Realistic Miniature Barrel
Intro: Realistic Miniature Barrel
I like to occationaly make props for D&D dioramas and other miniatures. This cute little barrel is one of my favourites, since it looks so realistic, yet is so simple to make. The best part is that it uses very cheap materials that you might already have in your house!
STEP 1: Cut the Planks
From the big sheet of balsa wood, cut a 1.8cm x 10cm rectangle.
Then, cut 10 thin slices as shown in the pictures. The resluting pieces must be 4mm x 18mm and no more than 1mm thick.
STEP 2: Shape the Planks
Cut the corners of each "plank", as shown in the picture. This gives them a more leaf-like shape.
Bend each plank, using your fingers or a small pair of pilers.
→If the plank is too thick and can't bend, just snap it in the middle and close to the corners (like the 6th image).
STEP 3: Make the Lids
Cut a circle with a diameter(Ø) of 1cm. You should now have a Ø1cm x 4mm cylinder
Now, cut 2 slices about 1mm thick.
→This part is a bit tricky. Don't worry if you don't get it in your first try, I often need many attempts too :)
STEP 4: Cut the "metal Bands" (no Pun Intended)
Cut 4 stripes out of the thin cardboard. They should be about 4cm long and somewhere between 1 and 2 mm thick.
STEP 5: Make the Support Foam
Cut a 1.2cm x 1.2cm x 1.6cm piece of foam.
Shape it like a Ø1.2cm x 1.6cm cillinder.
Cut the "corners" of the cilinder, so that it takes the shape of a barrel.
→This piece of foam will help you put together the final barrel.
STEP 6: Assemble the Barrel
Now it's time to put all the pieces together.
Start by gluing the curved planks around the barrel-shaped piece of foam.
Then, glue the top and the bottom lid.
→Don't use multi-purpuse glue in this step, as it dissolves the foam.
→In the 7th image you can see that the lid is a little too big. If this happens to you, just cut it all around
STEP 7: Glue the Metal Bands
Glue the little strips of cardboard as shown. Cut any excess parts.
→At this step you may use regular glue
STEP 8: That's It!
...And that's all you need to make this realistic miniature barrel. Most of it is just thoughless repetitive work, so you can easily make an army of these while listening to music or watching a TV series :D
If you want you can also paint it, but in my opinion it looks just as good without it.
4 Comments
Clayalotte 2 years ago
I have seen that you can put think wood (like coffee sticks, craft sticks, whatever) to soak in hot water to make them more pliable. Saw that here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wRZEx3u998U
Penolopy Bulnick 2 years ago
evahghg 2 years ago
seamster 2 years ago
Nice work!