HO Log Shanty

[gin sot]

I've been working on another HO scale cabin.  While not attempting to faithfully duplicate any particular prototype, I was following the general practices used in the southeastern "negro cabin" vernacular.  This painting by William Aiken Walker illustrates many of the conventions: small log structure, leaning chimney made of sticks and mud (and propped up with poles), and a few rows of very long shakes rather than a fully shingled roof:



Some other conventions of contemporary housekeeping are also on display: an assortment of empty barrels lying about, raccoon hide drying on the wall, a cauldron over an outdoor fire, a plethora of washtubs.  There are plenty of historical photos documenting conditions similar to Mr. Walker's depictions-- I found a great selection of appropriate reference photos in the Florida Photo Archives.  Very rough surroundings, but common enough at the time to be a stock setting for postcards, literature, stage productions, and advertising.  I figure that's enough to warrant inclusion into my miniature world.

I began with 1/8" square basswood stock, first shaving the corners off, then working the material into a round cross section with coarse sandpaper.  All sanding was done lengthwise, then the stock was brushed with a brass brush to emphasize the grain structure.  Next I cut individual logs, trimming the ends to resemble axe cuts. The logs were then stained.  After they dried, I constructed the pen structure.  When the glue was fully set, I cut and shored the door opening:



The next steps were to build up the gable ends and purlins to support the roof, then fill the cracks between the logs.  The local practice on the real structures was to close the gaps with scraps of whatever wood was handy: bits of lumber, sticks, sawmill slabs, etc.  As is so often the case, sloppy in real life procedure required fairly meticulous effort to model.  I would up rummaging in the scrap box for appropriate filler material.



Here's a view of the opposite gable end:



Now it was time to install the roof.  In the past, I've used thin cedar stock, but that didn't seem quite right for this structure.  I also wanted a complete model in short order and couldn't spare the time it would take to bleach the cedar in hydrogen peroxide.  Paper shakes didn't seem like the right solution either, since the obvious contrast between stained/grained wood and paper painted to resemble weathered wood can spoil the illusion.  So I tried slicing thin strips of balsa from the edges of sheet material, again from the scrap box, then cut them to length and stained them.  I cut me a big ol' pile of 'em so I wouldn't have to go back and do more halfway through:



After the roof was battened down, I cobbled up a stick frame for the chimney extension.



Now I need to get the cracks in the chimney stuffed up with clay and get this thing set on a base so I can detail the scene.

[finescalerr]

I really like the walls. The logs and filler scrap are very convincing. The shakes, by contrast, seem much too thick and, to my eye, detract from an otherwise excellent and accurate model. Am I misinterpreting how the roof should look or do you think it would be worthwhile redoing it? -- Russ

[gin sot]

I think they may not appear grossly out-of-scale under proper lighting, in a scenicked context.  I also think my extreme close-up isn't doing it any favors.  If I get tired of looking at it, I'll sell the damn thing on Etsy and build another.   

The effect I was going for was similar to a board-and-batten arrangement, but on the roof, so two overlapping layers of shakes seemed appropriate during construction.  As far as the color and texture of the simulated shakes, I'm pretty happy.  The balsa looks better than paper and better than any of the cedar I have on hand.  I think next go round I'll just use a single layer, it ought to look rustic enough without doubling them-- it's that overlapping that makes them so wonky. 

Wood glue was the only adhesive used on this model, and it's much stronger than the wood itself, so an attempt to remove and repair the roofing would probably destroy the entire model.   

Here's a few cherry-picked photos of rough roofs to compare with the model:



Compared to this specimen, I don't think I'm terribly far off the mark for HO scale.



This photo was one of the assortment I based this model on.  I think I got the semi-regular-but-still-pretty-haphazard arrangement of shakes, but the material I used was just too thick.  Again, under the right lighting, it might look okay . . . I'll try to get a couple of outdoor shots today.

[finescalerr]

Unfortunately I think your historic photos bear out my point; the model shakes are too thick. But, for goodness' sake, don't demolish anything! The cabin is very effective and I was trying to be helpful, not obnoxious. It's easy for me to sit here and nitpick your photos but, uh, where is my own latest model?

I will conclude my comment by saying that, had I built the cabin, I would be proud of it.

Russ

[mabloodhound]

Yep, everything said is right on.   Keep this model, it is one fine specimen and for the next one keep looking for a thinner shingle material.
I have seen some made from the cedar sold for wrapping foods destined for the outdoor grill.   Not tried myself but may be thin enough.

[gin sot]

Dave, I need to try some of the grill cedar.  My present supply includes sheets from Sierra Scale Models (~.005", thin enough that a fairly good amount is unusable due to holes in the grain) and some that came wrapped around fancy cigars (~.015"-.020", if my eyeballs are calibrated properly).  I tried using the cigar wrapper material on the first log building I constructed, about ten years ago now.  I got done with the porch roof and thought it'd never do, the shakes were WAY way too thick, looks like a Dogpatch caricature, everyone would laugh at my inept modeling. 

Well, I found that roof in the scrap box the other day, and after having forgetten about it for a while, it actually looks fairly good.  Sometimes it's good to let things marinate for a while before commiting to a final judgment.

Anyway, I figured the best way to get this shake thickness issue resolved is to get back on the horse, so I have a new cabin in the works.  This one is significantly more upscale than the previous iteration-- it has two entrances (complete with doors!), and a floor!   



