Funfair progress - first paint

I have had a real good go at trying to get some paint on things. I am conscious of time and I want to make sure that there will be some funfair themed atmosphere and lets face it, that needs some bright colour.

I have made the Hot Air Balloon the centre piece and gone for the image of the Mr J's head. Well it stands out at least ;-) Other than that I have thrown on the colour and even cut out some paper advertising posters and stuck them on to large open areas using PVA.

It really is coming along.

I need more urban furniture to scatter on the ground and maybe a ticket kiosk or fast food outlet or a few seats to support the boxes and containers that I have coming.

The carousel remains unfinished. I have yet to find the right size horses for it. Maybe this weekend I will have success.

The board will also need some paint to reflect the night-time conditions. I have run out of spray so again another shopping trip required.

All in all I am happy with progress. It won't be long now until it is used in anger. Bring on the Batman! Mr J is ready and waiting.

Balloon Assembly

Well the big moment has arrived and it is time to pop the balloon and see if the paper mache structure has survived and hardened properly overnight. I left it in front of the fire so that it maxed out on heat. I didn't go for the Linseed option because I wasn't sure how the paint might interact so .... without further a do ..... I give you -

The Balloon Port will sit between the Funhouse and the Ferris Wheel with each providing access. There is a platform from the Fun House roof and we will have a special rule for the Ferris Wheel, maybe expending 1 MA and 1 SA to interact with the Ferris Wheel (or something like that). It is also less than 30cm high for Batclaw access.

I needed a basket for the balloon and this was assembled using foam board, cocktail stick dowels, PVA and 4 BBQ skewers. I added a layer sellotape later to give strength.

Then I needed something to link the balloon to the basket.

The loading would be vertical and downwards through the wooden skewers. I cut out a larger piece of foam board and took a nick out of each corner. These would house the top end of the skewers which would also be pushed outwards into a small curve which should look good. I then glued four squares over the top of these holes. I tried adding tape but without great success.

Now I needed to connect the ballon. It also had to be removable for easy storage later. I went with the idea of an upturned Coke plastic bottle which has a curved bottom and would sit well inside the top of the balloon. I cut off the mouth piece and then cut out two large vertical slots in the shape of the foam board top platform.

This worked a treat and the Coke bottle sat on top of the foam board in a stable way.

I was delighted. All that needed to happen now was to add the balloon itself.

And there we have it - one balloon. It dominates the playing table and I am thinking of painting it up like a Joker's head.

Then it will be ready for the Joker to invade Arkham, dropping poison gas or whatever his wicked plan might be. Can Batman & Robin stop him, that is the question?

Thanks for all the ideas guys.

Balloon Project

Yes I have taken the leap and following suggestions I have starting making a Balloon for the Fun Fair. using paper mache.

The theory is to link the Fun House and the Ferris Wheel by having a high level Balloon Port in between. This will provide a reason to use the Ferris Wheel (get quickly to the top) and well as providing an excellent viewing / shooting platform. I must ensure that the full height is within the 30cm limit for Batman so that he can fly up and down.

I started with a balloon, strips of newspaper, plain flour and salt. An equal mix of flour and water is generated and brought to a smooth consistency. Salt is added to stop the whole thing going mouldy. Then the strips of paper are coated with the mixture and applied to the balloon. The aim is to cover the surface a total of three times going horizontal, vertical and horizontal again. My application was - well - messy to say the least but at least I have something.

Now I have to leave it to dry before I can move on to the next stage - the 'burst the balloon' stage. I am looking forward to that and hopefully it will all hold together. Then I need to make it look like a balloon with a basket suspended underneath.

The high level Balloon Port with dual access should also be a challenge - but one thing at a time.

Should be fun.

Let there be light!

The Batman Miniature Game has some requirement for specific pieces of terrain. Each player will place D3 lampposts, each player chooses 3 Objectives of which there are four different types and each player deploys D3 sewer entrances. All will need markers so I thought I would start with a lamppost or two. I will need at least six.

I started with a wooden skewer. I stuck a square piece of foam board to a base and then inserted the skewer through the foam board and into the slot in the base. This was great if somewhat wobbly. To overcome this I used green stuff and metal off cuts to give the base some weight.

The result was much more stable.

To make the lamp I cut a length of card and wrapped it around a pen. I used PVA to glue it together so that it formed a cylinder. Then I cut a circle of card that was slightly over sized and made a hole in the middle.

The disc was then stuck to the cylinder.

Hey presto - we have a simple lamppost. In the Batman Miniature Game the lamppost casts light for a 10cm radius. Anyone standing in the light can be seen from anywhere on the board provided there is line of sight. Their positioning will be important and I can imagine that key intersections will be well lit and overseen by gang members with guns.

"Walk in the light - at your peril" cackled Mr J.

