# Scratch Built Wizards Tower and Ruin



## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

When someone hands you a large carboard cylinder and asks you to build something, what do you do?

I decided to make my first foray into the world of plogs, and thought a Wizards Tower would be an ideal start, having seen and loved the new Witchfate Tor.

Firstly, the main materials;










Add to the tube and fibreboard squares a large amount of insulating foam block and off to work I go.

I began by deciding on doing two separate buildings. The first, and easiest, would be a simple ruin of only one level and in one piece.

The second would be more complex, consisting of one base unit, onto which one of two different tops could be placed. One top would be smashed and broken, the other would be roofed and complete.

In order to begin, the first order of business was to slice up the tube;










The bits above are all for the main tower building. Next came some structural work ( ceilings and stairs ) using the blue foam;










The tubular section top left of the picture is for the smaller ruin.

In the centre of the picture is the first stage of cutting out the stairs, and the circular piece to the lower left is the ceiling/floor section of the main tower. As you can see I have begun sketching out ideas for where thngs will go when its put in place.

Its worth mentioning at this point that I tend not to pre-measure much of my work. Ifind that working "on the fly" works best for me.

So, individual wedges were cut out of the stair section, and the blocks were cut from these;










This block was then split into three horizontally, to make individual stairs. An involving process, but one that allowed me to match the stairs to the curvature of the tube;










At this point, I lost access to my camera and forged on ahead a bit with the small ruin. I shall update the pics in a wee bit.


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Excellent idea for the stairs.


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## shaantitus (Aug 3, 2009)

Impressive progress, looks like you are doing a quality build. Most excellent.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Firstly, thanks for the comments guys - keep them coming.

And secondly, on to the plog. . . .

So, as I explianed before, I lost access to my camera for a day or two, and cracked on with the small ruin build. Here are some pics of its current progress, with, as best as I can remember, a wee description of how it got to its current state;










And a wee close up of the door and stairs;










The base started out as a fibreboard square, cut to shape with much gnashing, cursing and gashing of legs and jeans ( oops ). More blue foam was pinned to the board using cocktail sticks and a little recess was cut, in which the "tube" ruin was firmly glued.

It was at this point I realised that I should have textured the "floor" of the room, after cutting the recess but before glueing the ruin in place. It just would have been so much easier to reach!

As a quick aside - the foam I am using may be a little hard to come by, but if you ever get a chance to get some, grab it with both hands.

One of the first things you'll notice is the stairs climbing around the inside of the tower. This was made simpler by using the wedges shown earliier, and harder because I almost rushed it ( hint - let them set a little before placing the next step! ).

The broken upper floor was added as an afterthought because I thought the upper edge of the ruin would look a little too regular and uniform without it.

The doorway and door itself was placed next, using thin strips for the doorway, and one flat piece for the door. I then took my knife and started to lightly score the "wood" of the door, first by carefully slicing out fine wedges, down the entire length of the door, to define individual planks. Then, again lightly, lines were pressed into the planks to give a vague grain effect. Small wedges of plastic ( card will do just as well ) were added for hinges, and a small strip, bent once at each end, for a handle.

I would normally use balsa or similar for the door, but alas I'm broke. So i wont be buying any.

Using the same wedge slicing as on the door planks, just a little deeper this time, I formed a small brick wall and stairs leading up to the door and some larger rocks, just for extra detail.

Finally, you may have noticed that the tube has changed colour? That'll be the small tile-like pieces of card I used to simulate the wall of the building. This will be further textured before painting.

When I placed the tiles I didn't worry overmuch about the small windows that I had cut out. I have a plan for those windows, and a knife will soon clean up the edges.

I dont really have a lot left to do with the small ruin, and it's already highlighted two or three things to watch out for in the tower model. For example, I'll be using smaller, more regular tiles for the brickwork as it will give the whole building a more secure and better built feel to the structure. Also, I'll be texturing the floor first before gluing it to the base.

And finally, I wont be trying to take short-cuts with cutting the fibreboard base. It might not be my leg I gash next time.:shok:


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## Arli (Mar 4, 2010)

Great work. Have some Rep...


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

It seems to be progressing well.

I think it would look even better with texturing on the inside of the walls as well.


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## Lestat (Oct 16, 2011)

Just need some sticky-back plastic and you've got a Blue Peter project!
Have some well earned rep - given me some ideas for the future.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Arli said:


> Great work. Have some Rep...





Dave T Hobbit said:


> It seems to be progressing well.
> 
> I think it would look even better with texturing on the inside of the walls as well.





Lestat said:


> Just need some sticky-back plastic and you've got a Blue Peter project!
> Have some well earned rep - given me some ideas for the future.


Thanks for the positive feedback guys.

Arli - Thanks for the rep mate, its appreciated.

Dave - I will be texturising the inner wall a lot less than the outer wall, but it will have some detail - maybe some cracked plaster effect showing the bricks of the outer wall behind, something like that. I'll get some more pics up when its done.

