This looks handy for something…

[Phred]

Best get some detail on the inside while I can still turn the thing upside down. Starting with a floor made from bits of an old timber venetian blind. A couple of timber strips will stop the floor pushing in too far when I glue it in place later.

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Here is the floor just sitting in place:

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Added a concrete door frame (inspired by Mountain) and applied grey paint:

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Sliding doors will be most practical I think. I’ll go and feed my fish while I have a ponder about it.

[Mountain]

Or roller shutter doors?

[Phred]

Mountain wrote:
Or roller shutter doors?

That might look pretty cool (and easier to make too) but I already started on the sliding doors by the time I read your post.
Might not suit the old fashioned look of this build, I don't know. When did roller doors come out?

Made some doors from shirt box plastic and cardboard strips plus started on the tracks so the doors can slide. Looks like a proper messy building site now!

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I found some leftover strips of plastic angle which will work nicely as door tracks.

Right (said Phred). I’ll knock off for the day and let everything dry/set… Bad news is, I’ve run out of Hobnobs.

[Mountain]

Sliding doors have been around for ages. At least 200 years I would have said.

Roller doors have been around for a while as old black and white films that were filmed back in the 1950's one could occasionally see them. I am sure they have been around a lot longer than that. They had a chain one pulled to enable them to be pulled up and down.
I roughly know when up and over garage doors came out as I believe my Grandad had something to do with it. I think it was the 1950's.

But yes. Some of these types of doors have been around far longer than we assume.

[Phred]

Mountain wrote:
Sliding doors have been around for ages. At least 200 years I would have said.

Ah well, this pump house should fit somewhere in that period!

We had a little rain last night. Hopefully it will settle the smoke haze from the 'hazard reduction' burns which are being carried out in anticipation of the upcoming bushfire season. We went for a walk at the local seaside on Monday, a nice day but the the haze blocked out the horizon. See below:

We can usually see the Port of Brisbane and the city high rise buildings across the bay.

But I digress...
Finished the tracks and the doors slide nicely. I also found a couple of bits in the ‘useful one day’ box to use for door handles.

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While in the UOD box, I picked out a bunch of random pieces to make some interior detail for the pump house. It probably won’t be all that visible from outside but I want it to look as if there is actually some sort of pump equipment in there.

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OK, I’ll have a cup of coffee while I stare at the bits.

[Mountain]

Now those doors look nice! Excellent!

[Phred]

Cheers Mountain!

I pulled the floor back out and painted/ assembled some interesting pieces to look like a pump or something.

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Reinstalled the floor with the machinery attached and it looks OK through the door.

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Time to make a start on the water tank to go on top. Mañana...

[Mountain]

Cheers Mountain!

I pulled the floor back out and painted/ assembled some interesting pieces to look like a pump or something.


115.jpg


Reinstalled the floor with the machinery attached and it looks OK through the door.


116.jpg


Time to make a start on the water tank to go on top. Mañana...

Excellent whatever it is! It just looks the part!

[aleopardstail]

Its the machine that goes ping...

[Phred]

Mountain wrote:
It just looks the part!

Or the sum of its parts...

aleopardstail wrote:
Its the machine that goes ping...

So that's what I've been hearing! I kept thinking the fridge door wasn't properly closed or something.

On to the water tank! Some thin cardboard cut to shape:

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I’ll use some balsa sticks to assemble and reinforce it all so I can fit a curved roof and whatnot, but the little bit of rain I mentioned on Wednesday has made things grow, so I'd better go and cut the grass (or mow de lawn, as they say in France) before it gets out of hand.

[Phred]

Went for a walk in the local reserve this morning. The birds sound amazing with spring coming on.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the cardboard pieces of the water tank are now connected together. I’ve made the tank base dimensions exactly the same as the pump house. Then when I add some outside framing it should have a nice overhang effect.

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Hopefully I'll get an even curve on the corrugated cardboard roof. Once this lot solidifies I’ll add some timber strips around the inside edges of the top to give the glue something to grab onto.

Back tomorrow with another exciting instalment!

[aleopardstail]

in the days of 3d printing, there is something wonderful about going old school, and doing it well

[Phred]

aleopardstail wrote:
in the days of 3d printing, there is something wonderful about going old school, and doing it well

Life in the slow lane, one of the many benefits of being retired.

I added the extra wood strips around the edges but forgot to take a picture. Anyway, you didn’t miss much.

One side of the roof sheet glued on:

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I’ll let that set overnight and hopefully it will hold together while I curve it over to the other side. That corrugated cardboard has a tendency to kink at the last moment.

[Phred]

Well that worked out OK:

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Now I’ll try not to touch it until tomorrow.

[Phred]

Experimenting with some paint colours this morning. Of course the edges of the corrugated cardboard played up as soon as the paint touched it. I slapped some muck on the roof to see if that would improve the appearance. Hopefully it will look better when it’s finished. Maybe I'll add a bit of rust...

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Might be best to add something to the sides to represent framing/reinforcement before I paint anything else. I’ll go and see what’s in the scraps box.