Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Vagabond on November 29, 2016, 08:58:05 PM
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I've re-started on page 6 - Cheers
Sorry couldn't resist the VVV title.
Since posting this I have started a blog and extracted the relevant bits from this thread and posted it here https://vagabondswargamingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/vagabondy-vagabonds-viking-village.html (https://vagabondswargamingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/vagabondy-vagabonds-viking-village.html)
As the title says I aim to build a small Viking/Dark Ages Northern Europe village and would appreciate feed back on what I am doing and how I can do it better or differently.
For reasons that I can not fathom now, my 1st build was the chieftains long house, should have been the last after I had some inkling of what I was doing.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_29_11_16_1_59_44.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_29_11_16_1_47_52_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_29_11_16_1_47_52_1.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_29_11_16_1_47_52_2.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_29_11_16_1_47_52_3.jpg)
So this is already done and I'm not sure I will go back to it :?
However I don't think the roof shingles work very well, the shingles are too big and I was a bit lazy and spread them out a bit too much. The thing I would appreciate advice on is the texture of the shingles. I used a fairly smooth cardboard and tried to compensate with downward brush strokes to get texture, but it does not look like wood to me, any thoughts?
For painting the roof I went with a black undercoat and then dry brushing gradually lighter shades of grey with a final green brush to simulate moss growth. Should I do it a different way?
I like the wall texture but it should be "puddled mud" ie daub pressed into the wattle by hand and so should be a dimpled finish, this is too sharp. Again any thoughts?
Next up will be a couple of small houses that I have just started working on. These will be similar builds, ie foam board structure but with thatch roofs and I am going to try watercolour paper to get the hand dimpled finish.
Thanks for any feedback :)
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Sorry the colour of the roof has nor really come out in the post I will try and get a better photo put up. :? :?
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Looks good :)
Maybe a fancy bit of carving at the apex of the gable might help to set it off? A stylised dragons head or some such.
cheers
James
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Looking good, sir.
The interior has reached the right blend of nicely detailed whilst still 'playable'.
8) 8)
If you are not happy with the roof you could always cheat and give it the teddy bear treatment (thatch).
;)
Second the idea for the carved gable, or even a great aurochs-type skull or similar.
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I am sure you are both right it needs a figurehead. How do I carve one?
I wanted to do shingles on the roof because it is the chieftains dwelling, and he would have expensive roofing, however but would like to improve the look of them.
I would like your opinion of the thatch roofs I have done on the houses I am working on
Will post initial pics tomorrow, I am quite pleased with the structure, however I need the masters hand to paint them.
Paul can you make it to Derbyshire tomorrow night to give me a master class in colour matching and drybrushing
I can provide copious amounts of wine and food in exchange lol lol lol
Cheers
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I think it looks good.
I think I would have gone with at thatched roof. The shingled roof makes it look a bit more medieval than dark age.
Carved out gable ends would really make it into a viking house. But then again perhaps a Saxon who suddenly died of acute Axetothefaceitis lived there just a short while ago ;)
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Dr Zombie - I am coming round to that way of thinking, last year I went to Denmark and visited Ribe, Trellebourg, some place I can't remember and Hedaby in N Germany, I have just gone back through my Photos and there are only 2 houses with wooden shingle roofs and both of these had the walls constructed of timber, rather than daube and wattle. All the others were thatched. Bugger.
Here are a couple of small houses I am working on with thatched roofs, this is the natural towel which has a fine pile neatly combed down which I think works quite well, have to see how I manage to make it look after painting.
On the 1st pic you can see the texture of the water colour paper I used for the daube, I don't think this is heavy enough to work. :-[
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_30_11_16_7_35_47_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_30_11_16_7_35_47_1.jpg)
This is how it looks after the black undercoat, which was a bugger to get into all the nooks and crannies.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_30_11_16_7_35_47_2.jpg)
In the past I have soaked the towelling in a mix of pva glue and black paint but it is hopeless to apply without getting black paint over everything including me.
Let me know what you think
Cheers
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Go with the toweling on the big house.
Looks like you have it down with how to do it with the little houses.
Fine work on the inside.
Very playable and looks great.
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I think the towelling works best. When I paint mine I use a black spray can as I feel it fills in all the little bits better. Did you soak the towel in PVA?
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Hum - this project is not of to a flying start.
The walls on the small houses didn't work and so I have re-daubed them. Over done the highlighting on the thatch roofs so need to tone that down.
On top of it all need to thatch the chieftains house! :-[
Marine - ok I am convinced, I will thatch the big house. lol lol
Gamer Mac- is a bit cold down here at the moment and i have to spray outside so I used black gesso for undercoat, I brushed on dilute pva 1st because I wanted to get all the threads of the toweling in line, it was much more controllable :)
By the way I have just painted the figure you use for your avatar, thinking of entering it for Bob painting club - except yours looks so much better :D
Thanks all for your advice- much appreciated.
Cheers
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That roofing looks nice, I also like the towel method, but I wonder, what do you glue the towel to? I have used balsa wood or bass wood in the past but I wonder if there is something different.
Also, do you wrap the towel under the roof or just cut it off a the edge? I wrap it under, but then it has difficulty fitting sometimes, I wonder if the other way might work better.
What do you use for the wall daub?
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I reckon that it will look great when you have finished, so persevere at it, sir.
I reckon you will be happy with the results.
8) 8)
I also reckon that I have something that you can use as a decoration above the door.
Let me dig around a little and get back to you.
;)
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The thatching look very good.
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By the way I have just painted the figure you use for your avatar, thinking of entering it for Bob painting club - except yours looks so much better :D
Why thank you very much but I think I was just lucky with that figure not skillful and it was painted a while ago before my eyes started to go
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Hi Parrot - for my later builds I have been using foam board for walls and roofs.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_01_12_16_6_09_45_0.jpg)
Plenty of support for the roof. In the past I have found balsa, and mounting board warped, I don't store them very well so that may be adding to the problem.
For the small houses I cut out a square from each bottom corner of the towel, the thickness of the foam board.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_01_12_16_6_09_45_1.jpg)
and spread pva adhesive over the roof and along the sides and bottom edge so that I could wrap the towel around that edge. You have to go back and push the towelling around the corner a couple of times but it did stick wiyjout too much trouble. The advantage with foam board is that it is 5mm thick so gives plenty of meat to grab on to.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_01_12_16_6_09_45_2.jpg)
It might be clear enough to see here. The reason for the cut out is to avoid a messy corner, you just have to be carefull that you make a good join there.
If you look at the small houses I have used watercolour paper that has a texture, this has not worked because it is still too smooth but you can get stuff with more texture, and I shall try this again because I think it should give a good result.
I have redone it this time with tile grout and paint mixed and pasted on with an artists trowel. I mix paint in with my texture so that when it gets damaged the colour shows through rather than the white of the grout.
I am not sure if I would recomend grout mine seems a bit soft but it is a couple of years old.
Hope that helps, and if anyone else has ideas on this please shout up, that is why I started the thread.
Mr Mason, I had the wine chilling hoping you would get here to give me a master class in drybrushing. As it is I had to go it alone, will post the results tomorrow. ::)
Dr Z - thanks much appreciated.
