Unrepentant Terrain-aholic

[sinsinatus]

I started getting the bug to build terrain again about a month ago after a long hiatus. I have been building tables for local shops and other people over that last couple years so I had gotten a bit burned out.

So, to get the creative juices going again I have decided to take on a couple projects for myself and my most recent army - Bad Moons Orks. My first attempt went pretty well I think. Here is a shot of the villiage layed out with some of my army...



However, when I got it all together it seemed a little too organized so most of these pieces have been finding new homes via eBay. (Shameless plug - there are a few still available - see user id wildboargamesandmore ). One of the folks that got a piece asked me if I could build a modular Ork Fortress them so I will start chronicling the project here.

The basic idea is for a 4-sided ork fort with one wall being a gatehouse that will allow battlewagons or stormhammers to pass through. Another wall will feature an infantry sally port. The 4 corner towers will have removeable roofs so that models can fire from the top as well as from inside. Also, each tower will incorporate a large built-in gun for use as a kind of bastion. The interior area will see some extra details such as a loading crane, mek shop, and fuel depot. Finally, the gatehouse, 2 towers, and 3 wall sections will be built separately so the fort can become U-shaped, L-shaped, or even just a long wall on his table.

Here are the initial customer sketches without a lot of detail...





If you would like to see more pics of my recent terrain, you can see them here. Also, feel free to peruse my photobucket page to see some of my minis and tables.

[sinsinatus]

I have started on cutting out the basic forms for the towers. Their dimensions will be roughly 5" square on the bottom and 8" tall plus parapets. The wall height will be about 6" with a length of 10" to 14" and a 3" wide parapet on top. The gatehouse will be slightly higher than the walls (maybe 7") and will take up about 8" of the center of a wall section.

Here are the pieces I have cut out so far.

4 sets of tower pieces...


The towers themselves are just 4-sided boxes with a variety of windows, goors, and gunports cut out. I have made triangilar braces to reinforce the interior and support the floor of the upper tower when installed.

These are pics of the basic construction and interior...

and...


There are some of the gatehouse and gate pieces...


Next I will be showing the in-progress towers.

[sinsinatus]

Last night I got the first part of tower assembly knocked out. The basic boxes are together although each one has at least part of one facing still not attached. This is because I will be placing a gun-mount in each one and I need assemble and prime those guns before installing them. I'll probobly start on those after I get the gatehouse started.

Meanwhile, here are the 4 towers as they stand this morning...








Time to hit a few yardsales and thrift shops to find gubbins and gun-bits. More orkyness to come.

[Fredox]

Nice to see some older style ork stuff being done.

[Radical]

Nice, if you really wanted to go all the way, you could have a half assembled gargent or something in the middle or outside the fort

[sinsinatus]

Well, just because the clock is ticking for the fortress project, that doesn't mean that I can't finish getting a few pieces ready for eBay. I'll show those first and then a little update o the fort.

2 towers and an outhouse /icon (there is a huge ork face on the back of the outhouse...


3 ork bunker/buildings with removeable roofs and detailed interiors...


Now, I know this ain't pretty (it IS Orky afterall) but I want the substructure to be really sound before I make it look ramshackle. So far the gatehouse is just the house and its stub walls as well as the first alignment rail for the sliding gate. Yes, I said sliding gate. It will recess into the walls instead of swinging open.

Tomorrow I will start on the gate itself. Once I know its final thickness I can place the other alignment rail and then attach the towers as well as start detailing. I will also continue work on the tower guns.

Gatehouse with Skullhammer for scale...


Underside and structural detail of gatehouse...


Oh, and for those who asked, ther WILL be a sompa head turret for one of the towers. Waagh!!!!

[sinsinatus]

I got a new tool for my birthday and have been playing with it a little too much the past few days to do a real update. I HAVE finished the next 6 pieces of ork terrain to go on eBay tomorrow (I'll post some pics of those later). For now, I have built the gun mounts for the corner towers of the fortress as well as the main construction for the sliding front gate. Still lots of detailing (rivets, cables, damage, etc...) but these should give you some ideas where I'm headed.









