John Carmichael
Registered
Watch Tower & Windmill Design & Construction
The first part of the video is my watchtower (also called a Lookout Tower). It is my design but incorporates elements of different watchtowers I've seen. It has a main roof with a cupola on top. Both are covered in copper sheet shingles held in place with brass brads and waterproofed with silicone on plywood roofs. It's my version of a classic wooden American lookout tower from the turn of the 20th century. It is fancier than most, with several platforms on the way up and a large fenced platform on top. The windows are real glass, and the interior is decorated with objects a real watchtower would have. The four big support legs look like they are set on stone masonry pedestals that I made from wall tiles, but the legs are actually attached to the composite wood foundation with steel angle brackets. The tower is fully lit inside and out and even has a rope lift and red blinking light on top. The little people love going up to the platforms to enjoy the view.
The second part of the video shows a fancy classic American wooden tower windmill with two platforms. It pumps water to the water tower. I used a G-Scale Aero brand 17" tall galvanized steel model windmill to provide the metal parts: the pump, fan wheel, tail, and the brass rod that connects the fan assembly to a steel socket attached to the steel legs. The leg slope angles of both towers are the same so the metal and wood legs connect in perfect alignment. Since they were not needed, I cut off most of the steel legs, leaving short steel leg stubs, which I connected to the top of the four redwood posts with tiny screws. I used Titebond III glue and brass escutcheon pins (brads) to make the redwood tower. It is assembled similarly to the Train Shed using paper templates on particle board. Before connecting pieces and gluing, I held the wood pieces temporarily in place on the template with horseshoe nails. The tower also has exterior lighting.
Feel free to copy, use or modify any of the images or video clip you see here. This was an easy fast build. Try it, you'll like it! Thanks for watching- John Carmichael
See my other projects here Cholla Patch Garden Railroad Design & Construction Series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL27sAcxJFvXMmKPEpii4HXAdzKLITFT5v
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL27sAcxJFvXMmKPEpii4HXAdzKLITFT5v
The first part of the video is my watchtower (also called a Lookout Tower). It is my design but incorporates elements of different watchtowers I've seen. It has a main roof with a cupola on top. Both are covered in copper sheet shingles held in place with brass brads and waterproofed with silicone on plywood roofs. It's my version of a classic wooden American lookout tower from the turn of the 20th century. It is fancier than most, with several platforms on the way up and a large fenced platform on top. The windows are real glass, and the interior is decorated with objects a real watchtower would have. The four big support legs look like they are set on stone masonry pedestals that I made from wall tiles, but the legs are actually attached to the composite wood foundation with steel angle brackets. The tower is fully lit inside and out and even has a rope lift and red blinking light on top. The little people love going up to the platforms to enjoy the view.
The second part of the video shows a fancy classic American wooden tower windmill with two platforms. It pumps water to the water tower. I used a G-Scale Aero brand 17" tall galvanized steel model windmill to provide the metal parts: the pump, fan wheel, tail, and the brass rod that connects the fan assembly to a steel socket attached to the steel legs. The leg slope angles of both towers are the same so the metal and wood legs connect in perfect alignment. Since they were not needed, I cut off most of the steel legs, leaving short steel leg stubs, which I connected to the top of the four redwood posts with tiny screws. I used Titebond III glue and brass escutcheon pins (brads) to make the redwood tower. It is assembled similarly to the Train Shed using paper templates on particle board. Before connecting pieces and gluing, I held the wood pieces temporarily in place on the template with horseshoe nails. The tower also has exterior lighting.
Feel free to copy, use or modify any of the images or video clip you see here. This was an easy fast build. Try it, you'll like it! Thanks for watching- John Carmichael
See my other projects here Cholla Patch Garden Railroad Design & Construction Series:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL27sAcxJFvXMmKPEpii4HXAdzKLITFT5v
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL27sAcxJFvXMmKPEpii4HXAdzKLITFT5v