Gamer M - tell me abot the eyes, I am using 3x magnification glasses for painting and then when I photograph the figures I see all the faults - a bit disheartening. :?
Thanks for your responses.
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Mr Mason, I had the wine chilling hoping you would get here to give me a master class in drybrushing. As it is I had to go it alone, will post the results tomorrow. ::)
lol lol
That is where you went wrong.
I hotfooted it up there only to spot the wine cooler through the window.
I could not knock after seeing that as white wine is something that repels me, so I hotfooted straight back again.
;)
I shall still see if I can find your 'hall decoration' later, though.
:)
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That's literally the first time I've ever seen thatch done with towelling that didn't look terrible. Yours is actually quite good!
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lol lol
That is where you went wrong.
I hotfooted it up there only to spot the wine cooler through the window.
I could not knock after seeing that as white wine is something that repels me, so I hotfooted straight back again.
;)
I shall still see if I can find your 'hall decoration' later, though.
:)
Sorry - I didn't realise about the white wine, I had red and as you are obviously a sophisticated man from the capital, you could have mixed them for rose. lol lol lol
The hall decoration sounds very interesting o_o
That's literally the first time I've ever seen thatch done with towelling that didn't look terrible. Yours is actually quite good!
Fram - is this some kind of Canadian compliment ::) :)
Wait till you see how I can bugger it up with my painting :'(
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The final result of the small houses, I overdid the dry brushing and put 2 brown washes on to try and knock it back. I still think it is a bit over the top. :)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_02_12_16_12_27_35.jpg)
I am planning on doing a couple of vegetable patches but 1st I want to try doing a midden/compost heap. I did think to do it with one of the half polystyrene balls that flower arrangers use and cover it with towel roughed up to represent the compost but think it might be too uniform.
Would appreciate any links to this sort of thing if you have them. :)
Thanks
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I think they look great. If you want to break the coulour up a bit you could have some moss growing on the roofs.
Dungheaps you say. You have come to the right man. I have made a few dungheaps like this:
It really is just sticking various textures together in a pile.
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/2ED60A90-7055-434E-A040-8E2CBB0F54C5_zpsfgni1p72.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/2ED60A90-7055-434E-A040-8E2CBB0F54C5_zpsfgni1p72.jpg.html)
And finished
(http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/Fredejensen/60976827-D592-4903-ACCE-D62E5837218A_zpsgmjywxyn.jpg) (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/Fredejensen/media/60976827-D592-4903-ACCE-D62E5837218A_zpsgmjywxyn.jpg.html)
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The house and the dung pile both look great :-* :-* :-*
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Thanks Dr Z - your dung heap is just what I wanted- thanks I will try and emulate that, do you have any others?
Moss on the roof is a good idea, I will do that, I did put some green into the mix but it doesn't show on the photo.
Gamer Mac - Thanks. Bye the way I did post your avatar mini on the back of beyond board. couldn't resist having BOB on my signature lol lol. In the process I came across image 26, the same figure, but as well painted as yours. Ho Hum - must try harder.
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Your buildings turned out great.
Well done.
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Hi Marine0846 - Thanks very much. Secretly between you and me I am quite pleased with them. The level of artistry on here is so high that anything I put up is only going to be mediocre in comparrison but posting has meant that I finished them quickly and to a standard that I am happy with.
The Middens - I am so impressed with Dr Zeds midden that I have started work on my own.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_02_12_16_9_09_53_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_02_12_16_9_09_53_1.jpg)
These are as shown - bits of string, garden wire, and best of all - the bits of foam left over from the house builds. Waste not want not as they say up here.
I had this brilliant idea that if i smothered the string in pva glue and wound it round the sticks I would have free wattle fencing. Free is good.
If you have never held up a bit of string and dipped your fingers in glue to smooth it on to the string, then your life is not complete. DON'T do it, buy the damn things.
As you can see the string ran out about halfway round the one on the left, it was a nightmare. Be interesting to see if it looks like string when it's painted up - hope not.
lol lol
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Wow you don't waste time, do you?
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Hey its a good idea of yours. Did you do a thread on this some while ago?
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The towel thatch looks great. I did the soaked-in-glue method a couple of years ago for Russian buildings and agree it's messy as heck but it looks good and dries nice and solid.
The middens look like a great start too, and I'm highly amused that LAF is a place in which we can trade methods of miniature midden construction! I should add some dungheaps to my Russian hamlet, clearly...
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Wirelizard, how did you make Russian buildings? The reason I ask is because I now have a number of fireforge russians, and would like to build some buildings for them but I am not sure how to go about it. Would the style just be wooden buldings or is there something to make them distinctly russian
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Why not simply use black towels (or dark brown) for your material instead of white? Should save you a ton of time and effort.
Mike Demana
www.firstcommandwargames.com
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Hi Mike - you're quite right Black would be best, but my wife was throwing this towel out and I thought - I know what I can use that for.
The Dung Heaps progress, the texture is dried tea from tea bags. :?
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_04_12_16_5_54_39.jpg)
The finished Dung Heaps
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_04_12_16_5_51_43_0.jpg)
The string does look like string if you look closely and again I think I have overdone the dry brushing. :(
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_04_12_16_5_51_43_1.jpg)
This one is wire from a gardening shop to tie plants, if you look at the previous post it is the bright green one, I think it probably looks the best, any thoughts on other materials I could have used?
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_04_12_16_5_51_43_2.jpg)
Just want to thank Dr Zombie for the inspiration.
Next I want to do some vegetable patches, I have cabbages lined up but what else will go?
I know that in medieval England they used a narrow strip field system and 3 rotational planting followed by a fallow year. Does anyone know what the anglosaxons and vikings used as a field system to plant their crops? What does it look like?
Does anyone have links to this sort of thing?
Thanks for any help. :)
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Those have come out really well.
A top effort, sir.
The dried tea leaves seems to have really done the trick.
:-* :-*
If you are going to have a go at some field then tufts should be beneficial, as are paper roses that are used as cake decorations or dolls-house plants. Paint 'em green and they make great cabbages.
;)
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I have missed this thread. Very nice work :-* :-*
LB
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Hi LB thanks
Mr M thanks for suggestions. I'm OK for peas, beans, leeks, cabbages but how to simulate carrots and turnips?
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They look great. I may have to
steal use them for inspiration for my own Saga village.
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I can't believe it's taken so long but here are my fields.
The 1st one is using the green garden wire I used for the dung heap.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_22_12_16_5_38_32_1.jpg)
This one is some rafia type stuff from one of my wife's sun hats. She doesnt know it's missing yet ::)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_22_12_16_5_38_32_0.jpg)
With some vegetation.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_22_12_16_5_38_32_2.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_22_12_16_5_46_04_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_22_12_16_5_46_04_1.jpg)
Originally I was going to plant the greenery into the field but decided to go for a more variable approach by doing them on seperate bases, probably not as pretty but more versatile. I have some 40 seperate pieces, and still have to start on the beans and peas.
