Games of the North: 20/5 completed carts, commerce & captives (GoT)

[tomrommel1]

very nice boards and ideas for new ones!

[Silent Invader]

Thanks folks - comments most appreciated 

A small update....

Added the extra cork and foamboard levels, next step will be to add the plaster surface



I also bought some tavern sections by Grendel Miniatures; very nice with only a couple of skulls that I ground off



Good job they arrived before I started on the inn, as it will need a bigger footprint to accommodate them

 

[OSHIROmodels]

That's gonna be an impressive set up mate 

cheers

James

[Pappa Midnight]

Have a little GOT project on the go

If this is a little project, I'd like to see what you do when you're serious!     

Excellent work. Really love your board but I think you should cover it in snow and let me look after it for you.   

Regards
PM

[Captain Blood]

I also bought some tavern sections by Grendel Miniatures; very nice with only a couple of skulls that I ground off

that's my boy
'Skullz' are so last Milennium.

[pocoloco]

'Skullz' are so last Milennium.

So 41st Millennium you mean?

[Silent Invader]

 

Thanks for the comments.

@PM: I tend to measure the size of a project by the number of minis, not the area of terrain, which is probably a mistake as today my wife asked me where I was planning to store this lot! PS: I have a winter landscape board so no snow on this one

Anyways, a most productive afternoon of hobbying was had. To blend the different levels I applied plaster to all the tiles (which was tamped onto a layer of glue). Here's the waterfall tile as an example:



The next step will be to add sand texture but before doing that I really need to start on the inn and the bridge. The idea is that they are built from the better/smaller stones robbed out of the old fort. It will be more 'rustic' than the inn at the crossroads in GOT, more in the style of a Scottish or Irish croft but perhaps slate tiles rather than thatch. I can't build it from real stones as I don't have any of the right size so I'm experimenting with stone (not brick) production:



A flat surface (in this case a granite counter top), covered with several layers of cling film, painted with exterior grade wood glue, ready-mixed plaster tamped into place, then break lines indented with the edge of a wall stripper.

No idea if this will work but my thinking is that the glue will give some strength to the plaster, so that when its cured I can simply gather up the cling film and the fake stones will snap at the indents. I'll then put them in a bag with sand and real stones for a good shake to induce some weathering.

I prepped a few, though if it doesn't work I will have unnecessarily stretched my wife's patience ......



PS: I know I could have cut blocks from blue foam like Jimbibbly and Gamer Mac but, frankly, that's madness!

[OSHIROmodels]

Ooo, looking forward to seeing the falls 

PS: I know I could have cut blocks from blue foam like Jimbibbly and Gamer Mac but, frankly, that's madness!

Dear boy, join us 

cheers

James

[Silent Invader]

 

After an evening and night of curing, stone production had entered its next phase.....

As hoped, the plaster came off the cling film and broke rather nicely, though it was less inclined to do so where the glue was thicker (obvious really). Incidentally, as plaster is acidic the cling film protects the work surface from damage as well as making it easier to break up the stones.

The stones went into a biscuit box with two handfuls of sharp sand (sieved to remove the gravel). NB: I decided not to add real stones aswell.



The with the lid in place, shaking resulted in softly rounded edges (penny for scale):



The tin has now gone into the airing cupboard for an hour so, just to see if the stones will harden any more.

The next step will be to start putting down the buildings.

Btw, it occurred to me that I could also use this terrain for the 18thC project I have on the go, as well as for WotR.

[OSHIROmodels]

I'm glad that worked for you mate 

Didn't know plaster was acidic though, you learn something new everyday 

cheers

James

[Silent Invader]

Yeah, it's why electrical cable and copper pipe shouldn't be buried under plaster (thus wiring in conduit in the wall plaster and pipes taped as they exit the wall through the plaster. House renovation is a whole lot of learnings!

[Mason]

That is a brilliant way of making 'stones', mate.
Save a fortune on buying moulds that way, and they will be much more irregular and thus more natural, I reckon.
Genius*.
  8



*Still mad, but genius, nonetheless.
 

[Captain Blood]

Brilliant. I'm sure the end result will be worth it.
I think Zaheer uses a similar technique for his Dark Age stone buildings. If your results are half as good as his, your bridge and so on will be worth the effort.

[Timbor]

That is quite ingenious!  I don't envy the amount of time it will take to build a full building from those small blocks though... 

[Silent Invader]

Thank you kindly chaps - you're all very encouraging!  

Richard, I guess that Zaheer masters in plaster then casts in resin? As these are built out of a quite soft plaster they'll be less robust than the resin BUT ..... superglue!!!  I shall give them a good brushing with it and then work fine sand into the bigger gaps, which should toughen it for gaming. Paint and several coats of varnish later than I'll start feeling confident!

The bridge was built over a card former. I went for quite a shallow curve as I want the minis to stand rather than tumble across.



And with the blocks glued in place, with a defiant Bolton for scale

"No man shall pass!"



As I have a couple of hours to kill l shall start laying out the inn.

PS: Just to add, greenstuff won't stick to the plaster or the wood glue but it will stick to the coat of superglue, which is another reason to seal with it.