Yep-- an honest-to-God floor.  Ought to keep most of the snakes out.




Completed pen.




Doors installed . . .




  . . . aaand I got the gables and purlins installed.  Time to start cutting shakes.

[Malachi Constant]

Really enjoy both the prototype inspirations that you've chosen and the literal "stick built" approach you've taken to the models.  Very earthy.  Really cool little structures.  Look forward to watching this one.

Cheers,
Dallas

[finescalerr]

Lordy, this one is shaping up even better! I don't know whether this helps but when I built a similar roof I found some very thin veneer at the hobby shop and it worked perfectly. Can't find wood of the proper thickness? You can always cut, emboss, and stain index cards. Just rambling. -- Russ

[Frederic Testard]

Marine modellers here in France - and I suppose it's the same in the USA - have a nice variety of stripwood sizes available, among which one can find some very thin planks which, I think, would do the shaking job very well.

[chester]

I'm fortunate enough to be able to cut my own wood. But what I really wanted to say was that I liked the progress so far (on both structures). Have you come up with something for the chinking? You mentioned clay for the chimney.

[JohnP]

You know, the roof on #1 doesn't look too bad in the photo above where it is sitting on the left of the bench.

The wattle chimney will be a challenge. How did these things not constantly catch on fire?

This is a fun project to spectate. Thanks for sharing.

John

[Philip Smith]

Nice build! Can't understand why they wood patched those. Chinking must have been a luxury??   

My 2 cents comment~ Dry cedar shim packs from local lumber yard make fine shingles as they are already tapered. Green shims are almost impossible to cut with a hobby knife.  A belt sander makes quick taper to the next row as the 1st is cut off for use. Most manufactured scale product are the same thickness ruining the appearance when nailed down with glue.

Philip

[gin sot]

Really enjoy both the prototype inspirations that you've chosen and the literal "stick built" approach you've taken to the models.  Very earthy.  Really cool little structures.

Thanks, Mal.  I want my models to make sense from a structural standpoint.  The only shortcut to a proper log structure I've been able to figure out is to not take shortcuts.

when I built a similar roof I found some very thin veneer at the hobby shop and it worked perfectly.

Marine modellers here in France - and I suppose it's the same in the USA - have a nice variety of stripwood sizes available, among which one can find some very thin planks which, I think, would do the shaking job very well.

My 2 cents comment~ Dry cedar shim packs from local lumber yard make fine shingles as they are already tapered. Green shims are almost impossible to cut with a hobby knife.

The lady of the house has a nice work area (nicer than mine) where she does her scrapbooking and papercraft.  I sometimes use this area when she's elsewhere, since it's near the computers and has good light for taking pictures.  After I got done with the roofing today, I came up to take some photos and noticed in her pile of materials a stack of gorgeous cedar veneer that was far superior to my materials.  Too late for this project.

I need to find out where she got it ....

The wattle chimney will be a challenge. How did these things not constantly catch on fire?

Oh, they did, often enough to be something of a running gag in the contemporary media.  I've noticed that in reference photos, the stack portion of the chimneys often leans away from the pen, sometimes so much so that wooden props are visibly holding up the stack.  I suspect the plan in case of fire was to run outside and kick the prop out so the burning stack would fall away from the house.  A bit of judicious charring is in the cards for both of these models.

Have you come up with something for the chinking? You mentioned clay for the chimney.

Nice build! Can't understand why they wood patched those. Chinking must have been a luxury??   

In the Florida vernacular tradition, wood scraps and battens were for some reason used far more often than clay; this habit is well-represented in the photographic evidence.  The indolence of the local inhabitants, black and white, was absolutely legendary, and I'm sure there was a certain reluctance on the part of the builders to hauling enough heavy clay to the building site to seal the whole house.  Certain areas of Florida didn't have any appreciable local source of clay at all.  Clay was indispensible for daubing up wooden chimneys, of course.

In the past, I've used straight Durham's water putty for chinking daub, which replicates yellow clay very well.  On this project, I've been starting with a base of Durham's and mixing in dry red clay and sand, both of which I dug up, roasted, and sifted.  Once dry, the end result is softer and chunkier than straight Durham's, and redder of course.  I'm going to use this variation to suggest different locations, where the inhabitants had different clay bodies to work with.





The shakes on the Mk. 2 Hovel are cedar cigar wrapper material, stained with the obsolete and oft-maligned alcohol/india ink wash, then hit with a tannish-gray wash of thinned acrylic.  I accidentally left the flash on for this photo.  It flattened out the appearance of the roof a bit, but to be honest, I think this roof is, if anything, too even and maybe not rusticated enough.   

The magic camera eye also reveals a bit of fuzz, one of the pitfalls of using balsa as a scale modeling medium.  I should probably be a bit less cavalier about that sort of thing.   





3/4 view showing the shuttered window opposite the chimney end.  I should probably hit those bright boards with a wash to tone 'em down a bit.





Here's the other side.

I still have to add hinges to the window shutter, and still need to darken the inside of the chimney to suggest charring and soot blackening, and need to get a splash line of red dirt up onto the lower portion of the house (not to mention building a base and adding enough junk to make it look lived-in).

[Ray Dunakin]

That really looks good. I especially like the chimney.

[Ken Hamilton]

That's a really neat looking structure.  Nice color & texture (the chinking especially).
The whole building is very convincing.
Great job.