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Author Topic: WIP - The Gold Mine - RESTORED PICTURES  (Read 59411 times)

Offline argsilverson

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  • Posts: 2580
Re: WIP - The Gold Mine
« Reply #30 on: September 15, 2008, 12:16:53 PM »
Being a geologist myself I could produce a full essay/book on the subject.
Building a diorama of Wild West for gaming purposes is not a scientific diorama and yes much simplification must be assumed.
I understand the above and that is why I send only minimal details.

The rest is Science, metallurgy etc.

Dear Verderer
crushing? not by hand but by steam power! there are a lot of steam crushers

Dear Admiral,
Hope you enjoy and produce a magnificent diorama. All our comments were just to enrich your idea, mostly because I am unable even to think to make any diorama. My talents are minimal,
Keep up the good work, inspire all of us and thanks for sharing it.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2008, 12:34:21 PM by argsilverson »
argsilverson

Offline Verderer

  • Mad Scientist
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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine
« Reply #31 on: September 15, 2008, 12:42:18 PM »
Yes, it's wonderful project, and it wasn't my intention to question it at all. On the contrary, I think it's entirely correct as far as I can tell (and I am not an expert).

« Last Edit: September 15, 2008, 12:44:39 PM by Verderer »

Offline Admiral Benbow

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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with part 2 ...)
« Reply #32 on: September 16, 2008, 03:01:55 PM »
On to part 3 of my gold mine project. Or was it a silver mine? Have to check the next ore car ...  8)

The next pics show the latest developments on the building site:
- the flume (or was it the Long Tom?) has been constructed;
- support constructions from stone and timber have been created;
- trackbed and shaft-entrance have been painted and weathered;
- rock formations above and behind the adid grew quite naturally ...





I had been thinking for quite some time about the best way to create some kind of illusion for the mine entrance leading into a mountain; the problem being that very tiny amount of available space without creating a huge model mountain. Initially I would have done it the same way as before, laying some pieces of styrofoam around the entrance and sculpt the rock strata into the clay. But then my friend Bob da dawg sent me a small bag of pine bark pieces he'd collected on some north sea island, and I gave it a try. It was a bit of a hassle to find matching pieces of bark fitting around the entrance and on top of each other, but some cutting, pinning and a careful step-by-step glueing did it in the end. The single pieces will now be blended with each other and into the finished rock formations with some more of the clay material, and hopefully it will come together quite naturally. It's all some kind of experiment, but it's exciting as well ...  :) Have a look at some details:





The water troughs were build entirely from balsa wood. I cut my own strips from larger balsa sheets of 2 and 3 mm thickness, available from shipmodeller's suppliers. For glueing the balsa I recommend not to use white glue, as balsa will soak up the water in white glue quite fast and that will lead to a weak bond, especially with so small edges. I used Uhu-Hart, a special contact glue for balsa. It's very fast and you get a real strong bond, so all four troughs could be finished in roughly 1,5 hours.





As done with the foamboard placeholders, the finished balsa troughs were fixed to the ground and into each other with some needle pins to get the correct height dimensions for the support constructions. All in all a very delicate setup, but I had no other idea to do it. The supports were mainly carved and engraved from styrofoam and then glued to the ground. Some wooden supports from wood strips were added in the back as stone supports of such a height are quite unlikely and unstable. Everything was arranged as if the builders didn't have a real masterplan in mind and did it more to trial and error ... The troughs themselves were not glued in place but are removable for ease of painting.





As you will have noticed in the meantime this terrain piece will be used with its backside to the edge of the gaming table. To get a nice flat side looking like the scene has been cut up, a contour piece cut from 2 mm plastic sheet was contact glued to the backside and fixed with some tape until the glue was fully cured. This will later get some black paint and flat varnish.



So, that is it pretty much up till now. Next steps will be smoothing out the rock formations, getting the rest of the groundwork done and start painting the thing. I'll take some break now and be back when there is more to show ...

