Two-seat vault privy in 1:16 scale
The information for this model came from the book, The Vanishing American Outhouse, by Ronald S. Barlow.
Base
The diorama base has three layers; the top layer (A) is made from 3/4" particle board 10 inches square. I laid out the footprint of the privy and cut out a hole for the vault. The middle layer (B) is made up of 1 1/2" strips of 3/4" particle board and the bottom layer (C) of 1/4" hard board 10 inches square. I glued and nailed the layers together and cleaned up the edges with my 10-inch disk sander, I painted the top edge of the top layer Engine Black and added a frame of barn wood (D) 3/8" by 1 1/2" to the sides.
Photo #1
Shows the top layer (A) of the base and the footprints of the privy (Note how it is not centered on the base)
Photo #2
Shows a cross section of the base
A . Particle board 3/4" X 10" X 10"
B . Particle board 3/4" X 1 1/2" X 10" border
C . Hard board 1/4" X 10" X 10"
D . Barn wood 3/8" X 1 1/2" X (2 - 10") (2 -10 3/4")
E . Basswood 1 1/6" X 3/4" (to go around the vault)
Also photo #1 is showing a cross section and top view of the vault. (The two side walls are made up of four separate parts each (e, f, g, h), and the front wall is made up of three separate parts (b, d, j).
a. Wood 1/8" X 3 5/8" X 2 5/8"
b. Wood 1/4" X 3 5/8" X 2 7/8"
c. Wood 1/4" X 2 7/8" X 1 3/4"
d. Wood 1/8" X 3 5/8" X 1 5/8"
e. Wood 3/8" X 1/8" X 2 7/8"
f. Wood 3/8" X 1/2" X 2 1/4"
g. Wood 3/8" X 3/8" X 2 7/8"
h. Wood 3/8" X 1 1/4" X 2 3/4" (cut top on angle)
i. Styrene .040" X 2 7/8" X 3" (cut to fit)
j. Wood 1/8" X 1/4" X 2 7/8" (spacer)
Vault
The vault is made out of basswood 1/8" stock for the bottom 3/8" for the sides and 1/4" for the front and back with 1/8" to add thickness to the front wall to form a ledge for the plates and a 1/8" to add height to the front wall to set on and finish up with a .030" thick sheet of styrene to form up the curved bottom of the vault. I then used a disk sander to smooth up the four sides. When I cut the hole for the vault it was cut a little larger and then I lined the vault up on the layout lines and added (E) 1/16" stock to fill over to the vault leaving just enough room so it can slide in and out but stay true to the layout lines. Now I added spacers (j) to the bottom to get it to the correct elevation as it sets on the bottom layer of the base.
Photo # 3
After sanding, I primed with Mr. Surface 1000 out of the can then I did a layer of Mr. Surface 500 using a small pallet knife and painted with Floquil Concrete thinned down with Floquil air brush thinner. On the interior face I dabbed on a frisket and painted refer white and then removed the frisket.
Plans
I drew up a full size floor plan and cross sections for both front-to-back and side-to-side and a drawing of all four walls showing the size and layout of the siding. I also did a drawing for both doors. These six drawings are done on four-quad paper. Keep the width of the two side walls the same as the framing and add two times the thickness of the siding on the front and back walls.
Framing
With the finish vault setting in the base I started by pre-painting and cutting all the framing parts. Then I put together the parts for the Floor assembly (A, B,C, D, E, F, G, H). Part (E) is the bottom girth for the front wall and the connecting point for the front wall assembly (I, J) the two corner posts (I) are squared on graft paper and the top girth (J) added. The next two assemblies are the seat and the back wall. For the seat assembly (L, M, N and the seat boards) back wall assembly two posts (O) and two girths (P) need to be laid out and squared on graft paper. Part (N) is the bottom girth for the back wall and the connecting point for the back wall assembly. With the floor and seat assembly glued on the vault the two walls are added. The corner posts sit on the bottom plates (A, L) and to the side of the girth (E, N). As the two walls are added the parts for the side walls (Q ,U).are added. On the front wall add the two door jambs out of 1? x 4?that goes between the top and bottom girths. I made up the three sets of rafters and this finishes the framing part.
