Odd Ducks build thread Chinese waterfront

[odd duck]

Thanks for all the nice comments,Can't claim any brilliance for the fan just a bit of luck, found the fan at work and the light came on over my head any scratch builder would have done the same!iwas only planning to do windows with it until this contest came up and i saw a picture of a bridge in Shanghai. Hopefully the rest of the project turns out as well as the compitition looks real good

[odd duck]

Got the basic layout worked out,and cut the pink insulation required .Probably  only going to have two buildings and the pier warehouse.


I'll be using wooden craft boxes for the buildings and I've already got the brickwork scribed on the warehouse


I did this San-pan before the contest started so it's ineliglable, but I'll use it as a prototype and make a few copies as soon asI get the right size of balsa wood

it's a carved piece of balsa with matchstick and coffee stirstick details with some burlap over a wire frame I'll show more details when I start making the copies. I'm back to work tomorrow so It'll  be a few days before I make anymore headway

[marianas_gamer]

I really like what I'm seeing.  Lots of good ideas that I would like to copy.  I'm just afraid that my wife wouldn't like the storage space needed. I suppose that this could be modular though, hmm....

[Grimm]

so clever and so interesting!!

thanks a lot 

[HerbyF]

This is a really great thread for me. I have been planning to do the Canton waterfront for the opium war. A lot of really good ideas here. I'm definately keeping an eye on this. Love the scratch built sampans.

[odd duck]

I managed to get started on the san-pans and other vessels for the project.  i also worked out how to do reasonable copies of my first one which used 1 inch thick balsa with 1/2 inch thick balsa

I use the cut off bits from the corners to form the sides at the bow and stern.

 I also experimented with some smaller boats for the canal


I did find some 1inch thick balsa it was longer than I needed but not long enough to make two san-pans so I ended up making a small junk out of it. It will be tied up to the pier when finished. It should be able to hold about 8 passengers and 3 crew with my basing so I can use it as transport for my warlord troops if i can get them off the lead mountain


It won't look so rough after sanding filling and more details are done.Chinese boats and junks come in an amazing number of different styles, i,ve tried to compromise between what looks right ,is usefull game wise and is fairly easy to make. The most obvious compromise is the width of some of the san-pans which are made wider to allow figures to be placed.
I believe some of you are interestedin doing simular projects so here are some good refferance sites
http://www.geocities.com/kp_diver/index111ChineseJunks.html
9 pages of photos of junks san-pans and the floating cities of Hong kong and Macao taken in the 70s by a mechant seaman
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fassitt/cranks/cranky_sampans.html
this is where i got the info to build my first san-pan
http://www.tara.bz/index.asp?page=category&id=2
the last one is a shipmodelmaker whose catalog shows pic.s of their models with some useful info on various junks and what part of china they were used in . Hope some of you find them as useful as i did

[rjandron]

Nicely done! Just the thing for Boxer Rebellion or Pulp China games.

[gamer Mac]

Looking good 
You are going to have quite a fleet when you are done.
Great links.
Thanks for some very useful info. I will need to bookmark these for future reference.

[aircav]

Wow this is looking really fantastic 


Keith 

[odd duck]

The real world has been slowing down my progress but I have made some.Got most of the san-pans painted and their covers made




the canopies are pieces of burlap(sackcloth)glued to cardboard from a cereal box and bent to shape.I've also added some masts and enlarged the stern of the small Junk


and added the wooden doors to the warehouse and started on the roof

The small chinese building also got some detailwork using the fan again


I did some tests to check the gameworthyness of the san pans

the medium ones hold four based figures and the large one can squeeze in nine

pulp figures tong gangsters with a some old glory arabs filling in until i get more chinese painted I'm hoping to convert some boxer spearmen to oarsman and sailors so i won't allways have to have my boats moored i'm also hoping i'll have time to add a few more extras to them before the contest ends!

[aircav]

looking fantastic, i think using the fan fret work is inspired   



Keith 

[gamer Mac]

Really starting to come together.
It going to be a great board to play on.
Love all the boats

[odd duck]

Ok finally have time for a little update most of the buildings are done and I've started painting the warehouse(Godown)and the chinese buiding. The european style office has it's brickwork scribed in with a few minor errors and just needs some detail work on the doors and windows.


I've added a small backyard to the Chinese building still need todo some work on the gate ect

surfaced the dockside in cardboard flagstones and plastic cobblestone sections for a roadway at the rear of the board.Used another Will's product(concrete blocks) for the facing of the canal and dockside and got the basic structure of the stairs done



Still have to get started on the stone pier/jetty and the bridge ends but I think i can make the deadline,the small junk probably won't get done in time but it was'nt in the origional plan.

[Silent Invader]

Oooh very nice.  Those close up shots have left me wanting more, you tease!  Looking forward to a sweeping shot of the whole ensemble.

[Admiral Benbow]

Very nice setup, Odd Ducks! Looking forward to the fully painted waterfront ...