Does anyone know where I can find the dimensions of the Sturgeon Bay Pierhead light? I have bought numerous books, looked on the internet etc and I can't find the size of it. I would like to build a working miniature but I need to know the size to make it to scale. Thanks in advance.

Click here for a link to the website of the USCG Station at Sturgeon Bay Canal.

Give the phone number a call and tell them what you'd like and if there is someone there who could help you with some dimension information.

You can then write a letter detailing your request.

Expect to provide them with identification information for yourself.

Another possibility is to contact the Door County Maritime Museum and Lighthouse Preservation Society in Sturgeon Bay.

You read my mind on both of those. I did call those places and neither place knew the size of the building. I'm wondering if I would e-mail Harbour Lights if they would know. After all they did make it!

You may try the the National Archives at www.archives.gov You may be able to do a search and come up the the blurprints there.

Mike

Been there, tried that, Mike. Did have info for the Chip Canal light, but not the pierhead light/ foghorn.

Anyone want to sneak out there in the dark and hold the other end of the tape measure for me?

Maybe in the nice weather - - don't think we want to go there this time of the year.

My folks are up in Stugeon Bay right now, I'll give them a call.

Mike

24 feet by 33 feet by 39 feet tall

The info I have says "It consists of a two-story, rectangular, wood framed building encased in cast-iron plates for durability. A short, conical, cast-iron light tower emerges from the eastern end of the hipped roof to give the structure an overall height of 39 feet. The sixth order Fresnel lens, from the previous tower was placed in the new tower, producing a light with a focal plane 40 feet above the water level."

Then I have this "The Sturgeon Bay North Pierhead lighthouse originally was built as an open-framed light tower with separate fog signal buildings on the North Pier, an elevated walkway on the pier ran from shore to buildings. The 1903 structure combined the fog signal and the light tower in a 24 foot by 33 foot building of quarter inch steel plate. The original tower was about 30 feet, the rebuilt tower 39 feet. Originally it was equipped with a 10-sided cast-iron lantern and a 6th Order Fresnel lens, the same equipment was used in the rebuilt structure, current range 9 miles. Originally equiped with 10-inch steam fog whistles, range 8-12 miles. It now has an electric fog signal."

And then there is this: "1/4-inch steel plate was riveted to the 24 foot by 33 foot building. The two-story building had a hipped roof surmounted by a round light tower on the east end. The tower was 39 feet from its base to the top of the ventilator ball."

Wow, that's better than having to drive up there and take out your tape measure and clambor over the ice.

Using photographs of all four sides and scaling them appropriately to Suzanne's measurements, you should be able to make up some drawings for your model.

If you have access to Photoshop, you can use Perspective Control (PC) to create 'straight on' views from angle views and correct for images that have the camera pointed up.

How big do you expect this model to be? What will you use to construct it? Will you include the pier? Have you done any other lighthouses or structures in model before?

And what name do you go by when you are not "Buoyhunter"? Inquiring minds want to know.

See what happens when you don't check for one day, Suzanne posts the sizes. I guess I won't need my stealth black lighthouse measuring uniform! I hope you know I was kidding about actually going out to it to measure it. Isn't it restricted property?

For my name please see the welcome section. I didn't want to add that on here and fill the space.

Now for the lighthouse. The idea came from always going to Sturgeon Bay and seeing the lawn lighthouses that people have. Seeing that I alway had a dream of having a pond with a remote (non working) tugboat tied to a pier and a village around the pond. The tug I found is 1/42 scale so that would be the size I would need to keep for everything.

In looking for buildings I found there was none so I would need to scratch build everything. I found one lighthouse mfg that sells a stucco lawn lighthouse but at least on the WI great lakes you see more of the building style lighthouse. (sorry for not knowing the exact name) For this reason I kept looking and never really jumped to spend the $500 on the stucco lighthouse.

I don't have a favorite lighthouse but I love door county and sturgeon bay. We go there a few times a year and I really enjoy the lighthouses. I've always liked the Sturgeon Bay Pierhead light so I decided that is the one I was going to build.

To answer the next question have I built a lighthouse before...ummm no. I have built some working gristmills with a working waterwheel. These were nothing fancy and made out of wood.

So far my thoughts are to build this lighthouse out of wood. I'm thinking I will find some type of rivit that I can place for where the actual rivits are. It should be easy to build since it's a rectangle.

I should be able to get pretty close. My two hang ups that I have are the size, which now I know, and also how I will construct the lattern room. I found one place where I can purchase a latern room but it's more round and the pierhead light seems to be more of an octagon. I haven't worked that part out yet.

My last problem is I don't own a table saw but I'm thinking this would be a good reason to buy one!

So that is what I have for plans right now. My wife is a designer so she can mock up the plans for me. The next step is to figure out what size 1/42 scale would be. I'm hoping this won't be the size of a shed....

By the way Suzanne where did you get that information from?

1/42nd is pretty small. 24' would translate to about 6". It may be that the Harbour Lights model isn't far from 1/42nd scale, but my Sturgeon Bay Pierhead is in the storeroom.

This is a job that could use a jig saw, not a table saw. (But you don't need to tell your wife that.)

As for materials, you might use a smooth finish board such as Masonite. If you go to the hardware store, you'll find some sort of self-sticking 'bumper' thingees (Hardware store people will know what they are - probably door bumpers). These could simulate the 'rivets'. The glossy coat of red paint will give it a great look when you are done.

If you've accumulated the necessary photos, I'd be happy to tackle the perspective adjustments so you have 2D images of each of the four sides.

Sources:

Lighthouses of Lake Michigan by Wayne Salpulski

Lighthouses & Range Lights of Door County, Wisconsin by Peter Bosman

Keepers of the Lights Lighthouse Keepers & Their Families Door County, Wisconsin 1837-1939 by Steven Karges

Suzanne - It appears there are 3 more books I need to purchase!

Webmaster -You are right on the size. Math like this isn't my strong suit so I asked my wife for help. I found on the tug page 1/48 scale is 1/4 = 1 ft. There was some confusion since my wifh kept telling me it would be 6 ft wide. While laying in bed thinking about this I did the math in my head and like you found this would be 6" wide not 6 ft wide. Your right. I might as well build a village out of the Harbour Lights lighthouses.

I went from too big to too small. My ideal size I think would be about 3 ft wide and that may be too big. I will have to play downstairs and find a good size.

Would masonite hold up to WI weather and being outdoors? This lighthouse will be outdoors 24/7 365 so it will see everything from rain, snow and sun.

Here is the link to where I had the idea come from. http://www.lighthouseman.com/lawn_lighthouses.htm

If you search around you can find you can purchase the latern room just from them but I feel this latern room doesn't look like the latern room on the Sturgeon Bay light.

Wow! Sounds like a very cool enterprise! Maybe once you get going you can post pictures so we can follow your progress. That would be a lot of fun. Since it's your first time, we can provide you with lots of moral support - and suggestions if you get stuck! We have a lot of people here who are creative and willing to provide ideas. Right, guys?!