Mail Wagon – part 11

Continuing work on the mail wagon. Here is the mock-up from last time.

I originally intended to build a working window for the front, but after considering that the small space would make it difficult to actually operate the window, I opted for faking the window instead. I cut a front following the cardboard template from the mock-up and then built the trim to fit. I will enclose acrylic sheet inside the window frame during final assembly. No sense in risking marring the acrylic as I continue to work. Even though the window doesn’t operate, I did add the holes for the horse reins.

The back wall has a slightly smaller window and is also non-opening.

After building the front, back and doors, I figured it was easier to prime and paint what I could before assembly. I started with the interior since I could start putting things together as I painted if I wanted to do so. The first coat on the interior was Camel by Folk Art mixed with Staining Medium by Americana. After a light sanding, I added a second coat using Honeycomb by Folk Art mixed with Staining Medium by Americana.  I followed that with a light coat of Delta Ceramcoat Satin Varnish. These layers give the look of varnished wood.

It reminded me a lot of the Model T wood portions as shown below, which would fit the era well.

I cut a solid floor and then scored lines to mimic individual boards. Much less fiddly than trying to use actual planks. This is painted to match the remaining interior.

Categories: Ivy Hollow RFD, Model Cars, Vehicles
November 21, 2019 | 0 comments

Ivy Hollow – tiny parcels

Now that we have seed order form mailers and catalogs, we are receiving packaged goods! At The Miniature Show in April, I bought some packaging kits from Looking Glass Miniature.

I used this kit for its parts. It was nice to have the Fragile labels and shipping tags for post office stock. For parcels, I wrapped wood blocks in the kit’s kraft paper and twine, using old labels found online. Obviously, parcel post labels are harder to find than old letters and postcards as the wrapping would usually have been discarded. :]

Categories: Ivy Hollow RFD
November 18, 2019 | 0 comments

Ivy Hollow – postmaster’s desk wall, part 2

Continuing work on the back wall. I figured I would need more pigeon holes, because having a post office for only 15 mail customers seemed a bit of an extravagance. I modeled the additional pigeon holes after the ones made for the postal teller, making them a little deeper and having 40 on this back wall unit. I think I held my breath while cutting the thin slits to fit the parts together, but it worked! There was so much cutting and prep work beforehand, I was not looking forward to having to do it all over again.

I think 55 post boxes is more in line for a one-wagon rural post office. It might not be enough for a true post office, so I remind myself this is a mini approximation. :D

Instead of painting after assembly like I did with the postal teller, I painted and sealed the strips individually. This was so much easier than trying to get a good finish in the tiny pigeon holes. Wish I had considered this when I made the teller.

On the opposite side has shelves for packages. The postmaster could put a package slip in the box for mail that wouldn’t fit. I adapted a 2″ Houseworks kitchen cabinet for these shelves, mirroring the modifications I made on the opposite side of the window, but this one does have a working drawer.

I painted the cabinets to match the other woodwork. Right now, the pigeon holes are not attached to the base cabinet. I need to add the box numbers.

Our rural post office has good cabinets and a postal teller in newish condition, but the desk and chair are hand me down pieces. They are still perfectly usable, after all. :]

The Chrysnbon Victorian chair kit was a gift from Barbara.

The desk is adapted from a table pattern in the book Finishing Touches by Jane Harrop. I beat it up with every tool on my work table. Look at that delightfully ratty finish! :D

Categories: Ivy Hollow RFD
November 16, 2019 | 0 comments

We’ve got more mail!

After the letters, envelopes and postcards, I still needed mailers and catalogs. Rural Free Delivery meant businesses could expand and reach more customers, and people in rural areas would have access to goods far from home.

Again, I turned to online image searches, trying to limit those chosen to 1917, give or take a year. Though I was able to find some fully scanned catalogs including the inner pages, I focused on covers and glued each one shut with inserts. These would be placed in the pigeon holes and not opened for viewing. Some of these came from sale listings, so I was able to get accurate measurements for scale, though I had to increase the scale size to get a good print in some instances. Some required more sprucing up in PhotoShop than others as well.

I’m not completely sure, but I would imagine many magazines were sent in envelopes with handwritten addresses. Since I spent so much time researching and working on the catalogs and magazines, I didn’t want to hide them away in envelopes.

Seed catalogs.

This one is a 1916 with a changed date. I could not pass up that cover!

Ladies magazines.

Needlework.

Lionel electric toy trains.

Machinery and pulleys.

Buggies.

Photography.

Horses.

National Geographic.

Booze. Prohibition is coming!

I used true real life magazine pages for the inserts for the magazines. The color and variation add more realism.

For the catalogs, I used black and white printed pages. While many of these would not have been printed to the edges of the pages in reality, I liked the look better than plain card stock or paper.

I’m still making many more envelopes with letters, but this is the mail I have on hand, along with a few gifted letter sets not shown here. Like flowers, you always need more filler than you think…so I might be making even more in the end. I also plan to add packages.

Categories: Ivy Hollow RFD
November 10, 2019 | 0 comments

Wee “c” Miniatures Show – 2019

Tonight, I headed to the annual Wee “c” Miniatures Show.  It’s a smaller show but there are always wonderful finds to be discovered.  The show is open again tomorrow if you are in the area.  :] Tonight was vintage minis and kits night!

Young Miniaturist Table. This is the big table of miscellaneous minis, kits and magazines in the lobby outside the main room. All these kits were super cheap.

Same with the minis. You just have to be willing to dig through old, dusty bins. And, if you’re looking for older magazines or inexpensive house kits, you might find it here.

Rubik’s cube kit?

Debbie Rundle. Great minis of all types.

Behold Sabu the Prognosticator. I have no idea why I needed a clairvoyant reptile in a wizard’s hat, but I’m guessing he knows. I’m pretty sure he needs an amulet, perhaps some stars on his hat. And, a silk bed.

Jancrafted. Great vintage kits.

These are fireplace kits with an interesting material for the brickwork.

A Little More in Miniatures. New autumn shrubbery for a future project yet to be named.

I don’t usually buy finished flowers since I enjoy making them so much, and I do have these daisies in kit for from A Little More in Miniatures, but sometimes perfection just can’t be passed by. :D

K. M. Wohrstein. A lot of great old items here. Things I had never seen before.

I’m not usually a fan of brass, but these are wonderful pieces.

William Cambron Designs. Diminutive Designs frame kits that are harder to find.

Great knickknacks.

Greenhouse Miniatures. A fantastic country chair.

A working clock signed Keith Small Time Wales 1998. The clock was not working when I bought it, so I changed the battery. Nothing. I removed the battery altogether to make sure it doesn’t corrode inside the case.

Categories: Miniature Shows and Shops
November 9, 2019 | 0 comments