Lestat - I'm certainly old enough to remember the old sticky back plastic. I didn't know you could give out "0" points btw . Thankfully I'm not a rep whore so it just made me chuckle.:laugh:

The project might be on hold for a day or two guys - need some new materials. Update should be done before the weekend though.


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## Disciple_of_Ezekiel (May 23, 2010)

WOW, DecrepitDragon, pretty great looking tower your building so far. The attention to detail is awesome. Love the little nics and texture on the door. Will be looking forward to seeing this progress.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Disciple_of_Ezekiel said:


> WOW, DecrepitDragon, pretty great looking tower your building so far. The attention to detail is awesome. Love the little nics and texture on the door. Will be looking forward to seeing this progress.


Thanks a lot mate. Thankfully I'm doing a bit more work on it tonight. The Mrs kindly bought me some stuff so now I dont need to wait till the weekend. I'll get some pics up later maybe.


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## Lestat (Oct 16, 2011)

DecrepitDragon said:


> Lestat - I'm certainly old enough to remember the old sticky back plastic. I didn't know you could give out "0" points btw . Thankfully I'm not a rep whore so it just made me chuckle.:laugh:


 
Apologies - the rep thing isn't quite working for me. My connection seems to throw a hissy fit when I try and use it :grin:

If you are old enough to remember sticky back plastic, then you probably remeber the Thunderbirds Tracy Island project too. For some strange reason your Wizards tower reminds me of it..............don't know why


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Lestat said:


> Apologies - the rep thing isn't quite working for me. My connection seems to throw a hissy fit when I try and use it :grin:
> 
> If you are old enough to remember sticky back plastic, then you probably remeber the Thunderbirds Tracy Island project too. For some strange reason your Wizards tower reminds me of it..............don't know why


Dont you worry about the rep thing - I'd rather have some C&C to be honest - the thought is most appreciated though.:grin:

I do indeed remember Tracy Island, but my personal favorite was the ever returning coat hangar xmas decorations. If only I was good enough to make them these days. I'd save a fortune!:laugh:


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## Lestat (Oct 16, 2011)

DecrepitDragon said:


> Dont you worry about the rep thing - I'd rather have some C&C to be honest - the thought is most appreciated though.:grin:
> 
> I do indeed remember Tracy Island, but my personal favorite was the ever returning coat hangar xmas decorations. If only I was good enough to make them these days. I'd save a fortune!:laugh:


The one with the candles? They used to light one a week on the lead up to Christmas. I dont think health and safety would let them do that now - someone might singe an eyebrow or something :laugh:


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## apidude (Nov 10, 2010)

DD. Tried to rep you and it wouldn't let me. Said I had to share the wealth a bit before I gave you any more. But the thought is there.....

I'm going to subscribe to this one. I'd like to try my hand at home built scenery also ... when I get the time.....

Looking really great! Keep it up.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

apidude said:


> DD. Tried to rep you and it wouldn't let me. Said I had to share the wealth a bit before I gave you any more. But the thought is there.....
> 
> I'm going to subscribe to this one. I'd like to try my hand at home built scenery also ... when I get the time.....
> 
> Looking really great! Keep it up.


No worries about the rep - its the thought that counts.

If you find the time? Between DE painting and writing your Plog, I'm not surprised time is scarce. I'll be honest though and say that up till this point there has only really been about 4-5 hours of work gone into the small ruin.

Thanks for the comment though, its always welcomed.


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Looking really nice and I like the ideas you have had.


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## Alexious (Apr 13, 2009)

Very well done, looks rather intensive and focused. Keep up the good work.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

djinn24 said:


> Looking really nice and I like the ideas you have had.





Alexious said:


> Very well done, looks rather intensive and focused. Keep up the good work.


Thanks guys. Hope the rest of the build can live up to your expectaitions.

So, I've been having some trouble getting pics uploaded ( still haven't solved that ) but I've managed to get a little work around that should do for now. Apologies for the wait, and here goes . . .

So this is the state of affairs - 

Firstly, I cut a triangular layer out of the inside face of the ruin, and applied more of the "brick tiles" I used on the outside of the ruin. This was to simulate broken or cracked plaster falling off the old walls.










I applied a coating of plaster unmixed, just dusted on glue brushed over the surface to be covered - made a right mess of my workspace, but a nice lightly textured surface for painting. This was followed by some straight-forward sand covering the base of the tower.












When this was all dry, I gave it all a very light spray with paint ( any old spray paint will do ) as a fixitive for the plaster dust and sand. It was at this point that some small pieces of wood were cut to shape and placed around the edges of the room to simulate either support or decorative beams.

The whole thing has since been undercoated ( sorry, no pic yet ), and will be painted before I apply some final detailing work. I'm thinking about creeping vines, broken furniture or old candles/lamps. Any ideas would be welcomed guys.

Unfortunately, I wont be painting it until the main tower has been built - dont want to break the flow from building to painting and back again. However, I have started the main towers base, so more pics to follow soon.


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Pics are broken bud.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Hopefully thats fixed the pictures.

Let me know and I'll see whats what. Thanks.


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Looking good; especially the cracked plasterwork.


