Concrete House, Forms from Model T Running Boards

[StevenS]

Concrete House, Forms from Model T Running Boards to make house. Now I have seen everything !!!!!!!!!

[JohnM]

Very resourceful!!

[DHort]

That is awesome. Did they make the forms first and place them or use the running boards as they were building?
(My father was a bricklayer.)

[Kaiser]

No wonder sagging runningboard supports are so common

[1925 Touring]

Thats cool!

[Original Smith]

Pay attention to those concrete patterns! Those are early teens running boards.

[John Codman]

Those 'boards were obviously in good shape. Maybe those same 'boards are on a member's T today!

[Nathan Pederson]

Would be interesting to know the history of the Ford Script House.

Looks to me like the building is constructed using blocks and mortar.

Blocks could be made relatively quickly by placing a T running board face
down to the ground and adding removeable latched sides around it to make a mold.
Pack the mold with a drier concrete mix, flip it over, remove the running board and
sides, and then leave the blocks to cure for awhile. The resulting Ford script
is an added "bonus". These would be some long and heavy blocks.

Just my take on things.

[ModelT46]

Those are individual blocks made using running board as the base in a mold. There is a layer of mortar between each row of blocks. Where is the building located? If you have an address I can google the site. Do you have a long shot that shows the whole building?

[JohnM]

This got the cogs and wheels spinning in my head! They would make a fun walkway or steps leading to the garage.

[Humblej]

John,
I think you have the right idea, but TT running boards might be a better size for sidewalk pavers. I will do that myself next summer for sure.

Steven,
I would love to see that house, where is it?

[TXGOAT2]

Looks like New Mexico to me.

[TXGOAT2]

It may be stucco over wood or some other material.

[JohnM]

Looks like New Mexico to me.

It does look too dry and arid for the Midwest. The roof appears to be the same material?

[JH1427]

Somehow, this needs to be located. If anywhere close to me, I will stop by.

[Erik Johnson]

If you look at the corner of the house/left side of the photograph, that gives you an idea of how thick the blocks are.

It looks like they are only three to four inches thick which is similar to the depth of a typical brick.

They are probably applied over wood sheathing and tar paper, so they aren't structural.

[Bill Robinson]

The house definitely has been there for a while. Just look at the electrical connection on the wall. I'm almost 77 years old and don't remember seeing a residential connection with 3 separate wires since I was a kid. Yep, 3 wires are still reqd, but nowadays they come in bound together and underground.

[Nathan Pederson]

Thanks Steven S. for the interesting pictures.

There is a similar concrete type building next to the Ford script building.
Could these have been built by the W.P.A.?
Army barracks? Just guessing.

John M. great idea for a walkway/steps.

Been doing some experimenting with a mold here.

[Erik Johnson]

Nathan:

How about a snow or ice mold to build an igloo or ice-block castle this winter?

[Nathan Pederson]

Erik,

At the very least, will have to make one large ice block with the Ford script.

[JohnM]

Very good Nathan, the Ford script stands out very well. If you do a walkway, be sure to post a thread about it. I would like to but I don't have any extra running boards laying around.

[StevenS]

I am tiring to find out where this is at. This was sent to me by a friend, of an acquaintance of a friend, of a 3rd cousin, you get the picture.