Power Plant for the Fun Fair

Any good Fun Fair will have its own supply of power. Essential for all those lights and stuff, at least that was the theory when I discovered this industrial plant. It is by Sarissa Precision. I had never used one of these kits before and for the small sum of £12.50 I thought I would give it a go - and I am impressed!

Everything is laser cut and absolutely precise!! Never seen anything like it in this hobby of ours. There were only three sheets of A4 card to make up the entire thing.

Each wall section came away with ease. and then fitted together like a jigsaw. No gaps at all! Very impressed with the design.

There is a floor piece that the four main walls slot into vertically. Each wall section fits to its neighbour like a zipper. A little PVA and it is all secure. The section that impressed me the most was the flat roof section. A slot had been cut horizontally that allowed each section of vertical railing to pass through until the roof found its final position. Like a glove, it fitted. I giggled that it worked so well.

There is a section of card that fits inside the the window and door which gives a nice effect and then, just for fun, the door opens and closes - wow! I love it.

The only small issue for Batman Miniature Game is that the scale is slightly small. This is only noticeable around the door height. I gave this some thought and then mounted the building on a piece of foam board.

This just makes the whole thing more believable.

This is a great find and if my little Power Plant is anything to go by then these kits are well worth trying out.

Have fun guys and gals.

Fun House progress

I really liked the idea of turning the Joker mask into some kind of Fun House. The idea is that it takes up the side of a building and maybe becomes the entrance. I found an old cardboard box that was about 2 thirds the height of the mask and used this as my starting point.

I glued a piece of foam board to its base making sure that it stuck out enough to take at least a single playing model. I then began a process of cutting out wall pieces about waist high to act as balustrades.

Next I added a 'storey' under the box so that the mask was able to stand to its full height. This gave me a three storey structure plus a roof. I made great use of cocktail stick dowels to give rigidity combined with lots of PVA.

The idea is that the Fun Park is abandoned and locked up - so only the outside can be used. The piece of terrain is large enough to substantially break line of sight and will also provide multiple height platforms. Strategically placed objectives will be great to ensure that the terrain is well used.

Next I needed to place a second line of maintenance platforms and do something with the roof to allow access to all areas. The dowels were less effective for this task so I hung the platform from the roof and added a support pole to the front corner. It is actually quite stable and takes the weight of a model no problem.

I have had a look online and the average Fun House seems to be a riot of colours and levels. The 'more is less' principle so go mad with additions and make it all look crazy. Here is a particularly loud example.

Reds and yellows will fit in with my chosen colour scheme but lets see how things develop.

Fun Park investigations

I have been applying some paint to the Ferris Wheel and it is coming along nicely. It is an imposing piece and will provide some good atmosphere.

In the end, I went with the vertical stripes for the pods and it has helped to 'pull the piece together'. I have still plenty to do and it does take some time building up layers until they are fairly solid in nature. With the pods in place the Ferris Wheel has more presence.

The playing board is 900mm x 900mm, so not huge. I am thinking that I will need 3-4 major items to complete the board plus some kiosks, ticket offices and the like. It will be important to break sight lines and to attempt to have some height as well.

I have also notices that the Batman Miniature Game has rules associated crates so I will need to come up with a suitable design for these.

I have been hunting for ideas and the Dark Templar has been ever helpful with this fantastic mask.

Current thoughts are that it might make a good 'Funhouse' or maybe even the entrance to the park. It is very much in keeping with the Joker theme and also the Trickster element for Coney Island.

Every good funfair has a Carousel so I figured that my next addition should be in that vein. Nothing huge but with horses and poles and all that good stuff.

So I have started with a top and bottom section and intend to use cocktail sticks for the poles. I may have some old horses in the garage somewhere but it may be that they are too big. I will investigate. I think that the key to this looking the part will be the conical top piece and the banner that surrounds the top of the carousel.

Wonder Wheel development

The Ferris Wheel has been base coated and I thought that I should get some colour on it. I went back to my Coney Island pictures for some inspiration.

The colours for the pods are in vertical stripes which is eye catching with the support trip-pod in blue and then a combination of red and yellow for the structure. I must admit that I like the yellow.

So I have made a start. It will be impressive on the board. I have yet to figure out what I will be doing with the ground, pavement, tarmac, loose gravel or combinations. I have been out and got a 900mm x 900mm piece of hardboard and ..... its not a big playing surface - thats for sure. I have even had a look in a few charity shops for bits and pieces - nothing to report, as yet.

Ferris wheel - over night update

Success!! - She held together and the glue has set and she works! The 'Wonder Wheel' is born.

This is Harley Quinn taking her first ride without the need for human intervention. The cog and ratchet mechanism are functioning properly and holding the pod in position. I've got to say that I am very happy. My expression is truly 'Jokerlike' :-)

The key change has been the use of cocktail stick dowels at the base to secure the ratchet mechanism in place. It can now operate in tension and therefore secure the cog even with the metal model adding significant weight to the outer limbs.