Framing parts
A- 2- plates 1/8" x 1/2" x 1 1/2"
B- 2- rims 1/8" x 1/4" x 3 5/8"
C- 2- rims 1/8" x 1/4" x 1 1/8"
D- 2- concrete posts 1/2" x 1/2" x 3/8"
E- 1- girth 1/16" x 1/2" x 3 5/8"
F- 1- spacer 1/8" x 1/4" x 3"
G- 2- steps 1/8" x 1/4" x 2 1/16"
H- 4- steps 1/8" x 1/4" 11/16"
I- 2- front corner posts 1/8" x 1/4" x 3 3/4"
J- 1- step 1/8" x 5/8" x 2 1/2"
K-1- girth 1/16" x 3/8" x 3 1/2"
L- 2- plates 1/8" x 3/8" x 1 1/4"
M- 1- spacer 1/8" x 1/4" x 2 7/8"
N- 1- bottom back wall girth 1/6" x 1/2" x 3 5/8"
O- 2- back corner posts 1/8" x 1/4" x 3 3/4"
P- 2- back wall girths 1/16" x 3/8" x 3 1/2"
Q- 2- side wall top plates 1/8" x 1/4" x 2 7/8"
U- 4- side wall girths 1/16" x 3/8" x 2 7/8"
V- 6- rafters 1/8" x 1/4" x 2 7/8"
Photo #4
Shows the framing parts and some of the basic dimension
One piece siding
14- Floor boards 1/16" x 1/4" x 1 1/2"
7- Seat boards 1/16" x 1/4" x 3 5/8"
24- Roof boards 1/16" x 1/4" x 3 3/4' or 4"
Vault vent
1- 1/4" x 1/4" x 5"
2- 1/16" x 1/4" x 5 9/16"
2- 1/16" x 3/8" x 5 9/16"
The top of the vent has two end walls
2- Vent roof boards 1/16" x 3/4" x 1 1/2"
Boards for top of vent 1/16" x 1/4" and 3/8" stock
The screen is fine brass screen, I think I got it from Kemtron. (P. S. Co.)
Interior trim
1- Trim under seat 1/32" x 3/16"x 3 5/8"
1- 1/4 round trim on floor small x 3 5/8"
Lids 1/16" x 1/4" stock (add wood handle and hinges)
Photo #5 and #6
Show the finish framing
Siding
The prototype used 1" x 4" T&G flooring. To simulate this on the roofs, floor boards and the seat, I used 1/16" x 1/4" basswood. On the four walls and the two doors I used my three-layer system with a center layer of .010" clear styrene and an outside and inside layer of 1/32" x 1/4" pre-painted basswood. I cut the clear styrene for the four walls and the two doors using the drawings for size and shape. Now with the piece of styrene lined up on the drawing, I start adding the interior siding using the quad lines on the drawing to keep the siding straight and true. Turn the piece over and add the exterior siding using the back of the interior siding to keep straight and true. The siding is tongue and groove so you don?t want to see light coming though the joints. Try to keep the joints tight. If you don?t add corner trim on the corners you well need to cut in a piece of trim to cover up the three layers of the wall.
Photo # 7
Shows the four siding walls
Finish work
Add 1/16" x 1/4" trim to the door and windows.
Add 1/16" x 1/8" trim around the under side of the roof boards.
The prototype used prepared roofing. I used a 1/2" scale corrugated paper on my model (On this forum see thread peeling paint on corrugated paper).
The two doors used doll house hinges. The door handles are scratch-built.
The privy was painted with Floquil Reefer White and Caboose Red out of a rattle can.
Ground work
It starts with a thick coat of white glue on the base, then I add a layer of coarse sand and add Woodland Scenics fine and coarse ballast and fine ground foam (both soil and earth colors). For the flora, I used moss, clumps out of a brush and dead sagebrush trigs. The fence has a wood frame with the corrugated paper.
Photo #8, 9,10, and 11
Completed model.
Gordon Birrell Scratchman
