Building "Fort Kalypso" - Walls finished & Base started

Brush away  the excess "dusting".

As I promised two days ago, today I will show the finished walls. Drum-roll please!

The freshly plastered walls were dusted with dry filler in order to smooth the finish and "fix" it in place.  We left the structure looking as if it was pebble-dashed.  It is a finish that works nicely in some circumstances but not for old plaster render - for that it is woefully over-scale.

After checking carefully that the building is thoroughly dry take a stiff brush and start brushing the "dusting" from the walls.  The amount you remove is a matter of personal choice - I wanted only a few areas with a rough finish so brushed the majority away.  Any especially lumpy or rough areas can be tackled with glasspaper but remember the whole point of this method is to achieve a flawed facade.   If you want smooth flat surfaces grab the foamcore!  When you have the finish you think looks right - STOP!  There is always a temptation to fiddle but this should be resisted.

Be warned this is extremely dusty work covering everything nearby.  I would advise a dust-mask and vacuum cleaner.  Alternatively you could get brushing outside - again wearing a mask.

Groundwork applied and smoothed.

Once happy with the building, mix a generous amount of cheap filler/spackle to a pretty thick consistency.  Place your building on a flat and level surface (I use IKEA particle board off-cuts)  covered with a plastic sheet or a garbage sack.  The filler should be worked up to your building's edge and smoothed with a wet brush.  What you are creating here are the ground contours, remember any foliage will be seated on top of this surface so make allowances.

Do not waste your cash on flashy "talus",

While the groundwork is still wet sprinkle all areas (apart from those smoothed by traffic) with a mixture of crushed plaster "sprinkles" (this can be made from excess filler left to dry, placed in a plastic bag and pounded with a hammer - much cheaper than proprietary "talus")  At this juncture the amount of surface texture should be overdone - think of your childhood and making glitter pictures.  If you follow the instructions, your base will end up looking like a debris-field but in the final stage the majority of this will be lost so do not fret!

As before, place this somewhere safe to dry allowing a few days (or more) for the groundwork to "set".

Next part is the FINAL construction phase then it's on to painting.

Building "Fort Kalypso" - Stage 3 - Walls

Tools and supplies - simple stuff.

Yes it's been a while since the last update on this project but I have been making progress - albeit interrupted by real-life and at a pace that is somewhat slower than envisaged!  Anyway, a few weeks back I completed the application of the wall coatings - I call this "rendering"

The tools needed are nothing special but in the interest of completeness, please see the photo to the left.  At this stage I use pre-made filler/spackle as it adheres to the walls in a superior manner to the stuff you have to mix by hand.  That kind of filler will be used in the final part of the process.

Messy work is fun!

The first step is pretty scary, cover the model in the filler, yes slap it on liberally.  If the building is big, handle one surface at a time but if you put aside a couple of hours even a fair sized structure can be coated in one sitting.  Work the filler into and onto the surfaces of the Oasis making sure it has adhered.  Be very careful around the door and window apertures as you certainly don't want to ruin your carefully made woodwork!  When it comes to any exposed stonework, use watered down filler and brush it into the details without obscuring them.

The three stages shown in sequence.

Once the building is covered, get to work smoothing the plaster with a spatula/palette knife/trowel (or a mixture of all three)  This part requires a good deal of practice but is very similar to icing a cake!  Get the surface smooth - but not too smooth (remember this is supposed to be a dilapidated Third-World structure) in places let the tool "drag" into the surface and "catch" the plaster.  Work the render up to the window and door apertures with care, the last thing you want here is a ridge of filler hanging into the cut-out.  The same applies to any rocks on the base - work carefully.

Next it is time to further refine the finish with a wet brush and plant-mister using enough water to make the plaster workable but not so much to cause it to become sludge.  It is a case of "suck it and see" but you will soon get the hang of it.

The finish for which you are aiming.

