Need Camp Inspiration

[Chris Brantley]

Looking to scratch-build a "generic" camp (i.e. something that is not army specific) as a project to keep my hands busy and am looking for some inspiration.

I have handy:

Coffee stirrers - make great wooden planks
Toothpicks - round and flat
Bamboo skewers
Basswood -- square "beams" and round dowels
Patch filler/joint compound
Bases
Flocking materials galore (static grass, regular flock, rocks, sticks, etc.)
Thin plastic coated wire (good for hurdles, wicker style plashing)
String and thread
Card and thin plywood for bases, roofs, walls, etc.
Carvable floral foam (great for embankments, hills, etc.)
Paper and fabric squares

plus glue, etc.

I'm no Barry Scarlett, but am willing to try something more ambitious than my typical palisade camp. If I like the idea and think I can execute it, I may create a step-by-step gallery for Fanaticus.

Any thoughts?

[Mike Porter]

Looks like you have all you need to make a nice LIR type fort.

[Mike_Cole]

How about medieval castle wall? Quite a nice set of pictures here: http://www.castles.nl/eurcastle.html

For different techniques, this site is great: http://www.armorama.com/

Look at this post for different ways the walls were made with bricks and stone - this is way overboard for anything I would ever try, but has a lot of ideas:
http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=111043&page=1

Keep us posted.... now, back to lurking...

Mike

[philistinejim]

This is kind of my idea for my Gothic camp but it is kind of better if a number of folks have them. How about a number of tables set up in a camp with folks playing DBX games. Some under an awning others in the open. Then paint up a number of different era figs as the gamers and you have an entertaining camp for any era.

I have the POTN camp followersand they are pretty generic. The great thing about them is a number of the figs look an aweful lot like local club members.

The idea is stolen from Derek Hannah who has such a camp for one of his DBM armies in 25mm and it is Oh so cool.

Cheers
Jim K

[lewchips]

Mike Cole, thanks for the links. Some nice work there!!

Jim, I am making Barker Marker featuring a couple of gamers and the 15mm Covus Belli Confused General after hearing about what may be the same camp.

[Little Caesar]

Chris,

If you have embankments and round dowels, it sounds as if you could do a generic palisaded enclosure.

Flock one with green and another with sand and you'll have almost any era, and tons of geographic areas covered.

Steve

[K.H.Ranitzsch]

One or two huts or at least their front facades.

With just three tyes you should be able to cover most areas/armies/periods:

- rectangular flat-topped adobe: Mexico, Mediterranean countries, Middle East as far a North India
- Timberframe with thatch roof: Most of Europe, and if you are not too picky, East Asia and North America.
- Thatch walls and roof: most tropical areas, from the Amazon to Vietnam.

Greetings
Karl Heinz

[Chris Brantley]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here is what I'm leaning toward...A wooden watchtower set on a round tell, surrounded by a wattle fence, something like this: http://www.gowildgardening.co.uk/images/wattle_fence.jpg

I'm thinking it would be based on a half circle..with the rear of the tower left open so that you could see the inside, with supplies, spare arms, ladders and some generic personnel.

The top of the tower would be large enough to support one element of psiloi.

Barry Scarlett's Roman tower is an inspiration http://fanaticus.org/DBA/eyecandy/camps/camp224.html

I plan to make mine more generic so that it will work for anything from mid/late Romans to Sub-Romans to Dark Age Scots, Welsh, Saxon or Irish.

Anyway, that's my current thinking. Suggestions, including other ideas are welcome.

[Gregorius]

Hi Chris,

I have taken advantage of the easter long weekend (4 days in total here in Australia) to build a BUA for my Arthurians. Like you I was looking for something different so I scratchbuilt a wooden tower on a steep sided hill to represent Glastonbury Tor. In total it stands about 200mm high and is based on an old CD-ROM. I will be taking photos today of the Arthurians and the BUA and will get them off to you over the next few days. I look forward to seeing your finished camp.

Regards,