Hinton Ampner

[aberdare]

Duncan

 

You're certainly not hanging about are you.

 

I know with my thatched model it was quite quick to produce the building and getting it to the roofing stage, however the thatch itself takes an age. I am currently making the ridges for mine and keep having to wait for glue to dry before I bend it over the top, once I feel there is a good enough cover I will do the stitching to look like the original, I can't see any problems with doing it as yet but who knows until I get that far.

 

I also searched for ridge detail to ensure I got it right and there's plenty to look at.

 

 

Following with great interest.

 

Jim

[emt_911]

Hi emt.

With further regard to thatching. If you search "how to thatch a roof" on google  you get "Images for How to thatch a roof" right at the top of the page. This gives you some great pics and diagrams of both the real thing in action and also pics of models. The thing you most need to study is the ridge detail which is missing from Andy's pics. I will say that not all thatched roofs have a fancy stiched ridge but many do including the forge you are building and in my opinion look the beter for it. The ridge is made by bundles of reeds that are bent over the ridge and stiched through both sides of the ridge this sometimes has thin strips of square section wood running parallel to the ridge that is stiched on pulling the wood tight to the reeds through both sides of the ridge. If you go with the hanging basket liner method you could acheve this by adding another layer on the ridge and actually stiching it through the bottom layer of the liner. If you go with the string method then I would do it like the prototype.

I spent a couple of weeks back in the summer of 76 watching two thatchers re-thatching the cottage next door to the house I grew up in and was totally facinated by it even to the point of asking the thatchers if they would consider taking me on as an apprentice when I finnished school the following year, much to the amusment of my mates, nothing came of it though as I'm not great with hights.

I hope this helps.

Regards Lez.Z.

Thanks for that Lez some really useful information.

 

It's provided me with more than I had found. Time to do a bit more studying before I start the roof section

[emt_911]

Duncan

 

You're certainly not hanging about are you.

 

I know with my thatched model it was quite quick to produce the building and getting it to the roofing stage, however the thatch itself takes an age. I am currently making the ridges for mine and keep having to wait for glue to dry before I bend it over the top, once I feel there is a good enough cover I will do the stitching to look like the original, I can't see any problems with doing it as yet but who knows until I get that far.

 

I also searched for ridge detail to ensure I got it right and there's plenty to look at.

 

 

Following with great interest.

 

Jim

Jim

 

As you've said above, creating the building is the quick part of the process. I'm expecting the thatch to take a fair bit longer to get it right.

 

If I manage to achieve a good result, I'm planning to have all the cottages and possibly the pub thatched as well

[Andrew P]

Hi Duncan, yes although a vast majority would originally have been Thatch, don't for get as some rotted, got Mice or Rats or were struck by Fire, they would have been re done in an early Slate. Just a bit more variety for you.

[emt_911]

interesting thought Andy.

 

If this works though, I'm probably going to do the pub in thatch. Something a bit different.

 

On a slightly different subject, I'm going to try some pollyfilla on a scrap piece of board tonight to see if it's viable to scribe the stonework.

[ChrisN]

Duncan,

I have pondered uploading this but decided in the end that I will.

 

 

These are my 'Hobbit' cottages in roughly 1/72 scale built in a hurry.  Well you see how fast I work on my thread and this and another house were built in 3 weeks.

 

I load it up as a 'not how to do it' example.  You can see the thatch and why I was not happy with it.  I tried to comb it out to make it lay in one direction and all that achieved was to pull the threads out.

 

The other thing to notice is that I made it from 4mm ply, or maybe 3mm but not the 2mm I first thought it was when I agreed to do it.  It is covered in DAS but I did not scribe it as I thought it would look ok as a whitewashed, plastered building, which I think it does. 

 

What I was not careful about was the openings.  You can see that they are not square.  I wrapped the DAS around the openings a) to make it stick, and b) because I thought it would look better.  I did not find out until later that you stick your DAS to the wood with PVA.  If I did it again I would probably do it the same way as it gives the feel of walls a foot thick but, I would make certain I fitted the frames in first and made certain they were square.

 

I think the chimneys are Wills stone of some kind, with Langley chimney pots.

 

There are others of this parish who do this more often and get good results, Ray,(Tender) and George T spring to mind.  Hope this helps.

[emt_911]

Duncan,

I have pondered uploading this but decided in the end that I will.

 

Hobbit House.jpg

 

These are my 'Hobbit' cottages in roughly 1/72 scale built in a hurry.  Well you see how fast I work on my thread and this and another house were built in 3 weeks.

 

I load it up as a 'not how to do it' example.  You can see the thatch and why I was not happy with it.  I tried to comb it out to make it lay in one direction and all that achieved was to pull the threads out.

 

The other thing to notice is that I made it from 4mm ply, or maybe 3mm but not the 2mm I first thought it was when I agreed to do it.  It is covered in DAS but I did not scribe it as I thought it would look ok as a whitewashed, plastered building, which I think it does. 

 

What I was not careful about was the openings.  You can see that they are not square.  I wrapped the DAS around the openings a) to make it stick, and B) because I thought it would look better.  I did not find out until later that you stick your DAS to the wood with PVA.  If I did it again I would probably do it the same way as it gives the feel of walls a foot thick but, I would make certain I fitted the frames in first and made certain they were square.

 

I think the chimneys are Wills stone of some kind, with Langley chimney pots.

 

There are others of this parish who do this more often and get good results, Ray,(Tender) and George T spring to mind.  Hope this helps.

Thanks for that Chris.

 

The thatch is the bit I'm a bit worried about but I have a few ideas. As I try them I'll upload the results.

 

I like the whitewashed appearance. It looks right for the cottages.

