Another Scrap-Built Building - Scampington Engine Shed

Discussion in 'Line Side Buildings' started by clive_t, May 15, 2018.

  1. clive_t

    clive_t Full Member

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    Hi all, having very recently upgraded my 'Scampington Goods Shed' thread to replace the Photo Bucks pictures with their Flickr equivalents, I thought I might add a new thread describing the creation of an engine shed using much the same techniques. As with the goods shed, I made this back in 2009.

    With some fencing mesh cribbed from a neighbour (who was happy to be rid of it) I made 2 of these:

    [​IMG]

    The mesh was bent by holding it in a 'Workmate' type bench and pushed over using a big plank to try and keep the bend even.

    So with 2 of those, and a couple of extra pieces made from the same stuff (wired together using brass craft-wire) I had this:

    [​IMG]

    When placed in its intended location:

    [​IMG]

    But what about walls, roof etc? Well, I had hoarded, for about 17 years, some old baby milk containers at the back of my garage. These were large, and the metal easily cut into 2 strips each about 3 inches wide with some decent tin-snips. These strips were then cut into roughly 4-inch sections, and hung on the framework (by cutting recesses into the strips where the vertical runners are, and bending the strip over the horizontal runners (with a small overlap all round) - thus:

    [​IMG]

    The wooden 'door frame' was an old piece of batten from somewhere under my stock cupboard, where I keep all the old 'rocket' sticks that regularly rain down on us in the month of November (and October, and December, and New Years Day, or whenever some little %$^& gets the notion to set off a firework around our way) - all good scratch-building/bashing material, and free to diligent collectors. I liberally coated the wooden pieces with some thinned fence preservative - obviously not creosote, cos that's illegal and I didn't want any letters from "Ambulance Chasers 4 U" acting on behalf of some hapless woodlouse that poisoned itself by taking a chunk out of my engine shed door frame...

    Here is further progress on the wall cladding from the other side:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    So, with all the walls clad, I had the opportunity to position the building back in place, to see how it looked:

    [​IMG]

    After that, a lick (or spray) of paint:

    [​IMG]

    I deliberately didn't completely coat the metal, as I wanted the rain to be able to get at it and gradually seed rust-streaks and patches over the sides, through the paintwork. This would hopefully give me the intended 'run-down, dilapidated' look.

    For the roof, I wanted a 'corrugated iron' look to it. I have a 'corrugating machine' but it flatly refused to touch even the soft steel of the baby-milk tins. So I went for another alternative - baked bean tins. These were stiffer to cut, but they do have a band of corrugation effect round their middle. Fortunately, I also had a secret stash of these, salted away under my stock cupboard next to the big old bunch of firework sticks. When cut and overlapped and glued and bent over the runners, they looked like this:

    [​IMG]

    The clamps were used to hold the pieces together whilst the glue cured.

    One minor casualty - me. Handy hint number 52: Always wear roofing gloves or gardening gloves or similar when cutting sheet steel, otherwise you too will end up with a hand looking like this:

    [​IMG]

    One half of the roof was complete:

    [​IMG]

    Note the rather cheap-n-cheerful 'roof vent'! All fashioned from bent tin cans...

    Then the other side:

    [​IMG]

    You can also see in this pic that I added a drip strip over the entrance.

    With the completion of the roof, the next stage was to get it back outside for a bit more spraying; here's the result, with the shed back in situ, and a very appreciative tenant already:

    [​IMG]

    With the addition of some doors, the thing was finished. The doors were made from gash trellis wood and firework sticks - the little access door was made from ice lolly sticks. The roof and walls were 'pre-weathered' with a wash of yet more thinned 'creosote substitute':

    [​IMG]

    And it seems to be to the liking of our resident U-class:

    [​IMG]

    All that was needed was for an exceptional British Summer to complete the weathering for me...

    One year later, and the desired effect was starting to show through:

    [​IMG]

    Of course, the neglect of the line as a whole over the past few years was also keenly felt here. This is how it looked a few months ago:

    [​IMG]

    With a bit of cutting back of vegetation, this was what was underneath:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Now that's what I was after!

    Thanks for looking in!
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2018
  2. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Great stuff, I like how you used rust to your advantage.:tophat::thumbs:
     
  3. Kimbo

    Kimbo Staff Member Moderator

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    Brilliant!, eviromental weathering, you cant beat that natural look.
     
  4. SMR CHRIS

    SMR CHRIS Staff Member Moderator

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    Clive Great Build and top photo set now the last couple of photos are just like finding the lost loco Shed shame you didn’t find an engine inside like in the Rev Audrey Story.
    :tophat::thumbs::tophat::thumbs:
     
  5. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    Great use of materials that usually end up in the bin!
    The last photo is amazing, it really looks the biz :tophat::thumbup:. It might be worth spraying with matt varnish to seal the rust in and stop it rotting any further.
    Well done!

    Pete.
     
  6. clive_t

    clive_t Full Member

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    Thanks all for your comments, they are very much appreciated.

    As mentioned at the top of the thread, I have amended the 'Goods Shed' thread to reference Flickr pics; the thread can be found here.

    @Pete, sounds a great idea in theory, however I suspect that it would only delay the inevitable with constant exposure to the elements. Having said that, I think it will still be a few more years yet (it's not done too badly for 9+ years constant battering), and in any case further dilapidation such as a big hole suddenly appearing in the roof can only add to the character :lol:. It may yet outlast me!
     
    Timbersurf and jakesdad13 like this.
  7. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

    ian vt
     
  8. Gloria Aldridge

    Gloria Aldridge Full Member

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    Hi Clive,
    It looks great love the weathering being natural as well it's a job well done, gives me a few ideas thank you for passing on the link.Will have a look at it Clive.Once again thank you.
    Regards,
    Gloria.
     
    clive_t likes this.
  9. Gloria Aldridge

    Gloria Aldridge Full Member

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    Hi again Clive,
    What a good find underneath the bracket looks very realistic and the weather getting to it as well.God luck with your project hope it all turns out as I expect it will.
    Regards,
    Gloria.
     

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