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## Daemon Prince Paintbox (Feb 21, 2011)

Loving the work. Can't wait to see it painted up!


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Dave T Hobbit said:


> Looking good; especially the cracked plasterwork.





Daemon Prince Paintbox said:


> Loving the work. Can't wait to see it painted up!


Thanks people.

Glad you like the plaster work on the wall Dave.:thank_you:

I'm afraid the paint job might be several weeks away DPP - I'll be doing the main tower first. Not enough progress yet to post new pics, but it wont be long.:victory:


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Ok, so its time for an update.

Firstly, lets get the undercoated small ruin picture up;










This little piece will be painted at the same time as the tower so I can keep the painting consistent. Also, it will have some added "bits", like vines and obviously grass etc.

I finally managed to get started on the main tower - ground floor and base was the first to get built;










As you can see, its been based on the peach coloured foam, mainly because its thicker than the blue, approximately 2 1/2 inches thick. This should give the model a bit more height, and allowed me to model the base a bit more. I have tried to carve the base as if the tower was built on the crumbled foundations of a hill or cliff - lots of boulders and steep slopes.










Here you can see the "back" of the tower. I decided on only having one window as the tower is going to be used by a wizard. _

"Why should that determine the number of windows?"_ I hear you ask? Well, if you'll check out the lower right quarter picture, you will see the barest beginnings of the first floor. The round "window", was made using the unscrewed end of a broken torch - the plastic "glass pane" will be inked or painted with various wizardly symbols, and because its such a large window, I felt that more windows would have been dissproportionate. 

I'll be making up for the lack of windows by carving some wall mounted skulls or gargoyles or motifs. 

There is also a small sewer grate in the bottom of the rock face. Some sand, glue and possibly a green stuff frog/rat will make a small point of interest on this side of the build.

Back to the front of the building;










As you can see, I have built a wooden stairway - deliberately ramshackle - leading up the rock face to a thick, iron-bound door. The straps/hinges are simple shapes cut then glued on, with smaller squares as bolts added.

The stairs were made using good old fashioned lolly sticks, clipped or cut to size, and haphazardly attatched to the rock face. Tricky work, but not difficult - just remember to start at the top and work down. It wont look so bad if your bottom step is at a different spacing, but everybody will notice if its the top step thats off. 

Start by making "ladders" - two uprights with evenly spaced steps, followed by flat decking sections. I found that gluing the planks together directly made them flimsy, so a couple of cocktail sticks clipped to size and used as "rails" for the decking helped immensely. Also, rather than "laddering" the lower steps, I had them fitted directly into the cliff face to give the stairs a more rustic look.

My Wraith has just been added to the pictures to give you guys an idea of scale ( his base size helped dictate the size of the steps too ). If you would like a closer look at him, you can find him here;

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/9210

Thats about all I have done up till now, hope you like it. Any questions or C&C please feel free to post them up.:grin:


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## troybuckle (Nov 24, 2010)

Very cool man, it reminds me of the tower in LOTR where after frodo was stung by the spider.


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Looking good!


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Excellent work. The round window is a great idea.


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## apidude (Nov 10, 2010)

Great work. Very inspiring. Can't wait to see it done, but take your time. Better right than fast.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

apidude said:


> Better right than fast.


So true on so many levels.:biggrin:

Seriously though, thanks for the support guys. This was always going to be a kind of "as and when" project. 

So far I'm very pleased with how its turning out - my only real dilemma at the moment is wether to use a specific magic lore as a theme ( for the window and such ) or wether to make it with all eight college symbols.

I'm leaning towards Death, as it would fit with my vamps, but ideas would be welcomed.:victory:


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## apidude (Nov 10, 2010)

Well.....
I tend to lean toward maximizing my options, so I would probably do all the lores on the tower to make it applicable to whomever I am playing....but, that is me and what I'd do. If you want it to be a Transylvanian nightmare, go for it... (Hmmmmm.... if I did that, I'd make the lore markings really ancient and run down so that I could play it as a "long abandoned" vampire stronghold if I was going to be playing dwarves or High Elves or Lizardmen. The "long abandoned" look of the stronghold would still work, I'd bet, with an army of vampires as well... If you did that you'd have your Death lore Tower, but so destroyed that armies that don't use Death would not look out of place.

Just my random ideas.....


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

I agree with apidude; a decrepit tower is appropriate on many levels.


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## Prometheus41k (Oct 6, 2011)

Nice, keep up the good work


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## Prometheus41k (Oct 6, 2011)

BTW, you gonna be painting that with textured paint to give it a weathered and realistic stone effect?


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Prometheus41k said:


> BTW, you gonna be painting that with textured paint to give it a weathered and realistic stone effect?


I must confess a pet hate - I hate textured paint.

I prefer to use modelling tools, additional substances such as sand or plaster dust, and then undercoat. I then paint from there.

I find textured paint to be a pain to apply evenly and of such variable consistency thats its unreliable as a medium.

