ZULU! The Store House...Rorke's Drift...January 1879

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Thanks for your posts folks, they keep me going.....Not wishing to be pedantic or ow't, but yer man Private Hook was in the Hospital building having (According to the film anyway) his boil treated when the Zulus attacked. He defended the hospital and the patients in it, and his actions there were to win him the Victoria Cross.

Cheers,

Ron

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A total of 11 were awarded at rourkes drift for that battle , it is the highest number of the Victoria cross ever given in a single engagement

Last night I made a start on the base. I found an old 20"X 16" picture frame. Any smaller and the model would become too cramped. It looks big in the photos, but it's not in reality.

I read there was a small stone escarpment running along the edge of Rorke's Drift where the main Zulu attack took place, so I've encorporated this into the model.

The base is hardboard with a scrap piece of polystyrene stuck to it. I have tapered the edges down to the frame and roughed the 'ground' a bit with an old saw. The actual buildings at the battle site are on a fair old incline, so with me cutting back around the edges, has shown the stores to be just that - up a bit!

The escarpment was done by simply ripping the edge of the polystyrene with my finger nails. The whole thing was then brushed with a diluted coat of PVA.

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When it's dry, I'll give the base it's first coat of colour. Another coat of PVA, then sling some floor sweepings at it!

One thing I did notice and contrary to the film, modern day pictures show the vegetation is quite lush around this area and not baked to a crisp as was the inference in the film, so right or wrong, I think I'll go for a compromise of sorts - we'll see.....

Thanks for looking in,

Ron

How is this even possible?!?! A true masterpiece Ron. Stunning!!!!

A cracking start as usual Ron, but I do have a question. How in the names of all the gods are you gonna fit 4000 Zulus on there?

Gern

\ said:

How in the names of all the gods are you gonna fit 4000 Zulus on there?Gern

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Thanks Dave......They'll be piled high - and some will be having a break during filming!

Now I'm disappointed! I thought you would be making hills in the background and having rows of them along the top - like in the film! I mean, it's not as if that would be beyond your talents!

Gern

Looking better now youv'e got the building sorted Ron

Stunning work as usual

Ron this is looking great.

Thanks people, great to have you along as we venture yet again into unknown territory. Scared, or what?...I am!

Yes, I know the sun's out, but I couldn't resist a play!!

This is the first wash of green and brown shed paint over the polystyrene, don't waste yer money on expensive modelling paints, get into the shed!

See how with just mixing the paints, various shades are obtained. Less grass where the stairs are.

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The well used kraal....

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Even the rough saw cuts come up fine....a happy accident yet again, I love it when this happens.

See how the bit in front of the walls is far too dark? It looks more like a shallow lake! Don't worry if something similar happens to you. Wait until it dries and go over it with a light green or similar.

The stone ridge is roughly where the mealie bags etc. were piled up by the soldiers to form part of the outer defences.

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When this dry, I'll add some sun dried yellowed patches of grass. Plenty to go at now, by jove! Muck and loads of it.....

I know I keep rattling on about this, but never fiddle with the painting of large areas...slap it on. The various wet paint shades then have time to blend into each other, thus avoiding lines of different colours.

Cheers,

Ron

real liking this one Ron, and how you explain is so right, there is no real line between light to dark,they just blend

and that looks great to me,

looking forward to next update,:rolleyes:

This is the usual gobsmackingly amazing stuff Ron mate , i always love to watch your builds , necessity is truly the mother of invention! The thatched/brushwood roof looks absolutely spot on and the rest of the building / Kraal (whatever that is ? , i presume its Afrikaans for corrall) looks fanbloodytastic. Keep on doing that voodoo that you do so well!! Cheers tony

\ said:

One thing I did notice and contrary to the film, modern day pictures show the vegetation is quite lush around this area and not baked to a crisp as was the inference in the film, so right or wrong, I think I'll go for a compromise of sorts - we'll see.....

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As it happens I have a colleague from SA with whom I am currently working. He tells me that February is just about the end of summer in SA but that despite being hot Kwa-Zulu Natal gets a lot of rain throughout the summer. Sounds to me like a compromise would be about right, certainly not a dried out sun bleached landscape.

I'll second everything already said, and that thatch is absolutely spot on.

Cheers

Steve

Really enjoying this.

Great stuff Ron, enjoying watching this one

Just a quick update...

Here is the base after the application of greenhouse sweepings (Nice and dry!) and a bit more paintwork. For a bit of interest I've put in some pathways, also I've made the well worn areas virtually grass free and down to the bone.

More to do on the front escarpment and a bit more painting, but it's coming together at last......

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Thanks for looking,

Ron

I've made the biscuit boxes used for the barricade.

I needed boxes made of boards and didn't fancy making them out of individual pieces, so I cracked a can and tried different methods, all to no avail.

Then I remembered Gern's stirrers...Bingo!

I stuck four together, cut them to length, sanded and painted them slightly different shades of wood. I've marked tie straps on them with a pencil. They should be thin wooden battens, but I think the straps look o.k....What do you people think? Honest answers please.

I've included a shot of a wee 1/72 man to give some idea of the size of the base.

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Cut up and ready for a light sanding.

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The 'finished' boxes...see the pencil straps?

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Yer wee man!

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Cheers,

Ron

I think they look like biscuit boxes!

Where's the other 3,999 wee men?

Cheers

Steve

i think they do as well and nicely sorted as well,:rolleyes:

the other 3,999 will come once they know there is biscuit :eek:

\ said:

I think they look like biscuit boxes!Where's the other 3,999 wee men?

Cheers

Steve

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From what Ron said earlier, I'd guess they're in the 'Green room'!

Gern

PS Nice to see my coffee stirrers being used to such good effect!

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I'd guess they're in the 'Green room'!

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3999 Zulus in the Green Room? More like the Green Hanger!