wmobie Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Just bought the book OLD BARN, by Sebastian and Ignacio Perez from MODEL JUNKYARD. I am going to try to build a rural gas station diorama this winter. The question for you is where do I find the wood necessary to build it? They provide a list but no sources any ideas out there? Thanks in advance for any help, love the wonderful work you all do. Walter O'Brien Rutland VT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 whell i have wooden coffee stirers from ikea ... i dont know if you have a ikea in your earea , if you do go drink coffe and take as many as ..... usually i ask somebody if i can take a hand full for modelbuilding ..they are perfect for a barn or rural gasstation because they are all different , as far as coffe stirrers go they suck and are lousy and cheap , but for our need they are perfect ..the edges are never straight and the have imperfections all over ....best ever for older buildings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apriliadan Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 What is the scale you are working with, and do you have the ability to cut the wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 You can get wood from a hobby shop. Don't go balsa, it will warp in time. Buy basswood, that's what I use for all my builds. 1/25 scale playhouse build from Popular Mechanics full size plans from basswood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apriliadan Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Northeastern scale lumber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercman Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Northeastern scale lumber Ditto on this one. Also you can get there stuff from Walther's. If not use Basswood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 http://www.northeasternscalelumber.com/ http://cloverhouse.com/Store/ detail parts: http://www.ozarkminiatures.com/scripts/default.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragster fever Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 ridershobby.com--------------------------------in michigan has a large selection of scale wood products fast delivery too .but if you have a tabletop table saw with a fine tooth blade you can mill your own hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTMust Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 I wouldn't discard the idea of using balsa strips for the siding. It can easily be worked with a razor saw and an Exacto blade to achieve a weathered look...... and it takes stain well, soaking into the wood. I buy mine at Michaels using their discount coupons and that makes it very economical. I usually buy the 3" or 4" wide x 36" long pieces x 1/32" thick, and cut it down to the size of the strips I need. Precut strips are too expensive by comparison.But Basswood (also available at Michaels) is best for structural work such as framing, rafters, etc. All you need is Elmers white glue to "stick it together". (Even cheapy dollar store "school glue" will work fine but usually takes longer to set up firmly.)Personally, I use coffee stirrers for fencing and stuff like that, but I find they are usually too hard a texture to really weather successfully if you're looking for the "dilapidated" look.Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 But Basswood (also available at Michaels) is best for structural work such as framing, rafters, etc. All you need is Elmers white glue to "stick it together". (Even cheapy dollar store "school glue" will work fine but usually takes longer to set up firmly.) I use the Elmers Carpenter Glue for my scale woodwork. It comes in the same type of bottle that the white glue does, but is a yellowish color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTMust Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Tom...... Sometimes, for real structural strength, I also use Elmers Carpenter's glue ... but it dries very hard with that yellowish color, excess is hard to remove and it is difficult to cover with thinned out stain. White glue though dries almost clear and any excess is easier to remove, either by sanding or slicing off with a sharp Exacto blade. I personally find the strength achieved with Elmers white glue is more than adequate for most purposes (and it's a little cheaper!). Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterNNL Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Tom,I used basswood where it was applicable when I built my 1925 Indian gas station dio this past spring and used Loctite superglue gel almost exclusively.I am not patient waiting for stuff to dry and will somtimes put the superglue on one surface and "kicker"on the other.The alignment has to be right on the mark for correct alignment the first time but it surely speed up construction.Another suggestion would be to have some small clamps handy to hlod the beams tight togeather reguardless of what adhesive you use. Of course everyone has their own methods that work correctly for them.I would suggest testing diffrent glues until you find what works right for you and the project.I have looked at that same set of plans on line more than once and given serious thought about doing a post and beam barn.There are a lot of those barns around here built in the 1880's.A lot of those still have their original slate roofs.Unique to only the barns in this area I'm told are those with the family name spelled out in contrasting color slates.This was a common thing done by the Eurpoean German ancestors of those early immigrants coming to this part of Ohio in the mid 1800's. Be sure to post your progress here so we can all follow along with the build and most importantly....have fun with it! Tom Woodruff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTMust Posted November 27, 2013 Share Posted November 27, 2013 A correction........ I just realized I referred to using 1/32" thick balsa for siding. That's because I build in 1/32 scale...... so the siding is about 1" thick to scale! Obviously the thickness of the balsa should reflect the scale in which you are building! Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jzaaijer Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 I found these coffee stirrers at Staples. They cost $ 1.99 for a 1000 sticks. I built several structures with it. They look good just as it is, or stained or painted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 I found these coffee stirrers at Staples. They cost $ 1.99 for a 1000 sticks. I built several structures with it. They look good just as it is, or stained or painted. you are spot on , those are perfect on scale i always use coffee stirrers , usually i ask if i can take a handfull in certain places , like ikea those are all warped and imperfect they are perfect for a old barn , but those you show are perfect for just about anything .. i was about to search for boxes to buy like that myself (here in holland) schep as .. if you could buy that in a modelstore you would pay like €€€ or $$$$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jzaaijer Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 i was about to search for boxes to buy like that myself (here in holland) $ Richard, I found them at staples.com, for $ 2.99. About 70 % of the sticks are good to use. A few are warped, but some you can still bend back to a more useable shape. Some have nice woodgrain in it, makes it look very real! What I particullarly like about these sticks is that they have square ends, not rounded ends. Plus you can cut them to size with scissors if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Great idea with the coffee stirrers . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Richard, I found them at staples.com, for $ 2.99. About 70 % of the sticks are good to use. A few are warped, but some you can still bend back to a more useable shape. Some have nice woodgrain in it, makes it look very real! What I particullarly like about these sticks is that they have square ends, not rounded ends. Plus you can cut them to size with scissors if needed.i'm in holland but .. i already found a box with 10.000 sticks for 18 euro's lol thats nothing then i have 10.000 sticks (whow)also found the 1000 sticks boxes for like 2 euroso i will be ordering a box of 10.000 i think loland that way i dont have to beg for some at the coffeeshop or ikea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jzaaijer Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 i will be ordering a box of 10.000 Wow! 10.000! You can built a model of the Eiffel Tower with that many! :-) Good deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmobie Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 Thank you all very much, what a joy to have so many "friends" who are so knowledgeable and willing to share. Walter O'Brien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 whell i dont have to order yet i was picking up a container and the guy asked if i wanted a cup of coffee , so they had wooden stirers and i started small talk about the fact i just looked up those stirers to buy them for modelbuilding , when the guy said whell take this bag full of .. i recon its about 1000 pieces .... i said are you sure ?? yeah we have loads more he said .. so for now i'm stocked .. when i run out i wil def/ order 10.000 so in the coming years i wont have to worry about running out haha and walter > thats what this hobby is about right ? being enthousiastic about other builders work and idea's , get inspired by others and share your own idea's to inspire others at least thats what this particualair forum did for me , in the short time i'm here i noticed i got so much inspiration from the awsome stuff i see .. lets say its a classic case of monkey see monkey do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaughn Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Hey Walter. I used craft sticks for the siding and lantana wood for the post and beams. Some shaving of the sticks and splintering the wood gave it a more realistic look. And of course some aging with dyes etc. Type in "Old barn with 30 Packard" in the search window and you can see what I did. Stir sticks,bass wood,craft sticks...all will work. Whatever you have just give it a try. Good luck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmobie Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 Thanks again for all your help. I visited my LHS and while looking at the bits and pieces section and there it was, most of the wood I will need, just like at least one of you mentioned. Along with coffee stirrers, what about paint stirrers? Combined with the coffee stirrers and split in two, could they be an answer for a board and batten type of siding? Walt O'Brien Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 yes i use paint stirrers also usually as a base so i have something steady and thick to work on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apriliadan Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Walt, what is the scale you are working on? Do you have a scale ruler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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