And finally with the houses I made previously
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_22_12_16_5_46_04_2.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_22_12_16_5_46_04_3.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_22_12_16_5_46_04_4.jpg)
The green shoots are synthetic grass samples I picked up somewhere, the only advice is don't trim them to height until they are stuck down and flocked, of course that is what i did and got hot glue on my fingers - nasty, and then pva, sand and flock on them later.. :-[ :-[
Since posting this I have started a blog and extracted the relevant bits from this thread and posted it here https://vagabondswargamingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/vagabondy-vagabonds-viking-village.html
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Lovely work :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Very versatile
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Those are some great fields. I might steal that loose crops idea.
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Dried tea and loose crops. Inspired - I shall have to nick those ideas for expanding my Dark Ages project with some proper village (which I hope to do this winter)!
What did you use for the short green tops in single rows, please?
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A great result!
:-* :-*
I am big fan of modular inserts to get the most out of scenery, so I really like the 'loose' crops idea.
8) :D
(I still have to find your hall decoration BTW, I just keep forgetting to dig... ::)).
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Gamer Mac - thanks, I am looking forward to seeing how your village develops especially the dung heaps.
Dr Zed - you are more than welcome, especially after you showed me your dung heap to copy.
Argonor - the green shoots are samples of artificial grass. The sort of thing the rich kids have when they don't want to cut live grass. It is sold a bit like carpet and the grass threads are stitched through a backing mat.
This is a not very good picture of it, bottom left. I just cut it into strips and trimmed it down.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/24/7162_28_01_16_7_15_18.jpg)
Mr M - I would greatly appreciate a hall decoration from you it would be an honour to mount it over my long house but don't worry if you don't get round to finding it.
Cheers
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Argonor - the green shoots are samples of artificial grass. The sort of thing the rich kids have when they don't want to cut live grass. It is sold a bit like carpet and the grass threads are stitched through a backing mat.
This is a not very good picture of it, bottom left. I just cut it into strips and trimmed it down.
Thanks, I have some of that stuff, and shall be on the outlook for more, now that you have shown me yet another useful purpose for it ;)
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Just discovered this, inspiring stuff :-*
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Thanks very much for this thread. I love following other people's builds and this was a very good and instructive one. Toweling for me now I think. You have inspired me.
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Just a quick up date to try and keep up with Gamer Mac ;) ;)
The long house has now been re-roofed with thatch.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_30_12_16_7_50_21_0.jpg)
And painted
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_30_12_16_7_50_21_1.jpg)
Now working on a Granary
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_30_12_16_7_50_21_2.jpg)
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Really nice work on those buildings.
The roofs are really looking the business.
The settlement is starting to really take shape now.
:-* :-*
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Excellent result.
Its nice to see grey thatch rather than the 'fresh mown hay' yellow often decorating tables :)
Are you tempted to add any green moss to it?
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The settlement is starting to really take shape now.
:-* :-*
Thanks - currently working on 3 buildings and a structure that I think might be unique, at least I've not seen one on here yet lol lol after that I want to do some walkways but I need to decide how I can use them as a dock or wharf as well.
Its nice to see grey thatch rather than the 'fresh mown hay' yellow often decorating tables :)
Are you tempted to add any green moss to it?
Hi Andy - yes grey is more realistic as the fresh look only lasts about 2 years but I think the fresh looks better, maybe because it's more colourful :)
Yes I should put some moss on, there is a green wash to simulate it but it doesn't show well in the photo, so I need to be a bit more daring. One of the pieces I am working on is small and there are two identical builds and I had decided to try moss on one and so if it is a fiasco it does not matter so much.
Thanks for the input
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The Granary is now finished, apart from putting some moss on the roof.
I'm not so sure I like the brown wood colour I've used. I like it on the daub and wattle builds probably because the colour complements the rest of the build but it looks a bit wrong on this. I didn't want to do the grey wood look because it would be too close to the roof colour, what do you think?
This is the 1st time I've used styrene to do stone effect, it's not the best I've seen but I was supprised how easy it was to do. I used the packaging base from a pitza, I think it was Gamer Mac who inspired this bit of madness some while ago. If so - Thanks.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_06_01_17_2_57_49_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_06_01_17_2_57_49_1.jpg)
No steps or ladder because I didn't want to put it on a base and I could not think how to secure them to get a big glued surface area. My terrain all goes loose in big boxes and bits get knocked off easily and for me it's wargaming terrain not model standard as some of you guys turn out. :)
Next up the Grubbhause is almost complete, and the bees are not far behind. ;)
Thanks for looking
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Yes I used pizza packaging before for scribing stone work
Lovely job, going on my list of things to build
Maybe a silly question but what is a grubbhause
I have built a couple of bee hives for outside my monestry /church, what are you doing?
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Maybe a silly question but what is a grubbhause
I have built a couple of bee hives for outside my monestry /church, what are you doing?
I've probably spelt it wrong, the Danes and Germans will be up in arms. You probably know it as a pit house. basically dug into the ground about 2 or 3' with low walls because of this.
I saw alot of reconstructions of these in Denmark and northern Germany. Having said that I was reading some stuff about West Stow the Saxon village and there seems to be some disagreement as to whether they lived in the dug out or if it was boarded over with flooring, if so the building would be higher. Mine is a bit on the big side so fits with either interpretation.
I can't believe you have got bee hives, I've never seen them on the forum and thought I had a first. Bugger lol lol
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You probably know it as a pit house. basically dug into the ground about 2 or 3' with low walls because of this.
I saw alot of reconstructions of these in Denmark and northern Germany. Having said that I was reading some stuff about West Stow the Saxon village and there seems to be some disagreement as to whether they lived in the dug out or if it was boarded over with flooring, if so the building would be higher. Mine is a bit on the big side so fits with either interpretation.
I think German would be 'Grubenhaus', Danish 'grubehus'.
I have read somewhere that some archaeologists think that this kind of building was mostly used for storage and especially workshops, not so often actually lived in. Lots of speculation, though.
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Another cracking building for the fastest growing settlement in 28mm Norsca.
:-* :-*
You could always give the wood a very faint drybrush of grey to tie it in with the others.
Just make sure that the brush really is 'dry' before you do it as some will still transfer, you just dont want too much.
;)
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It looks great. I really like your thatch. Both the colors and texture look really good.
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I think the only thing I would suggest is to have a couple of washes on the wood, it'll help to give it a bit more depth.
Looks good though :)
cheers
James
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OK - here are the bee hives I've been working on, quite please how realistic they turned out.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_08_01_17_2_04_12.jpg)
Only joking, lol lol These are in Ribe Denmark and if you can get there - go to the Viking fair I think it was in May when I went 2015 - it is brilliant if you have the slightest interest in history from that period.
These are mine, not quite as realistic. :'(
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_08_01_17_2_01_45.jpg)
The hives look a bit like loaves of bread, but scale wise they are ok.
This is from the Cloppenberg Museum N Germany I think they were dating it somwhere arround 1800.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_08_01_17_2_06_40.jpg)
And this from 1930's again N Germany, pic from Cloppenberg.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_08_01_17_2_09_07.jpg)
Not much improvement in technology ;)
I think the only thing I would suggest is to have a couple of washes on the wood, it'll help to give it a bit more depth.