So, after a half hour or so you will have a building covered in carefully (or not so) smoothed plaster.  Therefore the next stage may seem crazy.  Take your little sieve and dust the entire structure in filler powder.  Dust it liberally but do not allow it to build up in damp areas as you will create problems down the line.  You will end up with a finish that resembles over-scale pebble dash.  Incidentally, avoid dusting the exposed stonework - if some dust is deposited here, smooth it away with a wet brush.

Now set your structure aside to dry, this will take at least a couple of days in a pleasant climate - in England allow double.   Do not be tempted to place the work in an airing cupboard or boiler room as this may lead to the plaster cracking.

Next installment shows the process concluded and the groundwork applied.  I will post this in a day or so.

Building "Fort Kalypso" - Stage 2 - Basing

Basic tools and "spacer" as described below.

Although the building is not yet complete it is now time to provide it with a base.  This is best effected at this stage to both avoid damaging the finished model and to enable the structure to be blended realistically into the groundwork.

It has to be said that buildings without bases never "sit" right on the table-top and always look as if they were simply "plonked" down without care.  

You have a couple of options.  The "scenic" base with some simple (or not so simple!) groundwork - perhaps featuring character figures and trees etc.  Alternatively you could opt for a rudimentary grounding just slightly larger than the building's footprint.  This option is seen in the majority of commercial offerings.

Personally, I favour the scenic option and some form of diorama.  In this case a few palm-trees and civilians should effectively set the scene.  Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself - first let's get the structures safely based.

Building seated and extra contours added.

You can mount the building on MDF or styrofoam, the former is stronger but cutting requires safety precautions.  As this is something of a demonstration piece and will not be handled unduly, I chose the styrofoam and hot wire method.  Roughly mark out the shape and cut out.  It helps if you contour the edges carefully as they will look more natural if a gradual profile is achieved.  

Once you have a shape you are happy with, it's time to seat the building.  I always glue them on a spacer made from card or foamcore.  This is for two reasons.  Firstly it enables you to work the ground-level up to the building and avoid obscuring your work with plaster.  Secondly, it enables you to squeeze filler into the join and this provides further adhesion.   To clarify, the spacer should be glued onto the base with "hot glue" or a contact adhesive.  The oasis should be secured with PVA as it provides a better grip.

Woodland Scenics' rocks.

Now create a few styrofoam contours to add to the base - this gives the effect of a varied ground level and breaks-up the flat surface.  The aim is to make the building look as if it is sitting in rather than sitting on the base.  

Styrofoam cut and rocks seated.

An added touch (if appropriate to your setting) can be some rocks.  A long time ago I bought one of Woodland Scenics model railroading rock-moulds.   I cast a whole lot of these and have found them very useful.  An alternative is cork bark which is available through most model shops with a train department.  The choice is yours.

Joins filled and lines smoothed.

Cut away the styrofoam as required and seat the rocks with hot glue.  Do not go too crazy with the stonework unless the setting is mountainous.  A few look great but too many just looks silly.

Once all of this is secure, get to work with the trusty Polyfilla/grout/spackle and fill in any gaps between walls and rocks and of course the join between building and base.  As before you can be pretty sloppy here as the next stage will allow you to correct any errors.  That said, try to do a good job as it will mean less time is spent on clean up later on.

Now put the building aside and go watch Sunday's Columbo re-runs.  After a day or so drying time we can move on to the walls!

Building "Fort Kalypso" - Stage 1a

Coffee stirrers make great planking in 28mm and larger!

First up, apologies for the delay in posting this installment.  My chest/throat infection matured and my generous children donated a bout of conjunctivitis for good measure.  Thus I have been feeling awful for a few days.  Symptoms persist but the severity is lessening so it's time to get this thing built!

The latest work is fairly simple stuff but well worth outlining.  I made some doors from "coffee stirrers".  The stirrers were trimmed (off-cuts saved) to a width that looked "right" and then glued to cereal box card with slight gaps between the planks.  These assemblies were pressed overnight to ensure a good bond.  I am aware that these gaps are large if "scaled-up" but you cannot escape the fact that the doors just look better with them in situ!

