Work in Progress

The Chateau Krowdrah

Posted by Beano Boy on 16 Apr 2018, 23:04

_________________________________PART ONE_________________________________________


Old Fools Day of April 1st saw me set out along a brand new course.
Carrying the plans in my head I never really know how things will slip into place.

Image

And so it began,
This place for 20mm to 28mm figures.

Image

Like a charm each shape fell out upon the paper card.

They would oddly go together like a complex dream where three buildings merged greatly into one.

Image

The first line was marked out and soon it was followed by many more.

Image

Raising the stonework.

Image

Image


Image

Slipping the roof on.

Image

Image

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Image

Undercoated with emulsion.

:sst: :sst: :sst: :sst: :sst: :sst: :sst: :sst: :sst: :sst: :sst:

Image

Image

Image

A dry run above before painting and gluing in place.

Image

Image

The inside is painted.

Image


20mm Men at Arms practice while this old place falls up around them. :mrgreen: "Yeh!"

Image

Image

:mrgreen: The second building is up.

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

As Night Time Falls

Image

A light flickers warminly within.
All the buildings will have grain of wheat lighting powered via a railway transformer.

Image

Image

Image

It needed a double sections of roof.

Image

The roof was soon placed.

Image

Image

Image

A centre walkway needed placing to link both into one for lifting off the entire roof.

Image

The block in the centre is where chimneys will tower and twist their way up.

Image

A slight change is always easy to apply in scratch building like here.

Image

Image

Eventually each building can be viewed on its own or like seen above merged together for a greater looking scene.

There will be other buildings to bring up to scratch.
Meaning the self same level before the entire complex is dressed up in flint and stone.

Image

A French Dragoon sniper.

Image

28mm Dragoon.

Like any old building they can be used in other time periods.

Image

It is called playing the game. :-D

Lots of pleasurable pastime works to amble my thoughts upon so I`ll get back to you later. BB

:cowboy: " So look out for part two Pards!" ____ :sst: " yes it might be boringly impressive."
:read: " Or incomplete nonsense."_______ :mrgreen: " Without pictures." :eh: "That ain`t funny."
Beano Boy  England
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 8083
Member since:
03 Sep 2013, 14:45


Posted by Graeme on 17 Apr 2018, 04:26

Wonderful! I like the architecture around the doorway and windows. And I really like the floorboards, interesting to see that level of detail inside the building as well as out.
User avatar
Graeme  Australia
 
Posts: 1565
Member since:
27 Nov 2015, 02:39

Posted by MABO on 17 Apr 2018, 07:11

Another great project. You really must have a castle yourself, just to store all your buildings. When I come to England I will visit you and I would like to see all the buidlings, cannels, houses and figures, of course... :drool: :drool: :drool: :-D
User avatar
MABO  Europe
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 9143
Member since:
12 May 2008, 18:01

Posted by C M Dodson on 17 Apr 2018, 07:42

Hello Mr B.

This is tremendous stuff.

Your stonework is excellent but I was wondering how you do it.

I understand the raised element but how do you carve the initial lines. I have used decorators caulk as a layer to carve into, but yours looks a lot better.

An intrigued, eager to learn, Chris
C M Dodson  United Kingdom
 
Posts: 2568
Member since:
01 May 2015, 18:48

Posted by Mr. Andrea on 17 Apr 2018, 08:22

that's just wonderful, inspirational and instructive. Thanks for sharing BB!!
May you please give more details on the material? I see two layers, one 1-2 mm cardboard and on top of that a 3-4 mm polystyrene sheet on which you carved the stonewall??
User avatar
Mr. Andrea  Europe
 
Posts: 916
Member since:
18 Mar 2015, 12:43

Posted by Kekso on 17 Apr 2018, 10:52

Those scratchbuild houses are wonderful.
User avatar
Kekso  Croatia

Moderator Moderator
Supporting Member (Bronze) Supporting Member (Bronze)
 
