Project Log: Wild West Exodus Harbor, Part 2

In this project log series, we're taking a look at the Wild West Exodus harbor table that I'm building for Warcradle Studios. Previously, I finished the table frame, streets, and harbor walls. This time I tackle a few of the details around the harbor and begin construction on some of the larger elements.

 

 

The drain pipes in the walls were made from PVC pipe. To build the water dripping out, I cut a piece of styrene card, and attached it to an I-beam, which was glued under the pipe. I coated the inside of the pipe and the card with hot glue to give it a suitably "watery" texture. The whole thing will be painted, and the water covered with Envirotex Lite, which will give it a hard glossy sheen– but that will be in the final stages of the construction.

 

 

There will be a large ship in the harbor. Warcradle sent me a concept to work from, which I've blown up to scale. Using this as a template, I traced the shapes onto 2-inch insulation foam.

 

I used a scroll saw to cut out the pieces, and stacked them to build the two tiers of the ship. I need to shape them a little more, and then the foam will serve as the structural core over which I will add all of the surface details.

The Pink Panther approves!

 

 

There are mooring bollards that run all the way around the harbor.

 

These were made from small wooden posts and flower pots.

 

I cut off the top of the post and sanded down the flower pot to leave the tapered body and a bit of the lip.

 

Those two parts were glued together and then I added rivets cut from styrene rod. The bottom plates were cut from styrene card and I used the rotary hand sewing punch to press rivets into them.

 

The sidewalks for the buildings were cut from 1/4-inch mdf. The plan is to magnetize the buildings so they can be removed for transport and used on other boards, or to change up the scenery.

 

The buildings themselves are foam core board. Like the ship, their surfaces will be detailed with basswood and styrene details.

 

One final bit is a small wooden dock, made from basswood strips and dowels. The dowels were distressed and scored with a wood grain, and the tips were cut up with clippers to create the familiar "fuzzy" tops of the mooring posts.

 

'Til next time!