Check out the picture of the small undercoated ruin. Its been tiled with "brick" shaped pieces of card, then a thin PVA glue was applied, followed by a dusting of Plaster powder through a sieve ( the mrs slapped me for that! ). It may be hard to tell in the picture, but it actually has a fine "sand-paper" look to it. Thats how I'll be doing the main Tower.

Thanks for the comments, hope you'll follow along.


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## Prometheus41k (Oct 6, 2011)

Ah cool. I remember when i first started gaming years back and making "ruins" out of card, god thinking back to those structures, they were far to clean for ruins. Anything that you do to make them look a little worse for wear is a bonus.

Also remember to wash the sieve out before the mrs uses it again...


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Prometheus41k said:


> Also remember to wash the sieve out before the mrs uses it again...


Too late.

Thats why I got slapped. :laugh:


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## chino101 (Nov 11, 2011)

*(Y)*

dude, this is looking awesome, read the entire thing through. and all i have to say is well freeking done, very inspiring!:biggrin:


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

chino101 said:


> dude, this is looking awesome, read the entire thing through. and all i have to say is well freeking done, very inspiring!:biggrin:


Thanks very much mate. Glad your liking it. Feel free to ask any questions, I know I'm being a bit sketchy with the details.

Everybodys terrain building abilities vary ( I consider myself merely "able" ), so if you need a hand, just ask. If you are a terrain building daemon, then let me know how to improve this project.

I dont mind which, all comments are always welcome.:victory:


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## Salio (Mar 29, 2009)

Really enjoying this so far! Very creative, well-thought out, and well constructed. Can't wait to see more!


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Salio said:


> Really enjoying this so far! Very creative, well-thought out, and well constructed. Can't wait to see more!


Well thanks very much friend. Its always nice to hear positive feedback.:victory:

Having a little trouble with my camera at the moment though - the battery compartment lid is cracked.:ireful2: I'm currently waiting for the glue to dry. Fingers crossed.

If all goes well, I should have an update before the weekend.


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## Hellados (Sep 16, 2009)

Dude don't cross your fingers if you've been super gluing! 

Love the towers mate, as far as terrain is concerned I believe I am to be considered 'shit', 'never really tried' and a few other things 

Really love the cracked plaster work, I love to keep my options open too, also helps when you change armies, I'm thinking that when I start to build terrain it is going to be a world that is an imperial agri world that the tau like the look of but has an eldar webway entrance on it that the orks accidentally landed on so the nids came running (then i can have everything  )


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Hellados said:


> Love the towers mate . . .
> 
> . . . be a world that is an imperial agri world . . .


Thanks for the positive feedback mate.

Want an Agri world? Three quick steps:-

1. Doormats. The bristley kind, make excellent corn or maize fileds when drybrushed.

2. Carpet. Old brown carpet for freshly plowed fields. Get carpet tiles if possible.

3. Green Plastic Scouring pads. Makes great hedges when folded once or twice and glued to a card base.

Get a combination of that lot and you'll have a quick and easy agricultural table. That was just off the top of my head - hope it helps or inspires because everyone should have a go at terrain building.:grin:


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## NickSnedden (Oct 23, 2011)

great work mate keep it up :laugh:


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Thankee kindly sir.

Wont be long till its done - I'm down to measuring it in months now.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

So its that time again where I drone on insufferably about terrain . . .

Just kidding folks! Time to get on with it though. This update sees a lot done for little visible difference really. The window and doorway have had some lintles added and some brick-work done on the interior;










And the window;










And the interior shots;



















The brick work on this section of the tower has been kept deliberately uniform in size and pattern to give the impression of a more stable, solid and structurally sound building, unlike the deliberately random walls of the ruin.

You may also notice that the floor has a circular pattern - I'm thinking of carving magic symbols into the floor, though I might save that for the first floor with the "magic window".

Speaking of magic, I have decided to use the Lore of Death as my primary influence, but the other seven schools may make an appearance in a smaller, secondary role ( one of my gaming group is a regular Empire man, whilst another is just beginning Lizards ). This will, I feel, mean that the whole piece will fit in on most boards in most games.










So its coming along now - just plaster-work texturing to do on this floor before detail work can begin. Here's a shot of the ground floor unit;










Also, I had a little rummage around in some of my old bits, and pulled out an old giant sprue - I think I'm going to incorporate some of these bits, with some modifications ( ogres hand and the club removed );










The small drawer unit is scratch built, but I think the scale is slightly off - I'll check it later. The flat Gobbo will probably end up in the sewer grate area if I use him. 

Well, thats all for now. Let me know what you think guys. :victory:


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## apidude (Nov 10, 2010)

Great work! I am really enjoying the step by step approach you are taking and documenting for us for two reasons.
1. I am vicariously living the experience through you. (not got up the time or the courage to do scenery yet)
2. The step by step shows me how it is done and will make it easier to do when I tackle it.

BTW, do you have any other scenery/terrain PLOGs out there? Post some links if you do.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

apidude said:


> BTW, do you have any other scenery/terrain PLOGs out there? Post some links if you do.


