Want to construct a cupola on a structure & was wondering what would be the best way to construct the louvers, or can they be purchased? thanks
If I were going to try it, I think I would use a Dremmel Tool with a cutting disc to cut slots in a piece of material. Since most louvers I have seen are at an angle, might try, but it may be difficult. Sounds like a project that you will want to pratice before you go to work on the final pieces. I have seen cupolas with two or four sides louvered.
Don’t know of any pre-made ones, but that doesn’t mean that threr aren’t any. Would something made to look like venitian (sp?) blinds in a larger scale look like a louver?
Just a couple of thoughts.
Good luck,
Richard
A piece of clapboard siding, either milled basswood or sheet styrene, makes a decent representation of louvres, and it can be enhanced by adding shading beneath the raised lower edge of each “louvre”.
Wayne
Thanks Wayne, That may be the best way out. There is a kit out there, but the pitch is way off. may be able to just keep the louver part & improvise. Just thinkin…
I just got through scratchbuilding a structure with a cupola and I used Evergreen’s passenger car siding. I suppose if you wanted larger louvers you could use the clapboard siding, as suggested above. The grain elevator which I scratchbuilt several years ago also has passenger car siding for the louvers in the vents. For that project, I opted to use passenger car siding because part of that structure was already clapboard sided and I didn’t want to use the same material for my vent louvers. If you paint the “louvers” silver, it looks like aluminum or steel. And, if you want to bring out the detail a little more you can brush on a wash, like dilute acrylic paint or india ink and alcohol solution.
This is also going on a sided building. Maybe if I went with a wider spacing clap board, it would work.
Actually, Jerry, the Evergreen passenger car siding No. 3025 has much finer corrugates than the clapboard at 2 1/4" scale inch spacing.
Evergreen Clapboard Siding comes in six different spacings, while their Passenger Car Siding is available in three different spacings.
The nature of the clapboard siding suggests more depth, and you can easily enhance that by shading the upper portion of each board, using either a wash or your airbrush. I think that you might also get useable results by simply shading with a pencil, if you want “easy”. [swg]
If you’re building only one or two simple cupolas, Evergreen strips of a suitable size will work, too. Use spacers (cut shorter than the louvres) to impart the amount of opening desired, then remove them after the cement holding the louvres in place has set. I used that technique for the gable end vents on this elevator building:
Wayne
I believe that wayne’s method of using the styrene strips will allow you to construct the louver to the proper scale size that you’re looking for. You can start w/ an angled strip for the starter as you set the vanes to the 45 degrees and glue to the side frame/ jamb. Just figure what thickness will allow for the proper spacing. I build, install or repair units like this whenever needed (1:1 scale though). Louver vanes are about or 45 degrees and spacing is generally about 1/2 the vane width if looking square to frame. Not sure the size or ventilation use/ requirement for your stucture on the cupola, but using a scale 4-6" even though much larger than actual, may fit your needs and be easier to construct. I would suggest building a simple jig to hold the side frames and also keep it square. The bottom jamb/ frame section can be glue last after removal from the jig. The side frame material can be of a much thicker/ stronger stock as once installed the added size will be hidden by the exterior trim. This will make building a bit easier to have a stronger sides to glue to.