Continuing work on the Realife Country Store fixtures. Due to the old, warped wood in the kit, I had to cut a few new parts for the counter, including an added bottom, which was not part of the original construction. Adding a bottom gives the piece more stability. I reduced the depth overall by 3/8″ to give myself more floor space. It’s still a usable depth in scale but gives a little breathing room for my small interior. I made some adjustments to the trim for proper proportion to the final look. The trim around the base will be added after I install the flooring and baseboards.
I’m thinking of adding a routed edge to the countertop, so I’ll leave that unattached for now while I brush up on my drill press class notes. Plus, I will need to have some flexibility with the placement along the window and the gate.
I needed to make new parts for the pigeon holes for the post box teller, because die cuts are splintery and uneven. Die cutting doesn’t work well for tiny details, and the wood was fragile beyond that.
First, I cut new strips the size of the originals and marked the location of the notches. I taped the like pieces together and used the scroll saw to make the cuts. Taping the pieces together helps keep the pieces close to being the same.
Just a little clean up, and we’re ready to go. :D
This is nowhere near perfect, but it is better than what could have been achieved with the original pieces. A laser cut version might better, though I think the pieces would still be fragile.
The original facade for the post box teller was split in the kit, before removing it from the die cut sheet. (The instructions even indicate this piece is prone to breakage and suggest repair.) I was originally going to repair it, until I set the dry fit on the counter just to see. Well, this low window will give our postmaster some back issues, won’t it?
I cut a new facade from 1/8″ thick plywood, making the window in line with the top of the sorting window and leaving the letter slot in its original location. The top and sides are too warped to keep, but they work well enough for a dry fit. I might have gone a little higher than needed with the window, but it’s much better. I’ll probably cut more from the bottom portion to make the window longer and add a shelf.
