Jungle Terrain - Rope Bridges & A How to Scratch Build Them!

[Captain Darling]

The upcoming TSOG Land of the Lost game requires several ubiquitous bit of Jungle Terrain the most iconic being 'rope bridges'! I need three for the game so how to make these suckers? I just went ahead and started making the first one and worked it out as I went. Below is the finished product and a link to the Blog with how I put them together...





Blog link...
https://captaindarlingsminiaturesemporium.blogspot.com/2021/12/scenery-rope-bridges-how-to-scratch.html

[fred]

Great looking piece of terrain - is the whole bridge quite rigid? I’m wondering how it stays in place with miniatures on it?

[Captain Darling]

Hey Fred, thanks, the bridges are very rigid, using twisted copper wire for the base ‘ropes’ and single thread of copper for the ‘hand guide rope’ makes it strong. I can line up metal figures on washer bases along the length of them with no flexing 😊...

See a bridge from below...

[fred]

Thanks - the finished one looks so much like a rope bridge, you expect it to flex! But the construction making it rigid means it works as a game piece. Very smart

[Patrice]

  Inspiring idea, thanks! 

[Codsticker]

Using wire for the rope runners is an excellent idea.

[FifteensAway]

Love the broken bridge.

But now you've got me thinking how to make a 'true' rope bridge, one of those bridges just made out of rope pretty much, a sort of V-shaped thing with hand supports to either side and a thick base to - precariously - walk on.  Lots of 'interlaced' rope between the hand supports and the base.   Added to the list of something to make - eventually.

[SotF]

Love the broken bridge.

But now you've got me thinking how to make a 'true' rope bridge, one of those bridges just made out of rope pretty much, a sort of V-shaped thing with hand supports to either side and a thick base to - precariously - walk on.  Lots of 'interlaced' rope between the hand supports and the base.   Added to the list of something to make - eventually.

One guy who was running some pulp game demos had one where they took a clear acrylic strip that seemed about 2/3" or 3/4" with holes cut into it for the ropes going to the sides which were made out of wire. The ends where into things that were permanent for the boards used.

He's disappeared since Covid lockdowns started, but used to be at the store, primarily for the board game nights and was in one of the other D&D AL things on another night than I play at. He tended to play minis games elsewhere and it was one of his own boards as a jungle board.

[Cacique Caribe]

Captain D

Ingenious solution to a challenge that every Pulp and VSF gamer will encounter several times in a lifetime.  Rope bridges are awesome.

Dan

[MaleGriffin]

Brilliant idea! I'm stealing it!

[Captain Darling]

Thanks For the feedback guys, I hope others find the technique useful!

Re ‘how to make a 'true' rope bridge’ I believe wire can be your friend too, the main guide ropes could be a thick ‘strands’ of wire with a wooden frame at each end to support them, then use thinner (fuse) wire for the connecting ropes. Not sure how figures would balance on the single main rope though?

[Patrice]

For a "true" rope bridge a friend suggested to use jute ribbon like this, perhaps with some of the threads removed, and with wire "ropes" on the edges. But we didn't try it yet.

[Captain Darling]

Hey Patrice, the  jute ribbon is a cool find thanks, I can see it being used for camo netting straight away!

This is how I envisage the rope bridge FifteensAway is describing...


Cheers!

[FifteensAway]

Captain Darling, that is pretty close to what I have in mind - only the base would be thicker than a navy hawser rope so it could be reasonably walked on.  I know I've seen them in a movie or three and some documentaries.  Definitely would be a challenge to make a model of such a bridge that would accept figures, excellent point.

[pistolpete]

I picked up miniature picket fencing from Michael’s that was already tied with metal wires.  Just square the ends, clip to length, and paint/wash as desired. I also used galvanized nails as end posts so they could be attached using magnets. Outlined in my entry for last year’s BSC.





Not my idea but can’t remember where i saw the original.