Cleaning out the basement a few weeks ago and I found this old tool box. As I always do,I checked it out mentally for possible uses. Hmmmm?

Here we see it in all of its' sartorial splendor. Complete with my dear departed Spaniels' teeth marks.



Here we see the beginning of the first few apps of plaster o paris. Brigitte is impatient with the slow progress of applying the plaster with a butter knife,smoothing it out and then scribing the stones in with a number 11 blade.



Brigitte is looking decidedly more satisfied here after all the plaster is on and scribed,the results of a few hours work. The roof has begun to be cut out on this side. Still need trim. Vac u form from Miniart.


I based the look of this house on 2 pics from Normandy showing old old Norman dwellings. One is a color pic taken in the PzLehr sector with a PzIV knocked out in front and the main source of my inspiration comes from a famous pic taken in Fonteney Le Pesnil with a smoldering Panther sitting out front.
I do not have color pics of that building or ones clear enough to show me the roof tile s used. Going by most pics I have seen I chose the square tiles and will paint them slate gray. If anyone from Normandy can steer me in another direction please weigh in ? Sean ? Frenchie?
Anyway,lots of coffee this morning so bear with me,
J

Now this is creative modelling!! Very nice progress, especially carving all those stones by hand. Will there be a smoldering Panther next to it in the future?

a very inventive re-use of a neglected item, the environmentalists would be proud

Excellent idea! I had to show my wife, she like it too.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"

Toolbox camo! 🛠 🤣

she certainly looks like a "take-charge" kind of gal.

house looks pretty well stacked, too.

Whaaaat?! That’s just genius - maybe I can make a Merrimack out of mine. And yes Officer right here, THIS is the guy who’s been hoarding all the toilet paper!

That's awesome!!

"I checked it out mentally for possible uses"

I've always done the same, but never had a way to phrase it. Thank you!

Thanks all,for commenting on the summer house!
Jack-nope,no Panther in this scene,sorry !
David-yes,well,I do my part to save the planet!
Don-Thanks Lakota and wife!
Mikey-Thanks man !
J-she does have a nice turn of heel,I agree
Maarten-thanks buddy !
Tim-Shhhh,keep your voice down mate ! Selling sheets on the local corner on the evenings. Seriously though,we got a bidet about 4 years ago and use a tiny fraction of the TP we used to.
Thanks Joe,I got interested in using a nice turn of phrase a lot by readin the posts from some folks on this forum,believe it or not.
Thanks again guys.
I turned my attention to starting on the interior yesterday but haven't advanced enough for interesting pics yet.
Work goes on,
J

Pssst, Hey Jerry,

In the first picture, how much for the roll of toilet paper


Cheers

You can't afford it man ! But I am selling individual sheets on the street corner after dark. Cash only.
J

Excellent work!

And a model house that actually has some weight for once...

Beautiful lady with lovely outfit at the era, the blue color application for her dress is very nice

Can't wait to see the another progress of the brick wall

Keep on going Mr. Jerry! Good luck

Tim and Ricky,
Thanks Gents for the excellent comments. Hope you are both having a nice day. Strange times we live in.
J

Here's an example from Basse Normandie area :



H.P. (not from Normandy though...)

Thanks mon ami.
I do notice in my Morane books the full color pics taken in modern times show a lot of gray slate. Also a lot of gray roof tiles that are the 45 degree angle type,"crosshatched" if you will. Know what I mean ? But could these be modern additions ? My building here looks to be from the 13th or 14th century built around the time of the beginning of the Abbe Ardenne ?

began the staining process. Here is a pic of a similar building taken less than 5 kilometers from my dio area. I am getting closer to matching the colors I think. Work goes on.





Thanks for looking.
J

Here's another view of traditional roofing in Basse-Normandie (Orne) :



H.P.

Thanks buddy ! Excellent photo!
Man o man,that style of roof tile would be one of the most difficult to replicate that I have ever seen !
J

Got some work done here. Mainly the 2 dormers. More coloring on stones,etc.

very good,go on

Hello Jerry

Sorry for the late response. One of the consequences of the current situation is I have an inordinate amount of time on my hands, about twenty different projects on the go and little to no self discipline, so I've been flitting from one thing to another... anyway, nice reworking of the tool bow

Re the photos you mentioned, the building behined the Lehr PzIV is still there, albeit delapidated somewhat. I did a "then and now" a while back, it's between St Lô and Pont Hebert.
The buildings in Fontenay le Pesnel are almost all gone, so no colour match possible.

With regards the roof.... HP's photos of clay tiles are spot on for the "Pays d'Auge" area and nearby, so south east/south-east of Falaise. Slate (as you've gone for) is perfect for Caen and westwards. Both the buildings you mentioned as inspiration would have had slate roofs, the only difference being the stone for the walls (granite versus limestone).

Cheers

Sean

Can´t believe what you have done from a tool box. It´s simply amazing. Brigitte has to be very proud!

Hello again...

I just looked for the photos I mentioned...

I think this is the area you were talking of Jerry, with the M4 composite, Panther and Pak40 all within a few hundred yards of one another:










The only pre-war building is the barn at right angles to the road in the Pak40 photos.

For the colour of the stone I reckon you've got it down perfectly, a kind of very light grey buff.

Cheers

Sean