# Need advice on restoring an old scratchbuilt building (pics)



## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

I could really use some advice from the more experienced hands on the forum...

The owner of my LHS, Roy, purchased a layout that was part of an Estate sale. Included therein was a scratchbuilt winery that had been left outside, abandonded for all intents and purposes, for many years. Roy asked me if I would take a shot at fixing and restoring the buildings and sight unseen I said I would take a look.

Below are pics of the main building. I don't think there was ever a prototype and there are platforms and the like that don't make sense from a practical point of view. Most of the ledges and platform areas are rotted.













































































































I've no experience with buildings. I could probably, given myskill level replace/rebuild the stairs and catwalks which show the worst signs of rot and are the most delapidated. But am I just kidding myself? The windows have plastic inserts that fall right out if you touch them and the interior spaces inside the building are all open and show the signs of years of bugs and creepy crawlers having taken up residence.

Any advice on how to evaluate and approach a project like this would be well received. Please let me know what you think about trying to restore something like this.

Best,
TJ


----------



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I read somewhere that when wagon wheels became loose they would submerge them under water and soak them to make them tight again.

I wonder if this would have any effect on the main structure. 

It is a nice looking building hope you can save it. 

JJ


----------



## HARRYB1949 (Jul 26, 2011)

HI , 
I AM NO HELP , BUT WHAT A ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECE ! I WOULD TO HAVE ONE AND MAYBE I WILL TRY TO MAKE ONE . I WISH THAT I HAD SOME MEASUREMENTS , AND WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ANGLES THESE PHOTOS ARE SO I KNOW WHAT GOES WHERE . ARE THERE MORE PLATFORMS , ETC THAT GO WITH THIS ? 
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP , 
HARRY PS - GOOD LUCK ON THE REBUILD , I THINK A LOT OF WORK BUT WORTH IT .


----------



## bnsfconductor (Jan 3, 2008)

My approach would be to carefully take off any loose pieces, interior & exterior (noting the locations of such pieces), and then first wash the entire building with a mild soap and water solution to get all the dust, grim, dead bugs etc off. Only then will you know what really needs to be done. After that then you can methodically approach rebuilding it! 
I think you could easily repair/or replace the stairs and platform areas. If I remember garden railways had an article a few (3-6months ago) articles about restoring old buildings. Look on the GR website and do a search. 
Craig


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

TJ, 

Master Modellers spend hours trying to make buildings look old and abandoned. I wouldn't change a thing - the blue roof looks great, the walls look great - in fact, it looks like an old building! 

Fix the crumbling, rotted bits if you must, but note that my builder fixed the rotten wood in my old house by soaking it with Bondo (the car filler stuff.) You could use dilute fiberglass resin and let it soak in to the porous parts. 

Sorry - I like it as it is!


----------



## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

Where have I seen that building before, video, dvd or pictures in better days. Been a few years but I know I have seen it before.


----------



## rsmproductions (Jan 5, 2008)

Hi TJ...that's a great looking building. I'm not sure what to tell you except to take it slowly and perhaps a section at a time. I would certainly work to remove the cobwebs, etc first and then go about washing the structure in mild soap and water. Is the building structurally sound and just in need of cosmetic work i.e. catwalks reworked, paint, etc? Perhaps both...


I have about 125' of rail from that same estate sale that Roy sold me...getting ready to put it on the new addition I've been working on...can't wait to get it done. Here is a link to the thread I've created on the progress...

http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...fault.aspx

Richard


----------



## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

well 
i think id start as noted, take out the dirt and debris 
evaluate what need to be replaced 
get the correct wood -not balsa-from a hobby shop if you cannot cut your own 

i thnk what may be off-putting is the amount of non-scale debris-webs, leaves, paint chips, etc-clean that out , and then take a look at what is needed-perhaps some railings, a bit of trim on the edge or top of the roof, etc 

clean areas for joining-use titebond 3 sparingly-if necessary-use a brad or screw as well-be aware that titebond will not accept stain 

i would not soak anything 

i think youllneed to simply use your best judgment-if it were me-id go first to make it sturdy and functional, and as complete as you like- 
i might consider too, for some of the loading doors-either some brass or cast detail grab irons , hinges etc 

it may seem overwhelming, and it may be 
i agree with bnsf 

id start by tidying everything up-ie cobwebs dirt etc-a stiff brush , and a tooth brush-some soap etc 
let it dry completely 
then 
id reglue windows and things that are loose-replace glazing-add screening mesh if you prefer 

then id pick a small area to refurbish-and see if its possible and how it looks 

to help fresh wood blend-you could either use wood stain -for the look or replaced planking-or diluted india ink-for a greyish weathered effect 

i thin kwith a bit of clean up, some repair, and judicious removal of things you dont care for-be it the white staining, excess chipped paint-you may find that with only a bit of clean up-it has true character without looking broken down 

i think you actually have a lovely building with good 'bones'=just needs a bit or attention-and 
do a little at a time 

remember that a clean surface with glue better-and there nothing wrong with adding a small nail or screw 

id start with the stairs, dump any broken figures, and just begin.....it just needs a little TLC and i think you can bring it back well 

while it has a great patina-you may also wish to repaint it for protection, and i think you could do so using the original scheme (or another) and be fine-just paint it lightly and with a couple of coats so to retain the wood detail-but obvoulsy youll lose the weathering 

i imagine too you could use a neutral fence stain protectant


----------



## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

My personal take: 

First, I think the building is definitely worth saving even though potentially that could be more work than constructing it new. 

