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View Full Version : Isangard tower idea!



Smitten
11-30-2005, 01:24 PM
that's right folks. everyone seems to have a theme when it comes to modding (helps to know what you're doing with it) so i've decided to use the Othanc Tower (better known as Isangard) from LoTR.

what i've thought of so far: it's not going to be exact, just similar. i was thinking of making an actual model of the tower, but as it has a cross pattern design (one per cardinal heading) and to keep it from looking squat due to space issues, mine will simply be rectangular. i also want to make it upgradable, so have thought of a couple ideas to maintain this.

so far, i've hacked up two old cases i had laying about and stacked them. making each case only as wide as a motherboard (since i need at least that much), its starting out as 2/3 case depth, 2 cases high. this is simply the inner framing that the aesthetics will be adhered to (being same as the Othanc tower; vertical ridges, window slits, balcony here and there, talon-like spikes). also, with the need to get to the guts of this baby, i've decided to go with the push-click (got me what they're really called) doors. the seam of the doors (one top, one bottom) will reside under a horizontal lip to conceal it. for the vertical edges i most likely will have to use the full side, having the tower corners be the edges.

the whole tower will taper slightly from bottom to top (as does the original tower) and will sport a stairway and door at the front. plan is to have airflow go from direct top down through the framing via a fan porthole in the cross-section and out said door (this way, as it'll sit on the floor, dust won't be introduced as readily as it would intaking close to the floor).

my main rig now is watercooled and i may keep with the watercooling idea with this one as well. if so, the radiator will be cooled at the cross-section mounted in the lower frame. the reservoir will also be located in the lower frame.

as for lights, thinking LEDs in certain windows (but dont want it lighting up like a blackrock christmas tree :p ).


huff huff, there's the gist of it. now my biggest question/idea i'm tossing around is what to make the outer shell, i.e. the tower walls, out of. i'm at a total loss as to pull this off and make it at least somewhat lightweight. is there a material that is thick, about 1in, and easily carvable yet lightweight? i've actually been thinking something like cedar, as it's very lightweight, somewhat durable, can be carved easily, and is price conscious. after getting it carved i could then seal it in acrylic to keep it from being damaged and paint it from there.

please offer thoughts/guidance/criticism/inquires as they are all much needed. see you when the dust clears! ;)

PS: if this takes off well, as i hope, i'll start a worklog and have pics and such 8)

Rankenphile
11-30-2005, 03:31 PM
This could be very bad-ass, my friend.

As far as building materials, I always recommend Cintra, a thin, very rigid PVC board available for virtually nothing from sign shops - just show up at your local sign printer, ask nicely if they have any scrap PVC board available, let them know that you are not using it for making a sign (lol) and you can get a ton of this. It is very easy to cut, bend, glue and paint, and works very well for all sorts of applications.

If you're looking to make other shapes, I would recommend using fimo, or using clay and creating molds and casts. You could create all sorts of shapes, such as spikes, walkways, stone panels, etc. that you can take casts of and make many, many exact duplicates, saving you the work of having to hand-carve similar details over and over again.

Keep an eye out for other salvageables - old necklace chains work great for adding small details. Go to thrift stores and garage sales and look for old wind-up watches and clocks that don't work that you can get for cheap - they are a GREAT source for tiny gears and mechanisms that add excellent details. Extra sprue bits from old model kits are frequently used in my scratchbuilt models for support beams, as they are relatively rigid and very easy to bend into shape. Keep an eye on your surroundings, and keep a box for neat-shaped bits of stuff you find - it is amazing what you can find just laying around that can be turned into bits of a model. I can't tell you how often I've found inspiration or a solution to a tricky modelling problem just by finding a neat-shaped piece of trash. Once, I built an ork-y watchtower/reservoir entirely around a thin cardboard tube from the center of a roll of thermal fax paper and the plastic end of a fish tank pump filter. Those two fit so nicely, they inspired the whole rest of the model, and it turned out to be one of my favorites.

Also, thrift shops are great sources for old toys for dirt cheap, many of which already feature shapes and bits that you can incorporate into your models.

And go get the extended edition DVD of Return of the King, just to watch the special feature on the "Big-atures". I've watched that thing frame-by-frame at least a half-dozen times getting ideas on how to create models. They are the best in the world at this sort of thing, and the scale they build these models at is absolutely astounding. The model for Minas Tirith was over 15 meters (that's nearly 50 feet!!!) tall! :eek:

One thing to keep in mind will be durability. This has to be a model that you build that will endure a bit of wear and tear. Cintra is nice, because it will flex and bend a bit, so it won't snap and break the first time someone applies a bit too much pressure on it. If you create molds, be sure to use a good polystyrene or similar plastic and not plaster when you make your parts, as plaster is succeptible to flaking and cracking, and is tough to repair. Cedar or another wood may work, but again, think about durability, ease of use and attachment, all of that.

(one small note - it is actually spelled Isengard, with an "E", not an "A". Sorry, my geek is showing. :p)

SaWBLaDe
11-30-2005, 11:52 PM
hey smitten good idea i cant wait to see what you do with it. btw just a thought but maybe u could get some minature orc figures and place them on or around or in the windows of the tower depending on your scale u might want to get some of the "warhammer" orcs thye would probably be perfect. anyway just my 2cents. good luck SaWBLaDe.

Rankenphile
12-01-2005, 02:12 AM
Actually, the company that makes Warhammer models, Games Workshop, also makes very high-quality official LotR models. I'm positive you could get fantastic orc miniatures from them, that would be much more fitting than the Warhammer ones, which are a bit more "cartoony" than those from the Ring movies.

Smitten
12-04-2005, 10:19 PM
this idea hasn't been going well at all :(

ranken mentioned sintra and as great an idea it would be to use such a lightwieght and durable material, there's no way possible to get the thickness of it i need in order to sculpt the tower sides. yes, i could simply make each ridge and graphic and place it on a firmboard, but we're talking hundreds if not thousands of angles. :( also with RL issues pushing me around, i can't commit the hours i need to get it working. guess i'll simply have to keep this on the back burner and hope against hope i can someday pull it off.

not that i'm discouraged from modding mind you, just can't put time and effort and money into such a grand project as what i've dreamed up 8) .

Rankenphile
12-05-2005, 12:26 AM
Just don't forget about it - think about ways you can make it work when you get time. It's a great idea, and one I'd love to see done, personally. I certainly understand about real life time issues, I've had to put my project ont he shelf until after the holidays, just because of time issues.

I'm sure you'll figure something out, just keep playing with the idea and the design as you get time. Keep us posted!