Bird House into Outhouse
This Outhouse started out as a $2.99 Birdhouse from Michaels. Pooling my limited modeling talents that I have learned by net surfing, I jumped in and constructed this Outhouse for use on the RS&L. The following pictures and descriptions describe this simple operation.
The Birdhouse was basically square with a pitched roof. Following a free design from Kiva Designs I got off the net, I first cut off the roof with a slant towards the back. Then using the Kiva door template I marked and cut the door opening with a Dremel tool. Then because the walls were flat and plain I scribed lines in the wood from top to bottom 5/16" apart with a metal ruler and a Xacto knife to simulate wood planks. The wood still needing something else because it was flat with no texture, I used the edge of one of my fine tooth wood saws and drug it over the outside a couple times in the same direction (up and down) to give the wood a rough grain look.
You may be able to see the rough grain of the wood in this picture.
Then using the Kiva plan, I cut the door and bench inside. I cut the 1/2" hole inside by carefully scribing and then going over again with an X-acto knife. I cut it like this because I would guess the prototype hole would have been hand sawn and not a perfect circle (and I did not have anything to cut with that would not tear up the balsa) I used the same technique to cut the "moon" in the door (again in the Kiva plans).
The hinges were cut from a name plate that you can etch your name on and adhere that came with a HP calculator I bought. I hand drilled the holes and used "L" shaped cut staples from a paper stapler to act as "nails" I pre bent the hinges to hold the door open in this position. I used a larger staple from a staple gun for the door handle (not shown).
For the roof I used the technique I learned from George Schreyer's' web page tech tips under corrugated metal roofing. I will describe it in very basic form below.
The roof is basically a soft drink can run through a paper crimpier found at craft stores.
I then attached the roof with "L" shaped cut staple gun staples. Then I stained it and water sealed it then it can be left outdoors year round.
