Saturday, 10 April 2021

The Fireplace and Cupboards with Bookcases A Scratch Build Produced by BEANO BOY

As a child i made my own toy buildings out of cardboard by recycling our meager weekly grocery box into make believe forts and castles. Of course these tongue between teeth endeavours of rather concentrated hurried, excited thinking, with their odd sized scissor cut-out things,bent in all directions would never have any prize placed upon them, by the Arts that Govern Society, but they were my humble beginning at making do with what i was due, by using what my small grubby little hands came into contact with. Yes like many before me in their over active mind of childhood these things were indeed perfect and well worthy of the purpose that they were designed and intended for. Yes i could freely playout aloud in the 1950's,while making fun-time playful moments of tender age fun. 



The far ends of the cottage are to be modeled and filled in with furniture as described in the title.  


Picture Framers Paper Card is a good medium to work with.



                                      This shaped card clips into the cottages inner wall.




                                            Trusty to use is my thick water proof  p  v  a glue.



                                           Three inches in length it fits into place upon this dry run.
                                           A dry run is checking out each added stage fits.
                                           After all there is no sense in making the complete thing 
                                           than having to bang it into a space not fitting for it is there?


      The basic construction for instance will involve making a simple box by adding the pieces needed.


                         And so it was that it soon became able of free standing in shape and design 
                         and the chimney breast was looking fit enough for its intended purpose. 


                                 The actual size 7 and a half by 5 and a half cm, and this will clip 
                                 neat and tidy into the cottage inner end wall.


                                                 The chimney breast creates the depth to the wall.





                                                                       The outside of the cottage



                           The two cupboard tops were added with a slight overhang at the front 
                          which all wood furniture should have.So the box gradually took shape.



            Sir Percy ,discoverer of strange new worlds seems quite happy with the unfolding work.


   The first side panels to each bookcase was stuck in place upon the side of the chimney breast,and the       outer sides awaited their turn to be fitted next. 


A thumb and fingers are natural tools to use be it holding the camera or pushing the next piece upright  square into its place.




     i checked for square using my old blue plastic set square.





The marking out  corresponds spot on.



    i often mark-out and then change my mind.  Here i decided to ignore the top mark as i realised dear         me,i did not need it. Such is the pattern of scratch-building. The artist author is always totally in charge

                                                          
For instance the fire-opening required more cutting out to gain a proper looking size.So i did just so.


The sloping hearth sides and back wall were built up and the cast-iron fireplace            
 
front that reaches up to ceiling height was added.                                                      


My non slip safety ruler with finger and thumb channel avoids fingers flying off any work table.


Recycling thin paper-card packaging that comes in near on for free.




               So it happend that the scribed out cupboards doors and drawers were stuck into place. 







Shrinking books down in size by using the P C and Printer.


Bits and pieces stuck together meant the books were only a few snips away.


The books copied and printed to the required scale. 8 and 6 mm in size books,but all is not how it seems.
The cast-iron fireplace was removed. i decided that this piece would remain loose fitting in order to make the painting much more easier.


The undercoat is my own mix of wet water and the cheapest acrylic black paint. Wet water is water,glue and paint. Sometimes with a drop of washing up soap,but not in this case.



The fireplace having been replaced but still loose fitting  and with the strips of books slotted into place were fitted as a sample case only.



The cardboard cut out sections to all the books having been cut and glued up, gave depth to them all.

There was still lots to do, and that would involve a slight change to the cupboards.
 The hearth front was needing cutting out too,and  the cupboards and bookcases need painting too.


This being my second time at being able to plant a faint whisper of my home spun  escapades here above,while i had forgotten deeply in muddy confusion upon how i managed the first one at all with my full mitts of scribbled shaky well rehearsed hands! For just who is this fellow with battle scared hands?



     The unpainted Mantle-piece is seen above.

                         The books fit snugly into place upon the shelves of elevated learning.


