Full Version: A Stone Barn Scratchbuild
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Hi All! I am in the mood to scratchbuild something once again! This time I am going to try a New England stone barn.
Something similar to this photo. I am going to be doing this without any plans so it will be "imagin-eered" from the start using strictly materials I have on hand.

[Image: 001-2.jpg]

I am not sure yet exactly what I am looking for, so if anyone has some decent pics of stone barns either real or modeled I would really like to take a look! Please post if you have any in your archives. A half hour of Google searches did not yield too many images to use as a starting point. Most I found were were of distant landscapes, humongous stadium sized structures, modern businesses and homes remodeled from old barns etc. etc. Maybe I wasn't looking in the right places. I did notice that Irish and British style barns resemble closely their older American counterparts so that may be an avenue to explore as well.

For the stone work I will be using a product called Durham's Water Putty. Some modelers have used this as a medium to construct roads, parking lots etc. It sets up fairly quickly and once hardened can be scribed, primed and painted easily (similar to hydrocal or other plasters).

[Image: 002-2.jpg]

I made a test wall the other day. I took a piece of cardstock and made a simple frame of stripwood. I mixed the water putty(3 parts powder to 1 part water.) I sprayed the mold with a little wet water and poured in the mixture. I let it sit for about an hour and it popped right out of the mold nicely. Scribing the stonework was easily accomplished with the point of a #11 blade. I then tried to see if the wall could be cut for windows or doors and found that it broke when I tried it. So for the proposed structure, the openings will need framed out in the mold.

[Image: 003-2.jpg]

That's about it for today. I am eager to see how many of you will come through with some hints and tricks and tips as well as some ideas thrown in to boot! 2285_

Matt
I remember back in model railroader circa mid 1990s, there was an atricle about building a stone roundhouse or station, and I think I remember the author having to frame out the window and door openings. I don't recall seeing too many stone barns, but I have seen stone many other types of buildings.

The como Roundhouse:
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and the main page it came from could b useful:
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a stone barn would be a large undertaking as even a small two story barn is large but a small shed like barn would be a neat project, the kalmbach book bridges and buildings for model railroads has a small stone building made by building a form and pouring small pebbles in then thin plaster for the stone effect.
jim
Thanks guys!!!... Kevin: that roundhouse makes me want to throw out my Walthers one and replace it! Very cool pic. I have that book you referred to and will check it out

Jim: That 1st pic you sent resembles the "image" in my head more than the others except maybe 2 story or 3 instead of 4.

I appreciate you guys jumping in. I was going to work on some ideas before heading off to my job this morning except I hit a deer on my way home last night and now have to get to the body shop. Curse

Matt
You might try the Historic American Buildings Survey:

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Andrew
Saltwater Cowboy Wrote:Jim: That 1st pic you sent resembles the "image" in my head more than the others except maybe 2 story or 3 instead of 4.

Matt


have another view of that one will post if you want.
jim
I like the looks of this sratchbuild, will keep my eye for this one Thumbsup
jim currie Wrote:
Saltwater Cowboy Wrote:Jim: That 1st pic you sent resembles the "image" in my head more than the others except maybe 2 story or 3 instead of 4.

Matt


have another view of that one will post if you want.
jim

Hey! Post as much as you want Jim! I love looking at structures even if I never model them!
Just getting my mind back to this after securing another mode of transportation for a few days. That whitetail sure did some serious damage to my poor car.

Anyhoo, I'm going to do some serious armchair modeling on this upcoming project in the morning! If anybody has any more ideas feel free to post em! This can be a "group effort" thread!!!! 2296_

Matt
Saltwater Cowboy Wrote:For the stone work I will be using a product called Durham's Water Putty. Some modelers have used this as a medium to construct roads, parking lots etc. It sets up fairly quickly and once hardened can be scribed, primed and painted easily (similar to hydrocal or other plasters).
I made a test wall the other day. I took a piece of cardstock and made a simple frame of stripwood. I mixed the water putty(3 parts powder to 1 part water.) I sprayed the mold with a little wet water and poured in the mixture. I let it sit for about an hour and it popped right out of the mold nicely. Scribing the stonework was easily accomplished with the point of a #11 blade. I then tried to see if the wall could be cut for windows or doors and found that it broke when I tried it. So for the proposed structure, the openings will need framed out in the mold. Matt

That breakage looks familiar ! One possible "cure"....after the putty sets, carefully drill out the center of the window opening, carefully enlarge the hole with a taper ream ( try to get right out to the inner edge of the proposed opening ) then use files to finish off the corners. If you haven't trashed the broken wall section, use it to try the technique.
Even Styrene sheet can fracture when trying to cut out window openings, I've used this method, and it seems to work very nicely. It can be time consuming, but then, changing the mold for each new wall would also be time consuming.
This will be an excellent project, and I can't wait to see how it turns out.
May your patience hold, and may fortune favor you.
Hi Pete: I get what your saying but pardon my ignorance: What the heck is a taper ream? A type of file perhaps?

Matt
This,
[attachment=5013]
Is a taper ream. This one was manufactured by General, and I believe I got this at one of my local hobby shops, but I'm sure Ace Hardware, Sears, Menards, Home Depot, or any other good hardware store will have one of these. For your walls, I'd recommend starting with a 3/32" drill, and then use the ream to enlarge the hole.
Yikes! That thing looks like a medieval torture device!!! Eek

Not to "dis" a super duper modeler like you Pete, but I will try your method: "just to see if I can do it" on the practice piece. I think I'll try a round file instead of going out and buying a tool I may only use once.
I believe it would be faster to just frame out the opening with strip wood and make the pour though and I'll probably go that route when I get there. This will be tedious enough just scribing all the stone work.

Matt
Matt here is the other view of the barn, also i do have 2000 or more structure photos if you need a certian type let me know. Cheers
jim
Thanks alot Jim! It's not the size of the structure that's as important as I'm looking at various types of stone work so my scribing process will be believable.

Matt
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