This one is a small one, built from a plan in my bible of plans – Structures of the Early West.’, and is a model of one built in Montana about 1875. The size of the saloon is 8.5 inches wide, and 15 inches long.



This building is interesting as it is of wooden log construction, with a planked ‘false front’ to add some extra looks. This meant I could use two different types of material; the front is made from 5mm thick ‘Korroflute’, and the rest of the shell of the building is made from PVC solid foam sheet.

The front is started by building the two sets of double doors; these have my usual scratch built windows, that uses for ‘glass’ the front of a CD case, which is just big enough for both sets of doors to be assembled on one piece.

All the construction is from plasticard, and when complete it can be used to give the measurements for the hole in the false front to be cut. The edges of the false front are partially rebated for the side walls to fit into the edges. For the walls I used 5mm thick PVC solid foam. Be careful cutting the rebate as the knife can slip into the front face. This will be enhanced and protected in due course by a right angled cover, but care is still needed.

The side and end walls are shown as ‘rough cut logs’ –that is they have been sliced vertically to very rough planks that were 12” deep and (should be) 6” thick. To make the curved edges of the logs (that was filled with cement in real life), I marked out the sides and end, then made a deep groove in the sheet, this was enlarged in size and depth with a ball shaped burr cutter in my mini- drill, not being too careful, as I wanted a line that was not very straight, and it required some wavy sections in the lines. When all had been done, and it is very messy, some clearing up will be required! Some of the planks can be marked with halving joints (I leave the lowest and the upper one in one piece with no joints) these can be cut in with the ‘Olfa cutter’ being pushed – do not pull it – this rips the sheet.


I marked out and cut the holes in the rear end for the window and door; these had been made as the same time as the front doors and used the same techniques. The holes in the sheets are always cut larger than the item to be fitted – this is to allow for the right angled sections (or make your own from sheet plasticard) that are used around windows and doors in most buildings. If you use the Plastruct sections always sand the inside of the section to a right angle – it is not when bought, no doubt being so to allow for the moulding system.

Before joining the walls together mark and plane off the top edge of the walls to the slope on the ends for the roof sheets to sit on. When the walls have been joined together , add interior some stiffening and also a cross beam in the centre of the sides as well.

Here are 3 photos of the building at approximately this stage









The cross beam can be seen; this is glued to a couple of pieces of builders plastic angle section, and increase the thickness of the walls locally to allow the fixing screws a greater thickness to go through for fixing the building down eventually. The glue I use is the tube ‘Evo-stick’ – see if you can get the tube in the blister packs – they are cheaper than the boxed tubes. Tins are cheaper but more difficult to use.



I added some small plasticard squares at the extreme ends to indicate the half joints at the corners, these can be seen on the photos They are from 1/2mm thick sheet.

Now measure for the roof and cut it to size and glue it in position. Before fitting I always add a central internal gable, and some ‘end to end’ pieces as well, these are made from the PVC hollow plastic planks that are now available – mine came from a rubbish skip, (with permission I add), and have been cut down to one hollow section width, and are glued in location, and sit on some scrap PVC blocks.

With the inner roof sheets, which are made from 3mm thick PVC solid foam, I added the ends of the inner roof timbers along the sides. All are glued in position, after adding a bead of glue along the edges of the roof/wall joint; do this inside as well to ensure your building will last, inside I usually use window frame sealant and ensure it adheres well use your finger to get it into the joints properly – another messy job!. Also add a cover of planks (of varied scrap widths when you scribe them) to the gable at the rear of the building, this is made from a piece of 1mm plasticard. Cut the bottom edge to varying depths to add to the scrap (multi) planks width effect.

Before painting roughly sand with care the surface to slightly roughen it - this is to make a rough plank finish. Now paint the logs, leaving the grooves without paint, using a bristle brush. I used several coats of different browns to give the effect of aged timber; from the compliments I received I seem to have achieved that aim, what you are aiming for is a slightly dusty, multi-coloured, old and dark brown colour – check the web, or such like and work towards that colour.The cement infill in between the logs can be painted after all the log painting has been done. I used a combination of a pale grey, and a small touch of yellow to warm it up, don't keep it an even colour, add some different tones in the different lines, by adding some more darker grey or minute amounts of a light brown. The intention is to give many shades here, make the colour quite thin, and if required go over some of it later when dry if it is not to your satisfaction. Finally paint the rear gable in multiple shades and finish it off with a wash of a well thinned dark brown colour. For new wood colours I use the Décor Art acrylics – ‘Sandstone’ & ‘Cashmere’ colours. All windows are painted a medium grey on the inside, and then varnished for added protection.