    Showing the makeup of all the 8 X 6 mm  Books. i decided that they would look much better made          this way rather than just having straight lengths spanning across the book case.


                                   THE TINEST BOOKS THAT i EVER DID SEE TO MAKE










                                                              Making the fireplace hood.



It is only curved paper that was formed by using a paint brush handle,and cut to over size.



            Sure it needed trimming but here it went into planned place onto the white glue.



            The finger again came into natural play pressing it lightly into curved display.


             Cuts and trimmed edges were simple stuck down without any bother.


       In my minds eye i knew that this would harden up nicily when painted.




An so it was that another loose fitting sample was put into place. 



So that which would become the cast-iron hood to the fireplace was very easy to form.  Easyer than even i thought,it being the first one that i have made. So where there is a will,there is always a way.




                                                    The ruler keeps everything square.



     The top crown which will reach the old ceiling lays awaiting the time when the glue goes tacky for        instant sticking power.


                                                        This will finish the topping a ok!


                                                    The front iron grate is now in place.



         i used the upright 45 degree angle for pressing the top section into place using the square to push it against the wooden upright upon my little work table of many a hobby. Yes and it helping here in forming a nice neat and clean right-angle.




                                                                  Fixed tight with blu tac and left

                                    OPEN BOOK COVERS ON OLD BOOKS,BUT WHY ?

A friendly fellow Member upon Benno's Figure Forum mention in banter that he thought i would have a system of actually books full of paper page adventures that could be opened and read. So in likewise jest i mentioned that i would look into it and so started another hair brained scratch building endeavour!

It was share fate however at this point my old workhorse of a P C conked out after 3 years of  reacting to my over active commands. And so it was upon a bright lookout morning even though it was overcast in darkest grey with heavy rain fall providing enough energy to hammer down nails, that my brand new PC did arrive in the ever green gardens of Fiddle Wood,                                                                                    
from Amazon with a saving of five hundred English Pounds Sterling!     i found out why later.                                                                                   





Sir Percy's entire staff,is waiting starry-eyed for the installation of that heavy black cast-iron thing,but that's ok because it being all of 1899 people had lots more patience waiting for up to date feet roasting toasting things to be installed.




Straight from The Old Glory Foundry!

And so it was Miss Stella Nibwell Inkhorn,the smallest ever of house keepers seemed fit enough to raise a pleasant smile just at the right self same time as the camera clicked. She the little lady spinster felt wonderfully well after a 28 day illness. ( That sounds familiar with the modern age of my time.) Yes,Stella could return her gaze now to that of the stars and bars above that fluttered proudly in the windy breeze of great change to come. One could say that she felt fit as the proverbial fiddle, even though never having had any inclination whatsoever in playing it along to the eventful tune of others.




This sample was marked a failure by myself, because of the rubbish painting but upon reflection  by way of viewing it a few times the look of it has sort grown upon me and making it worthy of a place here.
Anyway Sir Percy helps the scene no end, by way of his friendly pose.




a cheap T Light shown only as an example of illustration, i will add a L E D Light from my railway stash box, where i have hundreds ready to be wired in and work off a  9V model railway transformer!





Leather Bound Opened Books 
will open and shut which makes
it possible to construct tiny books 



                                                                     Ready to print out

                                          Below an added touch not at all hard to do.
A possible picture on the old wall.                              




                                                                  Alice & The Knight


                                                     You are viewing OTHER BOOKS


                               Three open book covers showing the first scaling down in size.



The back of it was painted and varnished as a sample before varnishing the whole thing.
As it looked OK,the entire little unit based upon the real one in my Dear Mothers house where i grew up with  her along with my older brother upon the pretty Hawthorn Avenue called Shorncliffe.


              The entire open book covers were shrunk down and therefore ready for printing out.

i Googled Old Open Book Covers and the reason is once printed out then cut out each would fold up and so individual books could or can then be created with paper. Even open books are possible with  my system and stacked up ones laying across others at differing angles. 