A quick note on stirrers.  You can buy a box of them as I did 5 years ago (catering suppliers have them at very low prices) or you can take a few (dozen) extra next time you buy coffee or a McBurger.  I greatly prefer them to balsa as they are harder and rougher in texture.  That said, if balsa is your thing - go for it!

Cheap pre-mixed filler is used to obliterate the various gaps.

Whilst these doors were drying I filled in all the gaps between the now dried oasis chunks.  This was effected with a cheap ready-mixed gypsum style filler.  I prefer the ready mixed as it dries faster than the stuff you mix yourself - from the smell, I think it contains some form of alcohol!  This was pushed into the cracks and smoothed with the wet pastry brush.

At this juncture we are NOT looking to add the final texture, we are looking to ensure the "skeleton" is sound. Obviously, had I carved the building from one giant block of oasis the filling would be unnecessary but big blocks cost a bomb and I am a father of three expensive children!  After fixing the dome in place with two-part epoxy, I applied more filler to the joint.  This was smoothed to better resemble the lines of the real thing.

A door trimmed and fitted.

Once all this has dried (overnight) I trimmed the doors to fit the apertures.  Fixed in place with a blob of PVA or hot glue, they should be a fairly tight fit.  You can see from the pencil-line that I adjusted my measurements during fitting.

Now is the time to add any window bars - if your plan calls for them.  I used the off-cuts from the door planks and gently "roughed" the edge to give them a "rustic" look.

The strongest way to add window bars.

Cut a slot (top and bottom) and then apply some filler to the window well.  Smooth this out with a brush ensuring there is minimal build up in the corners.  Then simply slot your bar in and smooth the filler into the remaining slots.  When dried, this will give you the appearance of a bar situated mid-wall but will be far stronger than simply glueing a piece of wood against the sills with a butt-joint.

When all the bars are fitted, put the structure aside for another evening.  When this is dry its time to roll with the creation of the textured surface.  The structure will then look much better and be ready for painting.

Building "Fort Kalypso" - Incidentals

The well method.

Just a quick posting today.  I want to illustrate both the "well" for pouring glue into a building and just how rough the basic oasis structure can be whilst remaining workable!

Cutting a large cavity into the base of a structure enables the gloop to enter from inside as well as out.  This aids absorption and thus speeds up the process.  If your construction isn't too fragile to invert - I would advise doing this.

As can be seen, I used some offcuts of oasis to build this little tower and had to use a goodly amount of cocktail sticks to pin it all together.  It looks messy and indeed it is - however the end result will not betray the hodge-podge nature of the skeleton!  I hope this shows anyone giving this a try that they need not panic if the base structure looks rickety.

Tower built from waste.

The look I am working toward is a definite pastiche.  I want the fortress to look "Eastern" or as they would say in the C18 - "Turkish".  Thus I am thinking of a period production of "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" rather than an architectural model of such and such.  In fact this tower appears a bit "Hittite" to me!  That said, it will look perfectly good once coated and it was built from waste materiel that would otherwise have been trashed.

The other face of the building is more interesting with Ogee arches and a balcony but I didn't manage to snap it before the camera battery went flat.

On a tangent, a TMPer suggested foamcore buildings are much faster to produce.  This is true, as far as the skeleton is concerned, however it misses the point of this method.  Foamcore is great but it is flat and straight (unless you buy it from Hobbycraft UK) I want buildings that are not truly straight and that have undulating surfaces.  Anyone who has been to a real fortification in the East will be aware that whilst straight from afar they are far more "organic" close-up.

This roughness would be hard to model on a foamcore base and adding lots of filler to such a skeleton is also a real pain in the rump.  But if you are content that your structures are box-like with a sprinkle of sand or a thin layer of plaster filler to roughen the surface - then clearly the "Oasis Method" is not for you!



