Hobbit House Labour Day Weekend Marathon: Day 2
Today was extremely fun. TV cooperated by providing an all-day M*A*S*H marathon, which started before I got up this afternoon morning, and is still going. Now that's a marathon! :P Anyway, I spent the whole day on Bag End's main entrance. I took pictures throughout the process. If I printed them all out I could make a flipbook! That would be hilarious. But yes, if for some unforseeable reason you are one day called upon to reproduce the entrance of Bag End, you will have this documentation to consult. :D Warning: modem buster.
Starting with the naked door:
I made the brick border on a seperate sheet of wood (really thin), cut a little smaller than the doorway so the bricks will overlap the space between the door and the doorframe. My hobbits can't have any cold drafts blowing in around the door this winter, after all! ;)
Here I've done the little windows. I didn't really want that hexagon shape, but I'll live with it.
Now begins the little roof-y overhang thing! I didn't think I'd be able to duplicate that nice curvy shape, but then I remembered my bendy bendy basswood. :D Holding it in that shape till the glue dried was a pain, though. Note for future reference: tacky glue mixed with super glue does a great job.
Here I'm trying out the little supporting posts.
I decided I liked them and needed more.
And more!! >:-D
Now begins the simulation of packed earth, i.e. mortar. I didn't mix it with glue for this, like I do when I'm using tiny amounts to stick bricks together. Note for future reference: When eating tater tots at the same time as mortaring wall, use a different hand for each. I started out that way, but soon of course I lost track, and a fair amount of mortar ended up on my tater tots-grasping fingers. :-\ Kinda crunchy, but I like ketchup on my tater tots better. ;)
Now the painting of the mortar. I belatedly realized I needed masking tape to keep the paint off my lovely wooden beams. I'm not as dextrous with a paint brush as I might like! :-\
Here is my lame attempt to reproduce the composition of the shot from FOTR. I couldn't find Action Figure Gandalf's hat or staff, but... you get the idea. ;)
Starting with the naked door:
I made the brick border on a seperate sheet of wood (really thin), cut a little smaller than the doorway so the bricks will overlap the space between the door and the doorframe. My hobbits can't have any cold drafts blowing in around the door this winter, after all! ;)
Here I've done the little windows. I didn't really want that hexagon shape, but I'll live with it.
Now begins the little roof-y overhang thing! I didn't think I'd be able to duplicate that nice curvy shape, but then I remembered my bendy bendy basswood. :D Holding it in that shape till the glue dried was a pain, though. Note for future reference: tacky glue mixed with super glue does a great job.
Here I'm trying out the little supporting posts.
I decided I liked them and needed more.
And more!! >:-D
Now begins the simulation of packed earth, i.e. mortar. I didn't mix it with glue for this, like I do when I'm using tiny amounts to stick bricks together. Note for future reference: When eating tater tots at the same time as mortaring wall, use a different hand for each. I started out that way, but soon of course I lost track, and a fair amount of mortar ended up on my tater tots-grasping fingers. :-\ Kinda crunchy, but I like ketchup on my tater tots better. ;)
Now the painting of the mortar. I belatedly realized I needed masking tape to keep the paint off my lovely wooden beams. I'm not as dextrous with a paint brush as I might like! :-\
Here is my lame attempt to reproduce the composition of the shot from FOTR. I couldn't find Action Figure Gandalf's hat or staff, but... you get the idea. ;)