The front has a lot of extra detail – all is made from plasticard, and added with care, the arches were the most difficult, some careful measuring is needed, them make some card patterns (I use old cereal packet card here) to check it will fit correctly. The top of the ‘Korroflute’ is capped off with solid foam planks, the remaining edges have a plasticard covering; the outer edges have a ‘U’ shape that cover the edge totally.

Now the front can be painted; plenty of colour can be used here, so you can ‘go to town’ – I took the colours of the Colorado State flag for inspiration (white with a blue & yellow central stripe, with a red center to a black C), and the background color is Humbrol buff (ref number 7), with an acrylic dark green for the edges and trim. The door handles are made from glass headed pins, with a tiny piece of tube at the back if them, and glue them through a small piece of plasticard for the lock plate – cut them off short when dry, and then cover the end with a small cube of scrap.


The roof still needs its shingles; but before that a small single flue chimney stack is made from scrap PVC foam board. When assembled mark out and cut the cement grooves with a small ball cutter burr. Add the concrete flashing on top, after fitting a chimney stack; mine is a piece of scrap from an old black biro, fill the top with scrap, and seal it with a glue film, and ensure it is well glued into the top of the ‘stack. Paint the stack to your satisfaction, the it can be glued in position, using plenty of glue, add some tape, temporarily, to keep it there whilst the glue sets and leave overnight to set. Around the top and sides I add a strip of thin aluminum (ex drink cans) to replicate the lead flashing – don’t add the lower one this will come later.

Now for the shingles, and the messiest job of all – laying them! These are made from the cheapest roofing felt you can buy – it is usually called ‘shed felt’ and you want it in plain sanded black colour. The strips that are cut from the roll are 12mm deep, and for ease of laying them I cut them to about 6” long; they are marked out to half the depth at a width of about 8mm; (make and keep safe a strip of scrap marked out accordingly), using a blade type woodworkers scriber, keep it sharp, as it will very soon be blunted with the sand on the strips, and mark out a batch of them.

This building uses 15 strips, each 15” long, per side with an additional roof ridge.
Mark out the roof at 10mm intervals – these are where the strips are positioned.
To glue them on, I start with the first and lowest being glued overnight with Evostick. Leave that to dry, and meanwhile ensure that you have a cartridge of brown window frame sealant handy; this is what will be used for ‘glue’. The day after it is down to work; spread a layer on both the lower strips, and close above it, and also on the back of the shingle strips, and position it overlapping the bottom one; move up both sides together, changing sides, this will keep things even. When you get the to chimney add a strip of the aluminum foils again this time going over the upper edge of the shingles to make a ‘run off’ sheet here. Shingling is a messy job; I get sealant everywhere, and am always washing it off my hands! You can ‘true things up’ with the frame sealant as it sets slowly; wipe off using a small screwdriver any that oozes out. Finish off the ridge – I use a strip that has a half thickness knife cut underneath, to make a ‘V’ shape and glue it in position, using ‘Evo- stick’ and leave it overnight to set. Now put the entire thing away for a couple of days to allow tall that sealant to ‘set off’ properly.

When all is dry, it is again out with the paint pots – Rather than have a somewhat bland dirty black colour I add some weathering to the shingles using shades aif brown and grey. It is very much a personal thing here you can paint them a whole range of colours. All my colours are well let down with water and a dash of windscreen washer fluid, and then it is a case of ‘off you go’! This is where my drink can top palettes come into use, and a couple of cheap reasonably wide bristle brushes are used. The colour when applied is always much, much brighter then when it has dried, so do not be alarmed at the bright colour of the washes. There are several layers of colour added over a period of days, it is impossible to finish the job in one go I find, it also allows you to deal with any mistakes ‘en route’, whilst you are doing the shingles don’t forget the underside of the roof at the rear – I use an earth color here.

Here are some final photos of the saloon; this building is also going to be the basis for a Blacksmiths smithy – but that is for later.





To finish the building off I varnish, (using a solvent based varnish, not an acrylic one), the walls and front; the varnish is said to be a 'Matt' one but as usual it sets a semi matt finish. Do not varnish the windows, they are given a coat of 'Future' floor covering - this will add a gloss to them and give some protection as well. The roof is finished off with a coat of Thompsons Water Seal to make totally sure it is waterproof; the building being all plastic should be rotproof (I hope!).

It is fixed down onto its half paving flag foundattion with a couple of screws, the front of this half slab having a boardwalk made from the major part of an old flatcar body;. the flatcar bogies having been used under one of my freight cars. The boardwalk has a set of extra beams fitted under it and is then glued onto the half flag using 'Evo stick'; this has been used on my first shop's boardwalk and it has not parted from the flag yet.

I still have to give it a name, not certain of this yet, but it could be a Colorado brewery called ‘Zang’


©Peter Bunce, Oct 2005