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Materials for this project include a sheet of foamcore,
a section of 4" diameter plastic tubing, a small plastic
lid or dome slightly larger than the circumference of the
tube, a variety of sizes of wooden dowels, and at least
two 24"x 36" sheets of hardboard or Masonite.
Click
on the images below to see a larger picture.
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To make the graceful buttresses
that will support your tower, start by creating a template
out of foamcore. Try to make a shape with large sweeping
curves that taper into a point. When you’re happy
with the shape, trace the template onto the Masonite eight
times (or fewer depending on how many buttresses you want)
and cut these shapes out with a bandsaw. Next, mark your
base with a crosshair pattern by using a compass and a
ruler. When you’re done it should look something
like a star of chaos. This will serve as a guide to keep
your buttresses evenly spaced. When your cross-hairs are
drawn, trim the edges of your base until you have an irregular
shape. Bevel the edges of the base with a belt sander,
and you’re ready for construction.
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Use the crosshairs on the base
as a guide and superglue the tubing and side pieces together.
When this step is complete, glue the dome atop the tube.
When everything dries, use a power drill and make holes
along the sides and on top of the tower. Be sure to choose
a bit slightly larger than the size of your dowels. Glue
the dowels into place. Texture the base by gluing down
sand and rocks with wood glue, and the construction phase
is complete.
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Prime the structure black and
use a variety of spray paints (purple and blue in this
case) to bring out the colour of the structure. Spraying
about 2' from the tower and lightly misting the surface
should keep the effect subtle and attractive. This technique
requires a bit of practice, but if done properly, the end
result is quite attractive. When satisfied with the spraying,
paint the base to match your gaming surface, highlight
the the very edges of the tower by hand, and pick out the
dowels with a contrasting colour.
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