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Gypsy Wagon Advice please


Shareb

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i need some advice please. Because I would like this to be as close to the real thing as possible, I need to add tongue and groove to the outside walls and then trim over the top of that. The frills had to go where they are as the roof sits on top of them. This therefore means that the tongue and groove will stick out a couple of mm from the side and then the trim is another couple of mm. I'm not so worried about how the sides match up to the frills or not - I'm more concerned with the window and shutters. Looking at all the pictures, the shutters sit on top of it all (as they would) and the windows need to go through the extra thickness. I guess that's my main concern - how do I mount the windows and have them looking good, flush etc, while butting out an extra 4mm. What do you think?


I've been continually looking at the other McQueenie wagons to try to figure out how other's have tackled this issue...

 

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I think the "add on" is the issue if indeed the body of the wagon is glued (which I believe it is). It would be a pain to do, but I think Holly's suggestion to use a steel straight edge and a very sharp, narrow v-shaped carving chisel to simulate the edges of the boards would work. You are taking so much patience with this build, that I think that your level of patience and the investment in time would be well worth it. A second coat of paint will finish it up nicely.

Do a test piece and see how you like it.

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The body is glued - the roof and windows/shutters aren't.  I did score one line in the floor piece to see how it would look before gluing the body but decided that the wood was really hard to score well with the tools I have and I didn't like the look.  I did paint but it's only a rough job because I always knew I'd be adding T&G on top.  I just wanted to see what the colour looked like!  :) 

If you google pics of the McQueenie wagon, I think all that have the T&G have added it on top of the caravan's normal walls.  I don't have a problem with that - it's just how I fit the windows to a greater depth.  Kathie - I am trying so hard with this build!  I have such high expectations of myself and I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I'm just so focussed on doing the best possible job!  I'd like for people to look at it and say 'that's one of my favs'.  Ahhhh well.....a long way to go yet!!

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4 minutes ago, Shareb said:

I'd like for people to look at it and say 'that's one of my favs'.

Somehow I think this reaction is pretty much in the bag, even at these early stages!

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You can add some stripwood trim to the inside edges of your windows to bulk them out to fit the thicker walls. Then just spackle and paint to make the additions "disappear".  I had to do this in my basement bash because the walls were made of thick MDF and pre made doors were too thin for them. They turned out great, You'd never know the issue existed before. 

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Your caravan looks lovely, I am watching this with serious interest as I have recently bought one of these kits after some time contemplating whether I could do it or not and  I  am very much looking forward to making it. It has gone right to top of my to do list after I finish the one I am working on now. I am not too confident but will give it my best shot. Yours really is a wow one.

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3 hours ago, KathieB said:

Somehow I think this reaction is pretty much in the bag, even at these early stages!

Thank you Kathie!  That is so nice of you to say!  I've still got lots I can muck up though!  Especially the material part of the inside.

3 hours ago, Samusa said:

You can add some stripwood trim to the inside edges of your windows to bulk them out to fit the thicker walls. Then just spackle and paint to make the additions "disappear".  I had to do this in my basement bash because the walls were made of thick MDF and pre made doors were too thin for them. They turned out great, You'd never know the issue existed before. 

Perfect!!  Thank you - that would work out perfectly!

1 hour ago, Thimble Hall said:

Your caravan looks lovely, I am watching this with serious interest as I have recently bought one of these kits after some time contemplating whether I could do it or not and  I  am very much looking forward to making it. It has gone right to top of my to do list after I finish the one I am working on now. I am not too confident but will give it my best shot. Yours really is a wow one.

Thank you J!  I'll be looking forward to seeing what you do with yours!  I found a couple of excellent reference books from the library if you're wanting to do yours close to original.  The English Gypsy Caravan by C.H. Ward-Jackson and Denis E. Harvey.

Making Model Gypsy Caravans by John Thompson.  Man - after reading through this one, I am so seriously pleased there's a kit!!  Would never have tried this otherwise!

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OH, thank you for the links, I am sooo keen to do this right, more so than any other kit I have or indeed have seen,I am so excited I feel like a kid again. I will find the books, thank you again and keep up with yours it is already super so it is going to end up stunning. I have been inside a few originals , they were like wonderland.

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6 hours ago, Thimble Hall said:

OH, thank you for the links, I am sooo keen to do this right, more so than any other kit I have or indeed have seen,I am so excited I feel like a kid again. I will find the books, thank you again and keep up with yours it is already super so it is going to end up stunning. I have been inside a few originals , they were like wonderland.

I know right!!  That's exactly how I felt when I ordered it!  Now I'm spending hours awake at night thinking about how to do things, or what I'm going to do the next day etc.  Tonight dinner was late because I couldn't tear myself away from my gypsy wagon!  I have a pinterest page with photos galore!  Thoroughly enjoying this!

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