Now I do seem to recall an episode of Batman, back in the day, when the Joker flew over Gotham City dropping chemical bombs on to the population. Naughty Joker. I believe he did this from a very colourful balloon. I wonder if he stole it from the Fun Park? .......

Ferris Wheel construction - part 3

Ha ha - I have taken some the much needed advice on board and ... voila!

The Ferris Wheel stands and does not fall over.

I have made alterations from yesterday though.

A. I have added a sheet of foam board to the base which has worked very well.
B. I have also changed the way the pods attach themselves. I went away from the clothes pegs and have used wire bits taken from paper clips instead. Now each pod is removable and so will be easier to paint.

The wheel goes through 360 degrees and can do so with a model or two on board. Each pod rotates fully. All very functional.

What it won't do is stay stable when a single model is located away from the centre line i.e. at the bottom of the rig.

So the big plan here is to introduce some kind of gear cog with a ratchet mechanism.

I have created a star shape with eight setting so the pods can be stopped in different positions. I then cut out a ratchet piece to fit into the gaps in the cog.

I used a long bamboo skewer which I plan to have 'in tension'. This should prevent the wheel from moving beyond its chosen position.

I think that the weak point in all of this will be the glue fixing everything to the central cylindrical timber piece. If this holds - then all should work - if not a rethink will be on the cards. That glue is currently setting so keep those fingers crossed!!

Ferris Wheel terrain - part 2

Managed to make some good progress on the old Ferris Wheel. Thanks for all the suggestions. I have altered my design so that two models can battle in each pod and also the wheel should now turn. Big improvements!

So first of all I strengthened each wheel by adding struts.

Again I was using PVA glue so lots of time needed for the drying.

Next I moved on to the Tripod on which the whole thing would be mounted. I decided to give Foamboard a go.

I measured up and drew out the shape that I wanted and strengthened the foot area to give more purchase. Then I cut out my 'A' shape frames.

I added some support at the back by way of skewers. Very effective. I pierced the foot to make sure that the weight would go all the way down and used PVA again down the length of the skewer. Lots of it.

Then I began to contemplate the pods. I had something in mind like a gondela with windows but if I was going to use them for battling I needed something more practical.

I cut out the shapes from foam board and then used cocktail sticks to dowel the sides to the floor pieces. This will make them strong enough to hold the models. I then needed to any the sides onto the  wheel. I came up with the idea of using the metal pieces from clothes pegs. I seems to work.

 By close of play the whole thing is starting to come together. Quite impressive. There are a number of issues however.

1. I want to be able to disassemble for storage and indeed painting .... emmm?
2. I think there will need to be more cross bracing and this is proving difficult with the low hanging and 360 degree rotating baskets ...
3. Will it be strong enough?
4. Why will any of the models use it - should it give access to something up high?

Anyway - I am loving pulling it together.

More to follow.

Ferris wheel terrain - the fun park commences

I really have got the bit between my teeth and fancy the idea of creating something worthwhile and oh so different.

The first thing that I realised earlier today was that Batman is played on a 900mm x 900mm board. Now this is a fair bit smaller than I am used to. Warhammer 40k is played on a 6ft x 4ft board. Other skirmish games have been on a 4ft by 4ft board which is about 1200mm sq. We are talking about 25% less than that.

I had been planning a Coney Island type scale for my Ferris Wheel which would have made 800mm tall. This would have over whelmed the playing area so I have cut back my expectations but still hope to create something interesting. I believe that this game will feel like it is being fought in a single street with a couple of alleys or maybe an urban square. I think I will only need to add two or three stalls and I will have covered the area.

My first attempts to use polystyrene, wood and super glue was a disaster. The super glue just burned through the polystyrene. Big lesson learned. Instead I have replaced the polystyrene with foam board and used PVA glue.

I want to make two wheels and join them together to make the Ferris Wheel. I started by cutting out some circles from the foam board.

I then used the cutting mat to mark up the positions for the main structural struts.

Which were added and PVA glue used to keep them in place. I sandwiched the struts with another foam board circle.

And used a cup of water to hold the whole thing in place while the glue set. Each strut is 180mm beyond the foam board circle which I think will still be big enough to be an impressive piece of terrain.

The first wheel has dried nicely and the second is currently drying in the conservatory. I am hoping that I have properly aligned the struts. Tomorrow will tell.

The aim will be to connect the wheels using cocktail sticks from which pods can be dangled. The entire thing can then be mounted on some kind of tripod. I will also need to add other pieces of structure so that the final piece of terrain looks suitably structural.

I am pleased with the early progress and feel like the fun park is well under construction.