                                                                 TheRE iS tHat dEar cHiLd Alice aGain.





Well poor Alice was shrunk down in size after falling down that rabbit hole, so why not her book?







the setting of 40 in height was chosen on my P C then printed out


                                                        My first old leather bound book collection





                                                       a first few leather bound samples

Below is the old fireplace and wooden furniture along with the small glass jar of varnish i used. It dries very quickly and it is very cheap when compared with all that spray on toxic stuff,that with ones reflex action could burn, and help cough out a lung! 



I had to wait a couple of days but finally the stainless steel dress makers pins arrived and then the drawer and cupboard handles were fitted by using them.  Very soon the tiny neat and tidy books all in their rows can be installed which will complete this toy and make it pop!  Much more pleasing to the average eye that passes by.



I have been using these steel pins for donkeys years both in the example shown here, and in converting of Napoleonic 1/72 Scale toy Soldiers. Thousands of them over many years.



When it became impossible for me to handle and paint those toy figures, i returned to 100% Scratch-building and so it was i found time to create this sort of  in door stuff for my buildings using painted and varnished paper card.


I will need a clock upon that mantle that is for darn sure.  He, He, i'll make my own.






It would soon be the case that individual fresh cut old books would support the flanks of this old fireplace of cast iron and soot.



To take the photograph the inner walls that formed the double entrance hallway were removed, i was so glad i left those loose fitting into place pieces  floating about.









So it was the fireplace and cupboards were scratch-built just as i have shown. Of course the ceiling of wooden beams and the upper floor to this cottage will seal the two rooms and double doorway hallway off,and although i still want to add other things these rooms will throughout the passing of time become four secret  three inch wide rooms of my pleasant delight.



                                                          SMOKEY  FIREPLACE







 At 74 years of age this type of writing and scratch-building does keep me active and my mind bright keen with more ideas.  i would go on throughout Covid19 Lockdown creating over 12,000 books for Sir Percy's Library!  
     
Until the next one,stay safe,stay well.    BB                               

Tuesday, 16 March 2021

The Homestead ........a Wandering Metaphorical Narrative by Paul Howes

Re-edited on the 20/11/2021 and upon the 29/12/2021, both being by Paul Howes

My story is based upon ...  this modern day and age of  abortions. 

With the will of Jehovah God in the end there will be no such termination of little ones lives, and they will be returned to live on this earth a paradise which they should've had a chance to glimmer a look upon in their first day of life breathing on their own. 

i believe firmly in Jehovah God ,that they will all have a special inheritance one day very soon,

yes they will all return.

The Homestead

The Near Future

With the passing of time,and the landscape having been left to develop densely in itself after creation had indeed been put to right, it was about to change again in a most positive clean living way. And a brand new type of people not seen since Adam and Eve, in that first beautiful garden had arrived as was promised.  They being those perhaps having had no natural birth before, as we could ,or should understand it in our Bible based ideals, upon recognized termination of life and what it is? 

Psalm chapter 138 verse 16  reads, "Your eyes saw me even as an embryo "; Which proves the point.

The house near the evergreen wood-land,was an odd affair grown from the very earth that did yield without the slightest argument what it grew or what indeed it was for. 


After all the Earth could never cry out to the Sun, 'Stop me from growing unimportant things.'  Or the Sun itself being not alone in the vast universe  could ever suggest that it retire into the pitch darkness of perpetual night.  Or indeed the reflective Moon having a say upon the matter in reply. No of course not, but why would we all agree upon such strange pondering's? Well sooner or later we all learn such things about what makes everything put into place work. Well at least if we acknowledge that wonderful fact that it had been created and in fact not caused by any universal accident.