I will try this - thanks for the input.
When I put a wash onto the grouting that I used for daube it just soaked in and tinted the colour but didn't settle in the indentations as i expected. I then put a coat of dilute PVA over it and re-washed it and that worked fine. Would you expect the same to happen with wood?
Dr Zed - thanks.
I have seen your charcoal heap which I think is great by the way but wondered if you have done a forge where the charcoal would be used. I have the building done for my forge but need to do the stuff inside.
Mr M - I need to go back to your western buildings and look how it should be done properly.
Gamer M - the beehives are small acorns I found in France, they must grow small oak trees there. How have you done yours? and when will we see them? and what has happened to the church? ;) ;)
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I used the string wrapped round a modelling clay cone that was on a thread somewhere for my bee hives
the church is on hold for the BSC
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Here is my version of a Grubehus, probably a bit on the big side.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_08_01_17_4_13_51.jpg)
And this is my Forge
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_08_01_17_4_17_28_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_08_01_17_4_17_28_1.jpg)
I would have prefered to do the forge as an open fronted build with a low wattle wall so that there would be maximum light and ventilation but decided for construction strength to go with this.
One thing I did find with all the builds was that because I PVA glued sand to the interior floors and then painted it after a couple of days and there is some distortion, they all have a slight bow to the base, obviously more pronounced on the bigger builds - the bases are all 5mm foamboard.
This is slightly worse on the fields they are 1/8" (3mm) hardboard and, even though with them I painted glue on the bottom of the base to counteract this and used a weight to straighten it. When built the base was flat but later it bowed.
It's not significant but just a bit annoying, maybe I need to get some MDF but I would be suprised if coated with PVA that didn't distort a little, maybe a different glue? Or don't glue and sand the interiors.
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I will try this - thanks for the input.
When I put a wash onto the grouting that I used for daube it just soaked in and tinted the colour but didn't settle in the indentations as i expected. I then put a coat of dilute PVA over it and re-washed it and that worked fine. Would you expect the same to happen with wood?
It would depend on how 'sealed' the wood is i.e.ho much paint you've put on.
Give it a go in a small area then adjust your technique to fit.
I think the beehives have worked a treat, certainly not something you see on the gaming table which makes it all the more reason to have them 8) 8)
cheers
James
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More wonderful additions.
Vagabondby is coming along really well.
Love the idea and execution of the beehives.
:-* :-*
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Those buildings and additional village items look awesome!! Nice detail and very user friendly. I bet they will be great fun to use in games. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Hitman
8)
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One thing I did find with all the builds was that because I PVA glued sand to the interior floors and then painted it after a couple of days and there is some distortion, they all have a slight bow to the base, obviously more pronounced on the bigger builds - the bases are all 5mm foamboard.
This is slightly worse on the fields they are 1/8" (3mm) hardboard and, even though with them I painted glue on the bottom of the base to counteract this and used a weight to straighten it. When built the base was flat but later it bowed.
It's not significant but just a bit annoying, maybe I need to get some MDF but I would be suprised if coated with PVA that didn't distort a little, maybe a different glue? Or don't glue and sand the interiors.
I have found that thinning the PVA as little as possible, and gluing the sand on in patches and not in one go, diminishes warping.
These are in Ribe Denmark and if you can get there - go to the Viking fair I think it was in May when I went 2015 - it is brilliant if you have the slightest interest in history from that period.
Highly recommended - most often the week up to and ending with the first weekend of May, but this year the last week of April:
http://www.ribevikingecenter.dk/en/explore/viking-market.aspx
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hi Argonor
i'll try this with the PVA next time. the problem is I'm so impatient that it needs to be done NOW. I was on a bit of a deadline as I needed to clear the desk so i could do my Accounts and Tax Returns :-[ :-[
it's a funny thing because when I did the beehives I was thinking of you - i remember you refering to drinking mead as you painted, something I've never tried and wondering how I could do a still or mead producing thingy (what do you call it) and what it might look like.
It seemed a good idea for a plot point or reason for a raid, - come on lads lets go pinch Argonors mead producing plant and his stock of mead. :D :D Will they carry it off or get legless and will they make it back to the ship with wobbly legs and will the local theign Argonor arrive in time to catch them.
Sounds like a good game. ;)
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hi Argonor
i'll try this with the PVA next time. the problem is I'm so impatient that it needs to be done NOW. I was on a bit of a deadline as I needed to clear the desk so i could do my Accounts and Tax Returns :-[ :-[
it's a funny thing because when I did the beehives I was thinking of you - i remember you refering to drinking mead as you painted, something I've never tried and wondering how I could do a still or mead producing thingy (what do you call it) and what it might look like.
It seemed a good idea for a plot point or reason for a raid, - come on lads lets go pinch Argonors mead producing plant and his stock of mead. :D :D Will they carry it off or get legless and will they make it back to the ship with wobbly legs and will the local theign Argonor arrive in time to catch them.
Sounds like a good game. ;)
I think mead would probably have been fermented in a large wooden tub or vat (or even a barrel) in the corner of your dwelling (no still, as mead is actually just a wine, substituting honey and water for grape juice) - but as far as I know, bees were not really kept in Denmark (and the other Scandinavian lands) until the Middle Ages, because of rather low middle temperatures (which may also explain why so many Vikings settled in Britain, Normandy, and Eastern Europe, if they had problems with failing crops, and the likes, at home), which made mead such a prized commodity/loot, as 1) the raw material was not easily obtained, and 2) the long fermenting time (my mead ferments between 3 and 6 months, depending on surrounding temperature, probably light, and other factors I have no idea about lol ).
Raiding the bee-keeper's homestead for mead is an obvious choice for a scenario - but I should probably warn you, that this brewer has swords, shield, mail tunic, and a Gjermundbu-helmet (and a well-sized beard to show his status as an old warrior) ;)
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I just thought I would post up a couple of pics of the village, and say thank you to everyone who gave me much needed advice and or encouragement.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_12_01_17_4_53_50.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_12_01_17_4_55_57.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_12_01_17_4_58_22.jpg)
Having got everything out I decided to run with the Scenario "Stealing Argonors Mead" and will post the game on the Medieval board later today.
Take care
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Outstanding.
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Impressive village, really great stuff here! Congrats !
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Wow, that is a very nice village. Well done. Cheers, Za
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Wonderfully busy scene! :-*
Guess I should get on with my Hersír's hall and pile of shit. Am a bit bogged down with my two living impaired units for GoB atm, though, need to get them done, first...
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Wow! That came together nicely :-* :-* :-* Great work.
LB
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Just caught up. Excellent set up - full of life. Well done 8) :-*
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WOW great setup :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Looking forward to the game report
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Fantastic looking game table. The terrain and figures look stunning. Great looking stuff. I imagine that they will get their fair share of use in many games. Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Hitman
8)
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That is a fantastic village! Very, very nice!
The log piles, dungheaps, and such give it a much more lived-in feel rather than just a collection of buildings.
If/when I get back into actively adding to my Russian Civil War scenery and associated hamlet I'll be getting inspiration for new bits from this thread.
