How to Make a Medieval Times House

Houses during medieval times were of simple construction. The peasant house of the times typically consisted of a single room, created quickly from sticks and straw using an A-shaped frame. For the modeler, these peasant houses are easy projects requiring basic modeling skills, and thus a good starter house for someone new to scratch-building models. This house design uses easily obtained model railroading materials to create a peasant house of the early medieval period, which when completed is suitable for gaming or display.

Things You'll Need

• Model railroad logs
• Hobby knife
• Wood glue
• Epoxy
• Paintbrush
• Acrylic paints
• Balsa plank
• Model railroad thatched roof sections

Instructions

1. Draw a plan of the hut from multiple angles. An A-frame hut generally consisted of a series of A-shaped arches created by leaning two tree trunks against each other with rope binding the trunk tops, and wooden poles placed along the sides for additional reinforcements. This frame was then covered by a layer of straw thatching mixed with mud. There's a single door in the house front, with the back wall framed and covered like the sides. The house should be no longer than 6 to 8 inches, with a height of 4 inches. Plan for an arch placed every 2 inches.

2. Create the main frame arches for your model using logs obtained from a hobby shop that sells model railroad supplies. Cut the logs to length so that they cross at a height of 4 inches. You can adjust the width of the house by using longer logs. Form an X with the crossed logs at the top and then glue them together using wood glue, creating each arch. Allow the arches to dry.

3. Create the frame of the house by laying a log as a roof beam in the center of the X formed by the crossed arches. Begin the beam with the first arch, gluing an arch every two inches until you've reached your desired house length. Take two logs and glue one each to the outside foot of the arches, an arch every two inches, to complete the main arch structure. Allow these three logs to dry.

4. Reinforce the frame by gluing two more, one on each side of the outside frame at mid-height. Cut and glue a lower and mid-section log to the rear of the house as well. For the front of the house, cut and glue the logs to form a door frame, with the mid-height board raised slightly to the top of the door, and the lower beams framing the door.

5. Cut a piece of balsa planking to serve as a front door to the house. Paint the door the color of distressed wood using acrylic paints. Glue the plank over the front door frame.

6. Cover the house frame with the model railroad thatched roof material. Use epoxy glue to glue the thatching into place to the frame. Line the thatching horizontally along the frame, with thatching slightly overreaching the edges of the front and rear of the house.

7. Complete the build by spraying the house with a layer of clear-coat to protect it from damage. When the clear-coat dries the house should be ready for gaming or for display.

Tips & Warnings

• You can mount the house to MDF or plexiglass board covered with model railroading terrain for display purposes.

References

• HistoryOnTheNet.com: Medieval Life Housing
• Scholar.chem.nyu.edu: The Medieval Technology Pages-Peasant Houses; Paul J. Gans; 2002

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Tony Matteliano's Scale Model Index: Provides links to scale model-related sites