JV models sawmill construction

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Well I started on the sawmill kit yesterday with staining to wood. Since it's all board-by-board construction including the outside sheeting it would normally taken a long time to stain all the wood by hand and brush so I decided to cheat a little. I went to the local home inprovement store and bought a 1' 6" peice of 1" irrigation pipe and two end caps. I glued 1 end to the pipe and let it set up. I then mixed my stain solution. I used black acyrilic paint thinned down considerably to give the wood a greyed effect. I poured the solution into the pipe and then added (a bundle at a time) the wood from the kit. I caped the open end of the pipe and shook the contents lightly then I let each bundle soak for about 15 minutes. I removed the wood and set it on paper towel to dry, then dropped the next bundle in. This is potencialy a messy process so I do it over my laundry sink. It took me an hour to stain all the wood.
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
Brilliant! Great idea... :thumb: :thumb:

You could also use a screw cap end (like for drain cleanouts) but I am not sure if they make them as small as 1"?

Andrew
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Thanks,I wouldn't want to use anything bigger or you'll end up using alot of stain to fill the tube. I just used outdoor irrigation tubing. The caps are tight enough that there isn't any leaking around them and I also do all the work over my laundry tub to spillage is contained. I used the same method when I scratchbuild the trestle for my club's layout using basswood from Micheals crafts.
I'm still working on the sawmill, this weekend I assenbled the floor framing and planking. I also built the log ramp. The instructions suggest that you glue the building down to the the layout or a plywood base as you're building it. I'd rather build the sawmill and then place it on the layout, just incase I have to remove it later. I use a piece of blue insulation foam and pin the framing templates to it, along with a square of wax paper so the glue doesn't stick. This way I can also easily pin the framing in place while I'm glueing it.
I am taking pictures as I go but you'll have to wait til the pictures are developed before I can post them.
 

czwij

New Member
stupid question. how do you glue together stained wood? does whit glue hold? ACC? what do you use?
 

sumpter250

multiscale modelbuilder
czwij,
Where he used acrylic paints for his "stain", white glue, or carpenter's glue would work just fine.

Glen,
I found the head saw I had started, about 30 years ago. Here it is with a Jordan Miniatures Mack truck:
 

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Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Sumpter250 is right, I used white glue. My wife works at a superamrket and she picked me up about 10 bottles of the stuff when it went on sale.
Good picture of the saw head, I'll have to keep it in mind when the interior building comes. Thanks.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I finished the first long wall yesterday, I framed the wall using the template and pinning the wall together as I glued it. I then added the board-by-board exterior planking. When I pulled it up from the template it's a little curved (probably from the glueing of the planking on one side) but I think it will stailten out when the walls go up on the floor. This was the harder of the town walls due to a doorway but still wasn't too bad. the second wall will be framed today, then the smaller workshop walls.
One other thing. I was in at a local tool surplus store and found a package of rotary tool (like a dremel) saw blades. The smallest in the assortment is about the right size for the main saw ans thin enough to pass.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I finished all the walls (two long for the mill and three smaller for the machine shop lean-to) I also finished all six main roof rafters.
Unfortuntely, here is where I belive I'm going to ru into problems. I already ran out of 1/16" square basswood for the framing. infact I have to use some of my own wood for the last roof rafter and the roof joists and the machine shop. I cut the wood very carefully and check the scraps. There wasn't enough length in the scraps to fill in the missing parts (not even close) Now my next problem is the roof planks. I'm pretty sure I'm going to run out of them as well before the job is done. And again I haven't been frivolious with the wood there just isn't enough in the kit.
I'm starting to have serious second thoughts about this kit. Considering I'm going to have to either get the manufacterer to send more wood or buy it myself as well as the machinery inside will all have to be scratched or bought seperatly as well.
 