If the rain stops early enough this evening, I'll get outside to cut the remaining rails for the gate supports. Either way, I should get the rivets and other detail work started on the gates themselves tonight.

Keep an eye out for the stuff I just finished. Pics should be coming in just a couple hours.

Sinsinatus

[Arliens]

Nice work so far. Definitely has an Orky look to it.

[sinsinatus]

First of 2 posts for the just finished Ork town pieces...

Shack and tower 3 -




Shack and tower 2 -

[sinsinatus]

Here are the rest of the pieces. All of them, plus a few I finished a couple weeks ago will be going up on eBay tomorrow so I can make room for the fortress. I have about 2 and a half weeks to get it done and I don't need any distractions.

Oh, and for those that were interested. The roofs on the shacks are removeable so you can put boys inside as well. 30 models inside and on top make for an 'Ard Target!

Shack and tower 1 -




Ork outhouse / icon - I love making these. They take me back to the Gorkamorka days of 40k.

[sinsinatus]

After a wicked migraine headache last night I decided to stay home this morning and recoup... which apparently involves power tools, hot glue, and Red Bull.

I cut out and assembled the forms for the other 3 walls of the fortress. Also, after checking the fit, I adjusted some of the window and door openings on the towers. Next I started in on some of the basic detailing... metal plates, wooden supports, battle damage and repairs. No rivets on these yet. I plan on marathoning the rivets one night in front of the TV. Here are some pics...

Fortress gatehouse with some early detail added.


The damaged sidewall section. Killa Kan is for scale.


Here is the test fit of all the fort sections. There is a Deathkopta on the gatehouse as a scale reference.

[The Laughing God]

Some really cool ork terrain in here. I like the names on all of the buildings.

[sinsinatus]

Furious activity yesterday. I got assembly on the last 2 walls complete with most of the detailing. The next step for all the walls will be to add a base that extends about an inch to the front and rear for stability as well as room for more detail (trash heaps, wreckage, spikes, barbed wire, etc...).

Here are the pics as of right now.

Second side wall - outside facing. This one has the postern / infantry gate that Ork raiders can slip through when the gates are locked down.


Second side wall - inside face. The inside of this wall has the other side of the infantry gate.


Fortress rear wall - outside facing. It's hard to tell in this pic but the pipe in the face of the wall is leaking slime.


Fortress rear wall - inside facing.


I'll try to get on the table saw later and make those bases (and the ones for the corner towers) before starting on the roofs, parapets, and detail assembly on the towers. I'd really like to get out of the construction phase in the next 2-3 days. There are still 2 weeks left to complete the project but I do have some other buildings that need to start moving through the pipeline.

[sinsinatus]

Brought the pieces up to the local FLGS to lay them out on a table for scale and fit before starting on detailing.

Rear view...






Front view...

[sinsinatus]

Tons of progress this weekend. Primary painting is well under way.

Front view...


Gate close-up... the gates slide into the walls to open.


Top view...

[sinsinatus]

Whew, the fort is DONE and almost a week ahead of schedule. I've just taken some quick phone pics at the local shop to give a sneak peak. I'll set it up with some of my orks for scale and re-shoot so you can see some of the details.

As a reminder, all of the gun turrets swivel, the tower roofs are removeable for placement of troops inside, the gate slides into the side walls instead of swinging open, and the whole set-up is modular. Pics below show the fort as a square and again as a wall stretching over 6 feet of table! Enjoy.

Front view of Fort Ork...


View of Fort set up as a wall...


These are a few accessories designed to go inside the fort or behind the walls. They make great objectives...

[Boreas_NL]

This is looking very good! It must be an absolute joy to play with!

[Tzarinchilla]

Wow man, really impressive. Really great work there with a fantastic painjob as well.

[sinsinatus]

Well, the fortress is in the mail and on its way to its new home. I did manage to get some better photos showing off some of the detail along with part of my own ork army. I'll spread them over a couple posts. Enjoy!

Sinsinatus

top view


front view


side view


other side view


rear view

[sinsinatus]

Some more view of the finished piece...

front long view


rear long view


sekret door


front gate