discussion ZULU! The Store House...Rorke's Drift...January 1879

[john i am]

Ron the architect off on one of is inspiring dios nice to see you in action again. I love your threads as it gives us some great ideas on how to build things out of materials we wouldn't normally think of using of which you achieve some awesome results so Ron I will be watching all the way picking at all your tricks and tips keep up the great work cheers John

 

[stona]

Ben Hur! I saw it at an outdoor cinema in Enugu (Nigeria) as a kid. They showed the reels in the wrong order so Charlton Heston mysteriously went from rowing a galley to being a prosperous merchant (or whatever he was) about half way through. None of us kids had a clue what was going on, neither did we care. We were only there for the action.

Cheers

Steve

 

[spanner570]

After the balls up with the building, I put it to one side for fear of obliterating the thing once and for all!

So I turned to the kraal. It's made from scrap polystyrene with the stones engraved into the surface using my modelling knife. The top I made uneven by digging into it with my finger nails, then a light first wash applied. I decided to break up the stonework on the inside with a smooth look. This I will rough up later to give the impression of clay being used for the finish.

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I returned to the stores, corrected the roof, and put my thoughts to the covering. This was thatched. How to do this part?

I had initially thought of a polyfilla slurry and use a wire brush to creat the reed look, but I could see that cracking with any movement.

I then had a eurica moment...garden twine! This I partly unravelled and stuck it onto thick card.

Here is the start of the thatch.

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Cheers all....

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[Alan 45]

Looking good Ron thanks for the tip on the thatch I was thinking how I could do it

 

[eddiesolo]

Nice recovery Ron, I like to think that maybe the original building looked like your first effort and they adapted it to suit...

Upto your high standards...as if it would be anything else.

"I'll leave you playing with your mud pies...chin, chin."

Si

 

[Guest]

Looking very good Ron!

Genial idea thanks for share it

 

[monica]

nice to see you got out off a stop, and looking good at that,

real like the use of twine for the roof,i had save the hair of of corn for that same reason

too good to go in the bin

look good ever with only your 1st wash on it,nice to see a master back at his bench

just get a coffee and smoke brb,

 

[geegad]

well i will be following this its got to be one if not the greatest films made...loving your work with them pizza bases again i managed to get me some and sorry to say i was thinking of you when i seen them..so crack on and get some more pics

 

[spanner570]

Thanks folks, we managed to salvage summat from the wreck didn't we?!

O.k., I've just spent a very pleasant afternoon with the sun on me back, thatching the stores roof....Life can be hell..

I cut the string to length, then untwisted it a bit and butting each strand up to the next worked along the card roof with quick drying, all purps. clear glue. Reasonably straight forward, but boring as hell! Me back's nice and brown mind......

Here's the finished roof. I might have a fiddle with it later, we'll see. Go easy, it's my first go at it!

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You can just make out the small infill pieces of wall, these will blend in with subsequent coats of paint. I'm not bothered about the slightly different stonework, 'cos as Si commented, it looks like a modification......and I think it adds a bit of variation to the building.

That's the build up to the present, so next I will add the doors, windows, posts and shutters etc. Now I have the two structures I can also make a start on the ground work.

Thanks again for all your positive comments,

Ron

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[Ian M]

This is going to be another Ron Classic I feel.

Great watching this come together.

Ian M

 

[spanner570]

Ian, glad to have you along for what I envisage will be a toughy, and I've a feeling it'll fight me all the way!

Still, I'm committed now, so onwards and upwards....so no more negative waves from me......

 

[Alan 45]

Stunning work Ron it never ceases to amaze me when you start a build from bottle tops and vinegar and it's like your teaching yourself new things every time it's great watch

 

[monica]

looks great Ron,real do like how it turned out well done,

 

[Guest]

Ahhh thats the stuff Ron,that looks perfect,nice recovery!

 

[spanner570]

Thanks all for your excellent comments....

Guess what?...yes, alterations - again!

The original roof 'tie downs' where bugging me, so I put a 1/72 figure next to them and realised in that scale they were the bigger than my arms...That's the size of the mooring lines on the QE2!!

So I very carefully peeled (No ripped) them all off and got away with minimal damage. These I replace with beige sewing cotton. I think the roof looks streets better now.

Compare this with my first effort...Comments on a post card please!

Fancy you lot not pulling me up on it......

Cheers,

Ron

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[spanner570]

After the roof alterations, I set to making :-

The outside wooden steps out of coffee stirrers.

The support posts out of match sticks.

The shutters and doors out of thin plastic card, scribed with vertical board lines and sandpaper for the grain.

I've tried to convey a sort of roughly built place out of whatever was lying around, with not too much attention payed to how nice and smooth the finish building would be.

Here is a walk around of the building more or less finished....I hope!

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I hope you approve, and please keep a better eye on me in future.....I'm at that phase in my life when I need all the help I can muster!!

Cheers all,

Ron

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[Lee W]

This looks amazing Ron, hope you don't forget Corporal Hook locked up?

Lee

 

[monica]

that looks superb Ron,the roof has turned out great lov it,

and you ever got the stepps in as well at 1.72 how did you get them right,always pull one out of the hat,

and yes pore Hooks,give him a hole in the wall,

was a great movie still watch it when its on,well done so far look forward to next update ,

 

[Alan 45]

Stunning work Ron

 

[spanner570]

Thanks for your posts folks, they keep me going.....

Not wishing to be pedantic or ow't, but yer man Private Hook was in the Hospital building having (According to the film anyway) his boil treated when the Zulus attacked. He defended the hospital and the patients in it, and his actions there were to win him the Victoria Cross.

Cheers,

Ron