Return to Darkest Africa (Updated 24 Mar 20 - Masai)

[Overlord]

Managed to get a couple more images.


The last image is a tembe, but the others are of general interest.

There's a bird's-eye-view illustration of a tembe, I think in one of Stanley's books, showing the courtyard arrangement. In this one there is a single door in the centre of the long inner wall opening on to the courtyard, rather than three. And surprisingly, the outer doors open directly on to the courtyard, the "hallways" at each end have no inner walls, just supporting beams holding the roof up. Also the courtyard is more spacious, compared with the size of the rooms, which look like they would be tiny, thin and pokey. The area of the courtyard looks like the same or more area than that of all the rooms put together, with room to keep herd animals in it and still have plenty of space for people to loaf about in the shade.

I assume this is the picture referred to. I had it all along...


I've started work on the (removeable) roof and painting the walls.  Nothing particularly new to see yet.

[traveller]

Great thread! Many thanks!

[Plynkes]

I assume this is the picture referred to. I had it all along...

Yeah, that's the fella.

Here's one more from my "British Central Africa" thread, which shows that these sort of defensive structures could be massive:



That's just one corner. The whole thing must be huge. Anybody fancy doing one that big?

[Traveler Man]

I'm currently working on a tembe model some 8" square. The photo above is useful, and it's interesting to see the staggered arrangement of the loopholes.

Now, if I can just persuade the frickin' roof to stop warping! 

[Overlord]

Here's one more from my "British Central Africa" thread, which shows that these sort of defensive structures could be massive: ...
....That's just one corner. The whole thing must be huge. Anybody fancy doing one that big?

That is one serious tembe!  I don't have the space to build, let alone store one that size (unless I did it modular...).  It would take up a large part of the table in a game.

The photo above is useful, and it's interesting to see the staggered arrangement of the loopholes.

Are they loopholes? To me they look like the ends of wooden poles running across the tembe.

[Traveler Man]

Ah. Yes, you're right. They did look like loopholes at first glance. 

At least I persuaded the roof on my version to stop warping, mainly through use of a heavy book. 

[axabrax]

Tembe looks fantastic! Make me one too please! 

[jazbo]

Your terrain looks amazing.  Nice info for building one myself.

[Overlord]

Made a bit more progress:

The walls are now pretty much finished:


The roof is 2mm foam PVC strengthened against warping with 5mm woodstrip.  The beams fit into slots cut in the walls to ensure a snug fit:


The thatching is bristles cut from a cheap broom head (not Bromhead!).  The bristles are fixed in place with PVA glue and a heavy weight applied (sheet foam PVC used to stop it sticking to the weight):


The thatch is still drying, so you may see bits of the white PVA showing through.  It takes ages to dry as the foam PVC is non-absorbant.  Final trimming and removal of stray bistles will be done once it has completely dried out


Who lives in a tembe like this....

[Clearco]

 
Superb! Very inspirational!

[Plynkes]

Marvellous. I'll have five, please. 

[Malamute]

Looking excellent.

[CptJake]

This is one of the reasons I love LAF.  There is just so much darned talent.

Fantastic work. 

Jake

[Traveler Man]

Excellent work, sir! 

[Frank]

Great stuff.