For sure they had arrived and from where i cannot tell, or even determine why at this time, so enough is just to say, that the great woodland rang out with the swinging chopping sound of the sharp iron axe. Soon to be followed by the great crash of falling mature trees. The first harvest of timber had begun in this heavy set wilderness  and  the frightened animals moved onto epic habitat spaces duly provided for them. All except the birds upon the curious wing, for sure they could live and sing well because of it. So they all but a few that migrated naturally, stayed where they had been put.

With the timber split by metal wedge and heavy hammer, soon the wood piles were stacked up high to dry, but in doing so each piece would retain its long lasting hardwood oil. Meanwhile the tree stumps were pulled out of the solid ground by heavy set oxen teams that made quite light of their determined work. Yes with iron link chain the great lump-wood roots were prised out and dragged away for chopping up for making charcoal while also extracting the lamp oil in that process too.

Plough The Field & Scatter The Good Seed On The Land... a song sung many times during my youthful days at school that i being now all of seventy-two, first attended that Dowson infant institution of trying to learn some sixty seven years ago.

And so it was that the first large oblong clearing gradually came into being, as did the house and barn, and the sweet colourful meadow land for grazing cattle and sheep, and soon the by product of growing wheat, oats and corn was stacked up into tied tight armfuls , and duly dotted upright ,stretched out in every direction upon the open field. All along with the raked in flower filled hay from the meadow for the coming winters animal feed. Sure it was at times a hard working days slog, but highly rewarding because they and many others besides would  reap what they had sown!  Bread cast upon the waters comes to mind. Ecclesiastes chapter 11

 That first house it being a fine wooden structure with double lined roof of hard red-wood shingles had slanted apex roof of pointed gables on each side with neat double glazed windows that opened inside as well as outside, in due order to buff up each individual one in shine. The lower walls having oblong windows with beautiful outside wooden shutters, and tidy inviting friendly doors, one which had a long curved up smile upon a welcome message pinned into precise place. The two chimney stacks one at either end of the building stood a standing proud and tall each stone taken from the surrounding ground that had been cleared and cultivated.  Sure enough as cleared land was acquired as intended under the plan , all of it surrounded that first homestead with sweet meadow and long avenues of cultivated fruits. 

It is now well worth the mention,

As straw had been used  in parts of the construction i well remembered the story of those three little pigs and that fearsome wolf, and i set out to dispel the myth a little. For who really was that spine-chilling beast? Or really who indeed were the three little pigs? Perhaps the world will never really get to know.

As for those that long ago under the bright stars of a promised new future that built this place, well i live in hope that they were only blessed with a handful of well earned blisters . And sure as dogs get to run and cats make their playful stand ,we will surely have plenty of those sort of constructive blisters... Of course here i write of my imagined house in my letters, but others real enough are soon to be built elsewhere all over such an entire unpolluted earth. 

 i often voice logic upon simple but also complicated matters,like for instance who would be making the glass for double glazing? Or who,and what would do such a rapid global clean up safely?

This i firmly believe in my very own figurative heart,O what bright winged larks we will all have, it being our promised everlasting future from Jehovah God. BB

Based upon the Bible truth presented at Isaiah, Chapter 65 verses 21 to 24

21 They will build houses and live in them,

And they will plant vineyards 

and eat their fruitage.

22 They will not build for someone

 else  to inhabit,

23 They will not toil for nothing, 

Nor will they bear children for

distress,

Because they are the offspring

made up of those blessed by 

Jehovah,

And their descendants with

them.




Copyright 18/02/2021

As another wave of Pandemic hits the United Kingdom 
                  29/12/2021 and countries around the entire world,                             
i bid you all to be careful out there and stay well.            
Help others if you can.   BB                                              

Monday, 22 February 2021

Fred and MayBell in The Garden presented by BEANO BOY



The garden one of five was developed in shape and form 21 years ago by Mrs B and myself BB. The main feature being the very large deep pond. Above shows Fred & MayBell and they are easy to spot.  The Spring flowers in other parts of our Fiddle Wood gardens will soon be with us now. I realise many do not have gardens themselves so i thought to show you a glimpse of mine. Nearly everything in it was made from recycled stuff that had been fly tipped into the beautiful woodland area we live in. We sure did get some funny looks from passers by,as i and my Mrs B,loaded up our wheelbarrows upon our hot and dusty collection trail. House bricks old and new broken or otherwise, builders sand and cement and even wood for making bird boxes came in for free. What was left the local council took away.