 

Personally, I think the openings would look better if they were a contrasting colour.

 

I'm going to try the pollyfilla tonight without PVA and see how it turns out.

 

Still undecided as to whether to detail the inside as well. If I do it will dictate how the chimney is constructed.

 

I've looked at the work of Ray, George T and others for ideas and inspiration

[emt_911]

OK, as promised, my warts and all approach.

 

Tonight I've constructed a wall from scrap and covered it in Pollyfilla without using PVA. Now to let it dry overnight and see what happens when I try and scribe stonework on it tomorrow.

 

[Andrew P]

Evening Duncan, Well that's a good start, a bit like George T did on my Trebudoc Buildings, he recorded his efforts on the Trebudoc Thread, but starting way into it as it was rebuilt from an original Layout.

[emt_911]

Thanks Andy

 

It thought it would be a useful reference tool for myself at a later date of the c**k ups and successes.

 

A quote I like from Star Wars

 

“Always pass on what you have learned.”

 

- Yoda

[robmcg]

Looks good, look forward to progress, and very much like the idea of a wartime theme... lots of N15s and will there be 700s in the mix?

[emt_911]

Evening Rob

 

I'm hoping to have N15's, Q1's, WD Austerities, 700's, Schools, Castles and a few others. Some from other regions as well. There may also be a couple of EMU's as well.

[robmcg]

Great stuff Duncan, my mother was born in Guildford just up the road so I have some connection with the area.

 

None of this Yorkshire nonsense around here (that Lunester behaviour will NOT BE TOLERATED, oh, no, wait, .... )

 

Best,

 

Rob

[emt_911]

I may have to throw an LNER or LMS loco in just for the Lunesters   :jester:    

[emt_911]

I've been thinking. (Dangerous I know).

 

As far as recreating the thatch, I'm just wondering if paint brush bristles would work?

 

Something I will have to explore

[lezz01]

I've been thinking. (Dangerous I know).

 

As far as recreating the thatch, I'm just wondering if paint brush bristles would work?

 

Something I will have to explore

Hi emt.

I don't see why not although it might become expensive. You could just get a soft broom head from your local s**t...............err sorry familly show........... I mean pound shop anyway you should get a few roofs from a broom head

Regards Lez.Z.

[emt_911]

Hi emt.

I don't see why not although it might become expensive. You could just get a soft broom head from your local s**t...............err sorry familly show........... I mean pound shop anyway you should get a few roofs from a broom head

Regards Lez.Z.

An interesting thought. As long as the bristles are fine enough and the right colour it should work. Well spotted

[lezz01]

Or....use Das or another air dry clay and stipple it with a 2 or 3 inch paint brush into it while its still soft. When all said and done you only see the ends of the reeds don't you? Its only on the ridge that you see the lengh of the reeds, certanly on English thatch anyway. As for colour dark sand for new, grey brown or black grey for old. Just roll it out to 4-6mm thick glue it on to a false roof and trim with a knife then get stuck in with the big paint brush and Robert's your mother's brother. Job done. 

Regards Lez.Z. 

[emt_911]

Well, the pollyfilla has set and the first attempt at scribing the stonework has been tried.

 

 

I think it's quite a success.

 

I now need to decide if I'm going to detail the inside prior to using this technique on the real model. Thoughts please

[Physicsman]

Duncan, as you'll have seen from KL, I've tried the scribing technique, too (remember the delapidated cottage?) It's not easy to do, is it?

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53448-kirkby-luneside-kl2-ponderings/page-360

 

Don't dig too deep and don't try to make the stonework too small. I used DAS modelling clay, rather than polyfilla.

 

Good luck with the project.

 

Jeff

[emt_911]

Thanks Jeff

 

It's not too bad in pollyfilla especially using a watchmakers screwdriver.

 

Just needs a little bit of care

[ChrisN]

Duncan,

It looks good so far.

 

As for detailing the inside that is really up to what you want to do and how much time you have.  I probably will do but then I am completely bonkers.  Are you desperate to get things up and running to have a layout or is the pleasure in creating things and the railway is not incidental but gives a reason for the buildings.

 

I mean at home I just let the wife choose the colour scheme but in a model............

[aberdare]

Hi Duncan

 

So far so good, I hope it continues to go OK.

 

Personally I always prefer to add a bit of PVA to my mixes as I have had bits chip off over time in some cases.

 

I can see why you are worried about thatch too, it's not easy the achieve realistic finish, if I do another I think I may try the paint brush bristles as well, I've got plenty spare and if it works I can always get some of those cheap ones - the ones where the bristles always fall out.

 

Best of luck with whatever you do.

 

 

Jim

[emt_911]

Chris

 

Time is not an issue, so I'm probably going to do some internal detailing. I'm starting to enjoy the finer detailing so I'll just see how far it goes.

 

As the baseboards aren't going to be started till the spring it gives me plenty of time for the buildings and any kits before that happens.

[emt_911]

Hi Duncan

 

So far so good, I hope it continues to go OK.

 

Personally I always prefer to add a bit of PVA to my mixes as I have had bits chip off over time in some cases.

 

I can see why you are worried about thatch too, it's not easy the achieve realistic finish, if I do another I think I may try the paint brush bristles as well, I've got plenty spare and if it works I can always get some of those cheap ones - the ones where the bristles always fall out.

 

Best of luck with whatever you do.

 

 

Jim

Thanks Jim, I'm probably going to add some PVA to the mix, (note to self, must get some more tomorrow).

 

I've several ideas for fixing the bristles for the thatch. Some experiments to take place. Some will work and others will probably be a disaster. I will post photos of all the results.