Incidentally, I ordered some of Mega Miniatures' rather excellent "Arabian Nights" figures to dress the set!  At only $1.50 they are a steal.


Proper posting to follow shortly along with a new review.

Building "Fort Kalypso" - Stage 2

After allowing the pinned components to dry for a few hours I had another look at the structure.  I decided that the main upstairs apartment needed more height.  Not hard to rectify, I merely cut a piece of oasis to the desired thickness and pinned it in place.

"It slimed me Ray" - Pour on the gloop.

Now we come to the first truly messy bit!  I would advise those of you with live-in womenfolk to buy a few things in advance or alternatively make sure they are out enjoying themselves at H&M/Gap etc when you start to play with their kitchen equipment.  

You will need a funnel, a large shallow dish or pan (the type used for roasting meat is great), a kitchen jug, a cheap brush (I use ASDA/WalMart pastry brushes 29p a time), an empty plastic pop bottle - 2 litre or above, a whisk or hand blender, a cookie cooling rack, an old carrier bag and preferably a turkey baster.

Firstly mix PVA glue (This time the kiddie stuff is fine - but woodworking is still better) and water into a smooth single-cream like consistency - important that this is not too thick.  You should make every effort to avoid any lumps - they cause minor problems later.  Old PVA glue will have these in abundance.  Mine had a few - annoying as this was to be a tutorial!  Just take it as a "what not to do"!  Once you have a smooth creamy gloop decant it into the pop bottle (hence the funnel)

Brush the emulsion into the oasis.

Now pour a little of the gloop into the bottom of the shallow dish and place your building on top of the liquid.  The oasis (being the absorbent "wet" type) will begin to slurp up the liquid.  If you made your emulsion too thick this will not happen and you will have an island floating on a sea of white.  Once it is absorbed start pouring the gloop all over the building, concentrating on natural reservoirs in the structure.   

The oasis will suck up copious quantities so don't be mean with your glue mix.  When the structure is drenched start brushing the collected gloop onto the structure concentrating on apertures and recesses.  This is why the turkey baster is so useful, you can shoot jets just where you want them.  My turkey baster had perished so I had to use only the brush.  If you are unlucky enough to have lumps gently brush them away - or in severe cases - pick them off.  Be especially vigilant of lumps in door/window areas as this is where they congregate.

Dipping each facet speeds absorption.

The aim is to completely saturate the oasis with gloop.  You can see when this is effected as it begins to repel the emulsion and oozes glue if gently prodded.  The absorption can be achieved more speedily if the structure is rotated whilst "basting" with each facet taking it's turn in the sea of glue.  Another way to accelerate this stage is to cut large "wells" in the building's underside.  This reduces the density of the oasis and allows the glue to enter "from the inside" as it were.

Now prepare your drying/cooling rack.  Wrap it up in a plastic carrier bag - securing the plastic with tape.  The bag is there to ensure the model does not stick to the rack when drying - it can happen and is very demoralising when it does.  Make sure the bag is sufficiently loose that you can create little recesses to collect the run-off during drying.  Now gently lift you magnum opus and place onto the rack.  Make sure all important areas are adequately supported as the oasis will now be quite heavy and any delicate parts will be liable to fracture under their own weight.  To give you some idea of this medium's absorbency, this little building drank close to 1.5 litres of gloop.

On the rack waiting to dry.

Unless you live in a warm area, you will need to use an airing-cupboard or similar to dry the building.  Do not attempt to accelerate the process in an oven as this will cause the whole thing to become brittle, fracture or indeed melt!  Depending upon the size of the building drying time can take anything up to about a week.  I expect this one to be ready in that sort of time frame.  

The end result will be a very durable but lightweight version of your original.  It will be firmly glued together and ready for the next stage.

In the meantime you can make the other structures in your complex and get to work on window frames and/or doors ready for insertion when the structure is dry. 

Building "Fort Kalypso" - Stage 1

The inspiration.

