Clever Models Yard Shack

The other day I built a little Paper Model - Yard Shed that was available for free from Clever Models. It came out great. If you would like to build you own as you follow along with me, you may click here to download your own model.

I was mostly satisfied. The caveat had not anything to do with the quality of the model but my own inexperience. Clever Models has a General Card Modeling Instructions PDF I found very helpful, after I built the Shed. So, with Instructions in hand and some notes taken during/after the build of what I did, how to improve next time, follow me as I work on build two.

One of the problems that you see with Cardstock structures is that they need to be braced well to keep the paper from warping over time. Clever Models includes cardstock bracing which I added to the first build and it worked fine but I wanted to try something different this time. Something that I knew would eliminate any chance of warping of the structure down the road.

The Shed as designed by Clever Models has you fold at the corners. To make good folds they have you burnish the backside of the fold to crush the paper fibers and then fold using a metal ruler. I decided to modify this a bit. I wanted to try using some black Foamcore as a sub-structure for strength and preventing warping. If I did that then I could cut the walls apart and then simply glue the cardstock to the Foamcore. That meant a good Foamcore substructure was important.

Having decided to use the Foamcore, I wanted to try interlocking the edges so I created a dado type of joint for strength.

I drew up the building in Sketchup and the created interlocking tabs like the photo below.

I then arranged the pieces so everything faced the camera and printed them out. I glued the paper to a piece of Foamboard I bought at Walmart.

Lesson Learned 1

I made the openings for the door and window to match those on the building. The problem is that the layering of the window and door to get a 3d effect means there is a wider flange that has to be taken into account.

Below, the four sides are cut out. As I said, the openings for the door and window needed to be adjusted. Next time, I will simply enlarge them by 1/8" or so.

Here we have the foamboard assembled into a sub-structure. The version 1 shed can be seen in the photo below on the top left.

Here's one wall. The wall is made up of the printed paper which was glued to some cardstock. The combined thickness is just a tad over 3/4" so it's about right. Here, I have cut off a board from an additional sheet. I used a black magic marker to color where it goes. The idea was to have the board project out just a bit. In this case the paper is about .006" thick so that's a little over 1/4".

The other wall where I am doing the same to one of the boards. Notice the one board with the bit missing at the bottom. The black (tar paper) shows through the open place.

I broke the board. Again, the 'tar paper' shows through.

Lesson Learned 2

I wouldn't blacken the printed board but instead would cut out the entire board from the wall before gluing to the sub-structure. That sub-structure would be made black instead. That would then allow the scale board thickness to show where a knothole or broken board let you see the 'tar paper'. I would then glue the second printed sheet to cardstock so any broken boards or knothole boards would be the same thickness. For projecting boards, just to give some un-evenness to the sides. I would simply glue some paper/cardstock to the back of the added boards.

Here's a view of the two sheds. I used stain (Tan RIT Dye diluted in water makes an excellent orange stain and Doc O'Brian's Weathering Powders). Below is the original shed with the printed flat door on the left and the 3D door on the right.

Left Side

Window Side

Right Side

Front Again

Back Again

WIth Giant Hand

Lesson Learned 3

Note that the trim under the roof doesn't reach all the way to the sides. Darn. The problem was that by NOT folding and perhaps some slight difference in size on the sub-structure the trim came out short. Next time I will either cut card stock longer then necessary and just trim or probably use strip wood.

Close Up

The door doesn't look bad at all even with this really close-up. I see that I need to add a door handle too. In the future will I roll my own doors and windows? Probably not if I can get Tichey doors and windows instead. I still think it came out pretty well considering.

The point is you see people posting something to the effect that Oh paper buildings are ok in the background but I would never use them in the foreground"

I must disagree to a point. A brick building might be a problem since your eyes expect the 3 dimensions that brick have but wood? Think my little Yard Shed addresses that pretty well.

A foundation of Sorts

I found that the area I wanted to use the Yard Shed was just a bit too narrow. When I moved the shed out a bit so the engine would clear the building while passing on the track - the edge of the shed overung the cliff. What to do? Ahh. Some railroad ties and planking and I have a platform that will allow that overhang. Hey. It looks cool if nothing else. I added a small railing to keep my little people from falling off. That small deck in front gives just enough room for something like boxes of stuff, oil cans, who knows.