# Simple Plans for Building Model House



## ericc22 (May 10, 2012)

Greetings,

I want to build a scale house with my 13-year old son. I want a very simple plan that he can follow. The perfect plans would be simple, and would help him understand how a house is constructed. And, the project would also help him learn basic woodworking.

Any suggestions? I have a basic home wood shop with standard hand tools and a few power tools that he can use. I've googled around but can't find anything particularly good. Needless to say he is not thrilled with dollhouses....

Any and all help is most appreciated!

Eric


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## schnitz (Sep 5, 2009)

Biggest consideration is likely, what scale are you thinking? 1/12? 1/24? The larger the lower number, the smaller the parts get (but you likely already know that...). I've been contemplating doing a scale model of my garage in 1/12 scale, and at that size, the wall studs are 8" long (for perspective). I'll kinda wait and see what the others point out too...


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## ericc22 (May 10, 2012)

Good question on scale. I don't want him to have to work with toothpicks! Ideally it would be a bigger scale so he could better interact with the frame. So I guess I'd skew towards being on the bigger side of things so he can better handle the parts. I guess even at a 1/12 the width of the studs is a bit thin.

Long way to say, not sure! : ) Open to all suggestions.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*In Architecture class in high school...*

We each built a scale model house, a ranch with a hip roof. Each 2 x 4 was cut and glued inplace individually and each rafter likewise.

The scale was 1/4" equals 1 foot, a common scale for architects. Get an Architectural scale and you will have about 6 different scales to choose from.

Our shop teacher cut 1000's of small 2x 4's somehow, I wish I could remember. They were made from clear pine. He cut many at the same time on the table saw. Seems like it would be dangerous but there were no problems.

I stood on the roof of my house when the project was done and it was OK.  Nothing broke. :no:


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## schnitz (Sep 5, 2009)

Bill, you got me thinking there (And not just about the little matter of you probably weighing less in high school than you do now!). Why not do smaller "segments"? Say, one room, or a cross section of a corner wall? Maybe a scale roof truss? Scale steps? Just think about the possibilities as far as differing scales (lessons in engineering), and problem solving (understanding how the various systems will have to work together). Just a thought...:blink:


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## ericc22 (May 10, 2012)

I think 1/4" equals 1 foot is a good scale, so I'll try that. That means my 2x4x8s will need to be 1/2" x 1" x 2'. Maybe I can just plane a 3/4" board to 1/2", and then cut my strips from that with a hand saw. (I don't have a table saw.) Any suggestions - let me know!

Eric


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Eric -
I think you mean 1/4" equals 1" not 1 foot. 

A scale of 1/4" equals 1 foot would give your 2x4 - 8' long a dimension of .04" x .08" x 2" :smile: 

I'd love to see how you cut the nails to frame that model:laughing:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*a better scale would be 1/2" equals 1 foot*



ericc22 said:


> I think 1/4" equals 1 foot is a good scale, so I'll try that. That means my 2x4x8s will need to be 1/2" x 1" x 2'. Maybe I can just plane a 3/4" board to 1/2", and then cut my strips from that with a hand saw. (I don't have a table saw.) Any suggestions - let me know!
> 
> Eric





trc65 said:


> Eric -
> *I think you mean 1/4" equals 1" not 1 foot. *
> 
> A scale of 1/4" equals 1 foot would give your 2x4 - 8' long a dimension of .04" x .08" x 2" :smile:
> ...


*I think you mean 1/4" equals 1" not 1 foot. *
That would be 1/4 size or scale, not the same as 1/4" equals 1 foot.

I would use 1/2" equals 1 foot. To picture that in real terms, for every foot of length in actuality, 1/2" would be reepresented in scale. So a house 24 ft x 36 ft would measure 12" x 18" in scale.
A 2" x 4" piece in scale, would measure 1/4" x 1/2" in section and 4" long, a reasonable size to create in the shop and then work with in a model.
To avoid cutting all the small pieces, by hand you could use 1/2" thick material like foam core and just draw the pieces on the material. It would NOT have the see through look of a real house under construction, however.


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

woodnthings said:


> I would use 1/2" equals 1 foot. To picture that in real terms, for every foot of length in actuality, 1/2" would be reepresented in scale. So a house 24 ft x 36 ft would measure 12" x 18" in scale.
> A 2" x 4" piece in scale, would measure 1/4" x 1/2" in section and 4" long, a reasonable size to create in the shop and then work with in a model.
> .


