Watermill Nearing Completion

I have more or less finished building the Watermill now. I just need to add a chimney and few final touches inside and I can move on to the base and scenics.

Model Making : The Watermill is progressing!

It is slow work, but I am making good progress with the laser cut watermill. 

At the moment I am working on the roof. I designed the main part of the roof all in Corel Draw, but have moved to cutting down long roof tile strips individually and then measuring them afterwards to draw up on the computer. At this stage it is proving far simpler!

Model Making: Now the Windmill is finished , I am working on a Watermill

A colleague, after seeing the windmill model, suggested I have a go at a watermill. I couldn't resist a challenge like that, so I have spent the last week or so whipping this up.

It still needs a lot of work, (the roof, the dam and some more internal details, but I thought I would post this photo anyway!

Model Making: Laser Cut 28mm Scaled Windmill

Sometime ago I posted some photos of the Fortified Tower House model that I designed. In the same vain as that (i.e. eye catching centre piece for a wargames table) I have now created a windmill model, that is scaled to suit 28mm size miniatures.
As such this is a a pretty big model, it will make an impressive centre piece for a large wargames table, but realistically, it is more of a model for it’s own sake rather than being for wargaming uses…

The model is based on the Upminster Windmill, although I have taken a few liberties with the design. Mainly the shape of the top part, which on the Upminster Windmill is somewhat “boat-shaped” whereas, due to the nature of the materials I have used, I simplified the shape a little.

Also I must add that my model is built purely from my estimations of its dimensions, taken from the photos I found on the web. I have tried to scale all the part appropriately, but to some extent it has come down to guesswork! For example, I made the small fan on the back side three times, reducing it’s size each time until I was happy with the size…

The windows are constructed in three layers. Firstly there is the surface of the wall, which has the hole cut in it as well as the sills etc. etched onto it. Then the second layer which has the window panes cut out of it leaving the frame of the window. Finally the third layer, for this model I have used MDF to back up the window, however I am considering using clear acrylic to add a little more depth to the model.

The model is built entirely out of 2mm MDF sheet, except for two short pieces of 6mm dowel and a piece of 2mm dowel, all of which were used as axles for the spinning parts of the model. Oh, and there is the cord used for the upper hand rail…

As I have used dowel for the spindles the sails and small windmill both turn as does the top of the mill (to face the wind…)

I construct my models as kits so that a competent model maker can put them together fairly easily. If I was simply making “one-offs” I would do things considerably differently. For a start I wouldn’t use the interlocking wall system. This is a compromise that allows the model to be put together far easier than if I was going for pure accuracy…

The construction of the windmill offered several interesting challenges, there are multiple parts that come together with compound angles. The most complex of these was devising the construction of the top part of the mill. The top of the original Upminster Windmill is constructed much like an upturned boat. Due to the nature of the material I was using (MDF), which wouldn’t bend very easily, I decided to keep the sides straight.

Another consideration is that the main sails of the windmill do not turn on a horizontal axis. It is actually tilted back by a few degrees (this appears to be so that the sails don’t hit the main mill building, lower down). This forced me to tilt the front of the top section back at an angle of 7 degrees off of vertical (which matched the angle on the sides of the main tower below). This then led to the problem of calculating the angles on each of the roof sections, which are each at shallower and shallower angles. Fortunately I dredge up some old technical drawing techniques from the depths of my memory (I left school some 30 odd years ago) and managed to get it right first time – I surprised myself with that one…

This final photo shows the size of the model, that is a 30cm(12”) steel rule propped against the model

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December 2013

Just a wee note to say I have just entered this model in a competiton by www.airsupplies.co.uk :-

http://www.airsupplies.co.uk/blog/competition-win-bambi-bb8-silent-air-compressor/

Toy Soldiers: TARGE 2011 Wargames Show

Last weekend saw the third and last wargames show that I have managed to attend this year (quite good as recent year it has been a struggle to get the time to attend shows).

TARGE was held at Websters High School in Kirriemuir, a small town just north of Dundee. Over the years I have really enjoyed visiting TARGE and in it’s previous incarnation the original SKELP. The show was originally held in the town hall, and even though it was always a friendly show, the cramped conditions were starting to become annoying. Over the last couple of years TARGE has moved to the new venue (Websters High School), which has proved to be a very good move. Not only does the venue have much more space for tables, traders, the Bring and Buy and even some odd table that visitors could sit at and have a break, but it is also far easier to get parked without having to walk miles now…

Unfortunately, I only managed a fairly quick visit this year, as I had the boys in tow and I don’t wont them to get too bored and be put off. So it was an hour in the morning, retire to the car for a “picnic” and then a further half hour in the afternoon, then head back up the road to Aberdeen.

