The stagecoach won First
Place\Toys & Miniatures at the 2001 NWA Woodworkers Expo in Saratoga,
NY.
This project was a trial & error attempt to produce a
replica of an Overland stage, as I had no plans to
go by at the time. I rented a
video tape of the movie "Stagecoach" as a reference for the
undercarriage assembly of a stagecoach. In one of the scenes, the coach
overturned so I was able to freeze frame the scene and copy the details of the
undercarriage & it's workings.
I made cardboard templates of the parts, then transferred the
drawings to the wood. Every piece on this coach is hand crafted from white pine
with the exception being the base which is made from white oak &
the boxes
which are rosewood.
The wheels were made using different size hole saws, with small
dowels spaced & inserted for spokes.
Brass stock from a hobby shop was used
for the 'tires' & accents.
The braking assembly is 'workable' causing the rear brake pads
to be pressed against the rear wheels
for stopping.
The body of the coach is suspended from hand made front & rear 'springs'
fastened to leather straps
for support. The front carriage assembly has hitch
pieces made from hand shaped dowels. It can actually
be steered. Small brass
hinges were cut for the doors which allows them to be opened & closed.
To
finish the interior of the coach, I glued some scrap pieces of wallpaper to the
walls.
The roof railing is constructed of hand made brass stanchions, drilled to accept
the threaded-through
wire railing, then painted black.
A glove was used for all the leather accent pieces (window
curtains, cargo ties, rear cargo compartment cover, box handles, etc.)
Carvings on the sides of the coach were done with an Exacto knife.
The steer skull and cactus are hand carved. Hot melt glue was
impregnated with beach sand for the desert affect.
All lettering was hand applied. Each letter placed individually
using rub on transfer letters purchased at
a stationary store.
The stagecoach finish consists of wipe on colored lacquers used
for model painting. The oak display base
is coated with wipe on polyurethane.
A fun project, taking approximately 200 hours.
