Layout Building Progress Update 2

Mountain Building

This weekend was an exercise in geology and earth forces. It takes several hours to build a mountain, and a couple hours remain for the base structure.

The elven village will occupy the plateau area. We also plan for a waterfall stepping its way down the rock face to a lower level pool.

Cardboard Framework

I used the traditional cardboard frame and plaster approach to forming the mountain area. The web of cardboard is formed of 1 inch wide strips from a medium size Amazon box hot glued to the foam and wood base.

Lesson learned: Bare foam melts when first hit with hot glue. I took to pinning a strip of cardboard to the foam to act as a glue down spot for the web.

Plaster of Paris Shell

I haven't used plaster of paris in a long time, so it took me a couple of batches to get the right mix of plaster and water. The instructions on the tub called for a 2:1 mixture of plaster and water. While probably perfect for patching walls, it was too thick to effectively dip paper towels into. I ended up using more of a 1.25:1 mixture, which was runny enough to dip, but strong enough to form the hard shell. I'll simply add an additional layer or two to make up for the weaker plaster.

Tunnel Portal

I also built a tunnel portal out of match sticks and craft sticks. I'll paint it next weekend and integrate it into the plastered areas.

The upper level portals will be simple cuts into the rock. The lower portals will be finished stone or wood, depending on the location.