Desiging A Model Kit

 

Ethan Allen House Model

Roughly ten years ago, long before I became a reenactor, I visited the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington, Vermont. My goal was to tour the house and take some reference photos so that I could build a model of the building.

The Homestead was the last home of the American Revolutionary war hero (depending on who you talk to) and leader of the pre-war Green Mountain Boys who fought the rule of New York over what was then known as the New Hampshire Grants.

Allen had the house built after the War. Though he only lived there a few years, the house was passed on to his widow, and her new husband, after his death. Over the decades, the property was sold, changed, and somewhat lost to history. When the location of Allen's house was found again in modern times, it was restored to how it may have looked in its original condition. Today, the museum not only presents Allen's life on the Homestead, but also the history and culture of the Abenaki Indians who originally lived on the land.

My model project was an on again, off again affair. Mostly off. 10 years after my initial visit, I buckled down and set to work creating a model of the building. My final goal is to create a 28mm scale building that can be used for wargaming. Ideally, I'd like to create a kit that other gamers and modelers can build.

 

Carboard Test Parts

Assembling the First Floor

First Floor with Figures for Scale

When I had originally visited the building, a set of faded floorplans had been displayed on one of the walls of the Visitor's Center. I took photos of these plans, and used them, along with my reference photos, to create a rough model out of corrugated cardboard.

The cardboard model became a test of not only the size and shape of the building, but also how the various pieces of the model could be made to create a laser-cut wood kit for others.

 

Gable Ends and Roofs

Walls and Floors

Using my cardboard model, my photo references, and Inkscape, I created a layout plan of the various pieces and parts of the building. I decided to create the model using two pieces of thin stock for each wall. This allowed me to add laser-engraved detail to both the interior and exterior of the walls, and to create nice looking double-hung windows, as in the prototype building.

With the Inkscape drawings done, I sent the plan off to an online laser-cutting company. Then I waited.

Laser Cut Sheet

Several weeks later, a box finally appeared in my driveway. On opening it, I found my 10-year dream realized. I had a laser-cut kit of Ethan Allen's last home, designed by myself, and ready for assembly.

 

Second Floor Assembled

Interior and Exterior Walls

Kitchen Fireplace

Gable End

First Floor Assembled

Second Floor Assembled

Final Assembly Before Painting

While building the model, I found several areas that need improvement, mostly mistakes that I made in my Inkscape drawing. Whenever I encountered one of these issues, I'd make a note, correct the physical model, then move on. After a few days, I had a fully assembled and painted model.

Col. Allen Moves in Next to Capt. Smith

 The size matches the scale of the William Smith house that I built earlier. While the frames were a bit fiddly, the windows turned out just as I had hoped, adding a nice detail to a rather plain looking building. As reenctors, my daughter and I have since visited the Homestead several times over the years, and become friends with the folks who run the museum. My daughter was very happy to see that the layout matches the real house, including the upper floor, which we don't often see.

Kitchen Detail

First Floor Painted

Finished Model

 Overall, I think the project was a great success.  Having now done several reenacting events at the Homestead, it's neat to have a model of a house that we've "lived" in. While I need to make a lot of improvements if I ever want to put this into kit form for sale, I'm happy with my own personal model, and I look forward to designing more building kits.

Midwinter's Eve

Happy Midwinter's Eve!

A couple of weekends ago, Gabriella and I attended the Midwinter's Eve celebration at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum.  This was sort of an informal formal affair for us.  As an informal affair, a couple of us were sporting our winter beards, which would not have been in fashion at the time.  As a formal affair, members of Warner's Regiment appeared in uniform.

Before the public event the museum was holding, the Regiment gathered in the tavern room of the museum's Visitor's Center for the first of our "Winter Quarters" gatherings.  During Winter Quarters, we work on repairing our gear, making new things, and rolling and filling the seemingly never-ending supply of cartridges we'll use in battle next season.  I enjoy these gatherings, as it's a way to stay connected to our friends in the unit during our off-season.

As darkness fell, it was time to switch gears.  The museum's Winter's Eve even was open to the public, supplying snacks, drinks, music, dancing, and lantern-lit tours of the the Ethan Allen house.  We all switched into kit and were transported from the twenty-first century to the eighteen century.

Eighteenth Century Eyes.

 Walking from the Visitor's Center out to the house by lamp-light was amazing.  It was too dark for photos, but it was easy to be transported back in time.  Rain from previous days had made the ground damp, and warmer weather had settled in, creating a light misty fog over the property.  Walking out to the house, you could just make out faint candlelight in the windows, welcoming weary travelers home.

Welcome home.

Inside the house, volunteers from the museum were portraying Ethan and Fanny Allen and family.  They had the fires going, candles lit, and snacks for guests on the table.  While there was dancing in the Tavern, many of us chose to gather in the warmth of the Allen kitchen, enjoying gingerbread cookies and each other's company.  At one point, looking around at all the men in uniform, I imaged that this must have been much what it was like when residents of the New Hampshire Grants gathered in Dorset some 240ish years ago to vote on their leaders and their future.

Volunteers, guests, and the Regiment gather in Fanny Allen's kitchen.

Good food, conversation, and company by the warmth of the hearth.