sumpter250

multiscale modelbuilder
Glen,
Try to make up a list of missing item, and quantity of each, and let the manufacturer know. There are many possible reasons why the content of the kit fell short, give the manufacturer a chance to stand by his product. Duting the "break", you can research sources for interior detail, and begin to collect/build them.
Pete
edit- I set up a burn for the "alpha build" of one of our kits, burned the parts, and took them out to do the build. I had failed to include one small sheet of parts, and had to go back and create the new sheet. We try to be perfect, but we are human, and we do make mistakes.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I've already done that. I sent them an email yesterday (Sunday) So I'm just going to wait for their reply.
As you said in the meantime I'm going to locat parts for the interior and Since the basic structure is completed I'm working on the placement on the layout. I might put the mill backwards from the picture so the machine shop is in the front. Man I wish I had a picture here!
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I wish I did. I unfortuntely don't have a digital camera so I;ve been taking shots with my 35mm camera as I progress along the main drawback of that of course is waiting for that film to be finished in that camera before I can post any pics.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Well in the past week I've sent two emails and a fax to the manufacterer and one email never got through, the fax number has been disconnected and I never got a reply to the second email. I contacted the mail order company that I bought the kit from to see if they can help in any way. I know it's not their problem but it's worth a try.
On the build front I've been planning the interior. I positioned the sawmill on the layout and dicouvered I'm about 2" short on the benchork but that wasn't a problem. 30 minutes at my father inlaw's and three pieces on plywood later and I have the room. I even managed to add a little bit more of the creek from the original benchwork.
I've decided to try my hand at scratchbuilding the machinery. Thanks to some plans that Sumpter250 sent me it doesn't look too teribly difficult. I'll start with the log carriage since the size of that determines that length of the track, and that in turn determins the size and location of the sawhead. I'm not sure about the edger though, it looks like the most intricate peice to make and all I have are pictures so far, no plans.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I called in sick today (I really was) and managed to finish the log carriage. All 38 pieces of Basswood, styrene, and brass. I think it looks pretty good. I took pictures of it so those will be posted someday. Now I'm working on the carrige track and the interior. I might have to change the interior around based on what my trackplan is. I'll scan the layout scematic from the kit and post it.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I scan the floor plan. This is what it originaly is supposed to look like:
akg.sized.jpg


Now because of my current track plan (already installed and ballasted) this is what I want to do:
akh.sized.jpg


The Building itself is flipped horizontaly and the interior is flipped verticaly. Basicaly the operation stays the same, just right-to-left instead of left-to-right.
. Anyway I gotta get to bed so any suggestions, comments?
 

NCMRailroad

New Member
stained wood..

Hi,
Just happened to catch my eye on your thread. Hope you enjoy building the saw mill. I did one of the exact same a few years ago and turned out pretty good. I am not sure if you put your kits on a piece of plywood or not but if not I would strongly suggest you do with this kit. I used 1/2" pressboard but you can use anything. I also read that you diluted some of your paint in order to stain the wood for the sawmill kit. Good Idea but may I suggest you use also india ink diluted with 70% rubbing alcohol? it works great! I usually dilute 3-4 drops of india ink to aprox. 1 oz of alcohol. It drys instantly and if you have a old rag, you can whipe off the excess ink. One thing I must mention though, the longer you leave the piece(s) of wood in the ink the darker it will stain. I suggest no longer than 15 seconds. If you aren't satisfied with the results after 15 seconds, wipe it dry and resoak for a maximum of 5-10 seconds the 2nd time.
Hope this helps and good luck with your construction of the Haliburton Sawmill.
Kind Rgd's,
NCMRailroad:thumb:
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Well My basic structure is completed and since I assembled it on a sheet of glass is sits flat with no warping. other than that I cannot see any real advantage to peramently mounting it to a peice of plywood.
I have never used the India ink/ alcohol method for staining my stripwood. I've always used the diluted water-based paint and this is my fifth structure to be colored this way. I find that as long as you stain all the wood before you build and stain both sides it turns out okay. The clean up is very easy as well. Again I don't really see the advatange of the other method.
I'm sure that the kit ws good for you but as I wrote before there isn't enough wood in my kit to complete it. Now it looks like I might have to build the roof using my own materials.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I started the carriage track, useing the carriage as a guide for the rails. I haven't glued it to the floor yet but will as soon as I determine how long it has to be.
On another note, with the roof missing from the kit I'm thinking of using scribed basswood sheeting to replace it. I'd glue it so the scribing is facing down and model tar paper on the top. The scibing would show the roof plnks from the bottom. I did think of using Cambell shingles but I'm not sure If a building like this (with a wood fired boiler) would risk having wood shingles.
I also have to start scratchbuilding a mill engine and a boiler. I'm replacing the kit boiler (a piece of dowel) with a cut-down riffle shell. it has the same diameter as the dowel supplied but already has the taper in it. Al I have to do is extend the smoke stack and add so steam fitting details (I'll probably scratch those too) The mill engine should be fun. I have a few pictures of the real ones as well as comercial models to give me an idea. Mostly I'm aiming for what looks right to my eye.
 

NCMRailroad

New Member
Hi Gary,
Using India Ink was only a suggestion :) Everyone has thier own approach on how they wish to paint or build thier structures. I had mentioned that I used india ink only because in a set of directions I had for a perticular kit suggested I use that method to stain the wood. Because I had no other idea on how to stain wood to give it an "natural" aging look, I diceded to give it a try.
Anyhow, as far as the roofing materials for your sawmill, My kit gave me some 1x6's (HO scale) to complete that section of the kit. I am not sure if you are aware but the kit also had water barrels atop the roof. I learnt long after that these "water" barrels (3 of them) where placed on the roof incase ever the sawmill caught on fire. Usually this sawmill was located deep in the Ontario forests near the turn of the century. Back then and where it was located, Fire trucks where unable to get close enough in order to put out the fire if ever there may have been one.
Good luck with your kit.. Hope it turns out good for you.
Wm(NCMRailroad)
 
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