Downsizing.

[Wayland]

In that case...

The next instalment.

The terrain mat is now in place on the platform and I've built a hanging kettle from a pipe reducer and some scrap brass pipe and plate.

The lid was the top of a pen cap.

I'm aiming to make a cowboy style kettle tilt for this but the first try didn’t work so I’m rooting through my scrap trays for the right materials to have another go.

 

[Wayland]

The first time I saw one of these kettle / coffee pot tippers was on a camp Riam had set up by his Vardo.

I thought it was so clever that I immediately started to think about whether it could be adapted to our kettle on the Steam Tent Co-op fire rig. The jury is still out on that one.

I certainly couldn't resist making on for this project though.

In case you are not mechanically minded, you pull down on the wooden handle and the connecting rods tip the kettle forwards to pour the water. Simple but ingenious.

 

[Wayland]

Another of the essential tools we use on our main fire rig is a trammel hook for raising and lowering the pots over the flames.

Think of them as the knob on the front of your cooker, for increasing and decreasing the heat.

Made from electrical wire and scraps of brass, this one has a limited range but fits on this rig well enough.

 

[Wayland]

If you have ever cooked around a Steam Tent fire rig you will probably recognise this straight away.

A Bottle Jack... A clockwork device for rotating meat or poultry in front of the fire for roasting.

This one is made from a .22 shell casing and some bits of brass from my scrap drawer.

The counterbalance / meat rack is a cog with its teeth ground off and track pins for hooks.

 

[Wayland]

I’ve sooted up the lanterns and cookware with a little paint so this end of the camp fire diorama is pretty well done now.

Just a couple of small details to go in but I’m waiting on materials for those.

I want some seating and a fitted out travelling trunk for the other end.

I’ve a mind to build a Roorkhee chair but I haven’t decided for definite yet.

I may also add a small table like I would in my own camp.

 

[RonW]

You really are going all out, aren't you?
All these details.... superb!

 

[Wayland]

I've got time on my hands for a change and it's a subject I know and understand, so putting in the work makes sense to me.

I need to be doing something. I'm one of those people that cannot sit still and just chill out, I relax through craftwork and photography and I'm running out of need and space for full sized things I could make and I can't go out to take pictures so this fits the bill.

Our house is absolutely full of stuff, much of it made by either me or Debs. At least miniatures don't take up much space.

 

[Wayland]

The site wont let me publish it directly but I have just produced another video clip showing how the lighting effects change at night.

Literally a minute of your time if you are interested.

Very short video clip here.

 

[Broch]

The site wont let me publish it directly but I have just produced another video clip showing how the lighting effects change at night.

Literally a minute of your time if you are interested.

Very short video clip here.

Brilliant; I can almost smell that bacon cooking

 

[Wayland]

I've ordered some polyclay to have a go at making more food and the like.

Time to learn a new skill I reckon.

 

[Wayland]

In the mean time, here is another bit for you.

A Roorkhee chair.

I have long pondered making a full sized one of these for camp but never got around to it. Perhaps making one at this scale will be the first step.

I added a small butlers table to go with it, after all, a bit of luxury goes a long way when camping.

 

[Tengu]

Obviously it all breaks down but how do you store it all?

(I assume at least some is stored on the outside of the vehicle).

 

[Wayland]

There are many places on a Vardo where things can be stowed away. The gear you see outside the cabin would all fit in the pan box at the back of the van or be stowed under the bed of the van between the summer bars.

The main limitation is the height of the axles. The Vardo should be able to pass over an obstacle up to that height, so non of the stuff being packed away can hang lower than that.

The exception to this rule will be the trunk which will have to be carried inside the cabin but if I get it right, it should fit in the footwell of the desk.

 

[Brizzlebush]

I am making it to be portable, with luck it should be on display at some of the Steam Tent Co-op camps.

That's beautiful.

Your attention to detail and workmanship is lovely to see. Great job sir!

 

[Wayland]

Thank you sir.

 

[Wayland]

The travelling trunk is another scratch build.

Working with offcuts of mahogany and bamboo skewers sanded half flat for the ribs.

I’ve trimmed it with brass and I used some hinges and handles that I had left over from another part of the build.

I haven’t fitted out the inside yet so you will have to wait until tomorrow for that.

 

[Van-Wild]

In that case...

The next instalment.

The terrain mat is now in place on the platform and I've built a hanging kettle from a pipe reducer and some scrap brass pipe and plate.

The lid was the top of a pen cap.

I'm aiming to make a cowboy style kettle tilt for this but the first try didn’t work so I’m rooting through my scrap trays for the right materials to have another go.

Swear to god I thought this was an actual gypsy camp at first glance. What a work of art. Your attention to detail is phenomenal Wayland. So impressive.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

 

[Wayland]

I think one of the reasons I'm enjoying model making so much at the moment is that it concentrates the mind and your skills so much doing things on such a small scale.

Problem solving is a big part of it all. Looking at something and thinking, how do I build that and make it look real.

It's nice to know it is passing at least a cursory glance.

 

[Wayland]

So, here is the inside of the trunk finished. I'm laying iot out ready to be dressed as a drinks cabinet in the lid and a gentleman's "Ditty Box" in the base.

The tray is removable for access to the base.

And this is how it fits into the wider scene.

 

[Wayland]

Another small but essential addition to the fire today and my first attempt at using poly-clay for making miniatures.

My Tea Billy is used so much on camp that I couldn’t neglect to add one to this scene. Being quite a specialised item it was not surprising to find non on the commercial market, so that left making one from scratch the only real option.

I bought a mixed pack of colours for making food with, in fact you can just see an early attempt at making a roasted ham on the chuck box in the background, but this was the first bit of clay I was working with to try things out. Really didn’t expect it to work so well.