Air Pirate spawn point (new pic, 30 Nov)

[Wirelizard]

So, your classic pulp air pirates often arrive by zeppelin. Unless you're utterly mad (hi, gamer Mac!) building one is a bit of a stretch, so how do you indicate "Zepp overhead" and give your Air Pirates a chance to arrive in style?



By rope ladder, of course! The verticals are steel wire, the rungs are greenstuff putty, the base is a 1.25 inch washer with some extra greenstuff on it. The figure is Pulp Figures 28mm. Yes, I know the photo sucks. Better photos when it's finished, I promise.

I'll probably put a short length of I-beam at the top of the verticals to suggest something more solid than rope at the top of the ladder - bending the wire and gluing it into the beam will solidify the structure nicely. I'll use a few tufts of grass around the base to disguise where the verticals go into the ground.

[elysium64]

Brilliant idea, I love it :
If your adding girder to top, would the ladder with a larger base be strong enough to make a full hatch surounded by a centimere or two of Zeppelin of skin/fabric. I was going to create an example of what I mean, using one of Gamer Macs photo's but cant get to page at moment, keeps freezing. Will do so later.

[Tom Reed]

Instead of a girder how about using cotton or some such and have the ladder hanging out of a low cloud?

[Supercollider]

That's a great idea, also makes for quite a surreal vignette, with the guy standing there.

Reminds me of a comedian I once heard, joking that the British space program was a very, very long ladder

[dijit]

Great idea!
Could also use it for the SIRS (Special Indian Ropeclimbers Service), deployed wherever the Raj needs covert operations. 
Duncan

[Sangennaru]

Reminds me of a comedian I once heard, joking that the British space program was a very, very long ladder

don't understimate it, my dear: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator

[Wirelizard]

Brilliant idea, I love it :
If your adding girder to top, would the ladder with a larger base be strong enough to make a full hatch surounded by a centimere or two of Zeppelin of skin/fabric. I was going to create an example of what I mean, using one of Gamer Macs photo's but cant get to page at moment, keeps freezing. Will do so later.

Plastic is light enough I could add a bit of detail to the top of the current piece without making it too topheavy, I think. An inch and a quarter fender washer is a pretty solid base. (It's mostly metal, having only a quarter-inch hole)

I've added one t-girder beam across the top of the ladder, with cleats to fasten the ladder to, and just finished putting greenstuff rope from the top of the ladder up to and around the cleats, with a few loops of rope hanging to disguise where the steel wire is pinned and glued into the beam.

Pictures in daylight tomorrow.

[Hammers]

I adore humorous markers like this! They put a little zing on the game board.

[Chairface]

I adore humorous markers like this! They put a little zing on the game board.

Me too. A beautiful piece. I could use something like this for VSF.... Hmmmm.....

[demi_morgana]

Brilliant idea hehehehe

[Phil Robinson]

A grand idea, now you need to put a Sky Pirate descending the ladder

[gamer Mac]

WOW great idea

[Donpimpom]

Excellent! post a pic when painted please!

[Wirelizard]

Finished except for flocking and foliage on the base; I'm away from home right now, painting supplies with me but not terrain/basing stuff.

Went with a single T-girder across the top of the ladder, with more bits of cut-down T-girder for cleats to fasten the rope ladder to. A few loops of rope disguse the point where the steel wire is glued into the girder; the boulder disguises one contact point with the ground, and eventually a bit of tall grass will hide the second one.

[Burgundavia]

Sadly these photos really don't this justice. It is an eye catching piece from any angle, most especially because of its height.