Village Blacksmith step by step

[Theomar Pius]

Well I'm going to be building a blacksmith shop for my village, so I figure I'll make a step by step of how I did everything. I'll try not to leave anything out, but if I get lazy and forget to post some thing, don't be surprised.
Hopefully you will get to see te process, and get a feel for how long the whole thing takes. I don't know if this is a tutorial or a w.i.p., it's kinda both, so I'll put it in this forum since it's the one I check.

I started today by carving the forge out of blue foam. I cut out the basic shape, and then draw out where ever I want the bricks. Take a very sharp knife cut along all of those lines, but do not cut deep. Then take a pencil and draw through the lines you just cut. This will open up the cuts and define each individual block. Take a jagged rock from the garden and press it into the foam to add texture, and hopefully a few cracks. If it breaks or chips, it's ok, it'll look fine after paint. The last step is a pair of thumb tacks for chimneys. I also ran toothpicks inside of the foam to add a bit of rigidity. You can't see them, but they are there.

The pics are as follows. The top is a forge that I found online. Research is important, the internet makes it easy.
The other two are of the carved forge from different angles. Click on the thumbnail to enlarge.

[Custom_Hobby]

A very good start. I am sure it will be great when finsihed

[Theomar Pius]

Here are a few more pics from what got done this weekend when I wasn't messing around watching F1 and playing on the internet.

1st pic: The layout for the roof side of the shop and apartment.
I set these buildings up so that one story equals two inches. That at least looks to me to be roughly scale. Probably just a bit too big, but easier to work with math wise than exact scale.

2nd pic: After cutting the sides out, I wanted to lay out the door to the apartment. I figure this would be a small building, possibly too small to have a set of stairs inside the downstairs shop. I plan on having a pavilion off of one side, with the forge under it in the open. A staircase will run up the side to the apartment, under the roof of the pavilion. I will keep the piece cut out of the doorway to make the door out of.

3rd pic: The support that I will build the roof of the pavilion off of, and the door frame, both out of balsa.

4th pic: I cut small angle pieces out to re-enforce the structure and to keep it square.

5th & 6th: The front and back of the main building.

[Perv]

doesnt look very forgey at the moment mate, am sure it will show signs soon though  :icon_wink:

[Custom_Hobby]

doesn't look very forgey at the moment mate, am sure it will show signs soon though  :icon_wink:

It has to start somewhere. That is actually why you almost never see in progress shots from CH. customers ask for them and some of them then email me back and say "that doesn't look like what I want." I then have to go back and explain that the pieces usually don't until I am finished.

[Bodhi]

Customers ask for them and some of them then email me back and say "that doesn't look like what I want." I then have to go back and explain that the pieces usually don't until I am finished.

Ah! So you're familiar with the problem  :icon_wink:

Sometimes it can get really weird like when you post a picture - state clearly that it is a WIP - and the figure in question has only rudimental blobs for hands. Still you can count on SOMEONE saying "The hands need a bit more work"  :icon_rolleyes:

[Agentmolar]

What ? like critiquing the paladin with the long arms??  :icon_wink: :icon_twisted:

[Custom_Hobby]

LOL, I can always count on Kurt for a laugh. Either way Keep us up to day on this one Theomar. It is looking good so far.

[Theomar Pius]

Just a quick update.
Made a few windows out of balsa, and a couple of silver buckles from the scrud*booking store (JoAnn etc to be exact).

I just pick a spot that they look good, trace the outline of the window, and cut them out. Glue the windows in place.

[Custom_Hobby]

Nice work, it is coming along well.

[Bodhi]

What ? like critiquing the paladin with the long arms??  :icon_wink: :icon_twisted:

Schhh! It's only been posted in closed section remember? :icon_suspicious:
And it was just ONE arm. It's been taken care of.

[Custom_Hobby]

Those buckles make very nice smaller windows

[Theomar Pius]

Those buckles make very nice smaller windows

Yeah, I've used the buckles a few times before. They are cheap, quick, and give some pretty good results.
Cheap is the main thing though, you get about 8 of them for about $3.
The craft store has tons of great stuff, buckles, beads that can be used for lanterns or barrels, leaf shaped hole punches, teddy bear fur...

[Custom_Hobby]

Yeah we used imitation fur for the roof on the Rohan House

[Theomar Pius]

Here are a few more pics from the last couple of days.
#1 the top pic is after painting the interior black. The reason I do this is because I don't build detailed interiors yet, so instead, a flat black interior shows no detail at all. Look down te street at your neigbors house, chances are the indows appear black.

#2 & #3: the base for the roof is applied, using thin cardboard from a box.

#4 the walls for the roofline woindows. from this I will cut the cardboard out from between the uprights, and paint the inside black. I cut out the roof in case I want to add lights, there is somewheer for it to come from.

#5 roofline windows with the windows and roof base in place.

#6 with a few chimneys glued in place. Chimneys add fun detail, and break up the flat lines. You can add alot of chinmneys, if you figure that every fireplace and woodburining stove for heat would have a seperate chimney.