Thanks for the positive feedback Apidude - its always welcomed.:victory:

I'm arfaid I haven't been on the boards long enough to have any other terrain bits up here. Its mostly models so far ( like the DE sorceress ).

I have one or two half-built 40k pieces that have sort of been forgotten over the last few months. Simple wee things like tank traps and the old plastic jungle trees on board bases.

I also have a couple of large hardpoint/dugouts that need some work. All these may see the light of day on this forum, mainly because I'm finding the feedback is great for keeping up the momentum!


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

That is looking great! I am sure you are planning some more shading once you finish the other bits and bobs on it?


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## troybuckle (Nov 24, 2010)

NIce update the door and the entrance is shaping up!


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

djinn24 said:


> That is looking great! I am sure you are planning some more shading once you finish the other bits and bobs on it?


Shading?

The whole thing is yet to be undercoated, nevermind painted and shaded!

Not too sure what you meant, but still got some bits to finish up before applying texture to the walls then slapping some paint on it.

Thanks for the praise mate, and from you to Troy. Appreciated.:victory:


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

More excellent work.

The chest of drawers looks 1.5x the scale of the running peasant so I agree it needs to be scaled down slightly.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Dave T Hobbit said:


> More excellent work.
> 
> The chest of drawers looks 1.5x the scale of the running peasant so I agree it needs to be scaled down slightly.


Thanks bud.

The drawers were done whilst waiting for some glue to dry, using a small scrap of foam. I didn't really have a plan for it, it just seemed to come together in my hand as the mrs was droning on about . . . er . . . something _( sorry dear, I've forgot already )_.

I liked it though so a smaller version will be a good idea. I'll have to make sure the mrs is busy though eh?:laugh:


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Alrighty then . . .

Just thought I'd give this plog a little news update - I'm back!

This time of year is an absolute nightmare for terrain building. With all the relatives appearing for their annual visits (some didn't even bring alcohol! The nerve of some people!), my tower was shuffled off its workstation and into a dark corner of some forgotton cupboard - just to make space for people I wont see again for another twelve months.

Slightly frustrating.

But more updates are on the horizon guys, because its back out and in its rightful place - the middle of a crowded and messy table! I'll get right on an update and get some fresh pics up soon.

Thanks for your patience guys.:victory:


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## Disciple_of_Ezekiel (May 23, 2010)

WOW dude, DecrepitDragon, I dont know how the hell I missed this but I love me some nice home made terrain and this just looks ace!

The base rock looks great and the stairs leading up the the door is fantastic! This is coming together very nicely and Im surprised to see that your even doing the inside as well.

+Rep Sir for you hard work thus far!

Regards,
DoE


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

You are too kind DoE. Too kind by far, but thanks a lot all the same. Its always good to get new feedback.:victory:

As I've mentioned, things have been on hold over the festive period - also been working on a bigger project for and with a friend of mine, might get that posted up soon too.


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## KjellThorngaard (Oct 4, 2010)

Excellant work. The details like the stairway, the furniture and excellant brickwork make this a really nice peice of terrain. Get some paint on it now!


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## Firewolf (Jan 22, 2007)

>> have to admit, it could possibly be partly my fault he not getting much done on his plog, cos he helping me with a 40k table. I sincerely appologise if it has


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## apidude (Nov 10, 2010)

Firewolf said:


> >> have to admit, it could possibly be partly my fault he not getting much done on his plog, cos he helping me with a 40k table. I sincerely appologise if it has


Well, as long as one of you post pics of the table so we can see what is distracting him, it will be forgivable.

Start a PLOG on it.....


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Drum roll please . . .

And here we go! . . .

First things first - Apologies to those of you following this plog for the wait. Life got in the way - and Firewolf came up with a project that took up most of my modelling drive. (pictures to follow hopefully at a later date).

Onwards and forwards then. The current state of affairs is, as you may know, the second level of the main tower being under construction. Here's a look at the level at its current point:










And another from the other side:










Lots of little bits on this beast, so let me explain.

The bricks and inner walls have been completed in the same way as before with little card rectangles being glued to the outside, and wooden beams to the inside - the texturing of this level has yet to be applied.

The circular window was framed with more card bricks, to make it look flush in the wall, and on the inside mostly to tidy its appearance. I'm really pleased with how its turned out - I was worried that it would be awkward to make it seem part of the wall/structure.

The Skull glyphs were carved by myself from some spare foam - took an age to get them looking right. The first attempt ended up looking like a crazy monkey skull. The skull on the outside wall was also finished with surrounding bricks, though on the inside I went for a more decorative ridge (string) detail. I have some plans for a 'spell table' under the skull and didn't want the bricks limiting the height I could build to.

The most prominent detail you will likely have noticed so far has to be the side minaret, or little jutting tower. That took a lot of time and fiddling to get right.