Second, with a possible exception here and there, I would not make any attempt to recreate the patina of the building on new repairs. An old wooden building, especially wooden decks and stairs, will acquire many repairs over the years many of which will be both deferred and minimal. Where boards need rep;acing I would simply paint as new or near new in a similar color (doesn't even have to match exactly) and apply as is to represent exactly what it is; a repair. In the case of deck planks I wouldn't paint or weather at all (re: just a clear coat) and let the contrast show. They will weather out a bit eventually if left outdoors. This way you destroy none of the original finish and indeed celebrate it by the contrast with your repairs. 

I would probably remove all of the main external bits of construction such as stairs after careful notes and photos so they can be strengthened for re-application with repairs as above. If the walls on the main structure and their attached boards are flimsy and falling apart there arre a couple of possible options. 
1) You can carefully tape each wall together with a good quality masking tape from the outside to hold everything in place and then reframe from the inside either with walls in place or carefully separated from one another. 
2) If the inside is not detailed you might be able to insert a thin clear plexi (acrylic) inside the wall and glue the whole works in place being careful not to get glue on the areas behind the windows. This gives a solid backing to the aging wood to hold it together as well as providing glazing for the windows. It may require more than one piece for each wall because of inside bracing that might be impractical to remove even with the outside taped together. 

That would be my first assessment without seeing the structure in person. Best wishes on your restoration whatever method(s) you use.


----------



## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

I've done project like this one. I'd start by a very gentle cleaning -- a paint brush and some air. That will get rid of the cobwebs, dirt, and (living and dead) critters. Then, take the broken stuff off and replace it. Don't worry too much about scale. It's not that big a deal in G! 

Install plastic in the windows (that'll reinforce them). A little paint and it'll be good as new, or as fixed as you want it to.


----------



## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow! Thanks for the responses to everyone above. Please keep the advice and comments coming as I am making notes as the thread goes along. 

What thoughts on sealing the building interior areas? I really like the acrylic plastic interior lining. If the structure is still sound (and so far it looks pretty solid) how about closing the windows with acrylic in those openings? Should it be clear or painted black? 

Again, thanks for the many and varied responses. 

Best, 
TJ


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I sweep it off with a brush. Replace any boards with new and leave them new. Do as little as possible, I'd say.


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, if you want an abandoned winery, you'd be hard pressed to make one as nice as that one. Just remove the guys and hope their bases don't leave too much mark.


----------



## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

That wine barrel building does look familiar.

Does anyone have the video tape handy on Garden Operations on Oregon Grape and Boomtown Railroad?

Does anyone have a copy of the October 2001 issue of Garden Railways. On page 46 there is an article by Glenda Bockel on The Saga of the Oregon Grape and Boomtown Railroad?


----------



## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

*Quote: *"What thoughts on sealing the building interior areas? I really like the acrylic plastic interior lining. If the structure is still sound (and so far it looks pretty solid) how about closing the windows with acrylic in those openings? Should it be clear or painted black? " 

TJ, 
The acrylic inside liner itself if clear will already be behind the windows and provide a clear glazing over any openings as well as hold the delicate walls together. Of course if you prefer black just paint the acrylic prior to installation. A flat black primer (I use Bondo primer in spray cans) adheres very well to acrylic. For a glossy finish showing for the windows turn the painted side away from the openings. If you want flat showing just turn the other way. Best wishes on your restoration.


----------



## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Paul Norton on 07 Aug 2011 08:38 PM 
That wine barrel building does look familiar.

Does anyone have the video tape handy on Garden Operations on Oregon Grape and Boomtown Railroad?

Does anyone have a copy of the October 2001 issue of Garden Railways. On page 46 there is an article by Glenda Bockel on The Saga of the Oregon Grape and Boomtown Railroad?

I don't have the video but I've seen it. It was done originally I believe by Terry Shellenberger, former owner of Battery Backshop if that's any help in searching for it. You may have nailed it so far as the origin of that building is concerned. I remember a hill with several structures on it when I visited it many years ago and that may have just been one of them.


----------



## Paul Norton (Jan 8, 2008)

As I remember, I bought that video from Terry in the mid-90s. Unfortunately with the advent of DVDs, I later sold all my video tapes.

Back then, Glenda Bockel and her hubby were light years ahead of their time running organized railroad operations on the Oregon Grape and Boomtown Railroad. Terry also did a tremendous job filming the railway and an operating session. His on-board filming techniques, picture and sound quality were also well ahead of their time. This was without a doubt the best large scale video I ever purchased.


----------



## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes, it reminds me of Glenda's work too -- but I'm almost sure that it's not the same barrel structure that used to be on the OG&B -- the barrel isn't as deep. Nevertheless, the building as a whole has that kind of spindly, not quite structurally sound look to it. I remember that a lot of buildings on the layout actually stood up with the help of guywires.

I heard that Glenda died several years ago, and a lot of the buildings got sold/given to various members of the local club. Maybe it's a later Bockel creation? Or inspired by her work? I know she gave a couple of classes on her building techniques. 
@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I like the looks of it as is. If you put new paint on and stuff, you'll still be stuck with cracked wood. I don't know if it is recommended to put wood fill in the cracks. Someone else could better answer. If I wanted to restore it myself, I'd probably slowly dissassemble it and piece by piece replace with new wood, then every few years, stain it. 

DaveV


----------



## scottemcdonald (Jan 11, 2008)

I love the natural ageed patina and weathering the building has. It would be a neat piece if you made it look like it was under restoration. Add some boards (unpainted) where needed, add some figures with tools as though they are restoring the building (maybe a step halfway painted with a figure nearby holding a bucket of paint, hang a sign that says "Re-Opening Soon" and then polyurethane the whole thing with a matte finish to protect it from any further weather. 

Just a thought. Nice piece though. Look forward to seeing what you do with it. 

Scott


----------



## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Scott, 

> made it look like it was under restoration 

Great idea! Thanks. I really appreciate all the feedback on this project. 

Best, 
TJ


----------