Posts: 6839
Member since:
19 Oct 2011, 18:32

Help keep the forum online!
or become a supporting member

Posted by Dad's Army on 17 Apr 2018, 13:52

Hey Paul,

Again a very interesting way of building.
The stones look perfect, doesn't the glue shrink a lot when it's dry?
And do you also going a likewise methode for the roof?
User avatar
Dad's Army  Netherlands

Moderator Moderator
 
Posts: 5293
Member since:
18 Nov 2007, 22:53

Posted by Bramble15 on 17 Apr 2018, 15:30

What a great demonstration of skill and talent. Very well done!
Bramble15  United States of America
 
Posts: 1697
Member since:
18 Aug 2010, 22:25

Posted by Beano Boy on 17 Apr 2018, 17:34

Thanks very much guys for comments ,questions and the likes.
The roofing will be kind of special on these.

:sst: "o no,not that hot black tar stuff left over from the shed roof ?"
:mrgreen: " Yah! I kinda liked the way it slid off the table and slowly zig zaged steamy and sticky-like across Mrs B`s clean floor."___ :winky: "That was the only thing hitting the floor that Bella the dog didn`t eat. "

:coffee: I am thinking twisted chimneys,pan-tiles,flat tiles and medieval monastic lead with some kind of ornamental ridge top, and the odd dormer window slid up into place.
:cowboy: " So nothing to complicated then BB?"
:mrgreen: "Sounds like another Fred and MayBell adventure to me."
:eh: " Sci Fi and Fantasy then?" Asked Wing Knut.

:coffee: "One of those probing Trolls has effected Wing Knut,because that`s his first ever question."
:mrgreen: "Paul will sort that sticky virus out,and give it a Royal Benno boot out." :thumbup: "Ya!"


Addressing Questions.

Paper is easy to scribe out and there is no need to be neat and trim.
As for floor boards I measure out and score deeply with a pen. Then I quickly weave a few wavy lines on each board between the lines.This makes for a good contrast between each and ever straight line. Pressure point dots using the scribing pen marks where the floor has been `sprigged', nailed down. One coat of dark emulsion is all that's needed,before dry brushing with a couple of lighter colours. Messy colours are far nicer,and I find it is the cameras eye that will pick this simple bit of extra detail out.

All my roofs lift off,so I can place figures, and also service lights when needed. This is why I busy myself improving the inside look of my builds,but nothing to fancy for the abstract way suits me well.As I ain`t no great painter.

Here are a couple of my Forum Links dealing with walls that can be seen from afar across a table.

viewtopic.php?t=15245#p171244

viewtopic.php?t=15307#p171929

I let the glue dehydrate over night,that leaves it thicker in my jar. The glue dries quick is easy to use and goes rock hard and dries transparent which adds to the thrill as one paints over it thus revealing ones own handy work.

I use A Size 841mm X 594mm mounting board.
I order bulk on line E Bay saving 50 pence a sheet
from `Bargainartistshop' Daler Studland Mounting Board.
Pack of 10 £35.49 Just under £3.50 a sheet. Free Post!
When I consider that total pack price,
is the same as two boxes of the model figures I just bought
I feel good about the expense.
Any good high street department store that has an arts and craft department should stock it.

Well that is all the questions dealt with and hopefully fun was had too?
Early days yet Bramble there`s lots to do. :-D BB
Beano Boy  England
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 8083
Member since:
03 Sep 2013, 14:45

Posted by GWR on 17 Apr 2018, 18:49

Wonderful job on this, I will be following this with interest.
GWR  United States of America
 
Posts: 15
Member since:
14 Sep 2016, 05:21

Posted by ironzentaur on 17 Apr 2018, 20:17

Absolutely beautiful and inspiring! I like your works!!!
ironzentaur  Germany
 
Posts: 63
Member since:
21 Jul 2008, 20:34

Posted by Beano Boy on 18 Apr 2018, 10:32

Thanx to all you guys,i guess straying off tutorials :-D laugh! was a good thing.
Unplanned but a good thing. BB
Beano Boy  England
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 8083
Member since:
03 Sep 2013, 14:45

Posted by Peter on 18 Apr 2018, 11:44

I see a beautifull building and an awfull lot of figures to paint. ;-) :thumbup:
User avatar
Peter  Belgium

Moderator Moderator
 
Posts: 22507
Member since:
25 Mar 2008, 18:51

Posted by Beano Boy on 18 Apr 2018, 16:29

Peter,painting is easy for me once I start,it is the stopping that`s hard.
The end result might be hard on peoples eyes,but that is where sunglasses come in to stop the glare!
Painting cavalry is a fine way of kick-starting my old paint brush into gear, but I cannot find my visor.

