And the Week Started Off So Well.....Honeydukes Bay Window Crisis!!

I have spent this week working on the windows of Honeydukes. I have researched lots of different sites and taken on board lots of helpful advice and began the week feeling positive that the look I want is achievable.

I began with the cardboard tubes picked for their size if not for their content!

 I decided to build the layers of the side window first as I don't have to worry about the front opening panel. This window soon proved problematic as the circular tube cannot be placed half way because of the pavement width. This means I have to have a larger ledge inside the shop which won't match the front two bays. Hmmmm, I am not good with things that do not match. 

The actual window is made from a plastic sink mat that I have cut to size. I got this idea from Pinterest where someone had used plastic storage baskets for window panes. I then saw these large sink mats that I hope will provide the bend required for the bow. 

 I have then built the top but as you can see the pavement edging looks to small and nondescript once the top is added.

 I decided that all my circles would be made with balsa wood as I thought this material would be easier for me to cut. I found this cutting tool in Hobbycraft which is mainly for card and paper but I thought it would at least mark the wood for me. Which it did but as balsa is so soft and is not great when cutting against the grain I found out very quickly that circles and thin balsa do not go together!

 The cut circles look better than I thought after a lot of careful sanding but the pavement plinth still looks a bit weak. The wood is the real problem because I have had to use quite a thin balsa sheet so that I can cut it into circles.

The drums are to be covered in a very thin veneer I have had hanging around for a while. I was hoping this veneer  would add texture to the plain cardboard. Thanks Jo for this tip!! I cut strips to size, then steamed them in my vegetable steamer, while they were still damp I have lined these tubes with the strips to get the veneer to bend.

 I then glued the veneer strip around the tube. I was amazed when the is worked first time but.....I then realised I need the joins to be half way round the tube so they can be hidden by the window's edges. Oh, well practice makes perfect!!

 So, I cut out lots of circles, lots of semi-circles, lots of strips of veneer and painted and stained. Then today I have sat down and put all the windows together and discovered all sorts of problems. The main one being I am not convinced the window will glue in properly and be resilient enough. I know the stonework will act as a stabiliser and I can use architrave inside the shop which will help.

This window is one of the front windows and here I have used a 6mm craft circle that I bought on Ebay, for the pavement plinth and the top piece which seem to add a bit more substance.

This will help with the painting as the outside will need to be weathered and I am not sure the balsa will stand up to this.

So I sat and looked at everything this evening and thought, 'this is not working' and have walked away for the moment. I have found some craft circles on Ebay that are 3mm in depth that may prove more robust than the ones I have cut. They won't arrive for a few days so I think I will go back to the drawing board and think through some of the problems.

It's so annoying but I am trying not to look at it as a complete waste of time. What it has shown me is I need to learn how to use a jigsaw or whatever tool it is you need to cut circles!!