Some terrain projects exist simply to fill a gap on the tabletop. Others remind you why you fell in love with making terrain in the first place.

This little Wild West outhouse was definitely the second.

In the previous video I’d built nothing more than a simple cardboard shell. Looking back, I’d probably move the door to one side if I built it again, allowing the structure to be a little smaller and more realistically proportioned. It’s slightly oversized, but that’s part of the charm of scratch building—you learn something from every project.

Popsicle Sticks Don’t Have to Look Like Popsicle Sticks

The biggest transformation came from cladding the cardboard shell with textured craft sticks.

Rather than using full-width popsicle sticks, I ripped them into narrower planks on my Dremel Moto-Saw. Combined with the heavy texturing I’d added using a wire wheel, every plank ended up slightly different. Some were wider, some thinner, some more heavily weathered than others.

As the cardboard shifted slightly during construction, the planks no longer lined up perfectly either.

Normally I’d see that as a mistake.

Instead, it became one of the best features of the model.

Old frontier buildings weren’t precision engineered. They were built from whatever timber was available, cut by hand, and repaired whenever necessary. Those slight imperfections gave the model exactly the rustic character I was hoping for.

Learning to Slow Down

The build itself wasn’t difficult.

The hardest part was waiting.

Using PVA glue meant I constantly had to stop and let sections dry before continuing. More than once I was tempted to reach for super glue and baking soda to speed things up.

I’ve used that trick plenty of times over the years, but in this case I deliberately avoided it.

The baking soda creates a very solid filler, and I wanted all those tiny gaps between the timber boards to remain open. Those little imperfections would later catch washes and stains beautifully, giving the finished building far more depth than if every gap had been filled.

Sometimes patience really does produce the better result.

Staining Real Wood

One of the biggest advantages of building with timber rather than MDF is how naturally it accepts stain.

For this project I continued using the Cabot’s water-based decking stains that I’ve been experimenting with throughout the Wild West series, blending Merbau and October Brown to create a weathered timber finish.

The technique couldn’t really be much simpler.

Brush both colours on.

Blend them together while they’re still wet.

Let the timber do the work.

The natural grain combines with the textured surface to create variation that would take much longer to achieve with traditional acrylic painting.

Sometimes the simplest techniques really are the most effective.

Finally Using the Paints I’ve Been Saving

Something else struck me while working on this project.

For years I’ve been strangely reluctant to use my hobby paints on terrain.

Every time I thought about painting scenery I’d worry about “using up” expensive paints.

Then it hit me.

Some of those paints have been sitting in a cupboard for over a decade.

What exactly was I saving them for?

Paint exists to be used.

So I finally stopped worrying.

Old Citadel colours, Vallejo paints, washes I’d owned since the Battle Bunker days—they all came out onto the desk. A few quick drybrushes added subtle highlights to the timber, a soft grey aged some of the wood, and a faded blue door introduced just enough colour to break up the browns without overpowering the model.

It wasn’t a complicated paint job.

It didn’t need to be.

The Little Details Make the Difference

Once the building itself was finished, it was time for the fun part.

Buckets.

Barrels.

Crates.

A pile of spare timber leaning against the wall.

Little scenic details like these are what make terrain feel lived in rather than simply built.

I also offset the outhouse on its base to leave room for these accessories, giving the scene a little more visual interest instead of placing the building dead centre.

Finally, I couldn’t resist adding a tiny wanted poster to the back wall.

Does it make logical sense?

Probably not.

Would someone really pin a wanted poster to the back of an outhouse?

Maybe…

Maybe not.

But it instantly helped sell the setting, and sometimes that’s reason enough.

Why Scratch Building Is So Rewarding

This little project reminded me why I enjoy scratch building so much.

It’s not about saving money.

It’s not about building something nobody else owns.

It’s about creating exactly the piece you need, making decisions as you go, solving little problems, and ending up with something that’s uniquely yours.

There’s still plenty left to do before the town of Complaint feels complete. Every building still needs basing, and there are countless more structures to build before gunfights start spilling through the streets of the town proper.

But every collection starts with a handful of small projects.

And this humble little outhouse has become one of my favourites.