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Fantastic result - that looks amazing :)
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great village
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I had missed this - it's perfect. 8) 8) 8)
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Hi Guys - Thanks for your kind comments - I have much appreciated the feed back as I've progresses with this.
Cheers
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How have I missed this thread? Really nice work
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I just thought I would post up a couple of pics of the village, and say thank you to everyone who gave me much needed advice and or encouragement.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/26/7162_12_01_17_4_53_50.jpg)
OMG, I've totally missed this! :o :o :o :
AWESOME!!! :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
Where's the Revenants horde that is going to destroy it? And the Shieldmaidens to defend it? ;)
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Yes, very appealing. Me and a few chaps will be a long for a raid - er - visit in a bit. Meanwhile, you've not enough pigs, sir. Please get a boar with a sow and get to multiplying! ;D
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Blimey, I seem to have missed this too.
How slack of me.
::)
Well, having found it now, all I can say is: AMAZING!
That really has come out a treat.
Great work, sir.
:-* :-*
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I have only just found this thread, no idea how I missed this one. Vagabond, you have done a marvellous job here. Every individual part looks just right but you really have an eye as to how to set up a board. All the little extras bring it to life. Super job!
:-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
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I have just gone back through the thread and I have to congratulate you on bringing the project to a successful conclusion. It will certainly give me some inspiration if I ever get my dark ages project off the ground. Well done. :-* :-*
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Yep, lots of very nice ideas to be shamelessness stolen used as inspiration there! :D
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Just discovered your thread, you are doing a great job, I'll follow it with great interest! Cheers!
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It's funny this thread has been resurrected just now because I have only been thinking about it over the past week or so. I've made a start on copying Gamer Macs copy of someone else's bee hives and I am seriously thinking about making a church.
Since posting this I started a blog, about a month ago and have extracted the relevant bits from this thread and posted it there today https://vagabondswargamingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/vagabondy-vagabonds-viking-village.html
There is nothing new in the blog post that isn't here, it's just a lot more concise. The blog is more about my games, some have been on here and some new.
Dino - thanks for the emoticons :o always appreciated.
Paul - your mid term memory must be as bad as mine, you contributed a lot to the thread although maybe missed the end ;)
Mad Lord - this was the precursor to the Argonor's Bees Game, but you probably guessed that. :D
Hu Rhu - finished by me but inspired by all who commented.
Din - If I do finish a church I will put it here but I think the village is pretty much done for me.
Cheers
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Dino - thanks for the emoticons :o always appreciated.
lol lol lol lol lol
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That's an extremely nice set up. Nice work.
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On 5th Feb 2018 I said that I was thinking about making a church, it's taken little longer than I thought but I've actually started on the build now, so rather than start a new thread I decided to add it to my old but still existing thread I hope no one minds the Threadmancy.
A few days ago I was in East Anglia and visited West Stow which is a Saxon site that has been excavated but more importantly they have been conducting archaeological experiments, re-building Saxon houses and seeing what techniques worked and what didn't. This has been going on for about 25 years and they have had some successes and some failures, i.e. the buildings fell down because they were unstable.
Anyway this fired me up to re-start work on my Viking Village called surprisingly Vagabondy. I wanted a Saxon church but a wooden one with a thatched roof, they burn so much better than stone ones. The down side is that there is almost no evidence that I could find relating to wooden churches and so I drew inspiration from the few stone ones that still exist.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020205602-485131770.jpeg)
This is a rough idea of how I wanted it to look, I later decided that the 2 wings could be added later, if at all.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020205602-485142493.jpeg)
I'm going to be working in Foamboard the same as the rest of the village and so this is the initial set of cut pieces. All carefully measured so that they don't quite fit together.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020205602-485151966.jpeg)
This is it assembled, and I've gone for the traditional Saxon small triangular topped windows. I've set them high partly because at that time I was still intending doing the 2 wings and also because I wanted a small footprint but with an imposing building and I think they look cool.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020205602-48516691.jpeg)
One of the reasons for my original thread was to discover how to build cheap but serviceable buildings and pick the brains of anyone who cared to offer advice and to share my triumphs and tragedies. In this case a tragedy, I forgot to push the pins in at an angle to securely hold the walls in place and this one came apart. Note now the excess of glue and the fact that the red and green pins are pushed in forming a dovetail to pull it into place.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020205602-485171974.jpeg)
The basic shell in place.
I'm going to build this as a timber frame Church with mainly daube and wattle infill. I was a little surprised with the reconstructions at West Stow as only one building was daube and wattle all the rest have timber plank walls, something I've not seen much of at other reconstruction sites I've visited although the big hall at Trelleborg in Denmark is timber planked.
So I might include some timber planking to give a bit of visual interest and I'm thinking that if I build 2 roofs, one thatch and one tile or slate or stone that might extend the time period I can use it, although I'm not sure about the accuracy of that.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020214659-48518319.jpeg)
Ok the timber framing has started and it's a mix of lollypop sticks and fire lighter spills, unless I forget, these are individually distressed before applying, I use the teeth of a small saw and a sharp knife. If you look carefully you might see a small amount of blood adding to the authenticity of the building.
Ivor is having a look around and also to provide some idea of scale.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020214659-485191045.jpeg)
Ivor is wondering how he will enter the magnificent edifice and here we have the tears part of the Blood Sweat and Tears. If you remember the original drawing then you will realise that this end of the building should have the main doors. The architect and the builder had a major falling out about now.
At this point I had no idea how I was going to frame the small pointy windows, but I was tired and had had enough. The discovery that I was going to have to pull off some of the timber framing was the final straw.
More work tomorrow.
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Looks promising and it’s good to see you carry on with the project :)
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Fire that architect John! lol lol Been there ;)
Lon
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Great to see you back at it.
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Looking rather excellent so far, have you sorted the door yet?
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Very impressive work !
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Fire that architect John! lol lol Been there ;)
Lon
Literally Burn him at the stake to the god of builders :D
For the door just build a small porch with the door attached inside
You will only have to cut out some timber framing to get it to fit
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Looks promising and it’s good to see you carry on with the project :)
Seconded :)
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Jim - thanks for your encouragement, I was on your Blog a few months ago looking for the cliffs you did for Dorset, they came in very handy as a reference for some smaller ones I did for Sails of Glory, Thanks for that as well.
Lon Usually there is usually no architect, just a rough idea, some apx dimensions and the builder just gets on with it. This is what happens when I try and get technical. >:( Mind you the builder never served an apprenticeship and so I think that's why so many of my buildings are slightly off square. Mind you I can't tell him that because as well as not being very good, he's also cheap.
Dr Zombie, you were my biggest ideas man when I started this and so it's good to see you picked up on the re-start because I have some more ideas but in line with my small brain I'm going to need some help fleshing them out.
Mad Lord - yes the Vikings can now get into the building, so burning it will be easier for them.
Byblos and Cptn Blood - Cheers
Gamer Mac - I've looked all over for the beehives I was going to copy from your models, I know I made the core hive shape from Das, but I think at some time in the past I forgot what I made them for and they are now campfires.
