I have completed the layout drawing for the beekeeper shack. The back side will be the same as the front, with the exception of the porch. I am working on a template for the two side windows.
After comppleting the last shack I had leftover material that I wanted to make use of, so I have put the Beekeepers shack on hold.
Terence and Percy's Home (Hobo Shack #2).
Simple construction: wood sticks, random bits of paper, amd a small piece of embossed brick sheet. That is as far as I have gotten.
The structure is built around a cardstock core where the second ply received the stuko treatment. The stuco was created using 1 part baking soda, 1 part white paint, and 1 part white glue. I beveive that I used too much baking soda, so perhaps I shouod have used on 1/2 part baking soda.
The roof is in a Barrel-vaulted configuration. And was built from a piece of Bristol Board, strips of masking tape and then painted with a "soft-black" paint. I then dry brushed it with another softer black and applied some chalk.
The roof vent started its life as a part from a lighter.
The basic dimensions for the shed are: 12 x 9 x 15' tall. The structure's subwalls were built from cardstock and I used some bassword strips on the interior to keep the structure from warping and to strengthen the overall build. I usally use white glue, but for this one I used sticky glue as an adhisive.
Side view
I used black construction paper to represent tarpaper, but to a scale 3 or 4 foot. THe battens are from my scale lumber stock. I believe I used 1 x 2 for these. The door was built from cardstock and the trim from my scale lumber stock.
The roof consists of a card stock subroofing and corrugated cardboard which still needs to painted and weathered
Back view. I didn't make the structure too dilapidated in fact, besides a broken and missing battens it doesn't look like it is in disrepair. Who knows what the structure will like the next time we visit?
Having to build a roof for the tarpaper shack, I've been on the look out for materials that purpose. Here are those materials, a piece of sturdy carbstock for the sub-roofing and corrugated cardboard for the actual roof.
Previously: Orphaned Roofs
I feel that I am behind my goal of completing at least one project per month. Perhaps I will surpass my goal this month. Here is the current state of my workbench. There are componnets for two HO scale structures here. One, a small tarpaper shack and two, a dilapidated clapboard shack.
From the top left to right and then clockwise: scale tarpaper strips, 9" scale clapboard strips, two clapboard walls, one completed, weathered, and dry-brushed. The other is under construction. Two battens for the tarpaper shack lay on the wall panel on the left, two walls for the tarpaper shack, one being weighed down after having had stripwood added to the underside to strengthen the side walls. I used bassword for this.
Back wall of my 1/87 scale Clapboard shack
You might ask, where is the board and batten structure you were working on? It is those stratch built windows that have me wondering why, when I have so many window castings, why I fiddle with my own windows. Although I do feel it might be fun to build in 1/4 scale. As far as those windows in 1/87 scale are concerned, I do have one that is just about completed.
I may have went too far with the weathering. We will see how it looks after the top coat of paint is applied.
My other clapboard shacks
I use a variety of means to store and help organize my materials and my project parts. If I would work on one project at a time I wouldn't have the problem of loosing project parts. So with small projects: paper, wood, and some plastics I will take on of these bank envelopes from the stack, jot a few descriptive words on the top, and store my parts and or materials in the envelope until I am ready to come back to it.
Here is a collection of these envelopes which I thought, at some point, might be fun to go through, especailly since I see I have at least two projects, in the mix, that need to be completed.
I don't remember the exact treatment this piece of cardstock recieved or its intended purpose. I do remember scoring boards and using a light color for the base, followed with what looks like a couple of dry-brushings with darker colors. With a height of just six feet I am guesing I was planning on useing with element for interor flooring. By using sturdyer cardstock you could also use this technique to create a wooden fence.
I have laid out and cut opening for the windows on the last section of the structure, its back wall. I decided to deal with the back door a little differently than the front door and is sits waiting for my glue it down. I should start cladding the subwalls with wood strips, later-on today.