The tower wall was made by first gluing a rectangular piece of card around a GW PVA bottle, then a doorway and windows were cut out. This was followed by applying the same brickwork as before, only in a smaller scale so as not to make the small tower look out of scale. I tried it with the same size bricks as the main structure and it just looked wrong - out of place and almost childlike detail.:shok:

The windows were finished in much the same way as the window on the lower level so as to tie the two together visually. It was then that I fashioned the stairway - probably the trickiest part of all. Two 'sides' were cut, and scored in the same way as the brickwork on the small ruined building, built earlier in this plog. Then, after matching the size of the doorway in the main structure, I used several steps, glued together in a, er. . . well . . step like fashion. These steps were then bracketed by the two wall sections, and a platform, made by drawing around the small tower for size, was added to the last step. I was careful at this stage to glue the platform to both the steps, and the bracketing walls for stability.

Then it all went horribly wrong. I had glued all this assembly to the main structure, and realised that if I attached the mini-tower, it would be leaning so far out it would look ridiculous. It was time to get inventive.:training:

Cocktail sticks. They saved my tower. I used two to pull the mini-tower back in towards the main wall, taped it off while the glue dried, and crossed my fingers. When it dried, I was relieved to find it had set straight - yay me! These sticks were then disguised by adding some 'metal' flanges, bolted to the walls and sticks.



















These two images are of the floor detail inside the second level. The circular card in the second picture is only around 5cm diameter, and all of the symbols have been carved part way through the layers of card in order to accept shading washes when its painted. Nearly took my fingers off half a dozen times making this - I hope you can see the depth of the carving from the pictures.

A shallow depression was carved into the foam of the floor and the stone slabs of the floor were carved to radiate outwards from it. This should look sweet when I finally get this thing painted. Then my mages can stand on the colleges of magic symbol whilst looking out through a window covered in (yet to be painted) magic glyphs.

So thats it for a little while guys. Next up for me is to get this piece textured and undercoated. Then I'll do a little furniture for the room (winch, spell table etc), and I'll only be left with the roof of the tower and mini tower before getting it all painted.

Quick question guys - Do you think a high pointy spire, or a lower hexagonal style roof? I'm leaning toward the low hexagonal myself.

I'll leave you with that thought - hope to hear from you all soon, and sorry for the text wall!:victory:


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## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

I think a roof like that would be awesome.

Amazing work so far. I don't know if I could cut out all those little rectangles for the bricks.


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Excellent to see this back on the bench.

The cocktail sticks work very well; if you had not mentioned why they were there I would have assumed they were deliberate detailing.

I am unsure about the roof; either could look great.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Just a quick text update gentlemen (and ladies, should any of you mythical internet beings exist).

I tried the hexagonal roof that I had in mind - built up just the basic underlying structure. Test fitted it to the tower and was shocked by how much I just didn't like it. The tower is to widely round to mesh with the hex roof template, which looks overly "pointy".

I had another idea though. . .

Crenellated battlements. Hexagonal or octgonal. Not sure which, but in much the same style as the newer tower building GW recenlty released, possibly with detailing to match the windows of the tower.

I'll keep you posted. :victory:

Edit: Think I'll go with the octagonal option. That way I can get the overall structure to tie in better, with the butresses and windows etc.

What do you think guys?


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## MidnightKid333 (Feb 2, 2011)

I think you could put a triangular cone on top of it, then just cover the triangular cone in small rectangles to simulate shingles. Just my thoughts. The shingles may be somewhat time consuming, though.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

MidnightKid333 said:


> I think you could put a triangular cone on top of it, then just cover the triangular cone in small rectangles to simulate shingles. Just my thoughts. The shingles may be somewhat time consuming, though.


The shingles idea is always a good one - and it doesn't always have to take ages - but I have since made a crenelated flat roof, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how it looks. Just a few more details before posting pics.

I do however have the smaller side tower to roof. I think it will be a simple cone, with, as you say Midnight, shingles.:biggrin:


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## apidude (Nov 10, 2010)

I'm good with the octagonal battlements, especially if you can make it where models can stand up there casting spells, arrows, rocks, spit.....uh, and, well.... whatever else you want to rain down on the attackers below....uke:

... seriously, if you could make it where you could fit a war machine up there it would look very cool.


.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

apidude said:


> ... seriously, if you could make it where you could fit a war machine up there it would look very cool.


Your wish is my command mate. . .










So there we go. The beginnings of my battlements. I say beginnings - what I really mean is middle-ings, I suppose.

I have had the first floor, pictured above, placed on the already undercoated ground floor section, with the roof in place, and I'm very happy with the balance of the tower - octagonal was the way to go for certain. On to the "how" part:










As you can see, without paint or texturing, it looks a little multi-coloured. Thats the lolly sticks I bought - cheap kids craft materials are handy as hell.

First things first though - the shape of the structure. I started with an octagonal, flat half inch deep section of foam, that was a little larger, from flat edge to flat edge, than the tower is round. 

Then I cut eight rectangular sections, of about the same thickness (0.5"), with an overall length a little longer than the flat edges of the base octogon. I glued and pinned (cocktail sticked anyway) the rectangular sections to the flat edges, then carefully mitred the ends, so that the final wall retained the octagonal shape. Then I carefully cut my crenelations.

