# Cedar Shakes



## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

Ideally, I would like to use cedar shakes for a water tank roof. I really don't care for the pre-cut types for doll-houses, although hand-splitting them may be an alternative. Any ideas how I could makw my own? Specifically, I am after a taper-sawn cedar shake, 15 scale inches in length, with random widths between 6 and 12 inches. 

Thanks, tbug


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## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

P.S. More accurately, a scale 15 inches in HEIGHT, and widths of 6 to 12 inches. A 1:1 thickness of 1/16" is probably as thin as I could get. There may be a lot of trial and error tomorrow! 

tbug


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## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

What about some Precision board from Rainbow Ridge: http://www.rainbowridgekits.com/index.htm Or if you don't want the fresh cedar shake look you could scraech build one panel and then make a mold and cast them out of whatever you want to use.


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## Rich Schiffman (Jan 2, 2008)

There is a new product on the market from Bronson Tate Architectural Models. They have a fine web site. These cedar shakes are actual wood and are fantastic. I have used them on two of my buildings. If you would like a photo, please drop me an email. Good luck.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

I like the look of the Precision Board shakes too...it's actually shiplap siding that has been brushed with a wire brush. My take was that they didn't "have" to look new...but there's technique involved. 

Tom Rey showed (reylroad on MLS) me how he made the "shingles" on this farm house in the photo below. This photo was taken to show the durability of the Precision Board and Tom uses it in his PB class. What you are looking at is a 3 year old wood structure/cedar shingles (left) and it's all PB clone (right). The PB farm house roof is one piece of half inch shiplap PB. Both structures had been outside in Tom's yard San Diego for the same amount of time...3 years...being hit by the same sun and sprinklers...in the same location on the layout.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Those are some awsome looking homes!!!!!


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## Reylroad (Mar 9, 2008)

Jason and all. It's really easy to make shingles out of Precision Board, especially by using Ross and Sue Piper's shiplap siding. In my photos that Mike posted I wanted the shingles to look newer. However, I've also made others that look used and worn. The trick is to liberially use a wire brush to distress them. The more the wire brush is used, the better. I found that a heavy brush like one used to clean a barbeque grill works great. 

I model in 15mm scale (1:20.32) so I use their wide spaced shiplap. For older looking shingles, I gouge out the ends or sides of one or two every so often. The greatest thing is that the PB ones won't deteriorate like the ones I used on the original wood version of the farm house. 

Tom Rey


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## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

Okay, so I tried making Cedar Shakes on a 10" table saw w/ limited success on the first (and only) attempt. Some were just what I wanted, while others were - not by a lot - but just too thick. I did find these at a local hobby shop... 

http://www.alessiominiatures.com/ 

Bought two different widths/ thickness of the cedar split shakes to give the roof some irreglularity and dimension. 

The project is moving along quite well (if I may say!). When I have time and learn how to post pic's, I will post a log of the build. 

Tbug


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