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Miniatures Adventure => Pulp => Topic started by: Doomhippie on April 12, 2009, 01:13:27 AM

Title: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Doomhippie on April 12, 2009, 01:13:27 AM
I just thought I'd share a couple of pics with you guys.

When thinking about adventure stories I always come to the point where I start to think abot a rope bridge. Well, no more thinking, I've finished my new project, which I intend to use for both .45 Adventures and Broadsword (as I promised Grimm I would host a game on the Trave Con at the latest...).

The whole thing started out one night when I was bone tired and watching some Burt Reynolds movies on TV. I used the comercial breaks to work on the playing field. Here the first photo:

(http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s321/doomhippie_photos/Drop%20of%20Death/DSC00748.jpg)

I let the ting standing for a day or two until Driscoles came by and encouraged me to continue. Now due to our spring brake and a spell of warm, sunny weather I was able to actually work on this thing in the garden - which helped with the drying of glues and colors very much. So after only a short time the thing looked like this:



(http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s321/doomhippie_photos/Drop%20of%20Death/DSC00750.jpg)

After playing with some more color I managed to get to this stage yesterday:

(http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s321/doomhippie_photos/Drop%20of%20Death/DSC00755.jpg)

Today saw me working on the river. I looked through some White Dwarf articles to get some ideas for the color having painted the river blue and decided that I didn't like it that way. So here is the reworked river. Basic color is now dark green with a fair amount of black mixed in. For the rapids I used turquoise and white on the still wet green.

(http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s321/doomhippie_photos/Drop%20of%20Death/DSC00762.jpg)

Almost done at that stage. All I did was add a little rubble here and there and some grass patches to make it appear more lively.

(http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s321/doomhippie_photos/Drop%20of%20Death/DSC00767.jpg)

I wanted to have the rocks in the river as an alternative way to get across. However, should I feel mean enough to force the players across the rope bridge, I'll just define that area impassable. Oh, the bridge - right.

I was really worried how to do it. I used strings of course but actually put a webbing of wire between the "ropes" in order to have a more secure place to put miniatures. Then I just glued good old McDonald's coffe stirrers (are they called that in English???) across the wire and the ropes. I painted the wood in Kaki (or Russian Uniform? Can't remember) to give the wood a bleached and dried out appearance.

As you can see on these last photos that was after sundown when I was back in the basement working there (poetic - compare the first and the last pictures - I've finished where I started... ).

(http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s321/doomhippie_photos/Drop%20of%20Death/DSC00769.jpg)

And a little closeup of ascene between a boy armed with a rock and a sailor armed with a handgun. "You cannot pass, old man!"

(http://i508.photobucket.com/albums/s321/doomhippie_photos/Drop%20of%20Death/DSC00770.jpg)

Now all I have to do is come up with a good scenario - but with a rope bridge things should be coming up all by themselves soon.
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: ~ Tom Teriffic on April 12, 2009, 06:14:58 AM
    ;D   Sweet!

I've got one player wanting to create vast ruins and another that wants to make a bridfge similar to yours (to go with the TALL Stockade he made for our last game)!

Your work is gorgeous.  So,

Have Fun !!!
 ~ TT
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Le matou rouge on April 12, 2009, 10:29:41 AM
Gorgeous !  :D Really !
And very helpful tutorial too.

Thanks,
Matt
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: vikotnik on April 12, 2009, 10:40:06 AM
 :o

Yes! Very nice gaming board, Lars!

Let's play on it so we can shove each other's miniatures from the bridge! ;D
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Grimm on April 12, 2009, 11:21:30 AM
ok that is Nice !! please count me in for the Trave show !!

and show me how you make the water when we meet again.

Cheers Grimm
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Mad Carew Snr on April 12, 2009, 12:14:59 PM
Excellent  8) :-*
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Driscoles on April 12, 2009, 12:35:52 PM
Great stuff Lars.
The rope bridge needs ropes  :)
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Doomhippie on April 12, 2009, 12:51:06 PM
I'm just too lazy to put more ropes on there. But as usual you are right.

Grimm, the water is just like on your Insmouth table. Only with little currents and rapids.
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Arrigo on April 12, 2009, 12:54:54 PM
can I enquire about the dimensions of this wonderful masterpiece? 
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Doomhippie on April 12, 2009, 01:03:36 PM
can I enquire about the dimensions of this wonderful masterpiece? 

Certainly. It's 48" by 48" (60cm by 60cm). So actually it's quite small.
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: odd duck on April 12, 2009, 07:46:02 PM
Great looking game board and how to tips,I'm hoping to do a rope bridge board some day I think every pulp gamer should have one!Thanks for sharing 
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Poliorketes on April 13, 2009, 09:34:58 AM
Very good
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Operator5 on April 13, 2009, 12:48:56 PM
Awesome table and I can't wait to see some games being played on it. I have always wanted to do a canyon board and just never seem to have the time to work on one.
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: richarDISNEY on April 13, 2009, 03:00:18 PM
Great looking board! Can't wait to see some more pics for inspiration!
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Hitman on April 13, 2009, 04:16:25 PM
Great looking board. Nice tutorial on how you built this piece as well. By the way what type of foam is it that you used.? I haven't seen that colour before, but it certainly looks stronger than most. Do you prep it in any way to make it stronger?

Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Hitman
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Doomhippie on April 13, 2009, 10:32:56 PM
The foamboard is regular insulation board (is that polysterol??? I can never remember the name!).

Yes, I did have second thoughts about the strength, especially as the river would be the wakest part of the board and going right through the middle. So rather than using only one board as the basis I glued a secon one underneath, making the whole base about 40mm thick.

I then glued and nailed a wooden frame along the edges of the board. I really took my time making sure that lots of glue was dribbled into any cracks and holes I could see or imagine.

The rocks were given a wrapping of tape on the back and painted with a mixture of pva glue and brown color for a little extra strength (those are the brown areas you can still see on the photos).

Apart from that I tried to keep the weight of the edges down by using lots of water on any glue mixtures. As I worked outside it dried fairly quickly, allowing me to sculpt the rocks. Thanks to the warm and sunny weather everything dried very quickly so I didn't have to wait for days between the individual steps.
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Lt. Hazel on April 13, 2009, 11:22:17 PM
Nice board!!
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Alxbates on April 14, 2009, 03:47:53 PM
Very nice board - perfect for small skirmish games.

Thanks for posting the tutorial!
Title: Re: The Gorge of Doom
Post by: Ramshackle_Curtis on April 14, 2009, 05:01:45 PM
Looks like the baord was made from cheese. This may sound stupid, but check this:

http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/cheese-falcon.html