The idea of a porch is very sound and was in my mind at the early design stage and I did think of doing it to cover up my mistake, well the 2nd so far but decided to go for simplicity.
Thanks for the idea though.
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Sure I have seen this somewhere before.....
;)
Good to see you back at it, Sir.
Nothing like a good scenery project to whet the appetite.
:D
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OK moving on
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020214659-485202250.jpeg)
I just love deconstructing my constructions. >:(
The lower framing is now removed and of course made a mess of the foam board.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020214700-485212458.jpeg)
So I decided to go for a lower level of timber planking to cover it up.
I carefully measured the space and there was room to get 16 of my planking spills, so I could have 4 planks, 1 door post, two double doors of 3 planks each, followed by the same on the other side, 16 uprights. Well only 15 fit and so I had to cut one of the planks in situ and ended up with a double door 3 planks wide on one side and 4 on the other, life can be so unfair.
I need to add door handles, I shall probably just cut down a couple of the dressmakers pins (That Mrs V hasn't missed yet) and stick them in place although I would like to do ring handles but they are quite small and I'm not sure if I can do that with my fat fingers and failing eyesight.
Anyway it decided the issue of planked lower wall or not, at least on the front of the building. ;)
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020214700-485222399.jpeg)
This is how I decided to frame the pointy widows, and of course you can see from the previous photo that I had to remove the central bit of framing to do this.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-041020214808-485231005.jpeg)
An obligatory side view, and I am quite pleased with the way the windows have come out, for ease I was just going to leave them but what the hell, it only took about 2 hours to frame 9 windows, fortunately there is no glass and so no leaded lights.
I'm on with thatching now but this is where progress seems to stop because of drying times.
The only current decision is whether I should continue the planking around the building on the lower level or not, I've sorted decided not - because it takes forever and this church is to game with, not to look at, but I do like the idea of the different texture it will bring.
I'm going to fill in between the framing with filler but will leave the framing standing proud, I know this is not accurate but it does seem to look right.
I have 2 questions and would appreciate some guidance if anyone knows the answers.
Inside the church I'm going to do one of 2 things, keep it simple with little furniture, or use a drop in floor with all the furniture on it so I can remove it for gaming with figures inside.
1st question, does anyone know when they started putting pews into churches, I have a notion that originally the congregation would have stood, maybe only the Chief man having a seat. I expect there will be an alter and maybe a font but nothing else. I shall paint it white inside and have some religious murals painted on the walls (well photos pasted on, but no one will know the difference).
2nd question, white wash, when did they start to use a lime wash on daube and wattle. I did all my other buildings with a mud colour rather than white wash but I think the Church would have had more attention paid to it than the rest of the village houses. Note that while I call this a Viking village this is definitely a Saxon church, even though it will stand in for a Viking one when I play the game Argonor's Revenge, a game that has been 3 years coming.
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Nice recovery and progress!
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Unfortunately I haven't the slightest clue about answering your two questions! The door and framing is a very nice recovery and I particularly like the way you framed the windows.
Scotia Grendel have some ring door knockers, they might work for door ring handles?
https://www.shop.scotiagrendel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=43&products_id=2513 (https://www.shop.scotiagrendel.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=43&products_id=2513)
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Sure I have seen this somewhere before.....
;)
Good to see you back at it, Sir.
Nothing like a good scenery project to whet the appetite.
:D
And this is nothing like a good scenery project but I'm having fun playing with bits of wood and glue.
Good to hear from you, hope all is well in the big city.
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Lon and Martin Thanks for the encouragement. I undercoated it all last night and it looks a bit of a mess because as usual sticking planks over a white background makes it very difficult to get the black undercoat in all the little cracks.
Why I don't remember these things from one building to another I don't know.
Thanks for the link to the ring knockers, I ended up twisting a bit of fuse wire into a rough shape to resemble a handle, not very professional but hey it's the Dark Ages.
Cheers
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I like your idea of a drop-in interior; are you going to do that?
As regards whitewash. Weren’t churches painted really colourfully (is that a word) until the Reformation when they got covered up in whitewash? Probably that would have been a medieval thing rather than "Dark Ages" which is a shame because I’d love to see your church decked out in harmonious pastel shades :)
Doug
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I like your idea of a drop-in interior; are you going to do that?
As regards whitewash. Weren’t churches painted really colourfully (is that a word) until the Reformation when they got covered up in whitewash? Probably that would have been a medieval thing rather than "Dark Ages" which is a shame because I’d love to see your church decked out in harmonious pastel shades :)
Doug
Hi Doug, Having done a bit more research I'm sure I don't need pews, they all stood for the service, so the only furniture will be Alter and Font no need for the drop in interior, hopefully I can remember that idea for the future.
I do like your idea of pastels shades rather than whitewash, a rose coloured exterior plaster has been found on a royal hall at Cheddar and on a Monastery in the NE, I've forgotten it's name already and so I'm going to go with that, at least until I see how it looks.
Thanks for the idea.
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(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-061020200404-48552250.jpeg)
The raw roof in place, it will flatten down when it's painted with a mix of pva and black gesso. I use a shortish bristle brush to apply the first coat and it sort of combs it a bit.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-061020200235-4854370.jpeg)
Like this. The problem with the light coloured towel is it takes a couple of coats of undercoat to cover most of it. The advantage is that's it's a cast off and so free and has single threads rather than the double loop on posh towels and so looks a little more realistic, to me at least.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-061020200236-485512067.jpeg)
I've daubed it with a mix of powdered filler and neat pva, this is as tough as nails, I was aiming for a fairly smooth finish, because at this scale you would hardly see the hand impressions as it was put on in real life.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-061020200236-485501511.jpeg)
As you can see I made a bugger of it. Mainly because I made the spaces between the framing too small and couldn't work properly with my small trowel. :'(
Hopefully I can sand it down a bit. Trouble is that "It's as tough as nails" ;)
Note the bespoke door handles. lol This was the best I could manage, I should have used the dress makers pins.
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Looking good the thatch is great
Good luck with the wood and daub , that is the bit I hate doing on these types of buildings
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Thanks G.M. I thought I was OK with the daub and wood but see below :(
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-071020123004-485551491.jpeg)
The thatch is virtually done and I have tried to do a rose coloured wash over the daub and I really don't like it. The wood work is hardly started yet and will look a bit dustier when complete but I need to sort out the daub first. It may be because I did a fairly translucent wash that it looks a bit insipid as well as distinctly odd, maybe a solid coating followed by dry brushing and then a darker wash would be better.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-071020123004-485662127.jpeg)
The small building is how I've done all my previous daub, aiming for a dried light mud colour which I've been happy with, but I am aiming to do the Church so it stands out as something other than a mud hut. I'm unsure if I should change it either to another colour maybe a yellow ochre or or to mirror my normal mud colour.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-071020123004-48567287.jpeg)
Just another image of the same thing, I'm very much open to suggestions on this, I don't really want to go down the white wash route because I think it will look very stark, and I'm pretty sure I will make a mess of it.
Help. Any thoughts or suggestions.
Cheers
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First - the thatch looks great. It’s a shame that you’ve had to use your towel - it’s going to be tricky getting dried after your yearly all-over-wash in future. :) . Seriously, that looks very effective.
