more dock works- the factory and smaller boats-

adding images for now so i can write it up later- my camera is increasingly grainy...

I needed to build the factory now, a big centre piece it had to fit exactly to the proportions layed out, as well as being impressive enough to really bring the board alive, I sketched out the plan (below0 and got to cutting my foamboard.

I marked it out carefully (for a change) making sure everything was level and lined up.

I used a circle cutter to create the arches, I find that if use an arc that is about 1" more than teh windows height it gives a pleasing effect, so in this case 2.5"

I was making the factory walls double thickness, mainly for solidarity, but also because it looks more hefty, and at 32mm I felt Malifaux terrain needs a bit more heft. I therefore made two sections of each, and glued them together with PVA glue overnight. 

I piled heavy books on them to ensure they glued flat!

In the morning I pinned them gently to mock up teh space- looking about right:)

More DIY cheapness from me here- the heavy foundation blocks I was using to raise the foamcard and give a more industrial feel are from a jenga set I bought from a charity shop for a pound, tons of good quality wood cut perfectly to size, I couldn't ask for more. I marked out the plan and glued them down with PVA before I went to work.

Okay... Maybe the doors are a bit big....

While this dried I sprayed the pre-built stuff..

Next comes the most boring bit, instead of texturing the whole building with brick latex- which would take an age and I don't have the patience, I'm going to use thin card to give the impression of large blocks on the corners, this will also protect them from spray when it comes to painting:) first the capstones for the doorways, designed to fit over both sheets of card and fold flat.

here is the first finished section, as you can see I've also added window ledges of thicker card, and created a pattern around the door edges. there is also a running brick pattern about half way up I added later on. even taking photos of this process is boring, so I am going to skip ahead to...

Texturing- as with the docks themselves I've used a combination of super glue and sand to create textured moss effect across the detailed areas, with thicker clumps in areas most likely to collect rainwater and moss. 

To attach the whole thing to the foundations I used PVA glue and cocktail stick pins, these should hold it in place whilst the glue dries firmly

I added some last bits of external detail in the form of columns, metal rivets, the cobbles outside and yet more moss round the base. 

The interior I wanted to look like a victorian mill that had been gutted and refurbished into a factory, to show this i left wooden roof supports about halfway up (matching the brisk layer of the outside) I added two tannig pools in one corner with a raised access area, a detailed mechanics section to one wall and behind the clock, and covered the floor in textured plasticard.

whilst all of this dried (again) I was reinforced by one of my best mates Ben and my lovely wife, they volunteered to paint and drybrush the cobbles and stone on the finished sections for me, whilst I cracked on with the details. I made some small boats to fill the gaps in the docks area, I decided to make them all different, and in some fairly esoteric styles as this seemed more malifaux style than regimented ships all in a row- they are mainly Balsa with the base shape a pre-made paper mache jewellery box I bought fro 50p from Hobbycraft. 

I also used the time to make and paint some extra gangplanks- I still need more I feel. 

They did a sterling job on the finished sections, I'll add some weathering later

A few small jetties (Balsa wood again) filled the docks up good and proper, and really added to feel of the table.

My wood is all being done very simply using the paints below over a dark brown spray- I use increasingly light drybrushes and work towards the edges, leaving the centre darker, the final drybrush is cold grey to age the wood a little, then it's stained with Biel-tan green and eventually Agrax Earthshade.

There was still a massive gap in one deployment zone, so another boat was needed, this time a medium sized skiff, fresh from the Bayou. I was running low on Balsa wood (unsurprising really) so I used a card clinker=plating method I was taught years ago when playing a Warhammer ships game up at head office. a couple of fences, and a raised navigation area made it a bit more interesting.

putting it all together- couldn't be happier so far, I have enough Balsa left for the doors, and now just need to worry about the factory interior..