I spend more time typing these days than anything else,that`s how I formulated
the name of this chateau and wrote of it elsewhere.

Turned around it spells out HARDWORK! :-D BB
Beano Boy  England
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 8083
Member since:
03 Sep 2013, 14:45

Posted by Beano Boy on 19 Apr 2018, 04:02

I often like to apply weight to my paper card buildings and I use large heavy books to achieve that bulky pressure end. With bookend style buildings like these with the walls and floors butt end between them it can be done quite safely.

The building nearest the camera has what appears to be an off centred roof,this is because it is loose fitting and I had not lined it up to the centre point. These things do look odd in pictures so I thought I better explain why?

Image

I left this over night confidant that it would not crumple up and fall. It is a great example of applying quality control

Image

The work was glued up where it needed to be, then the pieces were left to go tacky. More glue was then brushed over the tacky stuff and quick assembly began. As the parts went together the glue made for a much better bounding, fixing them together without the need to hold and support them. The tacky glue and wet glue forms a much better bound than most stuff available out there on the market shelf. I fixed the larger building together using that method,then waited 30 minutes or so before I placed the heavy books on top. The applied pressure helps the formation of the box shape as long as every part is to square. The thin floors support the whole frame while taking all that tremendous weight. Yes these building are very strong and hardwearing and will last years.

Feel free to ask questions, and I will do my best to answer them. BB

Image

My oldest building seen above is well over 18 years old. The picture quality is a bit fuzzy but the scratch building is not. The brickwork was made by using the PVA Glue method, and all the doors and main gate inside and out was scribed using that fantastic tool, the pen! So nothing is carved out.
Beano Boy  England
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 8083
Member since:
03 Sep 2013, 14:45

Posted by Beano Boy on 01 May 2018, 16:07

PART TWO

WORK ON THE GATE HOUSE

Image

Showing part of the photo plans,the rest were blown to bits when my pc crashed!
So a few hundred £`s on since then, :-D ,and with a new pc, i will try to continue on as best as I can.
My Mrs B,is the wizard at setting those darn things up,and with downloading the apps that I need for my work, and hobby-wise way of living. :coffee: I find it to be a rather stressful and bewildering occupation of errors, without instructions. :( "me too."

Above shows my grubby plans for the gatehouse a double sided building that will have windows,doors and double gate that opens. The tools needed a ballpoint pen and a ruler,and for cutting these parts out a craft knife.
:mrgreen: "BB, loves using papercard."____ :sst:" first - aid plasters were near and handy too for cut mitts!" The black having run out of ink,gave up the goose and was duly assigned to the bin.
So the blue pen shuddered in the packet with fear as it was pressganged into service.
:mrgreen: "I kinda like that"___ :eh: " Ain`t funny I being a hard pressed at sea in a boat made of matchsticks for near on e`m 20 years, after being bonked on me head in Dover in 1776. Mean Press-gangers and me wot is, was hem gentleman of means having sixpence in me pocket at that very time.

Image

Of course poor old Mr Wing Knut, would eventually desert ship,
and become an idiot on the smillie section of Benno`s!


Onwards BB,i hear them say. And so here goes nothing.

Being rather worse for wear this British Gunner with colossal paint chips will lend a hand here. I must add he looks rather cool without the paint I splodged upon him.He survived an attack by fiendish French Lancers, but will not survive another gnashing from Bella our dog,if he falls to the floor again.
:cowboy: " That Bella is certainly a Gnasher!" Remarked the cowboy who always sleeps in his boots.

Image

So it came about that the little fellow helped out with the door size needed,the rise of step, and the floor levels needed along with the window height.
Always make allowance for the doorstep and beyond it the ground floor, if you try something simple like this..