Thanks for your interest and support!
« Last Edit: May 26, 2018, 07:53:45 PM by Admiral Benbow »

Offline Malamute

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    • Boot Hill Miniatures
Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #33 on: September 16, 2008, 03:15:29 PM »
Wow, it just keep s getting better and better. :)
"These creatures do not die like the bee after the first sting, but go on age after age, feeding on the blood of the living"  - Abraham Van Helsing

Offline Operator5

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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #34 on: September 16, 2008, 04:37:43 PM »
This has to be one of the most amazing projects I have ever seen (and I have seen quite a few). All the constructing on the mine is phenomenal, but little touches like the stockade tent just blow me away.
 :o :o :o :o :o

Richard A. Johnson
On Facebook: Rattrap on Facebook

Offline oxiana

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1069
Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #35 on: September 16, 2008, 05:45:43 PM »
It's so great to watch such a fascinating project as the work is shown step-by-step. So much better to appreciate the finished piece - which I know it going to be great.

Offline Captain Blood

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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #36 on: September 16, 2008, 09:51:22 PM »
Looking damn gorgeous.

Right - here's an idea for you... You know those spoiled railway modellers have all kind of brilliant little luxury items to enhance their layouts? Well, I'm sure I've seen little flickering flame L.E.D.s... (battery powered presumably?)

Don't know if it'd be too difficult or too late to wire up now, but a couple of flickering torches set just inside the mine entrance (or was it an adit?  ;)) would be an extra piece of magic to wow your onlookers...

Just a thought...

Offline bandit86

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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #37 on: September 17, 2008, 04:14:37 AM »
Thank you Admiral this is a really fun project to watch come to life, thanks for your hard work.  Looking forward to the finished mine.
Barbarella: What's that screaming? A good many dramatic situations begin with screaming...
http://bandit86.blogspot.com/

Offline Admiral Benbow

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  • "Creativity is a drug I cannot live without."
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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #38 on: September 17, 2008, 10:00:28 AM »
Looking damn gorgeous.
Right - here's an idea for you... You know those spoiled railway modellers have all kind of brilliant little luxury items to enhance their layouts? Well, I'm sure I've seen little flickering flame L.E.D.s... (battery powered presumably?)
Don't know if it'd be too difficult or too late to wire up now, but a couple of flickering torches set just inside the mine entrance (or was it an adit?  ;)) would be an extra piece of magic to wow your onlookers...
Just a thought...

Captain, that's indeed a very nice idea! I'll think about it and any possibilities for hidden wiring ... Will check a railway shop next days.

Thanks!


Offline argsilverson

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #39 on: September 17, 2008, 10:07:26 AM »
Simply marvellous!!!!!

This diorama is marvellous, its quality and execution is superb!
It will proudly stand in a science museum as well!

Offline Regulator

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 544
Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #40 on: September 17, 2008, 01:24:50 PM »
So great and so nitty-gritty!

Offline gamer Mac

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 8207
Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #41 on: September 17, 2008, 01:57:53 PM »
Gob smacked!!!

Amazing!!!
Makes we want to think about playing old west games just so I can try and build something like this.
But your mine would just put anything I build to shame
Can’t wait to see it finished.
PS I may have to think how I could fit a mine into my pulp games

Offline Snate56

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 184
Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #42 on: September 18, 2008, 06:59:01 AM »
Where are you, Admiral? Here in the States we have these craft stores everywhere and even "super" sized grocery stores that sell decorative electric candles that have that same flickering LED in them. Especially now when we're comming into our Halloween season; they use them in carved pumpkins.
I just mention this because they would probably be a lot cheaper than railroader supplies.


SteveN

Offline Admiral Benbow

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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #43 on: September 18, 2008, 09:50:02 AM »
Thanks all for your nice comments and compliments, you really keep me going ... :D

@Snate56: I'm living in Germany, and although we don't have that many craft stores over here, I will keep my eyes open when browsing the one or other dollar shop in the next days; maybe I'll find something usable.


Offline Bugsda

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Re: WIP - The Gold Mine (now with parts 2 and 3 ...)
« Reply #44 on: September 18, 2008, 07:10:43 PM »
That is absolutely brilliant Admiral, really looking forward to the finished article :-*
Well I've lead an evil life, so they say, but I'll outrun the Devil on judgement day.

 

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