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Post by Vermin King on Jan 22, 2019 16:13:02 GMT -9
For the February Hoard, I am probably biting off more than I can chew. So I am starting early. I wanted to do a circus tent, but hadn't decided on a pattern. Still haven't. I then found several circus papercraft. Most of these tents are red. So I most certainly won't be doing all red. It seems like there are stripes appearing on the roofs late 1800's, but almost a given starting in the 1920's. After WWII, many of the circuses went to solid colors or solid colors with decoration. Looking at these papercraft tents, I like the additional tent structure over the entrance. On the one, there is a sort of wall that folks go through to enter the Big Top. I may go with one idea or the other, but I think using both may be overkill. I also want to do two cage wagons and two freight wagons. That will probably be all I have time for, but I would like to do a calliope or band wagon and a ticket/office wagon. I haven't got it all worked out yet, but I plan on doing a white undercarriage that can be modified for each wagon to keep things relatively simple. I have seen a couple old black and white parade photos and photos of wagons loaded on circus trains. Except for the big boys, circuses didn't color coordinate their wagons. Hard to tell what colors the different shades represent, but the wagons definitely did not match. So I am just going to pick out the ones that I think I can do most quickly regardless of color. The first one will go with anything, a white cage wagon with a tiger in it.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 23, 2019 5:15:00 GMT -9
On the cage wagons, the best images that I've found with animals in them all contain tigers, except one with bears. So I started looking for 'caged animals' and 'caged circus animals', etc. and not finding much. I would like a lion in the second wagon. I might have to find lions and put them behind bars EDIT -- Success!
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 23, 2019 20:01:33 GMT -9
These wagons sit a lot higher than the Vardos. I've been looking at images at www.circuswagons.org/ and the undercarriages are much more complex than the gypsy wagons. I think I am going to just make boxes to give it the elevation, with graphics to imitate all the complex mess. Probably have glue-on optional springs for the boxes, similar to the springs on the Vardo
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 24, 2019 18:44:43 GMT -9
Actually the front sub-chassis looks a lot like the Vardo. I'm going to try to turn all that fiddly stuff into a box. At least that's the plan. The rear box would be simpler graphically
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Post by squirmydad on Jan 25, 2019 18:56:53 GMT -9
That's a lovely exploded illustration I like all the construction details visible in the wheels.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 25, 2019 19:33:01 GMT -9
On the other wagons I've done, you can see through the spokes, so I can extrapolate what is behind them. Circus wagons have 'flower' wheels, so there is more guess work. That is an exploded view of a model, not a real wagon, but it would be close to a wagon from the 1920's to 1940's with more iron than wood in the chassis, but still simplified. I'd planned on collating some of the better images tonight, but my knee and back are affecting my focus. I have quite a few wagon images, but not many that explain the mechanics. By having a Chassis folder without all the rest of the wagons, I think I can create boxes that will somewhat keep to the feel.
I dug out my old plastic HO circus wagons from my destroyed railroad I had in my teens, and they are extremely simplified. I want to give a go at a more realistic set of wagons, but may end up doing simple versions, too. Like that Illustreret Familie Journal coach. I haven't given up on having steerable wagons, yet, though
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 26, 2019 18:17:30 GMT -9
Okay, I want to finish this Cage/Den Wagon though I still haven't found the name of it. I also want to do the Robbins Picture Frame wagon I want to do the rear end more like this one since it is from the 1800's I also want a red one, probably the Benzini three arch I don't like the rear undercarriage, but I do like the front Then of course, the white CW Circus wagon Tomorrow's goal is to get the undercarriages worked out, and finish the 'cage' on the white one. Once I figure out the undercarriage, it can be carried over to any of the other wagons.
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Post by cowboyleland on Jan 27, 2019 7:28:20 GMT -9
Part of me says I should do a pop-up elephant for this hoard. Part of me says that is a distraction from projects I should be working on. Can I fight off distraction for a whole month? We will find out together.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 27, 2019 9:23:19 GMT -9
I had thought of that myself, but I want to keep on with wagons. Although I am tempted to go EZ-bild route. Going that way, I could whip out a whole bunch of them, and if someone wanted a circus, they could do a whole parade's worth in an evening.
I hope someone will come up with a CWF logo to throw on things.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 27, 2019 12:00:08 GMT -9
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Post by Punkrabbitt on Jan 27, 2019 15:32:32 GMT -9
I think the EZ build route is the way to go. Honestly, if I ever have the need to build a circus train, I would only do it this way.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 27, 2019 16:15:39 GMT -9
I think the EZ build route is the way to go. Honestly, if I ever have the need to build a circus train, I would only do it this way. I think that is the situation with most folk. Trying to deal with the bars on the Cage/Den Wagons is a horrible pain. That first one I did turns out to be from Barnum & Bailey. A tableau den. Bars on one side, and a scene painted on the other. Very easy to deal with bars on only one side. My current thought is to use the bars from that one in the other cage wagons and find animals to put behind them
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 27, 2019 18:47:29 GMT -9
Was getting some eye strain working on the cage bars, so did a bit more on the tent.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 28, 2019 19:04:00 GMT -9
Finished up a second cage wagon
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 29, 2019 14:19:46 GMT -9
Have to head out for a while, so I thought I'd glue the wheel backs and let them dry while I'm out. These things sit so tall, I think you will want to do this step. You may even want to add a rear axle for added support.