At this point, the wall was a bit bare. I could have just brick textured it, the same way as the tower walls, but I wanted a slightly different end result, just to give the battlements a bit of definition. I drew the same arch type pattern that surrounds the windows, onto the tops of the crenelations, and proceeded to shave about 3mm from the thickness of the rest of the wall - this was a little tricky when cutting under the arches, but patience prevailed. Then, I very roughly carved grooves to represent rougher stonework than the main walls.

So, the multi-coloured lolly sticks were drafted in to serve as roofing/flooring material. They were simply cut to random lengths, shaped to fit the angular walls, with one or two worn holes. Then a small hatch was added, just for common sense. I dont think I'll bother fashioning a ladder for the hatch, as its either going to be covered by the roof, or the roof is going to be off all-together, and its just one of those pieces that will be constantly breaking.

I also fashioned a little rope in the first floor section, for the external cage (pictured earlier in the thread):










I was going to fashion a winch of some sort, but decided against it, as it would take up too much room within the first floor, and its supposed to be his "Inner Sanctum", not his work shed. Having said that, I'm very pleased with how it looks - sometimes simpler is better, eh?

Also, and a part I'm looking forward to opinions of, I started to create a desk like table, for beneath the large skull. 










I have still to find some (or make some) candles and books, but I do have plenty of skulls to place on the desk. If i can source some candles, I may try out OSL on the skulls and interior of the room - but thats a thought for another day. :biggrin:

As always folks, lets hear your thoughts.:victory:


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## Dagmire (Oct 9, 2008)

awesome work, I cant belive you made this all by hand
rep for you good sir, i cant wait to see it done.
D


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## apidude (Nov 10, 2010)

Dagmire said:


> awesome work, I cant belive you made this all by hand
> rep for you good sir, i cant wait to see it done.
> D


Couldn't agree more! Looks awesome. I can see it now with a wizard next to a Bolt thrower and a unit of Crossbowmen/Thunders/Archers/whatever reaching out across the battlefield with massive hurt.

Also, using the Storm of Magic Rule set this could be a Fulcrum....

....course then you'd have to have only the wizard up there.....

Eagerly anticipating the next phase.....

Rep inbound....


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## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

Excellent work again.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Dagmire said:


> awesome work, I cant belive you made this all by hand
> rep for you good sir, i cant wait to see it done.
> D


Thanks very much Dagmire. I must say, I sometimes look at it myself and wonder how I managed it to this point. I've done several smaller terrain pieces, or larger table based works, but never a single piece like this.



apidude said:


> Couldn't agree more! Looks awesome. I can see it now with a wizard next to a Bolt thrower and a unit of Crossbowmen/Thunders/Archers/whatever reaching out across the battlefield with massive hurt.
> 
> Also, using the Storm of Magic Rule set this could be a Fulcrum....
> 
> ...


The next phase is almost complete. I have both the undamaged first floor, roof, and the ground floor, all now textured and undercoated. I'm just finishing some of the details in foam, before preparing the extra plastic pieces (see an earlier post). Once thats done I'll be starting the optional first floor.

That will take very little time however, so I should be getting on to painting this beast towards the end of the month - should life remain constant anyway. :biggrin:



Dave T Hobbit said:


> Excellent work again.


Why, thankyou very much Dave. Short and sweet, and appreciated also. 

So, I've seen this tower, in all its black, unpainted, un-detailed almost-glory, and I have to modestly admit that I'm dead chuffed with its overall look, balance and theme.

At the moment, I'm finishing up the roof for the small minaret tower, and its getting fiddly. Should be done and attatched by the weekend though.

Also have some GS candles, curing and ready for a little detail, which will be placed on the desk, under the skull motif. I'm still not entirely sure how to go about doing the stained glass window effect for the large circular window, but I'm sure I'll think of something. Pointers are, of course, always welcome. :grin:


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## khrone forever (Dec 13, 2010)

this is awsome work dude, i envy your skills.

+rep


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

DecrepitDragon said:


> Also have some GS candles, curing and ready for a little detail, which will be placed on the desk, under the skull motif. I'm still not entirely sure how to go about doing the stained glass window effect for the large circular window, but I'm sure I'll think of something. Pointers are, of course, always welcome. :grin:



I used clear plasticard,and i mixed GW inks with a little varnish,it add viscosity to the ink so it doesnt pool up, i then painted it on the plasticard, then got a fine black marker and did the lead work. plus once the varnish is dry you can give a few more coats to touch up any pale bits etc.

I have also heard its possible to print on to plasticard through an inkjet printer and the ink will dry if left for about 30 mins, i have managed to do it on white plasticard but never tried on clear.

Or you could get a sheet of clear decal paper and print a design on it and fix it to clear plasticard and varnish over it,again i havent dont it myself but its been done by people in the past.


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## KjellThorngaard (Oct 4, 2010)

> I'm still not entirely sure how to go about doing the stained glass window effect for the large circular window, but I'm sure I'll think of something. Pointers are, of course, always welcome.


