Small Mill Creek

[John Hart]

Ok...I'd like to start a "little" discussion. I wanted to do it here, not to exclude anyone, but to get some initial ideas about the creation of a miniature town.

1. Real Estate. Where would this thing go? It would require a place and that place would have to be quite roomy. I thought maybe I could build a special building for it...But I don't have enough property where I live now.

2. Size. We would really need to put some thought into the scale of this. All objects would have to be the same scale. Standardization is imperative. So...If we had a wine glass that is an inch tall...then the houses would have to be fairly large. More Real Estate. If the houses were scaled down, then smaller objects would be nearly impossible.

3. Who is going to build it? Everyone on SMC would be making things and shipping them to a central location....which means that someone is going to have to dedicate themselves to assembling it. This would take someone with the space, the time, Electrical knowledge, a love of trains, architecture...etc. Basically, a saint.

4. Personally, I think that everyone should build their own house. Just like the one that they live in now....That should be a requirement. Then all other aspects of the town should be a group effort. This would get the town springing up quicker and it's a place we could call "home".

5. This should be an effort by everyone at SMC and will probably take a while. As things change over the years and people want to build a new house or add something...well...I think this will take years. I think it should have its own Forum.

Well those were my thoughts as I slept. I think that Ken Fitzgeralds name of "Small Mill Creek" is absolutely brilliant. What do you think??

[Mark Singer]

John,
You are great at dreaming up ideas that are a lot of work:rolleyes:

The evening you posted the ice craem with Shlamaca berries i drove around for hours trying to find ripe Shlamaca berries.. :rolleyes:

I have been designing and building full size homes for over 30 years as my
regular job ....now you are asking me to do it in the little precious time I have remaining:rolleyes:

Yeah , I think its a great idea:confused:

[John Hart]

...You are great at dreaming up ideas that are a lot of work:rolleyes: ....

Yeah...that's why I never seem to get enough sleep!!!! But, for the record...This is NOT my idea. This is the work of the devious mind of Karl Laustrup.

Hey!.....Maybe HIS house!!!:eek: ;) :p

[Carole Valentine]

My goodness, John! You want me to build my house to scale? You have got to be insane! I am a turner. Some people don't do windows...I don't do flatwork (anymore):( I'll have to admit, you DO dream big! :D I thought we were talking about one or two buildings with furnishings, landscaping occupants etc. You are talking urban spawl!:eek:

[John Hart]

My goodness, John! You want me to build my house to scale? You have got to be insane! I am a turner. Some people don't do windows...I don't do flatwork (anymore):( I'll have to admit, you DO dream big! :D I thought we were talking about one or two buildings with furnishings, landscaping occupants etc. You are talking urban spawl!:eek:

Well...I thought that if I was doing it myself...I'd take a year...take my time and make a couple of buildings like you describe. But, when you get right down to it....This is SAWMILL CREEK! We have so much talent, so much expertise, wonderful people....If we did this, It could be awesome....I mean, really awesome! And we don't have to rush it.

Perhaps you could turn a house?....oooh oooh...I know! You could turn the Round House for the railroad yard!!!

[John Hart]

....The evening you posted the ice craem with Shlamaca berries i drove around for hours trying to find ripe Shlamaca berries.. :rolleyes: ...

You just gave me a thought Mark.....A Shlamaca Park in Small Mill Creek....All Shlamaca trees!!! And YOU could make them!!!;) :p

[John Lock]

I normally don't post here to often, but this discussion (as well as all the "itty bitty" turnings) reminded me of a gallery I had the pleasure of experiencing while stationed in Colorado. It's an artist by the name of Michael Garman and he has a miniature city of his sculptures. It's an incredible place to see if you ever get a chance.

Here's a link
http://www.michaelgarman.com/magic_town/

[Karl Laustrup]

Yeah...that's why I never seem to get enough sleep!!!! But, for the record...This is NOT my idea. This is the work of the devious mind of Karl Laustrup.