This morning I decided to ignore the distractions of a house chock full of children and get on with the business of creating my fortified trading post.  Over the past week or so I have looked at a great many Indian/Pakistani/Afghan defensive structures and I had a general idea of how I wanted the main tower to look.

My principal inspiration was a series of photos and drawings showing what is variously described as a Mosque or a Watchtower from a site named Hampi - located in South Western India.  The building has three shallow domes, an ornate window and a roof-top terrace.  I decided that some or all of these features would work in miniature and the structure could be used as a guardroom (ground floor) and apartment for the big cheese (upstairs)

Thus enthused, I unpacked the materials and tools and got going.

Nothing too unusual here...

In addition to the usual assortment of knives, geometry gizmos and a steel straight edge, you will see my rudimentary template and some blocks of floral oasis.  As I touched on before, wet oasis is a favourite medium of mine when I wish to create a structure that is less than perfectly built and weather beaten.  Oasis lends itself to creating the wobbly lines so often seen in old stone and adobe structures.  The downside of oasis is that it is very fragile and crumbly.  However my method does not require too much precision and your errors will be obscured in the later stages of construction.  Please note it essential that you chose "wet" oasis and not it's "dry" cousin.  The reason for this will become apparent in the next installment!

Determine how much oasis you will need.

When building this type of structure I like to "wing-it" improvising as I work.  This generally results in a more relaxed looking building and you lose that "regimented" and over-engineered feel of many Western structures.

The first thing to do was determine how many blocks of oasis I would need.  I was lucky and managed to cut the basic shape from just over two - approximate cost £2.00.  The beauty of my method is that you do not need one enormous and expensive block.  Rather you can pin together pieces cut from the smaller and readily available "bricks" to achieve the desired effect.  The readily workable nature of oasis makes the cutting and smoothing the blocks as you work a very simple process.

Doorway, marked then cut-out.

Once you have sorted out which blocks go where, it's time to mark the position of windows and doors.  To do this, I place pre-cut templates in the appropriate place and follow the outline with my scalpel.  When the outline has been cut into the surface, you merely insert a long flat blade into the oasis a quarter inch or so below the surface of the external wall.  This parallel cut creates an aperture of flexible depth and neatly indicates the thickness of the structure's walls.  Simple doorways can be countersunk into elaborate frames with multiple cuts, however, in this instance I wanted the structure to remain relatively simple.

Pinning the parts.

When you have finished the windows/doors on a couple of sections it is time to pin them together.  Simply use some cocktail sticks and a blob of PVA glue.   I prefer the "Woodworking" variety (Elmers/Elch/Evo-stik etc) as it is slightly tackier and dries faster than the stuff aimed at kiddicrafts.  At this stage the sticks take the strain but the stress is minimal due to oasis' lightweight nature.

After the pieces are aligned to your satisfaction, you can repeat the processes for the rest of the structure.  Using a finger or palm you should softly smooth the oasis to both round-off straight edges and create an irregular surface.  It will seem a bit odd to do this after carefully cutting the blocks to a desired shape but believe me the building will look better for it in the long-run.

The bare bones completed - stage one ends!  

Following the methods above I pinned the completed parts together and crowned with a Christmas ornament (not yet fixed) to give myself an idea of the basic structure.  As I said earlier, details have been kept very simple as the fort is a dilapidated structure in a fledgling outpost.  The only flourish I allowed myself was the upstairs window, which is a simplified version of that on the original.  The aforementioned ornament creates a dome more ornate than those on the original but I think it will work very well once properly seated into the roof.  You could easily add turned details, ornamental stonework or buttresses.  Really the only limit is your own imagination and skill with a knife and oasis!

Now, details such as exposed brick and/or stone work can be scribed into the oasis with a cocktail stick or pencil.  My structure is supposed to be stone so I opted for regular(ish) blocks as shown in the photos of the real structure.  Adobe bricks should be a good deal smaller and far more uniform in appearance.

Once the glue is dry I can move on to stage two - the first of the messy bits my children love!