Blackstone Buildings #3 The Wailing Watchtower

The Wailing Watchtower

"The old haunted place", as Old Dave (now deceased) used to call it, was built in better times (long ago). A screaming spirit is said to inhabit the tower, which may be why locals give it a wide berth except in the direst of circumstances! Unlike other buildings in the village, the tower has never fallen or been reconstructed, although whether this is due to sturdy construction, protection offered by the spirit, or invaders having better things to do, has never been established!

Making your three storey tower

++Before we start, the traditional important public service message++

Please note that these buildings are not "true" scale or carefully designed to match the scale of GW or other 28mm games systems building. True to this being "quick and dirty terrain" I put them together by just literally "eyeballing" a 28mm model and taking it from there! They are going to look bigger and rougher!"

Also, the measurements used all came out of having a large piece of black foam board, that was 0.5 cm thick. To follow the instructions below I strongly suggest using board of that thickness!!

++Thanks for your attention++

Note at this point that I have designed the tower to be:
1. Enclosed on all 4 sides, with the rear of the tower designed to swing open for access.
2. Have removable floors and roof that slide out.

This is different to the hovel and pub, which were destroyed enough to only have x 3 standing walls. To simplify the process below you could just have the tower walls on three sides.

As the process is more involved than the other models, I've divided the steps up below.

Step 1. Exterior:

Although not to scale, here is an image to help you visualize the steps below and the measurements:

Blackstone village tower exterior guide image (not to scale)

To open this image in Google drawings, click here.

The tower walls are 20.8 cm in height, 40 cm long total. You need to:

• Mark out and cut out a rectangle 20.8 cm tall x 40 cm long.
• Score (but don't cut all the way through) a solid vertical line every 10 cm, so the rectangle is divided into four (these are your walls)
• Each storey will be 6.5 cm in height, so score 3 horizontal lines all the way along the rectangle at the following heights: 6.5 cm, 13.0 cm, 19.5 cm.
• Cut out a door space on the second wall from the right (3 cm wide x 4.5cm tall). 
• Decide what shape windows you want, then cut out a window 2 cm wide x 3 cm tall in the center of each storey (I went with a more arched window)
• Every 2 cm around cut out battlements on the top storey 2 cm wide x 1.3 cm tall
• Cut out a base, either to fit exactly under the walls, or that extends slightly beyond each wall. Mine was 11.5 cm x 11.5 cm
• Glue the x3 walls to the base, being careful not to glue the back wall, you want it to be able to swing open.

Step 2. Interior:

Blackstone village tower interior guide image (not to scale)

To open this image in Google drawings, click here.

x3 floors. 10 cm x 9.8 cm

Nine support beams for the floors.
0.5 cm x 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm

• To mark out the roof, score one more line 17.5 cm from the base, all the way around.
• Cut out x 3 floors to go in each storey of the tower. Make these slightly smaller than the tower dimensions, so they will slide in an out easily. I did 10 cm x 9.8 cm.
• (Optional: cut an access panel/ hole in each floor where models could "climb through".)
• To support each floor and the roof, you will need x 3 horizontal supports for each floor, total x9. To make these, cut out x3 long rods 0.5 x 0.5 x 21 cm, then cut every 7 cm.
• Glue these just underneath floor level of each storey, and they will hold up the floor. You don't need one on the back wall IMHO
• OPTIONAL: x 2 interior window sills, 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm x 3 cm

Step 3. Exterior details:

Exterior beams (detail)

• Cut out x 12 wooden beams (10 cm long x 1.0 cm high x 0.3 cm deep). These will encircle your tower at each storey. They really break up the flat look of the polystyrene, so well worth the effort! Like a real wooden beam, carve away troughs, nicks and curves so you have a more worked or organic look. 
• TIP: My original foam board was 0.5 cm thick. so I cut out 6 pieces for these beams, then using my box cutter just cut right down the length, giving me x 12 beams of 2-3 mm depth.
• Hide the joins on each corner of the wall. To do this cut out x 2 long square rods. 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm x 20 cm. Carve, nick and score the rods randomly so they look organic, then cut up into random lengths.Glue into the gaps between the walls.
• Add bricks around windows and doors.

Phew, that's it for Blackstone village buildings for the moment. Now I'm going to focus on some scatter terrain and other bits and pieces. If you have any questions let me know!

Cheers,

EDIT: I forgot to add that this watchtower makes a natural partner for a hovel, (or hovel and roof) where it could easily make a chapel or village church.