Second. When I mentioned pastel shades earlier, I was thinking of the interior. However, if you’ve found reference to outsides being painted like that, fair enough. I have to agree with you though, I’m not keen. If you want it more distinctive, your yellow ochre idea may be the way to go.
Interesting project - I look forward to seeing where you go with it.
Doug
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This daub looks too pink in my eyes.
The daub of the hut looks more natural, but I am for yellow ochre too.
I wish you good continuation to your project!
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I’d go with the same colour as the hut but then add an extra white/light tan highlight to it.
Looking good though :)
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I would just do the daub the same way as the rest of the buildings. And then go nuts with colours on the woodpanels in the door end.
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Hi Guy's thanks for taking to time to respond and I think your advice is sound, I
'm going to repaint the daub a drabber colour, a bit sad about not having a stand out colour but I think the best historical one looks naff. Hey ho.
I have a couple of other things on the to do list, haystacks a forge and a bakery, probably just 1 or 2 ovens and then I'm out of ideas. :-[
Any thoughts welcome. :)
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You'll need a mead brewing and storage area! ;)
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You'll need a mead brewing and storage area! ;)
Bee hives, lots of bee hives!!!
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I have dreams of building a tannery for my dark age settlement and or a dyers. Large semi underground vats filled with various liquids and frames of curing hides.
I probably won't get round to it for a long time so until then I might as well live it out vicariously through you.
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Looking really good! One small tip you might try for foamcore corner joins - make one end with edges 3x the thickness of the board longer - then cut all but the outer card away on the inside. Lightly score/pencil scribe (allowing for 1 wall thickness) and you can then use the overlap as a tab to fold over and glue. I find it makes a firmer join. You can also use uhu or a n other clear glue for a quicker bond than PVA. If you are applying balsa/matchsticks as beams and adding render it won't show. I used the technique on these timber framed buildings and it worked well. For those awkward little areas I can also recommend using fine milliput as the render - applied with a nailfile or blunt scalpel...
Happy building your settlement is looking great!
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Paint the daub a darker colour then dry brush white into the centre of each panel leaving the darker colour showing around the edges
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/19/1912_05_10_14_2_55_33_0.jpg)
for example
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Paint the daub a darker colour then dry brush white into the centre of each panel leaving the darker colour showing around the edges
Amen to that -
Bull's blood was used to colour, but various ochre tones ranging from off white to sand
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Amen to that -
Bull's blood was used to colour, but various ochre tones ranging from off white to sand
Yes, well said.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EVFK2DHsT6M/WnXuxDalU4I/AAAAAAAAJuo/qcgOd4EtlUECclg-n02Jv1lqYdiuWFjjwCLcBGAs/s1600/SAGA%2B005.JPG)
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You'll need a mead brewing and storage area! ;)
I have it on good authority that mead is like fermenting wine in that you stick the ingredients in a barrel and it comes out like nectar.
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Bee hives, lots of bee hives!!!
I do have bee hives :D
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I have dreams of building a tannery for my dark age settlement and or a dyers. Large semi underground vats filled with various liquids and frames of curing hides.
I probably won't get round to it for a long time so until then I might as well live it out vicariously through you.
I looked them up but could only find large semi industrial set ups. I need something small, I thought they just pis*ed in a bucket and dipped the leather in it. I wonder if you have any pictures of Danish or Norse tanneries?
By the way I don't think you should live vicariously through me, you could catch something nasty.
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Looking really good! One small tip you might try for foamcore corner joins - make one end with edges 3x the thickness of the board longer - then cut all but the outer card away on the inside. Lightly score/pencil scribe (allowing for 1 wall thickness) and you can then use the overlap as a tab to fold over and glue. I find it makes a firmer join. You can also use uhu or a n other clear glue for a quicker bond than PVA. If you are applying balsa/matchsticks as beams and adding render it won't show. I used the technique on these timber framed buildings and it worked well. For those awkward little areas I can also recommend using fine milliput as the render - applied with a nailfile or blunt scalpel...
Happy building your settlement is looking great!
Thanks for that advice, if I understand it correctly I can see how it would give a strong joint and also amuch neater one than a straight but joint.
I usually use a tacky pva glue that sets fairly quickly, much quicker than normal pva. It was a long time since Id used foamboard and I forgot to dovetail the pins to pull the butt joints together.
You made a really nice job of the houses, did you use wood or card for the shingles on yhe roof? It looks effective.
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Paint the daub a darker colour then dry brush white into the centre of each panel leaving the darker colour showing around the edges
(https://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/19/1912_05_10_14_2_55_33_0.jpg)
for example
Gamer Mac the painting on the lefthand building looks very effective. I've just done a base coat so far and I'm away from home for a few days before I can get back to it. What is quite apparent is that it's quite a large area of colour because the Church walls are relatively high compared to the roof and so the daub colour needs breaking up to make it look ok.
I like what you've done with it although I think the right hand building might look a bit white the left one might do the trick.
Thanks
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For the church have you looked at St Teilo's medieval church in St Fagan's (Welsh museum of historic buildings).
https://museum.wales/stfagans/buildings/st_teilos_church/
I think they have a tannery too, but it's a Victorian one.
For Viking buildings look to Avaldsnes in Norway:
https://avaldsnes.info/en/vikinggard/
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Yes, well said.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EVFK2DHsT6M/WnXuxDalU4I/AAAAAAAAJuo/qcgOd4EtlUECclg-n02Jv1lqYdiuWFjjwCLcBGAs/s1600/SAGA%2B005.JPG)
Michi - blast you :o that dun colour is very much what I had in mind when I thought of yellow ochre. I thought about it and decided it might be too standout, too garish, so I passed on it. Now I have seen yours I'm going to have to think again.
Blast o_o everytime I think I know what I want to do something changes my mind. lol
By the way what did you use for the roof line. I've seen loads of reconstructions and quite a few had a ridge of turf or something like it.
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For the church have you looked at St Teilo's medieval church in St Fagan's (Welsh museum of historic buildings).
https://museum.wales/stfagans/buildings/st_teilos_church/
I think they have a tannery too, but it's a Victorian one.
For Viking buildings look to Avaldsnes in Norway:
https://avaldsnes.info/en/vikinggard/
Thanks for the link, I'm on limited wifi at the moment but I'll follow up on this when I get home in a few days time if I can'tdo it sooner, but I appreciate you taking the time to give me the link.
Cheers
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Thanks for the link, I'm on limited wifi at the moment but I'll follow up on this when I get home in a few days time if I can'tdo it sooner, but I appreciate you taking the time to give me the link.
Cheers
Battery just about to die. Ive been to the Welsh museum, it's brilliant, I don't remember the church but the paintings are just what I'm after, will check my photos, i might have them.
Thanks again
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Just a quick update, the Church is finished, it's not quite as stand out as I originally hoped but it blends in better with the rest of the buildings, so you win some you lose some.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-181020144337-48783507.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-181020144337-487871531.jpeg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-181020144337-487882458.jpeg)
Not very good photos I'm afraid, they are washed out quite badly but it hides my mistakes. The last photo is just a comparison to my existing buildings.