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Post by Punkrabbitt on Jan 29, 2019 14:37:10 GMT -9
I'm glad I looked at this. Your flat suspension here just saved me a few hours of work on the gypsy wagon EZer build.
Thank you.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 29, 2019 15:13:02 GMT -9
Since a Vardo has the yoke for a single horse, that can be added to the front end in place of the double-team set-up for these
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 29, 2019 18:11:22 GMT -9
Well, as part of my 'trudging', my washer and dryer died around Thanksgiving, so besides working extra jobs, I have to fit in laundry, which was tonight. Probably could have taken the wagons to the Laundromat, but instead, I finished up some lettering for the tent. Still don't have a logo worked out, but want to do something with the CWF.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 29, 2019 18:48:43 GMT -9
But I like the direction the tent is heading Once I figure out a logo, I picture it on alternating panels and posters on the panels without logos
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 30, 2019 5:09:44 GMT -9
I did get them cut out, but not edged. Dry-fitting seems to look good
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 30, 2019 9:00:55 GMT -9
The logo thing was bothering me, and I found a sign last night that I thought could be used Which turned into a blank sign And then the CWF Circus sign Which I think looks good on the tent. I still have to finish how I want the tent to look, and I want to add this to each of the wagons Overall, I'd say it was a productive lunch hour
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Post by Punkrabbitt on Jan 30, 2019 11:04:30 GMT -9
Far out!
You're amazing, dude.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 30, 2019 11:15:20 GMT -9
Amazingly thick sometimes, but that worked well. While I was dialing folks and waiting for voicemails, I did the two wagons. I'll take photos tonight and post. They look a little narrow to me, but I think I'm being picky They are really easy, but that's what you want on EZ Bild's I think they look too photo-realistic. Might have to play with that And they really need something to pull them
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Post by cowboyleland on Jan 30, 2019 20:21:16 GMT -9
They don't look narrow to me. Maybe there could be a texture on the top and on the back of the ... sticky-upy (?) bits. They look really good, and there is a whole (short) month to go.
PS Someday I am going to want a tutorial from you on doing lettering in GIMP
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 30, 2019 20:49:25 GMT -9
Actually the roof pieces could easily have the texture of the side extended tops by replacing the side tabs with reverses of the extensions. Thanks for mentioning it. These really should have foot rests, and the white one needs a cage door on the back. But geometry is good
Lettering in Gimp ( a tutorial by VK)-- 1. Find a font that is close to what you want 2. Hit it with a sledgehammer for a week until you are satisfied.
That really isn't that far from my approach
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Post by Punkrabbitt on Jan 30, 2019 21:01:36 GMT -9
I think they look too photo-realistic. Might have to play with that I always try to get my stuff to match okumarts stuff o.0
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Post by cowboyleland on Jan 31, 2019 8:00:31 GMT -9
\ Lettering in Gimp ( a tutorial by VK)-- 1. Find a font that is close to what you want 2. Hit it with a sledgehammer for a week until you are satisfied. That really isn't that far from my approach Where do you look for fonts? I tried before but my google-fu was not strong.
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 31, 2019 8:06:27 GMT -9
I just searched for 'circus fonts' and then looked at images BTW, I think I have settled on the look for the entrance I've also adjusted the tent to have join tabs in the center section that will allow a sign to go on top I need to do some pennants and posters and adjust textures on the two wagons I have done. I also had an idea to turn this into a circus themed party set. Tent would be a good centerpiece, and the wagons can be gift boxes. I need some circus horses, zebras or elephants to pull these things
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Post by Vermin King on Jan 31, 2019 20:03:23 GMT -9
Added five pennants to the entrance file. Cartoonized the wagons. Added a door to the white one. The original top is now the wagon bottom, and new tops designed to add the decorative part to the inside top Darn. forgot to add the logo...
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Post by Vermin King on Feb 1, 2019 5:43:26 GMT -9
Ah, still need to add the circus logo. Glad I looked at this.
BTW -- I had mentioned turning the wagons into gift boxes. By having the bottom piece glued in, if you just insert one of the ends instead of gluing, you can put candy or whatever in the wagons.
Options -- Do I build the WIP tent tonight after work, or do I build the revised wagons, or do I move on to the freight wagon design, or do I work on horses, etc.?
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