Barn and Cabin from Birdhouse
I saw this idea on a posting from myLargescale.com, the author noted that the Birdhouses were from Michaels. I went to Michaels and found the Birdhouses from the post out front in the clearance bins for $ 2.99 each. Below is my conversion from Birdhouses to Barn and Cabin.
The Birdhouses were White Pine with no paint or stain on them when I purchased them. I wanted to use them right away so I sealed and stained them before I reworked them. This is how they looked with stain but before the rework.
Cabin
Barn
Barn
Barn re-construction was very simple. All I did was cut the opening for the door, then using a piece of wood from the base which I removed, I cut the new doors to size. I then glued the doors in place with one slightly open for looks. Using the scoring technique I scored vertical lines on the doors, after scoring I added Balsa wood braces glued on using Elmer's weather-tite carpenters wood glue. Then I painted the braces with Floquil Roof Brown paint. For door handles I used some leftover track spikes.
Scoring of the door viewed from the end.
Barn doors glued in place with one door slightly open for effect.
Barn braces prior to painting.
Track spike used as door handle.
Completed project.
Cabin
The Cabin was almost as easy, with the addition of windows and a stone fireplace on the outside wall. I think it makes a nice low buck simple building for $2.99 and some labor. Again using the techniques learned from HOT club member bob (see scratch built crossing shanty) I scored vertical lines on the cabin door (see scoring the walls) and trimmed the windows with 1/16 x 1/4 Balsa (see window details). The stone fireplace idea came from a neighbors Christmas display where she glued small pebbles to cardboard for walkways. I used the same idea to cover a piece of scrap cut to shape for the fireplace on the outside wall of the Cabin.
Door and window openings cut and fireplace chimney added.
Here the chimney stones are being hand placed on Elmer's weather-tite carpenters wood glue. The stones are 1-3mm pebbles hand picked for uniform size from a handful I picked from the gravel on my layout.
Using the technique for building windows I learned recently, I simply outlined the rough cut of the window opening with 1/16 x 1/4 Balsa wood. I then made the windows into 6 panel windows, by adding 1/4 x 1/4 Balsa wood vertically and horizontally and in this instance simply for time and speed the Balsa for the panels are simply glued to the window one in front of the other, painted dark brown you can't tell from two foot away so it works for me.
For "glass" I used lids from yogurt containers they are cheap and cut easily with scissors. Since this building ill have no interior but will be lighted the semi opaque of the frosted plastic will work out perfect.
Well that's about it, now the farmer and wife have a place to live. The only thing not included here is the base, because I don't know how I an going to do it? Any suggestions?