If 1/2" equals 1 foot, then a scaled piece of 1/4" x 1/2" - 4" long would represent a board that is 6" x 12" - 8 foot long - right?:blink: Or am I missing something in the math and how scales are used in models?:huh:

By my math using 1/2" = 1' a 2x4 would be .08" x .167".

2" = 1/6 of a foot. multiply that times 1/2" for your scale = .08"

4" = 1/3 of a foot x 1/2" = .167"


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*this link should help*

http://www.ehow.com/how_4477903_use-architects-ruler.html

If you take a 1/2" long (1 foot) dimension in scale then 1/4" is half of that or 6" and 1/8" would be 3" etc. There would be 4 'big" marks within the half inch ( between 0 and 12) or 12 marks, each representing 1" in scale.... clear? :blink:


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Thanks for the link, I have occasionally used and architects rule but it always takes a few minutes for me to re familiarize myself with it. 


My question was about this statement - " A 2" x 4" piece in scale, would measure 1/4" x 1/2" in section and 4" long, a reasonable size to create in the shop and then work with in a model."

I'm saying that a 2" x 4" board drawn (or cut) in a 1/2" = 1' scale would not be 1/4" x 1/2". It would be .08" x .167"

A board drawn/cut in a 1/2" = 1' scale that was 1/4" x 1/2" would be 6" x 12" life size.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*you're probaly right on the decimals*

I guess I must have used 1" equals 1 foot.....  now that we've had this discussion. That project was only 54 years ago.... :wallbash::confused1: :boat:
A scale 2 X 4 would measure about 1/8" x about 5/16"...accounting for 1 1/2" X 3 1/2" actual. Sorry for any confusion on my part. :yes:


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

That's OK, I was only trying to remember lessons from 30 years ago when I had 2 weeks of drafting in an Industrial Arts class.:smile: 

And you're right about the actual measurements, I wasn't even thinking about that


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

The first step is to determine what overall size the model can be. From there a scale can be determined. The scale is usually the model size as equal to one foot. Depending on the accuracy needed, and size, a scale that is fairly easy to work with is usually in common fractions, i.e., ⅛", ¼", ½" all of which would equal 1'-0" (one foot zero inches). This is used for architectural drawings and scale models.

Another scale similar is used for models, like car models and is written as 1:18, 1:24, meaning that the overall size of the model is one eighteenth or one twenty fourth the size of the real car. This form would be difficult to construct a model to scale for dimensions like that.

*I posted this thread* of a scale model building done in ⅛" scale from scratch. I don't think any of the posters to this thread commented to that thread, but it is obvious how intricate some of the pieces can be. Some scales should be larger to be able to get some of the details to be seen.










 







.


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## against_the_grain (Aug 15, 2010)

Just noticed in looking over this thread that a few seem to be using 2" and 4" for the measured values of a 2x4. When in fact they are really 1.5" x 3.5". Something to keep in mind if you are going to cut a bunch of scaled "lumber" for a realistic model. 

So if you are building in 1/24 scale, or 1/2 inch =12 inches. Then a 2 x 4 x8 ft. would be represented in 1/24 scale as
~ 4/64"X 9/64" X 4" or in decimal .0625 X .1458 inches x 4 inches. Just a reminder that a 2x4 isn't actually 2"X4".


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

woodnthings said:


> We each built a scale model house, a ranch with a hip roof. Each 2 x 4 was cut and glued inplace individually and each rafter likewise.
> 
> The scale was 1/4" equals 1 foot, a common scale for architects. Get an Architectural scale and you will have about 6 different scales to choose from.
> 
> ...



WOOOOW. A 1/4 scale model of a house is really big.

George


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I would think that you might want to work with balsa wood for this project. Or at least something that is easy to cut. At any scale (other then Woodsnthings 1/4 scale) the parts are going to be tiny and very difficult to cut with a saw.

George


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## against_the_grain (Aug 15, 2010)

GeorgeC said:


> I would think that you might want to work with balsa wood for this project. Or at least something that is easy to cut. At any scale (other then Woodsnthings 1/4 scale) the parts are going to be tiny and very difficult to cut with a saw.
> 
> George


Maybe I missed it , not sure. But I think he said 1/4"=1 foot. So that would be 1/48 scale.

1/4 scale would be 3 inches = 1 foot


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