At the end of the evening we left our friends.  Feeling content with our final even of the year, we're both looking forward to 2020.

Warmth of the kitchen.

From video of the event, from the Museum's YouTube channel:

Recalling Silhouettes

A recent post on the Historic Trades Preservation Special Interest Group on Facebook reminded me of project that I worked on last summer.  Something that I'd like to revisit at some point: Silhouette Portraits.

His Excellency, George Washington in silhouette.

Popular in Europe in the mid 1700’s, Silhouette portraits, or Shades, didn’t become popular in America until the 1780s, then they really took off in Victorian times. Between 1775 and 1778, a gentleman by the name of Johann Casper Lavater published a book in Germany on the subject of Physiognomy (defining a person’s personality based on their facial features). In that book was an engraving of a “Device for taking Silhouettes.” Lavater would use the silhouettes as part of his studies into the then science of physiognomy.

Laveter's "Device"

Curious about the idea, I blew up a portion of the engraving and used the height of a standard chair seat to determine the dimensions of the Silhouette Frame illustrated. I recreated the frame using hand tools and period woodworking techniques. I used acrylic sheet instead of glass for safety reasons (don't need it falling over on a visitor), but otherwise there's nothing modern in it.

Estimated measurements in inches.

Google SketchUp drawing to determine possible construction.

Construction started in my basement.
Here the curved top piece is being shaped.

Once the weather warmed up, the "workshop" was moved outside.

Cutting the grooves for the glass.

Finished frame, minus finials on top

Stained for a more period appearance.

Testing the device with daughter #2.

 We had a chance to try it out in a period setting (Ethan Allen Homestead, circa 1787), which led to a few discoveries. First we tried setting it up in front of a large window in the house's parlor, but the day was overcast, and the window didn't provide enough light. Next we tried it with a (modern) lamp, which was better. Next step will be to try it out with a candle and mirror setup as shown in the illustration (we didn't have any of those on hand). Turns out, period houses don't necessarily have level floors either, which may explain the platform in the engraving.

Trying the frame out in (almost) period conditions.

Not bad with a modern light.

As I've dug deeper into the subject of Shade Portraits, I've found that later editions of Lavater's book show a more sophisticated frame, fixed to a chair, with an adjustable glass. Other instruments for enlarging and decreasing the outlines were also built, so there's a lot more research I can get into for future experiments.

A more complex version

An artist's reimagining of the scene.

It was fun doing something a little different, and introducing visitors to something sort of artistic. It also didn't hurt that there were fried apples cooking on the hearth in the kitchen next to the parlor, making for a super inviting environment.

Ethan Allen Day - Ethan Allen Homestead

This past weekend, the girls and I attended our first “official” event of the 2019 season with Warner's Regiment. A few years ago, the State of Vermont declared June 23^rd to be “Ethan Allen Day.” For those not familiar with Allen, he's a bit of a folk hero in Vermont for fighting back against New Yorkers who were trying to claim New Hampshire land grants, and also for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in the days after the start of the American Revolution. His last home was in today's Burlington, Vermont, and the land has been turned into a small museum and education center.

The girls, harassing the museum exhibits.

 Since I was headed to the event as one parent with four girls, we opted to drive up the morning of the event, rather than the night before. We did take our tent, so the girls would have a place to relax out of public view, as well as a base of operations for things like diaper changes.

3/4 of the crew, taking a break.

For this event, the focus was to be on Distaff and civilian activities, with the military playing a smaller part. As such, there were other groups there demonstrating spinning, wood carving, flax preparation and other things. The men, women and children of Warner's also demonstrated sewing, knitting, games, and more. Overall, it was a very casual and relaxed atmosphere.

Relaxing in the shade.

About mid-day, the soldiers from the Regiment demonstrated some close order and open order drill. There is a popular myth that all Revolutionary War battles were men lined up in long lines taking turns shooting at each other in open fields, but the War in the northern theater was a bit different. We demonstrated how men would have gone about moving through woods and broken terrain.

Your humble author, defending The Grants.

Later in the afteroon, a couple of the men taught some basic drill movements to members of the public, who were given wooden practice muskets to learn with. While this was happening, a group of our Distaff members learned basic black powder and musket safety and handling. This was led by a couple of our female members who usually portray soldiers, but for this event chose to take part as Distaff.

Engaging with the public.

By afternoon, my children had hit their energy limits, so I gathered them all up and headed back home. The next morning, they were all still tired, so I returned to the Homestead alone to take part in Sunday's activities, and to retrieve our tent and equipment.

Distaff weapons training.

Sunday started with a short religious service by our Regimental Chaplain. I'm not much of a church-goer, but I really enjoy hearing a sermon while sitting out on the grass, under the shade of a tree, with birds and a breeze as a backdrop.

Sunday services.

The rest of the day brought more drilling and demonstrations, ending about mid afternoon. It was an excellent start to the “official” season.

Sisters strolling the orchard.

Nature girl.

Learning to fire.

Musket training.

Some 18th century gaming.

Projecting confidence.

"Make READY!"

Reflection and relaxation.

  

Out for a walk.

The "official" portrait.

Her fourth season.

The unofficial portrait.

* Photos by myself, Elaina Davis, Crystal Bailey, and Heather Kenyon-Haff