--- type: Article title: "Creating a model of a Shepherds hut" description: "How I created a 1:76th scale Shepherds hut from photographs." resource: https://www.simoncox.com/post/2026-08-25-creating-a-model-of-a-shepherds-hut/ tags: [Post, Modelling, Featured] timestamp: 2026-08-31 --- ![A model of a small weather beaten shepherds hut with rusted iron wheels.](/assets/img/content/shepherds-hut-0.webp){loading="eager"} ## A Shepherds Hut was in an auction In 2021 I read an online article online in a daily newspaper where a sheep farmer had been outbid at an auction for an old Shepherds Hut by someone from London. The point of the article was a moral outrage thought piece complaining that a townie was able to outbid someone for an old hut that the farmer needed to be able to continue farming sheep and would be using it as some sort of reading retreat in the back garden of a Hampstead home. How dare the nouveau riche destroy the livelihoods of the countryman etc. The fact that it had sat, overgrown, in a garden for 50 years as a shed, with only snails and a few birds as friends, was somewhat missed out. Never mind – that's not what I am writing about. I really liked the look and proportions of the shepherds hut. I have seen many but this one was small and interesting with a nice patina. I found the auction site and grabbed the images and the details which included overall sizes. ![The dilapidated shepherds hut from the auction catalogue.](/assets/img/content/shepherds-hut-1.webp) ## Drawing up the Shepherds Hut plans There were 19 images in the auction site lot with 14 of them shots of the exterior which gave me enough reference to draw it up as a plan. This was going to be a kit of parts so need things like tabs. The board I use to make these is 0.5mm thick so allowance needs to be made for the thickness of the tabs in the slots. I find it best to draw up all the part first and then decide how it slots together and then add the tabs and slots. ## A new Creality Falcon A1 Laser My little Neje 2 laser had been brilliant but its getting a bit old and new far better diode lasers have come on the market so I purchased a Creality Falcon A1 Pro - this isn't a review of that but it is brilliant and a lot lot faster! I wondered exactly how much faster and thought I could test out the Shepherds hut drawing to see how long it would take compared to the NEJE. ### Disaster - lost all the files I spent an hour looking for the shepherds hut files but they had gone. I did have an issue a couple of years ago and knew I had lost some files but not which ones. I thought they had been backed up when moving stuff around to make space and they hadn't. Sad Face. However, the auction site files were still up and I was able to grab all the reference files again! I did have to redraw all the parts and while I was at it made some subtle improvements. I kept the original build method where the sides had an additional layer to provide the ribbing. I could have done this by etching the side but this extra 0.5mm layer really adds depth I could not have achieved with etching. The planks on the the ends are etched as the original does not have the ribs on the ends ## Improvements to the shepherd hut model design - The wheels now have a flange on the spokes at the back which is nearer the original and actually makes it slightly easier to build. - The door has an additional horizontal bar at the bottom that keeps things in shape - not on the original. - The windows have sills that match the original - they are wider. - The tabs and slots have been moved to reduce visibility of them. - The beam at the bottom of the sides is thicker to match the original. - The end apex and outer sides have been adjusted to fit when the roof goes on - less gap. - The front axel has been shaped so it is closer to the original. - I have included a draw bar which the original does not have, though there are mounts for one, and the original model did not have. ![Original shepherds hut model in the background with the new drawings in the foreground.](/assets/img/content/shepherds-hut-2.webp) *New drawings for the shepherds hut* ## Laser cutting The plans are saved from Affinity as an SVG file and imported into Lightburn where I have the laser and material settings all tested and set up ready. Then its a case of position the material turning on the laser and setting it to run. The original took about 40 minutes to cut on the NEJE laser and the new version, despite more components, takes 10 minutes. ## The build As with most of these projects I used Deluxe Materials Super'phatic glue with a long flexible nozzle, which allows just a tiny amount of the very liquid glue to be traced out where needed. The glue does need washing out from the nozzle as soon as I have finished but despite that inconvenience is still my tried and trusted method. ![Original shepherds hut model on left painted weathered grey and on the right is the new version unpainted.](/assets/img/content/shepherds-hut-8675.webp) *Three quarter view of the original shepherds hut model on left painted weathered grey and on the right is the new version unpainted.* ![Side view of the original shepherds hut model on left painted weathered grey and on the right is the new version unpainted.](/assets/img/content/shepherds-hut-8676.webp) *Side view of the original shepherds hut model on left painted weathered grey and on the right is the new version unpainted.* ![](/assets/img/content/shepherds-hut-8677.webp) *It is rare to get the laser cuts correct the first time so there is a lot of rework.* The new version is a little taller then the original model though you would not know unless they are seen together. I am vey happy with the improved wheels - and they can be easily used for other projects and yard paraphernalia! Once I have painted it up I will add some additional images [Read full article](https://www.simoncox.com/post/2026-08-25-creating-a-model-of-a-shepherds-hut/)