A Railway Building, the 'Mikey' Way...

... Inspired by our Mikey's many fine structures made from various items of scrap etc, I took an opportunity this weekend to make a start on a building of my own.

With some fencing mesh cribbed from a neighbour (who was happy to be rid of it) I made 2 of these:



Can ya tell what it is yet? The mesh was bent by holding it in a 'Workmate' type bench and pushed over using a big plank to try and keep the bend even.

So with 2 of those, and a couple of extra pieces made from the same stuff (wired together using brass craft-wire) we get this:



Still don't get it? OK, try this:



Yeeesss, it's going to be the new (but eventually dilapidated) engine shed at Scampington station. But what about walls, roof etc? Well, I have had for about 17 years, some old baby milk containers maturing nicely at the back of my garage. These are large, and the metal is easily cut into 2 strips each about 3 inches wide with some decent tin-snips. These strips were then cut into roughly 4-inch sections, and hung on the framework (by cutting recesses into the strips where the vertical runners are, and bending the strip over the horizontal runners (with a small overlap all round) - thus:



The wooden 'door frame' was an old piece of batten from somewhere under my stock cupboard, where I keep all the old 'rocket' sticks that regularly rain down on us in the month of November (and October, and December, and New Years Day, or whenever some little git gets the notion to set off a firework around our way) - all good scratch-building/bashing material, and free to diligent collectors. I liberally coated the wooden pieces with some thinned fence preservative - obviously not creosote, cos that's illegal and I don't want any letters from "Ambulance Chasers 4 U" acting on behalf of some hapless woodlouse that poisoned itself by taking a chunk out of my engine shed door frame....

Here is further progress on the wall cladding from the other side:





So today, with all the walls clad, I had the opportunity to position the building back in place, to see how it looked:



After that, a lick (or spray) of paint:



I deliberately didn't completely coat the metal, as I want the rain to be able to get at it and gradually seed rust-streaks and patches over the sides, through the paintwork. This will I hope look the part once it takes hold, and I will have my intended 'run-down, dilapidated' look.

For the roof, I wanted a 'corrugated iron' look to it. I have a 'corrugating machine' but it flatly refused to touch even the soft steel of the baby-milk tins. So I went for another alternative - baked bean tins. These are stiffer to cut, but they do have a band of corrugation effect round their middle. Fortunately, I have a secret stash of these, also salted away under my stock cupboard next to the big old bunch of firework sticks. When cut and overlapped and glued and bent over the runners, look like this:



The clamps are of course holding the pieces together whilst the glue cures.

So there is the progress so far, and with only one minor casualty - me. Handy hint number 52: Always wear roofing gloves or gardening gloves or similar when cutting sheet steel, otherwise you will end up with a hand looking like this:

Excellent Clive! If you're like me,theres a far greater feeling of satisfaction when you create something out of bits and bobs instead of buying it ( not that theres anything wrong with that of course)

mikey

clive_t wrote:

.......obviously not creosote, cos that's illegal and I don't want any letters from "Ambulance Chasers 4 U" acting on behalf of some hapless woodlouse that poisoned itself by taking a chunk out of my engine shed door frame.....

I miss a bit of good Brit sarcasm stuck here sometimes.

I am well behind in the project league and I look forward to see how this building develops (or degenerates nicely) with exposure to the elements.

The mesh frame construction is an interesting idea.

carl hibbs wrote:

I am well behind in the project league.

Says he (short of sarcasm) with his Skeleton Edrig : Potential New Regner? and multitude of exhibition bookings???

B

clive_t wrote:

...
So there is the progress so far, and with only one minor casualty - me. Handy hint number 52: Always wear roofing gloves or gardening gloves or similar when cutting sheet steel, otherwise you will end up with a hand looking like this:

You're obviously not into live steam yet as you'd have burns to add to the equation

B

BTW

If you're ever in a potential BURN situation, I would recommend getting dressed before calling the "POMPIERS" ....



B

Not finished yet, but one half of the roof is now done:



Note the rather cheap-n-cheerful 'roof vent'! All fashioned from bent tin cans...

And the other side is half-way there now too:



You can also see in this pic that I have added a drip strip over the entrance. This hasn't been glued yet, as I am in two minds whether it will remain - I need to see the doors in place first before I make a decision on that. To do that, of course, I first need to make them

Roof now complete, and with a bit of good fortune and fair weather tomorrow will be sprayed:

Well I wouldn't call it fair weather, but it's not raining so that's as good as I'm gonna get today I think. So, outside for a bit of spraying; I thought white for the roof (on account of it's not a spray I use often, and I am reserving my other sprays for other use). Any road up here's the result, with the shed back in situ, and a very appreciative tenant already:



I am now considering the doors and how to make them, what materials to use etc. I have some ideas already, so 'watch this space' as they say!

nice one Clive! I am definately 'borrowing' your baked bean can roofing idea, had to google to make sure that corrugated metal was around in France in 1910 (yes started being used in 1865).
I phoned my mate who has a hotel, requesting him to save the catering size cans for me! I will give the idea back when i've finished with it.

mikey

Today I finally got the thing finished. Forgive me Mikey, for I have sinned - I found myself needing to splash some cash yesterday on a set of hinges (about 3 quid's worth) to fit the doors on - the doors, however, are made from gash trellis wood and firework sticks - the little access door is made from ice lolly sticks

So here's the end result - the roof and walls have been 'pre-weathered' with a wash of yet more thinned 'creosote substitute'



And it seems to be to the liking of our resident U-class:



All that needs to happen now is for an exceptional British summer to complete the weathering for me...

Blooming marvellous Clive.

That reminds me so much of the 'shed' at the end of Laurence's Brickworks in Priory lane Bracknell in the late 1960's
I housed all their 2ft gauge engines, 2 Listers and a Ruston.

Memories.....

Aw Clive.Hinges? Couldnt you have dismantled a kitchen cupboard!

the doors are excellent.Roll on the rain!!

mikey

mikeyh wrote:

Aw Clive.Hinges? Couldnt you have dismantled a kitchen cupboard!

No, sadly the wife was looking...

Resurrecting an old thread if I may - I took the opportunity this evening to take a photo of the engine shed one year (and one month!) on from its completion:



The rust is now starting to show itself through the paintwork on the roof (and to a lesser extent the walls also). The effect is well on the way to being my desired 'dilapidated engine shed' look.

Looking good Clive, (I nearly said Mikey)

thats really looking the business now Clive. Sure there's not a sad, rotting old engine inside?

Mikey

No, but i am confident that a large, rather belligerent house spider has taken up residence...

Be great if he leaves you some nice webs. I've never been able to model them!!

Mikey

clive_t wrote:

The rust is now starting to show itself through the paintwork on the roof (and to a lesser extent the walls also). The effect is well on the way to being my desired 'dilapidated engine shed' look.

Rust? Are you sure some more of that "creosote substitute" didn't find it way onto the shed?

It looks great.

Looks like a typical Normandy farm shed, excellent.

They have a passion for corrugated iron roofing on non domestic buildings.

Same down here. On the way to Bergerac on sunday we passed a full sized windmill made completely of corrugated. dont know if it was a working one or just for decoration, but 'pas jolie'!

Mikey