Hey!.....Maybe HIS house!!!:eek: ;) :p

Well, if my house were going to be here more than a couple of weeks, I would seriously consider hosting Saw Mill Creek, USA.

However, we are in the process of packing and storing most of our belongings so that our current house can be demolished. A new, improved and most importantly larger version will take form in the identical location. I have already started taking pictures of the current house and had planned on documenting the progress on these pages.

If someone can host Saw Mill Creek, USA they should be prepared at some point in the future to host magazine and even TV coverage. At some point I would most certainly like to produce something for "our town".

[Lee DeRaud]

Since most of the stuff will come from turners, there's gonna be a somewhat, er, round aspect to most of the buildings...probably look like something hobbits would build.:D :p

[Carole Valentine]

Since most of the stuff will come from turners, there's gonna be a somewhat, er, round aspect to most of the buildings...probably look like something hobbits would build.:D :p

Lee, the idea is to involve the entire SMC community, turners, flatworkers, neanders, carvers. It's not just a "turning" thing.

John, haven't looked yet, but I am assuming you threw this idea out in the other forums?

[Bill Stevener]

Hi Gang,

A thought :eek: , this may be far from an entire town, but we are Saw Mill Creek. Why not gust an old time Saw Mill, Powered with a water wheel in a Creek. Ya know, a saw mill, complete with all of the wood working equipment, tools, with a possibility of having over head line shafting, all kinds of stuff. This opens it up to all, I think even the engravers could go wild, may have to enlist some tin knockers. Jim K. could do the fire protection system. Something like an old time Norm shop, complete with 35 routers.
But as with any project, one must start with a plan, a complete layout. Who would be willing to do this. Would be quite an undertaking alone.

Well what are your thoughts, speak up, or forever hold your whatever:confused:

Thanks For Thinking, Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Andy Hoyt]

Hi Gang,

A thought :eek: , this may be far from an entire town, but we are Saw Mill Creek. Why not gust an old time Saw Mill, Powered with a water wheel in a Creek. Ya know, a saw mill, complete with all of the wood working equipment, tools, with a possibility of having over head line shafting, all kinds of stuff. This opens it up to all, I think even the engravers could go wild, may have to enlist some tin knockers. Jim K. could do the fire protection system. Something like an old time Norm shop, complete with 35 routers.
But as with any project, one must start with a plan, a complete layout. Who would be willing to do this. Would be quite an undertaking alone.

Well what are your thoughts, speak up, or forever hold your whatever:confused:

Thanks For Thinking, Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

Hey, We were both typing at the same time with the same idea. Here's my input.

John - Been thinking about this off and on since Karl first mentioned it; and again heavily after I saw this thread this morning. My gut tells me that a town is too ambitious a notion especially for SMC’s second collaboration. (The first was to save SMC this fall). I say this because I believe the coordination involved would be incredibly complex and problematic.

But I do believe that one house could indeed be done with pieces, components, and labor being supplied from all branches and tributaries of the creek. Here's my vision for how this might happen.

Mark Singer, Paul Cresti, and any other professional designers or artichokes we have here each design the sawmill from which we draw our name. Nothing more than a quick pencil sketch should suffice. Post these sketches on SMC and members vote on which will be built.

The winning designer draws his design in conceptual plan and elevation form with a handful of dimensions.

From those sketches, I will produce the timberframed structure. With any luck, some of my fellow Mainers will assist in this. Once that's done; a materials and specification list for everything that will be needed to enclose the frame and get it weathertight will get posted.

Members can then sign up for supplying sawn and/or "ready to install" materials. Project Manager, Karl Laustrop (it was his bright idea) will determine and coordinate where each donated item should be sent.

Meanwhile, I will deliver the structure to someone from New Hampshire who will work in concert with other Granite Staters to begin installing the first phase materials. Give them a couple of weeks to do this; and then they hand it over to Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys in Vermont for Phase Two. Then Massachusetts for phase Three and so forth.

Moving the structure around the US and CA should be fairly simple. It’s just a matter of coordinating pick up truck rendezvous’ with neighboring states. Eventually, the thing will have traveled throughout North America and at each stop on the way a bit more is added to the structure.

