Window Frame Detailing...

This was a tough part of the build. I had finished all of the window frame shapes, and I had decided that I wanted the windows to have a range of different cross-struts. Some of them would be straight and some of them would be diagonal.

Let me show you some detail on the making of the long window on the side of the house. I love the shape of this window. This is one of the windows where I wanted to include diagonal diamond shaped cross-struts.

The idea was to have the cross struts in the back of the frame. This is a very small and awkward space to work in so this was not going to be very easy.

The first thing I had to do was measure out the cross struts and give them the required diagonal cuts on the end to allow them to fit into the space...



I cut a whole pile of them to the correct length and then I went in and did some micro-detailing to break up the structure and give it that miniaturised texture...



The next step was extremely tricky. I had to form these struts into cross shapes that could be glued into the window frame. This involved using two struts to form each cross. I had to cut a small section out of one of the struts and glue the remaining pieces onto opposing sides of the other strut. They had to be oriented correctly so that the diagonal cuts on all the ends would allow for a good contact surface with the interior of the window frame.





I ended up with quite a lot of these diagonal-diamond cross struts. As I was making them I was carefully measuring against the frame to ensure I made enough, and that they were able to neatly fill the space in the frame.

You can see a couple of toothpicks in the following image (giving some sense of the scale of the window). These were hugely useful in maneouvering the cross struts into position within the frame. As it was such a tight space to be working in, having these little sticks was a life-saver.



I used a tacky glue to stick the cross struts into the frame, using the toothpicks to help me move them into position, and also to move the glue around to ensure good contact. This glue starts off blue, but becomes transparent when it sets. I carefully removed excess glue using the toothpicks, which I cleaned on an old rag as I went along.



It took a long time to position all of the cross-struts in place for the desired effect. I found I actually had to make an extra one at the end to fit in the very last space. This one was particularly difficult... But I got there in the end.



Once the window has been stained/painted, I will be gluing a layer of plastic sheeting to the back, behind the cross-struts. This will act as the glass, and will have a range of colours.

As I was making this, the thought kept creeping into my mind that I could have simply drawn these cross-struts onto that plastic sheeting. However, the depth I gain from using this technique will create notable shadows and substance in the final image, so I gladly continued. While it was difficult it felt good to go to this level of detail as I just know it will make the film all the better when it is complete. Also - It allows me to get nearer the set in close shots, and it will still stand-up (particularly in HD).

I went ahead and completed the rest of the windows using a variety of different cross-struts designs to give a hodge-podge look to the windows. And here are some images of them in position on the house.











The next step will be to stain and/or paint the various wooden elements on the cottage (windows, door frame and door) and then add the finishing touches (such as glass or fittings). After that I think it will be about time to start the wearing and ageing process.