TWF-04 - BENAN WATCHTOWER

[Brandlin]

Ok, maybe not as great as i thought...

the structure is fine and the pillars good but the triangular cover doesn't feel as thouh it actually covers the top of the tower. maybe a different shape to the lower edge?

[Klute]

Conical roof on 1 centre post like a parasol ??

[Rick]

Keep the hexagonal roof, but mount it on 3 pillars, equal spacing and maximum coverage.

[Brandlin]

well I've had another try and squeezed a little more space and tried to keep the original design. I've enlarged the square extension additions a little so you can get a base in each of them. In the picture shown, 1 forms a balcony and the other two form the connections to the walls.  I'm hoping to supply the kit with parts for the the tower to be connected to 0,1 or 2 walls.

I've modeled some 30mm bases on there too. the three outermost ones sit outside of the pillars and the three inner ones are inside ...just ... its still a squeeze to get the inside ones in but i'm going to experiment with some small magnets places in the base of the pillars so that the whole top structure lifts off.

I'd really like to keep the overall structure and style AND be able to get a number of figures in... what do you think is this too much of a compromise?

Oh, and I also meant to ask...what do you think of for the material of the canopy? should this be slate/shingles as the other conical roofs? or should I model it to be planked? Or are you going to want both?   I do hink that I am never going to get all of this into 2 A4 sheets of styrene though - its starting to look expensive...

[Brandlin]

I just put an update on Benan watchtower progress on my blog. Most of which has been seen here before, with the exception of this exploded view of the 107 watchtower components.

I would still like your views on the covering for the canopy roof.  shingled or planked?

[Emberbreeze]

I think planked might offer a different look and fits with the stockade walls.

If someone really wanted shingled they could use the existing sheets and do it themselves.

[Brandlin]

I think planked might offer a different look and fits with the stockade walls.

If someone really wanted shingled they could use the existing sheets and do it themselves.

yeah i was thinking about radial planking on one side and then horizontal lines on the reverse to align the shingles to. then i remembered i can only cut one side! doh!

I guess as this is hexagonal it can be shingled using the straight shingles kits - it doesn't need a bespoke curved set. 

Planking it is then

[Brandlin]

I've spent a half hour or so making a mock-up of the base of the Benan Wtachtower. I dont normally do this on the models - the first time there is a phsical assembly is when i put together the test cut from the laser cutter, but in this instance i wanted to check the access for fitting figures onto the watchtower platform. This mock-up is made from hand cut pieces.

From the CAD geometry I knew that this would be tight but that the figures would fit on the platform, what was less clear was if the figures could be placed between the pillars.

30mm round lipped display bases

 

The answer is - YES THEY WILL!  You have to tip the figure to get it between the pillars and it is a little fiddly but I think worth the effort to keep the overall design of the tower.

The roof shown is the prototype for the stables kit - the watchtower will have the canopy shown in the CAD images, but it shows the versatility of being able to swap roofs should you wish.

Standard 25mm bases

 

Figures here are Hasslefree Grymn (space dwarfs) on 25mm bases. They are just what I had available and based.  No tipping required here.

The final picture shows further options with this kit. As the upper surface of the watchtower is the same diameter as a Pringles tube (in fact it incorporates some sections of Pringles tube to extend the height slightly) a section of tube and therefore parts from the tower or stables kit too can be added to the watchtower to create another unique design.

I don't seem to be able to get away from Pringles tubes do I?

It would also be possible to mount the watchtower platform on the top of such a tube extension and then the canopy on top of that.  (I meant to take a picture of that but I have glued the platform down ... doh!)

Bigger pictures are available on my blog.

As always comments, suggestions and your money are greatly appreciated!

[Emberbreeze]

The combined tower looks good. Probably more like what I would do with it, since although I like the idea of a multi tower/wall fortress I don't have space or money for one.

That tower linked to the pringle tower with the bridge and the stables and eventually homesteads would make for a very eye catching town!

[Brandlin]

The combined tower looks good. Probably more like what I would do with it, since although I like the idea of a multi tower/wall fortress I don't have space or money for one.

That tower linked to the pringle tower with the bridge and the stables and eventually homesteads would make for a very eye catching town!

Thanks Ben. I'm impressed with this one myself! The way the modularity is working out is pleasing too.

I have an aim in my head to have enough scenery designed and made to be able to provide scenery for a table at Salute 2010. If that's for Mike and Twilight then great, if not then someone else.  I fancy being able to show  the same layout painted and unpainted. But that will get expensive!

[Brandlin]

2D geometry complete!

teaser pics... bigger pics and more discussion on my blog.

hoping to have prototypes cut next week (along with the stockade walls) and pre-orders open by 2nd August.

[Emberbreeze]

Wow! those look very pretty!

especially like the planked roof and the detail on the tower floor.

What possible building arrangements does this allow?

[Brandlin]

What possible building arrangements does this allow?

erm.... you could try building it the way it was designed you know?

no?

err ok...

off the top of my head... 

you can attach 0,1 or two stockade walls (or bridges) - you can attach 3 if you cannibalise another kit.

1 of the stockade attachment points has a door in it which is covered up if you attach a wall so it acts as a main door for the watch tower if used stand alone.

There is enough 'fencing' or palisade supplied to go around the whole of the upper platform, or if you are creating a tower in a wall, you can use railing on the inside 60 degrees - this will match the pallisade/railing option on the bridge and walls.

with or without canopy

with canopy replaced by a roof from one of the pringles based kits

you can raise the upper platform by including a pringles tube section on the top of the benan jerry's tub - the wall sections will still fit. the raised platform can then have the canopy applied or replaced by a conventional pringles roof from one of the other kits.

the pillars in the canopy will take a 4mm magnet and the platform is recessed to receive them also, so the canopy should be snap-fit. the wall sections are also magnetically attached. I shall probably sell the magnets separately as they are one of the most expensive components (14 of them for this kit and 8 for each wall section) and they are optional s people can choose to buy them or not.

If you are prepared to modify the kit you can probably make a completely straight wall section with the tower in the middle but twilight doesn't do straight does it.  I might sell an alternate to this kit to make that - its mostly the same parts.

there's a cast trap door  to be provided which fits in the square recess you can see in the platform top - you can have that included or omitted , open or closed.

and if you know the secret password it transforms into a Eurofighter Typhoon complete with full multi-role payload.

will that do?

[Brandlin]

Oh, its worth noting that i've ditched the pencil idea - cheaper but harder to have the magnetic option.

also you need a 500ml Ben and Jerry's ice cream tub (i'm working on what minor modifications i need to make it from a hagan daz tub - i think i'll be able to make it the same kit.)

you also need a ring section of pringles tube. I use this to lift the platform to the right height for the walls and its way cheaper than styrene.

[Brandlin]

I have a question for you customers...

I'm using magnets in the benan watchtower for the first time. I can 'hide' the magnets that connect the walls and the towers by placing them behind the styrene so that they attract each other through 2 thicknesses of styrene, but this gives less 'snap' when the pieces are pushed together.  How important is hiding the magents to you?

also, if you don't have the canopy in place on the watchtower, are you bothered about having the 6 holes remaining that the pillars sit in? Or would you expect to have them 'invisible'?