Image

The double layered walls with doorways cut out need a something special to shut out the draught it is being of course a door. The door was marked out,the outline and boards inked out heavily with the pressing down upon the ballpoint pen,that being quite annoyed at this treatment did ink out upon my hands of deep set intended engraving. So my mitts are sort of self sealed and more grubby than my plans.

Image

The door was cut through along the bottom ,side and top. A thin sliver was slice away from the fresh cut edges to allow for the door to swing open and closing without sticking.
This small touch of common sense allowed for the paint upon the swinging object too. The other edge of the door was cut lightly halfway through thus allowing for the door to swing upon a paper type piano hinge. Always decide for yourselves which way you want a door to swing open.


Image

The other side will be scribed out too. It looks kinda rough and ready as it is but this will be sticky - stuff pressed onto the outside wall were the door way has been cut, and will have a stone surround added to it and all stuck firmly into place later.

THE WINDOWS ARE THE EYES OF ANY BUILDING

:sst: "that is kinda cute."
:mrgreen: "So lets see em cut out."


Image

The inner window frame I marked out by free-hand they being sort of on the small side. I cut through gradually on the bottom and the top then along one side. Finally cutting right through the paper card. So this is quite like the system of cutting out the door. However the middle section must be cut out in order to create the inner frame. And so it was.

Image

Image

Before cutting and pushing that out the card was turned over and the window edge was carefully cut halfway through. Sorry for the picture quality but that is the only one I had to show.

Image


The middle was removed. Flipped out using the sharp pointed end of the blade.

Image

The window was pushed open with the finger and the first open window appeared.

Image

The little fellow ever helpful shows where the floor level will be on the inside so little guys can look out for a right good look see. :thumbup:



The other window soon followed suit in this rather crude but effect cheap way of putting a smile of success upon any building. Of course windows come in many sizes,and so that is the never ending quest of slicing to come.
These windows will be sealed around the edges with glue to stop the, paper from splitting, then undercoated in black, or brown and then dry brushed. The paint is a choice of enamel paint, emulsion, or acrylic paint. All will stiffen up the windows and doors.

Image

Looking way down past the open windows one see`s the large painted darkness of the double gate.

This is the front wall and involved extra work so the entire building was not put together first because mistakes do happen, and quite often with me. ;-) Messing up the large gate would have meant hacking off the entire section of wall from the building if it had all been put together first. So I`m working on one wall section at a time to make sure all goes well.


THE DOUBLE GATES


Image


The gate way entrance was measured out on the card above along with the complete wall,and was then cut out.


The gates themselves were measured out on another piece of card, and were scribed out on both sides in pen and the centre of the door along with the top was cut through. This is the first stage of the stonework to the gate. Turned over the halfway slits were cut carefully out on either side allowing for the gates to swing open. This was stuck into place and painted.

Image

As can be seen the windows were cut out and all primed for dry brushing. The other windows are lifted up at an angle being very small windows indeed.

Image


Turned over we see the gateway that has been dressed up as gates usually are.

Later the two floor levels will be marked out in pen right across the inner walls.
The windows will be dressed up on the inside along with any doorways. Just simple strips of card.

Image


The gates now open upon that same system of paper style piano hinges.

Image

They can be opened up fully without fear of damage.

The two wall sections that define the gateway passage will be marked out in pen. These will be were the walls go either side of that entrance.

Image

They can close tight too,giving this place a very strong gate.

Image

Now I need to add the cross beam that holds the gate shut up snug and tight. I will make small brackets that once fixed into place will allow for the beam to be lowered into place and also raised and removed. So the gates will open up,just as the little door did,along with the tiny windows too. All with the same self taught style of cutting paper halfway through. A system i developed many years ago.

As this building takes shape.
I hope you give it another look or even too later.
As always It is a free book for the Forum. :-D BB
Beano Boy  England
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 8083
Member since:
03 Sep 2013, 14:45

Help keep the forum online!
or become a supporting member

Posted by Wiking on 01 May 2018, 19:02

A long report.
Good that a lot of pic underline your work step by step.
In the beginning your drawings and lines for cutting need some planing and calculation.
Remind me to my Dio "BIG Fish". There was some volume calculation needed.

