Missing Mordor Siege Tower (Mark 1) template

Gorgoroth · **Posted:** Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:43 am

Looking great Dorth!

It will look awesome when its finished

theavenger001 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:52 pm

This is look more and more like an awesome siege tower, I hope your fingers survive.

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:32 pm

A brief update: all digits remain attached and fully functional.

After several attempts at the middle section armour (and more swearing), I have a feasible template (still in paper) that I will fabricate tomorrow.

For those of you wondering where I get some of the approximate dimensions and shapes from, I have all the 'Art of' books, the EE DVD's and make liberal use of framecaplib plus several other publications that have good images from the films and the Weta Workshop. As you can see from the latest picture below, there is method in my madness....

The eagle-eyed among you can see the actual bigature siege tower with a man pushing it, bottom left pic. It is about 11 feet high.... :yay:

King Elessar the Uniter · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:48 pm

You're definately doing this project properly - all that reference material - no wonder it looks so realistic!

Keep it up.

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:18 pm

I have been up to many other things for the past 4 days so little has changed, on the face of it. I am adding the rough planking that goes under the armour and extends further back on the flanks of the tower, plus some of the ramshackle 'scaffolding' at the rear - leaving enough room for minis to be loaded aboard.

More to follow in the next few days.

King Elessar the Uniter · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:21 pm

Looks FANTASTIC Dorth. :yay:

Dorthonion wrote:

More to follow in the next few days.

Can't wait! :wink:

gaarew · **Posted:** Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:27 pm

Dorthonion wrote:

More to follow in the next few days.

Good good. But hurry up. Just figured out I need two of these...

Gorgoroth · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 5:44 am

It's turning out really cool Dorth! :-D

Phantom_Lord · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 4:33 pm

i can't wait to see this finished! its already looking awesome :-D

Hallpers · **Posted:** Wed Sep 16, 2009 5:20 pm

I really can't wait for the article, Chris. Your first was great, and this one looks even better. :yay:

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Fri Sep 18, 2009 7:03 pm

A small update, with some figures for scale. I have been adding 'rope' to some of the back section - very fiddley and not really necessary - I just want it there because the siege towers in the film were roped together, in some places.

Almost all the woodwork is there now, so the cardboard armour goes on next, then a lot of small pieces of card to get the raggedy-assed look (Mordor-chic). Then comes the painting....

I am going as fast as my damnably busy life allows folks, so apologies for the delays but there is nothing I can do about it.

King Elessar the Uniter · **Posted:** Sat Sep 19, 2009 10:32 am

Don't worry Chris, each update is definately worth the wait - it looks AMAZING! And it's great to see it in scale (it's MASSIVE!).

Captain Ingold · **Posted:** Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:40 pm

Dorthonion wrote:

Beautiful, Dorth, just beauti - Hideous, Dorth, as befitting a Mordor siege tower!

It begs the question though: Why hasn't the Orc on the ramp fallen off?

Baruk Khazâd · **Posted:** Sun Sep 20, 2009 4:44 pm

I't looks very good.
<a href='http://cheezburger.com/View.aspx?aid=2647443712'><img src='http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2009/9/20/128979390858810878.jpg' id='_r_a_2647443712' title='I can haz siegetower?' alt='I can haz siegetower?' /></a>

Hallpers · **Posted:** Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:17 pm

Dorthonion wrote:

I have been adding 'rope' to some of the back section - very fiddley and not really necessary - I just want it there because the siege towers in the film were roped together, in some places.

Well, in the movie there were ladders too.

Very nice tower, Chris. Can't wait for the next update.

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:39 pm

Oh shut up....
No photo today - I have been adding some supports for the middle armour section, now that the rope has been finished on the back of the tower. There is still room for loading orcs and other noisome creatures (bank managers, financiers, property developers) on board, just in time for a huge rock launched from a Gondorian trebuchet to arrive...
I have extra work-related duties this week so not sure how much I will be able to get done. The road goes ever on and on...

lotrscenerybuilder · **Joined:** Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:03 pm **Posts:** 128

A fine Tower already, Dorth! Once I tried to construct a simple watchtower for my son, using only a few ‘planks and beams’. It was quite a struggle: I remember the difficulties I had with keeping the angles right and holding the lot together… You make it look easier than it is. Don’t make light of Orcish handicraft :no:

: the more amateurish and ramshackled it looks, the more difficult it is to copy it – that’s my experience, anyway.

As for the painting: you might consider using a bit more black this time, like Natarn’s Orc Catapult (but that’s just me, lover of the Black Arts… :mrgreen:

)

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:09 pm

I am planning to use less black as I have been reviewing both the RotK and images of real siege equipment from Caerlaverock and other castles of my acquaintance. It needs to be a bit more bleached and dusty.

Anyway, working on the ramp and the armour now so painting is not very far away!

theavenger001 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:26 pm

paint! I can't wait. Your making an article, right? If you are it will be awesome to see all the behind the scenes work.

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Fri Sep 25, 2009 12:38 pm

No-one EVER gets to see the 'behind the scenes' of Area 51. There are many things that have not been seen here...
I am gardening furiously today ('cos it's not raining!) but will get some more work done later on. That ramp is proving to be a bit of a git

Missing Mordor Siege Tower (Mark 1) template

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