At this time of posting,stay vigilant, take care and stay well. BB

Monday, 7 December 2020

THE FORTRESS Presented by BEANO BOY






During a house clearance, my Brother asked my Wife Mrs B, would BB, like this ?  Yes,she said without hesitation he will love it. Of course she being all wise in understanding me,i did and do. Now it must be said that it is a very small object and i think it would suit well as a harbour fortress in 1/700 th Scale.

Lots of things were flying into the rubbish skip but not this item.



                                                            i am sure anyone can imagine the sea? 










It is made of heavy resin and seems ideal for my important focal needs. 

3rd Rate Ship of the Line comparison. As you can see i am struggling with my painting. BB

Thursday, 17 September 2020

PRINTING OUT SAILS presented by BEANO BOY


A4 Size Paper for The Printer. 

The Printer is a good tool to use in the world of model making or indeed toy collecting. Here i deal with windward sails of a double sided kind. 

Some guys paint toys and turn them with great skill into models of something that is ,or has been out there in the real world, however i just paint when i am able to, my little toys!

WARLORD GAMES KITS,are sometimes short of the number of sail sheets required to finish their ships. Sure you can complain and get nowhere or buy the sail sheets from them, but i put that into motion on their own on line Shop. However with postage charge i was looking at a total of £9.00 to replace one set of sails. Which is not on as far as i am concerned. So my Dear Mrs B, printed some sails sheets out for me from those that i already had. Of course she is quite clever at doing stuff like that ,whereas i am quite a peanut! However i did realise i needed the reverse print out to obtain a double sided sails sheet.

I decided as long as they were printed out like that the entire two sheets could be stuck together rather than trying to cut them out and then stick them all together.



So above are to sheets of sails that i needed one being a reversed print out.



i love to work out problems rather than spend even more money replacing that,which should have been there  in the first place. i have since been made aware that others too were short of the required sails to rig out their bought on Line Kits. So i set too, to resolve what i saw as quite an issue. Well after all ships without sails are only fit enough to go nowhere.



So being the same cut out size they just needed sticking together in order to form each double sided sail.



i used the glue above for the simple task in hand,and it is used the world over in schools and therefore is safe for use,,,,,, even by adults!


i rubbed the glue stick onto the back of one sheet and lined the other one up and slowly placed it home in the correct square away,way. While it was still damp i rolled the sheet between my finger and thumb so that gradually it formed a bow into the sheet.




This was to impress a memory into the damp paper which would help me roll out the bellowing effect of wind behind each sail later on ,on the build.


They soon dried out and were easy to cut out.




I cut them out larger than i needed with the clear headed way of trimming them to the required size later.




The picture above and below shows each side of the sails needed to complete the ship i had painted and glued up.



 A member upon Benno's Figure Forum, informed me that he had,had trouble with his printed out sails that he needed in order to finish his kit. The sails had shrunk! So i looked into it and gave him the self same advice that i have shown here including especially the rolling of the sail sheet while damp it stretches in and out the memory of being one piece.  His result was successful and he thanked me for it which was kind of nice of him. 

It is hoped that this will help others to attain the weather gauge on their ships if their sails have blown away upon the winds of incompetence .

A slight Update 11/10/2020 all sails needed for my 38 ships have now been printed out as already described here. So lots of sticking sailcloth together is ongoing. Extra work, but certainly well worth the effort involved.



                                  The support platform i made out of throw away trash!


 Have fun and stay safe,stay well.         BB