Tepees...Cheapest wargaming construction project EVER!

[bulldogger2000]

First off I would like to say thank you to this site for the inspiration.  A day after I became a member, I located information on building tepees from a template provided.  I had to adjust the template to a size approriate for 25/28mm...but that was an easy task.

As the title states, this is by far the CHEAPEST wargaming construction project I ever had!  The lodge poles are bamboo BBQ skewers form a dollar store (100 in a pack for a dollar), the covering is simply typing paper removed from my computer printer.  The bases are free AOL introductory disks given away for free.  All told I am guessing the cost per tepee is about one penny!

The figures in the photos are Old Glory 25's.

Never having posted photos before, I hope this is the correct way to do so.  If not please forgive my ignorance.


http://s569.photobucket.com/albums/ss136/bulldogger2000/Wargaming%20figures/Plains%20Indian%20Wars/?action=view&current=P1010015.jpg

http://s569.photobucket.com/albums/ss136/bulldogger2000/Wargaming%20figures/Plains%20Indian%20Wars/?action=view&current=P1010010.jpg

http://s569.photobucket.com/albums/ss136/bulldogger2000/Wargaming%20figures/Plains%20Indian%20Wars/?action=view&current=P1010009.jpg

http://s569.photobucket.com/albums/ss136/bulldogger2000/Wargaming%20figures/Plains%20Indian%20Wars/?action=view&current=P1010005.jpg

http://s569.photobucket.com/albums/ss136/bulldogger2000/Wargaming%20figures/Plains%20Indian%20Wars/?action=view&current=p1010002.jpg

[bulldogger2000]

Please forgive my poor math skills.....price would be approximately 8 cents per tepee....hope that doesn't deter too many from trying them!

[Captain Blood]

Never having posted photos before, I hope this is the correct way to do so.  If not please forgive my ignorance.

Bulldogger, underneath your pix in Photobucket you will see an image code. If you click on that code it copies it, You can then paste the image code into your post, and when you make the post, the image will load directly into your displayed post. 

(NIce tepees by the way  )

[bulldogger2000]

Very cool!   Thanks Captain.

[Bugsda]

Brilliant! I'll be giving them a try

[Galman]

Great Job on the tepees!  Well worth the money    Nice painting on the Indian chief as well, maybe perhaps we can see more of the figures.

[The_Wisecrack]

ab so bloddy lutely brilliant.

i tried this.
but it failed
what glue did you use?

TW

[bulldogger2000]

Wisecrack...

The paper is glued to shape first using a glue stick.  The lodge poles are inserted and glued into place after the outer shell is glued together in it's appropriate shape.  To afix the lodge poles I use a hot glue gun.

[bulldogger2000]

Some of the figures for Galman request.

Not as fancy as some, but I'm going for speed and quanity.  I'm about 3/4 done with a planned 200 mounted Indians for our group.  I can finish one of these figures in my style with my "tricks" in about 45 minutes each.

[Sangennaru]

wow, that's a lot of minis...

45 minutes each one... that's a lot of work!

[Hitman]

Great tepee. Painted fairly nicely too. I see that you removed the sharp pointy ends to prevent real blood getting spilled during your game!!

Thanks for sharing!!

[Driscoles]

Beautiful work those Tepees. Iam glad I visited this thread.
Thanks for sharing
Björn

[Malamute]

I don't usually like things that begin with cheap....But these are superb, Its all the extra detail like the ropes, pots and detailing that make them come alive. Wonderful stuff, thanks for sharing.

[cmsciulli]

Just in case anyone is wondering. . . I think I found the template our dear OP mentioned:

http://education.boisestate.edu/compass/Idahohistory/Chapter%203/Mod2Ch3kids.htm

From a post by Will Bailie:

Tipis are one of the easier scratch-build projects possible.  We used to do them as an arts and crafts project in elementary school!

Materials needed:
Sticks - mostly the same length, with two that are slightly longer (these will be for the smoke flaps)
A half disk of paper or cloth, cut according to the tipi pattern (try one of these for ideas:  http://www.manataka.org/page193.html http://education.boisestate.edu/compass/Idahohistory/Chapter%203/Tipi-cover-sm.gif )
Material for the base.  In school we used corrugated cardboard, but MDF would probably be more durable.

Take the bundle of sticks, of similar length, and tie them together at one end.    Stand them up so they form a cone.  Either glue them to your base, or drill holes in the base and secure the poles in the holes.

Wrap the cloth or paper around the tent poles.  Real tipis are pinned along the seam, but glueing the seam should be fine. 

Paint some pictoglyphs on the outside and you are finished!


Another set of instructions can be found here:

http://education.boisestate.edu/compass/Idahohistory/Chapter%203/Mod2Ch3kids.htm

Hope that helps,

Will

[BigMecha]

very nice tepees!