Your cutting of the "cute" windows, that is the same way I cut the closed hatches at turrets oob.
Cut carefully outside. If you see the pressure lines (white) start to cut from the backside if it is possible.

BB wrote:
... " first - aid plasters were near and handy too for cut mitts!"

This is a very negative information.
I thought to be the only person in the world who test the sharpness of the blade in each material.
Again and again.

:mrgreen:
User avatar
Wiking  Germany
 
Posts: 2825
Member since:
14 Sep 2015, 10:03

Posted by C M Dodson on 02 May 2018, 07:57

Interesting stuff with some inspirational ideas Mr B.

My wife likes Chateux DYI with Dick 'walrus' Strawbridge. Your project is very much in keeping with some of these super structures.

Best wishes,

Chris
C M Dodson  United Kingdom
 
Posts: 2568
Member since:
01 May 2015, 18:48

Posted by Beano Boy on 03 May 2018, 08:28

Thank you guys, always good to get `Likes' :thumbup: and especially friendly feedback. :thumbup:

Here are some results after using a long piece of homemade knotted string. :-D

The Gatehouse measurements are 28 cm long, by 9 cm wide, and 14 cm in height.

The Chateau as it stands now is 28 cm long, by 17 cm wide, and has a height of 17 cm.
However the chimney`s and other add - ons will be much higher on both buildings.

Image


I managed to recover two of my lost pictures. The last piece of the stone gateway is very important because it takes the square - ness of the double gate,


Image

to a shape of one that is sort of oblong but rounded over at its top. It is a stone façade and behind it the heavy solid wooden gate remains squared and freely able to swing inwards with realitive ease.

So the gateway was gradually built up in 5 stages of card thickness. This results in the stone work looking deep set and staggered in formation and hopefully when finished off will be eye pleasing too.

First hand sketched and cut out appearances can be deceptive ,and should not be taken for granted ,because like the inward swing of the double gates changes will occure. :-D BB
Beano Boy  England
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 8083
Member since:
03 Sep 2013, 14:45

Posted by Beano Boy on 04 May 2018, 14:58

Image

Hi guys,
As a small section of flooring had to be cut through and out,to allow artificial light to flood upstairs, it made common sense to make the stairwell surround at the top. Very much better than just seeing a hole cut out in the old worn and scratched floor of one of the buildings.

THE INNER WALLS

Cutting and assembly of 32 parts was underway today.

Image

Simplicity works and is well worth doing. These odd things looking rather like cricket bats and were designed to overlap the wide skirting board that runs the entire length of the inside walls. These can be seen in the photographs.
Two hours work included the painting of them.

Image

Yes installed on one side.
:coffee: i ain`t no great painter but these meet my requirements.

OUT BUILDINGS

They come in many sizes and often have attachments added to them. Be they Stables,Barns ,Sheds,or Pig Pens, they all need making. Therefore the Chateau Krowdrah will have them .

Image

I started working on this medieval out building,well it was the case of trying to use left over card from previous cutting. It builds up and is ideal for smaller things. I applied the first irregular stone using a little brush just to blob freehand the p v a glue on. Just a few minutes work can be seen here. It soon drys clear and so i like to paint it so i can see what needs building up.

:mrgreen: " And any spaces missed can be blobbed!"

:sst: "bb,got to use the paint up he over-squeezed from the tube too."
:coffee: " Very true little button,paint costs money."

The two end walls will be of the same rough mix .The plan is to create a very old crusty lime mortar mixed wall with doors that will open as usual,but wooden lintels need sticking over the doors.
A thin strip of paper card split down the middle with rough side showing will serve that purpose well it being ideal for dry brushing.

i hope you might pop in later to see more results. BB
Beano Boy  England
Supporting Member (Gold) Supporting Member (Gold)
 
Posts: 8083
Member since:
03 Sep 2013, 14:45

Next page

Return to Work in Progress