Medieval Fortified Village by Ekis - 1/87 scratch base kit Aedes Ars

[Ekis]

So...
I started something completely different.

Years ago (around twenty!), I subscribed to a Del Prado collection (when it still existed ...). I never had time to do this thing, and I quietly locked it in boxes all this time.
Today, to change things a bit, I brought out all this stuff, and I plan to move forward a little.

It is a medieval fortified village from the Middle Ages to be built in mini brick, stone by stone. As usual with collection publishers, Del Prado had entered into a partnership with a kit manufacturer which still exists : Aedes Ars. Some of you may know.
They design all kinds of reconstituted stone kits of monuments, houses, castles, etc.

 

It is a long, tedious job, with each stone to be adjusted. And personally, I'm new to the field ... We'll see!
That said, I won't be able to prevent myself from personalizing a little...

 

 

 

 

At the end of the construction of each element, the whole must constitute a village; it is planned to make it a global diorama. I'll do it a little differently ... But we're not there yet!
In parallel, I will certainly also start a boat to change my mind from time to time. I will present it to you later. 😉

 

The first building will be the church of this village.

The work has started: we have to organize, cut, correct, strengthen the cardboard structure (I mounted the cardboard 20 years ago, it had collapsed a bit, we had to take off parts to put them back more late) ... ☺️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Ekis

[Ekis]

The following :

In addition, here is the final support of the village proposed by the kit: I will surely not use it at the end, another idea is already in progress to make the supports, but it will serve me to place the elements and the walls between buildings ... A sort of shipyard in fact!

Finally, I planned to make a little richer in the constructions than the rough stone representation, with nothing for the openings of windows, doors, bell tower, etc ... A little brick will not do any harm (to create very small, small!):

 

 

I only spent 10 or 15 more hours there: each stone takes time to adjust!
Afterwards, you have to sand, scrape, make the main joints, clean, wash, etc ... I have not yet definitively chosen what appearance I will give to the whole: all the full joints or leave a little "day" between the stones.

All this may seem a bit wobbly from time to time, but I am convinced that it will only make once in place, clean joints, aged, vegetated, in its environment on a base!

[Ekis]

The suite with a completed facade:

 

[Ekis]

Some photos of the stained glass windows in the apse, and the front rose window (not glued yet):

The side tower under construction:

And the future together with the cloister, modified in its structure compared to the initial plan:

[Ekis]

Work in progress before sanding and joints on the tower and bell tower.
The bell tower was split in 2 to be able to work the openings a bit.
The apse is finished.
Soon, I will attack the roofs ...

[reklein]

Very nice. You'll need to add a small dock and ship to this scene.

[Ekis]

2 minutes ago, reklein said:

Very nice. You'll need to add a small dock and ship to this scene.

I don't know, but one can imagine that this fortified village could grow as I find other kits to assemble ... For the dock (or/and Shipyard), I would have to find a boat at the right scale of the 14th century to build!
For the moment, I will already try to complete this entire village project, which should take me very long months! 😀

[reklein]

I wasn't thinking immediately ,but down the road. I can see that its an involved project. I once built a large model of Sitka Alaska as it looked in 1840. It was scratch built and based on a plan drawn by the Russians in 1840. Since Sitka is a coastal town I had to include a couple ships and Native canoes. Lots of fun.They even had a ship mockup on land to teach local boys seamanship. I think this will be a satisfying project for you and fun for us to watch.

[Javlin]

That's alot of pieces Sir!Now did they sort the blocks for you by building?Cool project/build! Kevin

[James H]

That looks superb! I always wanted to try one of these kits.

[Ekis]

51 minutes ago, Javlin said:

Now did they sort the blocks for you by building?

No, nothing is sorted out: I have to choose the right stones to build, rectify and cut for the walls to be correct. And then, it was a kit, it is necessary that I transform a little as usual so that it is a little more realistic, as in the Middle Ages! 😁

[popeye the sailor]

I have never seen one of these kits before..........very interesting and a very nice start {again}.  are you using clay to make any bricks that you might need special?

[Canute]

What do you use to glue the bricks together? A ready to use product or do you make a mortar?

 

Interesting line of kits. Might try a small one.

[Ekis]

13 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

are you using clay to make any bricks that you might need special?

In fact, it is a kind of ceramic. It sands well, breaks with an X-Acto. The stones are part of the kit with different stone sizes. But I added half moon shaped stones, red bricks and other things.
In the same way, I cut myself the cylindrical columns which are not provided: around the door, on the bell tower, or several for the cloister to come ...
On the church, in the Middle Ages, there were very few visible wooden structures, but on the other buildings to come, I will deviate from the somewhat simplistic kit to add things everywhere.

I also bought clay to be able to make other kinds of stones if I need to.

 

 

2 hours ago, Canute said:

What do you use to glue the bricks together? A ready to use product or do you make a mortar?

The glue used is simply quick-setting wood glue. But to make the joints and for the aesthetics, I use very fine sealant for cracks, bought in DIY stores.

[GrandpaPhil]

Very cool!

[Ekis]

Like many, Christmas holidays are not really conducive to assembling models ...

But this church continues to build slowly with the guard tower and the belfry: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[yvesvidal]

Very Roman looking. Beautiful.

This will be a heavy diorama, when completed.

 

Yves

[popeye the sailor]

neat!  good to see your continuing........Rome wasn't built in a day  {seemed applicable}.    that happened to a lot of folks I think.....me too as well.   as with any of these mediums that require building,  it's never good to rush things anyway........so your right on target     looks very good.

[Ekis]

Here it is: the belfry is made with its roof! It will host the cloister on its side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We move to the other roofs ...

[yvesvidal]

I can almost picture myself, during one of my former incarnations, walking around that cloister while reciting an endless litany of "Pater Noster".

 

Great job.

 

Yves

[Ekis]

Thank you for the comment, but for that, we will have to wait until this cloister is built ... But on the other hand, you have the whole church for you, as soon as the roof is done!  😁🤣

[Javlin]

So this diorama I take it you will add the green grass mat with shrubs/trees/weeds?To what scale does it work out to?this looks to be a long build. Kevin

[Ekis]

Yes, this is a project that will take a very long time to finalize ...
I indeed intend to make a montage with vegetation, aging buildings.

But before that, I have to finish all the constructions, provide bases different from what was in the kit (solid wood instead of a plywood mounting), and adjust the leveling of the entire surface of the town.
But indeed, there will be trees and quite a few other things.

I am looking more to get closer to a model of the old architects (in France, we have "Relief Plans", Topography Plans, made by Vauban to build fortresses on the coasts for example) rather than a classic rail type diorama ...
The scale is also close to HO, 1:87 I think. ☺️

[Ekis]

I have a lot of work at the moment, so less time to devote (!!) to this church ...
But I still post the few roof advances.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ekis]

This church is practically finished: I still have the double door which opens onto the future cloister garden to be made and the forecourt that I will make later.

Some pictures :

During the construction of the roof: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... and I move on ... 

 

[yvesvidal]

Beautiful.

Yves

[Ekis]

Some photos on a neutral background, and I go to the cloister:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mtaylor]

I'll just add what others are saying... beautiful work.  And fascinating to see it come to life.

[Javlin]

Gorgeous!!

[Ekis]

The first cloister building is advancing quite a bit.
I had to transform a little to make it more aesthetic and conform to the Roman Art of the church. The old kit did not provide for a column, no difference between the exterior and the interior openings.

Similarly, I added floor tiles and a door from the tower which seems logical ... I spent a few hours there.
The remaining holes or stone overflows are future connections with the church or the rest of the buildings.