Next thing on the agenda are hay stacks or hay ricks. I'm intending making some DAS cones with a barbeque stick inserted in it and then covering them with coconut fibres, something like this.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-181020144337-487891822.jpeg)
These are just with the coconut fibres in a pile. I'm not sure what glue to use to hold them to the cone, I have a spray contact adhesive that I thought I might try but it's hellish messy, does anyone have a better thought?
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-181020150027-48790391.jpeg)
This is from West Stow in East Anglia and is the style of thing I'm aiming for.
I did think of just using bits of foam board for the underlying cone but I believe if I use contact adhesive that might melt the foam although It won't be visible and will be cheaper than DAS.
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Come on.....! The church is looking great; you should be very proud of that. Good photos too (let’s have less of this self-denigration - it’s not appropriate here and anyway, it makes you go blind).
Regarding the hayricks, what’s wrong with using pva to glue them? If you cover the cone in it, slap on the fibre and then cover the lot in a very thin pva wash, wouldn’t that do it?
Doug
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I have found in the past that hot glue works well for the first build of the hay pile, and then I use pva glue get the finer layers of the outside on, usually made with bits left over cut small.
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I have found in the past that hot glue works well for the first build of the hay pile, and then I use pva glue get the finer layers of the outside on, usually made with bits left over cut small.
I second that, I was ready to propose something similar.
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Church looks grand 8)
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These are just with the coconut fibres in a pile. I'm not sure what glue to use to hold them to the cone, I have a spray contact adhesive that I thought I might try but it's hellish messy, does anyone have a better thought?
I've done the same with the coconut fibres - just pour in some PVA thinned with water (2 parts PVA to 1 part Water) and mix it round till it starts to clump, you can then form the shape you want with your hands and leave it to dry. Then just wash your hands with soapy water. Easy.
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Thanks for the advice chaps. The last time I used my hot glue gun was when I made the crops for this village, there will be some comment about it earlier on this thread, anyway I burnt my fingers with the damn thing and it's been sulking in it's box ever since. :-[
Hum - hot glue and 3rd degree burns or PVA and glue the haystack to my fingers, it's a tricky one. ;)
I've done the DAS cones and they are drying now, I also did some small cones to make some more beehives by winding string around them to simulate rushes.
I have another question, I'm wondering if I can cut the coconut fibre off a square of door mat to use as a mown field to put the hay ricks on, leaving the stubble in place. The backing material on my mat is black rubber, I was wondering if there's any way to colour this brown without getting paint onto the cut down coconut. Maybe a wash would do it?
Cheers
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Nice work on the church :-* Try to avoid a trip to hospital on the hay ricks lol
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Nice work on the church :-* Try to avoid a trip to hospital on the hay ricks lol
yes I agree with these statements
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Thanks guy's, quick update on the hay ricks.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-191020154511-488141029.jpeg)
The naked ricks.
It's a good job I took the photo as I missed flocking one of them and only noticed when I looked at the pic.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-191020154511-488151793.jpeg)
A bad hair day.
In the end I went with my spray contact adhesive, the coconut fibres seem to have stuck well, I'll give them a while to dry and hit it with a dilute PVA solution and then give them a hair cut. ;)
Next the bee hives and then I'm going to make an oven with a thatched roof to keep the rain off the bread.
Any other suggestions will be warmly received.
Cheers
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So, your idea worked nicely and the hay ricks are coming out very nice!
What other suggestions for the village?
A chicken coop, pig sty, market stall, some pottery/big vases, a spreader for drying fish (assuming they are fishing :) )
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Thanks for the advice chaps. The last time I used my hot glue gun was when I made the crops for this village, there will be some comment about it earlier on this thread, anyway I burnt my fingers with the damn thing and it's been sulking in it's box ever since. :-[
Hum - hot glue and 3rd degree burns or PVA and glue the haystack to my fingers, it's a tricky one. ;)
I've done the DAS cones and they are drying now, I also did some small cones to make some more beehives by winding string around them to simulate rushes.
I have another question, I'm wondering if I can cut the coconut fibre off a square of door mat to use as a mown field to put the hay ricks on, leaving the stubble in place. The backing material on my mat is black rubber, I was wondering if there's any way to colour this brown without getting paint onto the cut down coconut. Maybe a wash would do it?
Cheers
I've gotten some bad burns from my hot glue gun in the past...worst was when I was making oozes that I needed for a D&D session, then the dog decided she needed attention and my hand hit the puddles of glue.
Anyway, a great option for mowed fields that tends to work better than the rubber is to take sections of corrugated cardboard (Smallest corrugations that you can find) and peel one side of the cladding off after cutting it to the shape you want the field. Around the edge, work some filler into the ends of the corrugation to blend it to the base and strengthen the ends, brush it with thinned white glue and dust the entire thing with fine sand. Prime the piece, paint it as earth and then use some patches of dead static grass (or just use some scissors on a cheap paint brush of the type you'd use to paint the walls or the like that has the right color bristles to the right length, to be bits of it left behind after harvesting...or if you want other options, you can add some more thinned glue to the tops of the ridges and mix a bit of the fine flocks with some unused green tea to have a field that could either have been harvested or just starting to grow.
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The church and hayricks look superb. Maybe an on-line game when you are ready? I would be happy to take on Doug Bloodaxe!
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Din thanks for the suggestions, I like the idea of fish drying racks and daft as it seems I've never thought of a chicken coop. I've got a pig pen but I suppose every wargamer has one ;) The vases/urns are on the list, but they have been on the list for maybe 5 years :(
SotF I think the ploughed field with the crops just sprouting on the ridges is also something I've always meant to do but I can never get the top layer of paper off without ripping it. :'(
Thanks Lord Snapcase, the ricks look better now they have had a hair cut. :)
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The Beehives are based on something Gamer Mac did, and I think he got the idea from someone else so I borrowed it from him.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-211020203608-488431770.jpeg)
This is an easy thing to do but you need to think about the process, which of course I didn't until I realized how difficult I made things.
Earlier I posted a pic of the DAS cones, all I wanted to do was wind a length of string around the cone. That proved impossible and I ended up supergluing the end of a piece of string to stop it unravelling. Then superglued that end of the string to the base of the cone. Then with a small brush painted PVA along the line that I would wind the string, a bit at a time. Sorry that's a rubbish explanation, anyway I got pva all over me, I superglued my fingers to the beehive and there were some very strange fumes given off from the string when I superglued the end, but I'm alright now. I think.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-211020203608-48847481.jpeg)
The finished beehives
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/48/7162-211020203609-488501460.jpeg)
The trimmed hayricks.
The beehives and hayricks are sat on my table ready for a game tomorrow.
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Looking good
you need to be carefull with the fumes
I can't remember whose idea they were I will have a look to see if I can find out
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SotF I think the ploughed field with the crops just sprouting on the ridges is also something I've always meant to do but I can never get the top layer of paper off without ripping it. :'(
You don't need it to be perfectly clean coming off, the added roughness actually ends up adding to the end result in making it look like the broken up dirt for it.