FITC Tavern part 3 - Detailing

I've managed to get the Tavern ready for painting. Looking at my co-challengees they seem to be further ahead. Bodvoc in particular has got his house painted and Merijn has got his based.

Looking at their progress, I'm worried I won't finish in time.  I was, perhaps, too ambitious for the time allowed, especially given another bout of decorating (and time spent watching Avatar: The Last Airbender), but I shall persevere.

I'm making a few changes from my initial plans, I'm not worrying about basing for the challenge, though I will get a base on as soon  as possible afterwards.  I'm also leaving off the shutters that are an important part of the look of the original, and the big doors I had planned for the archway (see below).  That way I might just get it finished in time for the end of August.

Before detailing the building I had a good think about how I imagined the building and how it would work.  I picture it as a coaching inn somewhere in the Old World.  The archway would lead to an enclosed courtyard (I'll build some walls for this later), possibly with a stables.  The archway has a set of big doors (I'm shifting them from the end of the wing, which I imagine is some sort of kitchen or storage.  The kitchen needs a fire, so I'll place a chimney above the wing, and the extension also needs a chimney.

The need to fortify the Tavern means that the ground floor windows are heavily barred (eventually with shutters) with fancier windows on the first floor, and the foundations are stone.

For the timber framing I tried to assemble believable frame structures, so the stone foundations have a heavy timber across the top.  Each corner has a similar timber which supports horizontals at various points.  Smaller timbers fill in between the main frames.  All the timber is balsa wood, cut without a ruler to give a more hand made look.  I've also deliberately avoided having the timbers, especially the smaller timbers, perfectly straight.  I've seen a fair few buildings using this method of construction, the timbers are rarely perfectly lined up or straight. 

The daub is ready mixed filler, applied between the timbers.  I used a fairly thick layer, and again avoided having it look too 'perfect'.  Handy hint:  if you damp the foamboard it helps the filler to stick when you apply it.

Side wall of the tavern showing both window types, the stone foundations and the timber framing and daub

The stone foundations are 4mm strips of XPS textured with my trusty Greenstuff World roller.  I always go over the texture with a sharp pencil to emphasis the stonework, then give it the 'foil ball' treatment. Unfortunately I handled the building a lot while adding the timbers etc, and some of the detail has been softened.  I gave it a protective coat of Mod Podge, but I wish I'd done it straight away.

The tavern front showing the fortified door and the archway.  

The ground floor windows with their strong iron bars are made from 'granny grating'.  This is a plastic mesh sold for cross stitch, but it makes excellent grating for models and is available from craft shops.  The door is simply a thin sheet of balsa with 2mm wide planks engraved on it with a sharp pencil.  I added extra planks to strengthen the front door, and since the above photo was taken I've added heavy rivets made from 2mm adhesive stones, again available from most craft shops.  The handle is a ring bent out of copper wire (at last, that jewellery making comes in useful) held in place by a wire loop glued into the door.  

The archway will eventually have a stout double door to keep out marauding orcs, goblins, beastmen and tax collectors, but that's a job for later.

The rear of the tavern showing the chimneys and the kitchen door (with hinges) replacing the nice double doors on the original.  You can just make out the door from the archway.

The roof was made the same way as the roof on the Bakehouse here.  The chimneys are blocks of XPS with brickwork carved in with a scalpel then a pencil and textured with a ball of foil.  The chimney pots are push pins, a very nice shape for chimney pots.  The stacks are anchored in place with cocktail sticks.

The other side of the tavern

I wanted the upstairs windows to look nice and delicate.  I thought the drywall tape I used for the Bakehouse was a bit crude, this is a high class establishment.  I wanted nice diamond panes.  Bodvoc used aluminium car repair mesh for his build, and I planned to do the same.  I have half a sheet of the stuff somewhere in the loft of shame.  

Somewhere.

Instead I tried using the plastic mesh from a food bag*, in this case from bulbs of garlic, which should also give extra protection from vampires.  I stretched the mesh over a sheet of 1mm cardboard/chipboard and then glued the corners with superglue and accelerant.  Then I coated the whole lot with PVA glue.  Once dry it can easily be cut into shape for individual windows.  I admit they would look better with fancier frames, but I was rushing by now.

As I type I've undercoated the model and it is drying, prior to painting over the weekend.

I'm pleased with my progress, but there are some things I wish I'd done differently.  I should have added more diagonal timbers, especially to the larger panels.  I do like the the idea of shutters for protection, but the placement of the front upper windows means they couldn't open or close because the roof is in the way.  I failed to account for the tiles when I placed the windows.

The first door I made was for the kitchen, with card strips for hinges.  I then realised that for the hinges to show, the door must open outwards.  I imagine the inhabitants bar the doors in case of emergencies, which implies inward opening doors, so all the rest are without hinges.  Hopefully the door furniture and the strengthening timbers make them look interesting.  There are two doors leading off the inside of the archway passage.  These are quite plain; they can't be seen easily.

Next up, painting.  Lets see how well I meet the deadline.  If I'm struggling I can always claim I still use the Julian calendar. 

* Ironically, for my original build of this model, way back in the 1980s, I tried something similar, stretching the mesh from a fruit net over the inside of the building.  In those days I cut the windows out.  I couldn't get the mesh tight enough though and it looked rubbish.  Somewhere I still have the unfinished model, I might go back and finish it as a nice counterpoint to this tavern.