I felt that the standard of display and participation tables was excellent this year. Everyone made a good effort to put on interesting games and even the simpler ones looked very effective.

Moving on to the photos.

Firstly we have a view of the main hall.

Next up we have a WWII game, based in Sicily. Put together with generic scenic pieces, but all tying together to make a very attractive table.

Here we have a W40K game. I must admit I dread to think how much all this would cost to put together. It is the second show I have seen it at and I am still pretty impressed by it, even though there is not much self made stuff on the table…

The following table, from South East Scotland Wargames Club, entitled Closing the Falaise Gap (WWII Normandy) appealed to me due to the use of artificial fur as long grass. Very effective, and it certainly made  the table stand out.

I must admit that I can’t remember exactly what the next table is. It appears to be somewhere around the 17th century (I think). However, the thing that really attracted me to this table were the excellent terrain boards…

This next ACW table was one of the simpler tables. Fairly flat, using a base sheet instead of boards, but still quite effective. I would be happy to play on this table on a regular basis (even if I am not particularly interested in the ACW period).

Following on with the simplicity theme, this scrubland style board worked really well, with all the colours tying in nicely.

I am definitely not a Napoleonic period fan, however it is difficult not to be impressed by this table from Buchan Wargames Group. Initially looking quite plain (due to the winter scheme), the overall effect was really very good.

Here we have another fairly simple table that rises quite a bit from one end to the other. I get the impression that this board is well used, which account for the lack of fussy detail. The only thing I dislike about this board is the grey colour as it is a bit monotonous. I would probably add a little more variation to the ground colour, if it was my table. Varying the tone particularly along the cliff edges, to bring out the different levels a little more.

Another well done table, this time an ECW game (I think) from the Iron Brigade club(?).

This is the Great Escape game that I have seen at a couple of shows before. Always a good game to see around and I hope I actually manage to participate in it in at sometime in the future…

Finally we have a large table featuring a city display with some kind of early 20th century conflict. Unfortunately I didn’t managed to speak to the guys that were running it to get more details of the game as it certainly looked interesting…

While at TARGE I managed to pick up a few thing that I hadn’t really planned too. Firstly, I was enticed by Figures In Comforts large selection of West Wind’s Secrets of the Third Reich, so I bought the two rule books and a couple of character figures. Now I will have to read through them and decide which forces to put together. I am certainly planning a German force, which will feature a group of figures I have been amassing for several years. Beyond that, I usually like to have a British force, although I do like the look of all the other figures, so I suppose I will have to make a decision at some point…

I also got a pack of West Wind’s Vampire Wars figures from the Bring and Buy, Russian looking military types, that will fit in nicely with either my Steampunk figures or possibly some of the more pulpy figures as well.

Talking of Steampunk I finally managed to get 4A Miniatures Top Hat figure (They had run out when I asked for it at SKELP a few weeks back)!

I am very happy with the way that my Wargames Show calendar has worked out this year. Early on I was at Carronade in Falkirk, where I had a good chat with Craig from Critical Mass Games (which lead to some work coming my way, can’t be bad…). At this end of the year I managed to attend both of the local shows, SKELP and TARGE. Next year I am already hoping to attend Carronade again, and beyond that, well we shall have to see…

Remember the Fallen…

To all those that have fallen, in conflicts around the world, fighting to protect the ones they love… We shall not forget you!

Laser Cut Steampunk Bases

Between mid-September and Mid-October Jeff Wilhelm of Dragon Forge Design ran a base design competition.

I thought I would give it a go and I knocked up a couple of 50mm steampunk style cog and gear bases. I sent in the photos and Jeff emailed me back to discuss working together on a few things.

However, I then waited for him to announce who had won the Base Design competition, which he has not done. I then emailed him to follow up on the initial discussions that we had. He has not got back to me… So I am assuming that he no-longer wants to take the projects any further. As such I have decided to show the bases I made on here.

The bases are made of 2mm acrylic sheet and epoxy putty. They are ready for casting and should have no air pockets, so should survive the mould-making process.

At the moment I haven’t decided what I am going to do with them. I may get them manufactured myself and sell them via the website. The other possibility is that I will sell them on. So if you are a base maker and fancy a couple of 50mm steampunk bases please let me know. I would be happy to expand the range, if anyone is interested…