One day it will be completed and ready for furnishing. Creekers who were unable to participate in the structure will have been producing those furnishings all along.

Ultimately, the Small Mill will have been completed (do we really care how long that process takes?) and will need a permanent home. In this regard, I’m hopeful that someone here at the creek has experience with fund raising. It would be their job to find a worthy cause that could benefit from ownership or selling at auction.

Concurrently, some other Creeker who has experience in dealing with the media could devote energy to garnering some notoriety for the project, which will hopefully enhance its value.

Okay. That’s it in a nutshell. By intention, I have not thought this all the way through, and therefore defer to the collective wisdom at SMC to improve this or shoot it down entirely.

Bu if you folks are willing to see this through to conclusion, then I’m willing to devote the time needed to give you a frame we can all be proud of.

[Bill Stevener]

Great input Andy. This sure is a slow day, no one barking up??

There must be hundreds of photos and such on the net of old time water powered sawmills, may be worth a Google to get some ideas.

A timber frame construction would be just right for the project, and I know Andy would do it justice.

In another life, when I lived in up-state NY. I had quite a collection of old equipment. One example was a planer shaper that was given to me. It weighed about 2500 lbs and required 18 belts to operate it.

Must be everyone is off turning, my small lathe needs new bearings, just going to let it set, and may be get a new vs Jet mini this week. Had the old one since about 76, just wearing out.

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Michael Stafford]

My goodness, John! You want me to build my house to scale? You have got to be insane! I am a turner. Some people don't do windows...I don't do flatwork (anymore):( I'll have to admit, you DO dream big! :D I thought we were talking about one or two buildings with furnishings, landscaping occupants etc. You are talking urban spawl!:eek:


Carole, you need to think out of the box. Who said the houses need to be square or rectangular? As a turner you can turn turrets and towers for castles, ziggurats and domes like St. Basil's recently seen in Jim Becker's visit to Moscow. You can even turn mushroom houses for the wee people. Don't get hung up on flat stuff. Imagine Small Mill Creek as a wonder land with all sorts of wonderful folks living in it just like the ones that visit the Creek!!!!:D Me, I have always wanted to live in castle.....;)

[Karl Laustrup]

Mr. Stevener and Mr. Hoyt. I do believe the two of you have struck on something that might work.

Possibly a saw mill with the millers house that sits on the banks of a creek. Possibly on a larger scale that would allow for the incorporation of some of the itty bitty items shown in the Itty Bitty thread. Not sure if transporting the thing all over the country would work or not, but that would surely make it a collabrative effort. It would also be a great way to meet fellow Creekers. And it just sounds like fun.

As I mentioned before I will be of little help, at least during the next 4+ months, because of our impending construction. I'm not even sure if I will have an internet connection where we will be staying while our home is built.

Lets hear some more ideas and ways this can happen. :) I will do what I can for as long as I can.

Karl

[Bill Stevener]

Just posted a big invite over in the GW&PT forum, lets see if there is any interest from the other sides. May be it will get this thing on a roll, or is it a bun:confused:

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Carole Valentine]

Just posted a big invite over in the GW&PT forum, lets see if there is any interest from the other sides. May be it will get this thing on a roll, or is it a bun:confused:

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

It's a BISCUIT, by golly!!! Speaking of bisuits, I'm getting s taste for some more of those Perfectly Illegal Biscuits...may have to make some tonight.:D

[Bart Leetch]

You could build it 1/87 actual size then anything HO train scale would fit & work.

No I will not make a scale version of my house, it is an apartment house with 11 apartments a laundry & business office & my shop.

[Randy Meijer]

Cool idea.....I like it!! I don't have room to host it; but I would certainly participate!!!

[Randy Meijer]

If the dog hadn't stopped to go to the bathroom there would be more weeds around the fire hydrant & more flowers would be alive & I'd have nothing on my shoe. :D Whats that smell did someone die in here?:eek:

If my dog hadn't stopped to go......there would be more spots on my carpet!!! :( :( :(

[David Fried]

You could build it 1/87 actual size then anything HO train scale would fit & work.

