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Scratch building a replica of my wife's childhood home


mesp2k

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Sketchup rendering.

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My wife's family purchased this home in the 60s from a doctor who had it built in 1937. I have the bill of sale for the land, blueprints, a photo of the house & lists of materials, etc.

Unfortunately the house burned down in the 70's.

From left to right, 1st floor: Sun room - (french doors) main entrance; dining room (pop out): kitchen; breakfast nook (you can just about see the round table - my wife still has that table & is removing the aqua paint - uncovering the beautiful solid oak.)

2nd floor: Her parent's bedroom (opens out onto the deck); dressing room; bathroom.
This house has a ton of windows, yikes!

Oh those suspicious characters on the right are the mini carpenters (also for scale.)

Wish me luck! :waycon:

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:throb: thanks!

...turning around the right corner -

Front to back: breakfast nook; hallway to basement, garage & kitchen; garage (doors are hinged.)

2nd floor dormer: bathroom; dressing room.

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Carpenters are on a break (see previous pic)

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Thanks for describing the layout of this wonderful and exciting project! I wish you luck, but I think you are already off to a fantastic start. You already have two suspicious characters - I mean contractors - on the job.

Good luck to your wife too with restoring her family table. Is there going to be an aqua table in the miniature replica?

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Is there going to be an aqua table in the miniature replica?

Last year when we were looking thru my DW's parent's estate we found the blueprints & photo - which started a flood of memories coming from my wife: ...the saloon doors between the kitchen & dining room, the window seat in her bedroom where she would sit & read - she was about 7, the beam ceiling in the living room, & the aqua table in the breakfast nook. So anything she told me at that time I will include. Her 3 sisters have a wealth of memories also. :) I'm making a list & checking it twice!

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Mike, you're a real sweetheart on top of being a very talented miniaturist. Being able to give someone the gift of a real life recreation of their precious memories must be priceless for both you and your wife. Besides, that's a seriously cool house to rebuild in mini! The architecture and furnishings tell a story of their own about how the house progressed thru styles over the years of its life too which is fascinating. I'm looking forward to following your build and watching it come to life.

So is one of those suspicious characters, er, I mean contractors, a gardener? I'm interested in how you're going to do the landscaping. Was the house northern, southern, eastern, or western geographically? Will you be including things like a swing set or bike or tree house that were part of your wife's childhood too?

BTW, is it just me or does anyone else think the contractor on the right is kinda cute? I think it's the hair that caught my eye. He looks like he probably drives a Camaro.

Deb

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Mike, you're a real sweetheart on top of being a very talented miniaturist. Being able to give someone the gift of a real life recreation of their precious memories must be priceless for both you and your wife. Besides, that's a seriously cool house to rebuild in mini! The architecture and furnishings tell a story of their own about how the house progressed thru styles over the years of its life too which is fascinating. I'm looking forward to following your build and watching it come to life.

So is one of those suspicious characters, er, I mean contractors, a gardener? I'm interested in how you're going to do the landscaping. Was the house northern, southern, eastern, or western geographically? Will you be including things like a swing set or bike or tree house that were part of your wife's childhood too?

BTW, is it just me or does anyone else think the contractor on the right is kinda cute? I think it's the hair that caught my eye. He looks like he probably drives a Camaro.

Deb

Oh thanks Deb. Yeah my wife has plenty of stories! Landscaping - not think'n that far ahead?? I think the house faces south. Her parents rebuilt the house in the late 60s - early 70s soon after it was destroyed, but it was done in that 70s style - complete with shag rugs. Definitely not my wife's childhood memory of it.

How'd yu know he drives a Camaro Deb? LOL!!

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This is actually a great idea and should be a very fun project. Its going to be interesting to see how you go about this because I have wanted to me on something like this for the house I grew up in. Now I will be able to take notes as you go along.

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How'd yu know he drives a Camaro Deb? LOL!!

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Coz I think I dated that guy. hehehehehehehehe

Deb knows all

<wicked grin> Only when it comes to suspicious characters and muscle cars.

Deb

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  • 10 months later...

So how is the build coming along? Also, check out architectural salvage yards for birdbaths.

Well...I talked with my DW's 3 sisters - they only agreed on some of the interior design & colors - confused the heck outta me -

When the exterior is done I'll show my DW & we'll go from there - she was next to the youngest so I don't know how much she'll remember about the house?

Birdbaths - my DW ended up buying 2 big glazed plant pots - set them upside down & placed the saucer thingys on top of each - instant bird baths!

One is like a teal/aqua, the other is in deep blues.

Thanx Holly

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1/24 scale :w00t:

1st floor planned out - now I need to draw all the parts & cut them out on the cnc router. On the interior I need to cut dadoes for the floors & rabbets for the walls.

On the base I'll use the cnc router to carve the stone foundation. I'll have to do the shingles by hand :w00t:

At the left is the front of the house.

Steps enter into the sun room, next living room w/FP.

Below sun room is the dining room then the kitchen w/saloon doors, next is the breakfast nook.

Far right - garage w/hinged doors.

In between kitchen & garage - powder room (@ foot of stairs), pantry, & hallway (w/icebox) leading outdoors (convenient ice delivery?) & down to basement & also to garage.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well...my fingers are way too big to work in 1/24 so I'll be building in 1/12.

 

I don't have enough birch for the entire project so hopefully I'll have time to pick up some 1/8" luan plywood (not sure of the actual thickness tho? mm?)

 

Also the luan is easier to cut with the CNC router.

 

My plan is to build each room separately - like a box, then all the exterior walls of the house will follow.  

 

They'll be an 1/8" space between the exterior & interior walls = a total wall thickness of 3/8".  

 

The floors will be a 1/2" to 3/4" thick with space in between for wiring.  

 

The wires will plug in at the chimney so the 2nd floor can be unplugged & lifted off to view the 1st story.

 

 

The 4 walls of each room will be taped along the 45 degree bevel & glued  & also the dado section will be glued to the sub-floor:

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Here's the sunroom - 14' x 10' 6"

 

Scale in inches:

Walls: 14 + 1/4 for the bevels = 14.25, 10.5 + 1/4 = 10.75

Floor: add 1/8" to length & width = 14 1/8" x 10 5/8"

 

Simple :)

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Here you can see the double walls - 

 

The sunroom - 4 walls & sub-floor could be lifted out of the exterior walls.

 

The windows & doors will be split - interior & exterior & removable.

 

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