looks good

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I've been waiting for this and I'm not disappointed, everything looks perfect.
One thing I would like your help with Charlie, are you able to do some sort of plan on how this will look overall ? With all the additions I am losing track !

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mallysminiatures.blogspot.co.uk

There are two major things going on. First I am helping some of my gaming friends build up Gaming villages and dungeons for Pathfinder and D&D campaigns.The nature of the molds calls for lots of casting. There are never enough doors window parts so I have been creating custom molds.The group is casting my molds too.So I have a lot more parts to work with. I am going to pour two more molds this afternoon.
The next step in the Moria project will be the bridge. I finished sanding the columns that are ready so I will start assembly shortly.

I used up a lot of the stair parts I had set aside for Parth Galen so I
decided to work on it before I used them up again.

http://lotrscenerybuilder.org/parth_galen.php

I want to include a few parts for my next mold so I will need to make them.



I have completed the right side. I am going to start on the left side.



Then the bridge and Hall.





My columns will be a simpler design but There will be lots.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

That has helped me, thanks mate. I must admit that looking at the different models makes yours stand out even more. The others are great reference but don't stand up to yours.

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mallysminiatures.blogspot.co.uk

Agreed.

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Available for Commissions!

Check out my blog: http://yggdrasilpainting.wix.com/yggdrasilpainting

Back to what I am working on today. Thanks for the nice comments!

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Thanks for posting the Hirst Art mold numbers. The UK agent is hopeless only stocking a few moulds. So after seeing the USA site and the deal they do on 5 moulds on international postage i am going to order straight from them.
My question is, what are the best 5 molds would you get? I want to make some more helms deep walls like yours, flooring and that type of thing.
Thanks, you are inspiring me to do this!

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Harfoots-The first of the Hobbit people to cross over the Misty Mountains and enter Eriador.

I think #51,#60, and #53 are almost necessary. After that you need to decide how important floors and roofs are to your plains.#200 is necessary for large projects.

Top five Hirst Arts mold numbers for middle earth.
# 51 The Dragon Inn
The mold has basic blocks for walls and floors plus windows and doors.
It also has two must have parts for stairs and dwarf arches.
# 60 Prison tower
More basic blocks
I/4 inch window, 1 and 1/2 inch door, and stair
#53 Bridge mold
3 inch arch
basic block and floor and a stair block
decorations I used on the seeing seat.
#200 wall builder
*#63 the octagon tower
Some of the angled block for Helms deep
*#65 the ruined tower
round tower parts

Floor and roof molds make things faster bust are optional.
Think about #230 clay tile roof for Dale
*#203 cracked floor so that some of the floors can be diffrent
#40 the basic block mold looks good for beginners but consider #45 in stead.More arches and one of the parts useful for Gondor.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

All your pieces look awesome! Great work!

I apologise for asking this here but I have no idea where else to ask it. I love the look of the hirst moulds but don't really want to spend so much on them. Does anyone here have any idea where is a good place to get a set of moulded bricks so I can make my own moulds? Or even know of someone/somewhere that's willing to make a deal for them?

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Link to my gondorian fort WIP - viewtopic.php?p=372063#p372063

The arch is from # 53. I am going to build it as a separate part. The wall and buttress is large enough to use #200 the wall builder mold. I will build a core from 1/4" MDF.

The rear wall sections will also have a 1/4" MDF core. It would be a same to waist the back so I will add details like rooms and stairs. Suggestions are welcome.



These are the detail parts for the hall in Helms Deep

The 3" arch a stair parts are from #53
The 1 and 1/2 inch arches and the1/4 inch windows are from #60 The Prison Tower
The door trim and triangles to hold the floor up are from #51. I think the 3/4" blocks are on that one too.


Check the link section to see if some one who cast locally.
http://www.hirstarts.com/links/links.html

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Thanks, really appreciate you doing this. I have printed you list out and will order at the end of the month (pay day).

Any tips on casting?

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Harfoots-The first of the Hobbit people to cross over the Misty Mountains and enter Eriador.

I would read the Hirst Arts message boards. There are always helpful tips and ideas. Try to find Hydrocal or stone. Pottery plaster is ok Plaster of Paris is too soft. Add powder to water. Mixing instruction depend on product.
Don't hesitate to ask.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

I tried the 1 and 1/2 inch arch at the top of the stair. I like the 3 inch arch better.

I tried a lay out of the Hall facade. I have enough parts. I misaligned the windows. I don't know what to do about the columns. I will study a bit. I will probably have to make something special. I would like to include an interior. So the window aliment and columns are important,

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

For the columns my idea is to have a parapet / overhang under the windows that is supported by round columns or dwarves ones similar to the rest would probably be better. These can be placed directly in-front of the arches supports.
It may be a little romanesque but it will be an alternative.

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It's funny to see you tackling the exact same three terrain areas that I'm mostly concerned with at the moment (Moria - ready for games now, plus Amon Hen & Helm's Deep under construction). I really like your Parth Galen, and the quick assembly of the Hornburg Keep facade looked fine.

I'll continue working with the column master parts tomorrow & during weekend, and will post more photos. Simplistically, the columns have a cross-section like, well, a cross, with additional top and bottom pieces (also shaped like crosses, but with angled bits to add complexity - I guess these could be simple rectangulars and still the columns would look quite nice). I will use Hirst Arts only sparingly with these two terrains, and use mostly foamboard, styrofoam and depron. I will cast parts for the Glittering Caves, some walls inside the stables, spiral staircases and the columns, and the ruined arched wall seen in the Amon Hen footage. I will cut Helm's Deep arches from foamboard or thick cardboard. I will most likely cover the Helm's Deep walls with thin cereal-box cardboard first, and glue Depron on top of that layer - just like in my small mock-up of the Minas Tirith wall. I can then cut out some individual (embossed) tiles and re-attach them a bit raised or recessed to add variety.

Following your campaign post has inspired me to work on it again.
I have decided that even though I do not have space to lay out Helms Deep right now I could work on some key elements. I am going to build The Hall from Helms Deep as a free standing building With a open back and use it for role play games.
Parth Galen has been in planing for a while.I am taking advantage of rare cold weather to put it together. It will be a good location for the role playing game too.


In the end this may be the most practical. I am looking forward to photos

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Thanks for the info, today i bought some Hydrocal and 2 moulds for making rocks from Woodland Scenics. just made my first batch, they are in the shed setting.

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Harfoots-The first of the Hobbit people to cross over the Misty Mountains and enter Eriador.

WS has some new products see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CpPgQU67hE

I have an order in for the new riverbed and river edge. Watch for it!
You can speed set time with warm water. It is also possible to use a thick mix with rock molds.
If you don't mind post a photo of your new molds/cast here.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Will do, I think I may have used to much water, will leave over night in the Molds.

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Harfoots-The first of the Hobbit people to cross over the Misty Mountains and enter Eriador.

Luckily it will set under water
About 1/3 water but watch this for best method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5jm3FsENKg

You can make a wetting agent by using a drop of dish soap in a large bucket of water. I make it a little thinner for small molds. Warm water speeds the reaction. 30 to 45 minutes setting time for thinner set.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"