You could find a picture on the interwebs of a stained glass window, or draw on out in some paint program, and then have a print shop print it in color on transparency film. Then go over the black lines with thick black paint to give the lead lines definition. Cut it out and you're done.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

khrone forever said:


> this is awsome work dude, i envy your skills.
> 
> +rep


Thanks mate. Thats kind of you to say, but I'm sure you're just being modest. :biggrin:



bitsandkits said:


> I used clear plasticard,and i mixed GW inks with a little varnish,it add viscosity to the ink so it doesnt pool up, i then painted it on the plasticard, then got a fine black marker and did the lead work. plus once the varnish is dry you can give a few more coats to touch up any pale bits etc. . .


Cracking ideas there B&K.

I do have a clear plastic piece for the window and was thinking that soap added to inks might be a little too uncontrolable. Hadn't even considered using a varnish mix. I think I might give that a practice run if I can find some similar clear plastic, a juice bottle should do.

Thanks for that mate - now I have more options, and thats always a good thing.:victory:



> You could find a picture on the interwebs of a stained glass window, or draw on out in some paint program, and then have a print shop print it in color on transparency film. Then go over the black lines with thick black paint to give the lead lines definition. Cut it out and you're done.


Also a good idea Kjell, unfortunately, my printer sucks. Also, as much as I think you can get great results from using printers and PC programs to create images, there's just something about the finished product that doesn't have that "finished by hand" look that I prefer.

Still, its an option I'll keep in the wings, as it may still be necesary to do it that way, Thanks for the comment mate.


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## khrone forever (Dec 13, 2010)

> Thanks mate. Thats kind of you to say, but I'm sure you're just being modest.


no im not, im good at painting but absoluty sh*t at terrain


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## ThumperHS (Sep 24, 2011)

Fantastic build DD. +rep

On some packaging plastic, I've seen someone use string/thread dipped in thinned PVA with a bit of black added for the leading. Then when treating the windows, used a drop of Future Floor Wax in the color wash for the panes.

Looking forward to see what you come up with


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

ThumperHS said:


> Fantastic build DD. +rep
> 
> On some packaging plastic, I've seen someone use string/thread dipped in thinned PVA with a bit of black added for the leading. Then when treating the windows, used a drop of Future Floor Wax in the color wash for the panes.
> 
> Looking forward to see what you come up with


Thanks very much there mate. I'm a bit surprised by the number of methods for Stained Glass that have come out - I'll never be able to use them all! The string as lead idea is actually a very intrigueing one. Shame I dont think I could do it justice. :grin:


Also today, a little update on the project. I've managed to get the small minaret towers roof finished, or at least constructed:










Its based on an octagonal design, thats a bit difficult to make out in this shot - so here's another:










This was constructed with a slightly quicker variation on the individual shingles idea - basically, its several strips of card, carefully chipped and wedged, then layered atop each other, from the bottom up to the point of the roof.

To tidy the rough edges of the strips, I have applied thinner card to some corners, and to the peak. These will be painted as either copper or lead lining. I'm reasonably pleased with how its came out - I was getting a little worried as I neared the pointy end, about whether or not I could keep it a pointy and clean finish, or whether it would devolve into a gluey blunt mass.

Seems to have worked. Phew! :victory:

As always guys - lets hear your comments. :biggrin:


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## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

Very nice, I like it.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Iron Angel said:


> Very nice, I like it.


Thanks mate.

I was a little worried that, by itself, it wouldn't look like much.:biggrin:


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## Scythes (Dec 30, 2011)

This is going to be an amazing tower when completed, great work and keep it up. +rep.

My only critique on the roof you just posted, the shingles at the bottom look a little too straight cut, like you put them there and cut across. I would cut a couple angles to the very bottom of the shingles look aren't perfectly straight and look a little more natural. Not sure how else to explain it.


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Scythes said:


> This is going to be an amazing tower when completed, great work and keep it up. +rep.
> 
> My only critique on the roof you just posted, the shingles at the bottom look a little too straight cut, like you put them there and cut across. I would cut a couple angles to the very bottom of the shingles look aren't perfectly straight and look a little more natural. Not sure how else to explain it.


Perfectly well explained Scythes, I'll take another look at them before I get them undercoated. Good spot - thanks.:victory:


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Firstly, sorry for the double post.

Secondly, once again this little project finds itself on the back burner. Rest assured however folks that it will see the light of day again soon.

Family life is a busy life eh?

Just thought I'd update any of you subscribers out there that might be wondering where I went. :biggrin:


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## Blackadder (Jun 28, 2009)

New to your therad I particularely enjoy the castle turret build at the beginning of this thread.

Subscriber.

Thanks,

EB


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## DecrepitDragon (Aug 2, 2011)

Blackadder said:


> New to your therad I particularely enjoy the castle turret build at the beginning of this thread.
> 
> Subscriber.
> 
> ...


Much appreciated friend. I do hope to get back to this beast soon - with the birth of my little boy 6 months ago, and now moving house - suffice to say things are a little crazy around here at the moment. :shok:

I'll get there sooner or later eh? :laugh:


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