No I will not make a scale version of my house, it is an apartment house with 11 apartments a laundry & business office & my shop.

Some of the folks who do live steam do it in a larger scale, like 1 inch = 1 foot. Some of the clubs have acres, are open to the public, and feature large structures.

[Andy Hoyt]

I strongly encourage us to stick with 1/12th scale as David suggests. This is the standard dollhouse scale used worldwide. As such, any components that need to be purchased (and those will exist - light fixtures for example) will be much more affordable and in a wider range of offering and availability.

Besides, my ten thumbs would be useless at 1/87 scale.

[John Bailey]

I say a "Small Mill Creek" could be built over time. There are places around that have a lot of land, like sites that host steam engine shows, that might be willing to have a museum-like structure on their property. Possibly a wood working store or machinery store. We could make a festival of a long weekend, converge on the site, put up a basic weather-tight structure out of donations from members, and then start "populating" it with scale models of our houses and workshops. It would be a draw for the organization who hosts it, and it would get a bunch of Creekers together to form some lasting friendships. We could hire a local organization to take care of it, and possibly charge an entrance fee for a fund raiser. An all-round win-win situation.

Boy, do I need to get out and do something else, too much thinking going on here.

John

[Lee DeRaud]

Besides, my ten thumbs would be useless at 1/87 scale.My eyes would be useless: at that scale, my shop would be about 2.5" on a side.:eek:

[Bill Stevener]

Just going to bump this up a notch for a day or so. Didn't seem to get a whirl win of activity today, maybe just no interest?????????

Bill.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Travis Stinson]

My big Yella baby says no more itty bitty stuff! So, I'll send in my contest entrance for furnishing.;)

[Carole Valentine]

My big Yella baby says no more itty bitty stuff! So, I'll send in my contest entrance for furnishing.;)
LOL! Travis, I bet that tiny little thing looked funny on that big mustard monster! The PM probably didn't even know there was any wood anywhere near it.:)

[Don Baer]

OK I promise to make some Iddie bittey furniture if you guys get this going. How about a Maloof style table and some chairs to scale...;)

[Vaughn McMillan]

When the idea was brought up in the itty bitty thread, I was picturing something like a sawmill and associated caretaker's house and other outbuildings, with all the different SMC disciplines contributing. Or perhaps a variety of buildings, from timber frames to Mark Singer-style contemporary, commercial to residential, all finished and furnished accordingly.

I'm interested in doing things like furniture or other accessories, but building my own house to scale would be a bigger project that I could reasonably fit in my garage or my schedule.

I hadn't really thought about where this project should reside (or any of the charity/money-making opportunities it might provide). Maybe we should just set it up in Keith and Jackie's back yard, and not tell them we're doing it. :D If it were garden railroad scale (roughly 1/2" = 1') we could possibly find a club with the real estate available to display it. (But I still like Andy's dollhouse scale idea better. Are there doll house clubs or museums that would house it?) I guess I'll just stay tuned and see how the other Creekers chime in.

- Vaughn

[John Hart]

Sorry for missing out on yesterday's activity...Did some turning...then the girls wanted their annual "trim the tree" party. They got what they asked for!!!;) :) :)

I like Andy's idea of the Sawmill. But what about Full-Size? Finding a place MIGHT be problematic....but time would tell. There's a little place south of here that has a building related to old mills that they have fully restored. The interior is sort of a museum and a delight. The sawmill filled with things could be quite the showplace....invite the public....fill it with things, large and small...etc etc. Maybe? Maybe not.:confused:

[Travis Porter]

Have you been watching working on the railroad on DIY?

[Richard Stewart]

I like to turn stuff and i HAVE NO CLUE how if i did this how to make a house,person,or anything of that sort...im out of this one...but id like to see the entries, sounds EXTREMELY HARD AND INTERESTING!!!:eek: