PlaymoFriends
Creative => How-To => Topic started by: BlackPearl2006 on December 18, 2010, 10:01:29
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Well, just bought my first system x castle, the 3268, but now I am dissastisfied with its limited configuration.
I have searched for expansion capabilities here with little success.
Can someone help me with ideas?
How would one go about raising the walls?
The only thing I can think of is to buy more 3268 walls and cut off the tops, and then drill holes and bolt the walls together in order to stack them 2 levels high.
Any possibilities with steck?
Also, has anyone painted their castles (weathering, metal parts, line detail on the bricks/mortar?) Pics and ideas please!
You're help is much appreciated! Thanks!
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2 days ago I got my first castle, 3667, a steck castle. I'm in love with the possibilities of steck, you can do almost whatever you want if you have the right parts. As far as I know System X has more limitations. As for making walls higher I think it is impossible in that system, unless you make an extreme modification like cutting and drilling like you said....
It is possible though to expand horizontally and there are in fact expansion sets, towers, a gate and lateral walls you can get on DS or ebay.
Steck and System X are not compatible unfortunatelly.
Hope this helps a bit.... <*)
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Congrats Gaston! I too only got my first castle (3667) just about a week ago as well! (for only US$30). I love it! Admittedly it was just a stand in til I could afford a 3268 castle, but I actually like the 3667 aesthetics and design possiblities better.
The 3268 does have extra walls and towers available I guess. But I'm hoping to build up the walls and the front towers if possible.
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Ok Atto, first things first...
Officially, you can expand the 3298 Knights Empire Castle with the following extensions:
7758 - Wall Extension for Knights` Empire Castle (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=7758)
7761 - Tower Extension for Knights' Empire Castle (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=7761)
7836 - Wall Extension B for Kings Castle (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=7836)
But, these are not capable of giving you more hight for the walls... A sollution for that would be to use system x walls like in attachment 1 but, their pattern does not match the castle pattern... There 3298 castle has pieces like that that can match the external walls.
The people who did the castle in attachments 2&3 did a much better job but in order to do something similar to these external walls 30 24 8120 - Castle wall, single-height with trapezoidal section in cntre (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-24-8120) you would probably have to cut the battlements... and then again, there is no holes to place a piece like that 30 22 2720 - Base plate, rectangular (2x4 units) (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-22-2720) on them.... so cutting, drilling and glueing might be unavoidable...and they will certainly be in the case of the gate towers...
Now, there are no direct/official possibilities of connecting steck and system x together...the latest castles are something of a hybrid between steck and system x http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=5897.0 but, some of their parts might fit your 3298 castle ... you'll just need to experiment ;)
And if I was to colour the walls, I'd use any spray paint to do the job!
Hope these ideas work... I'll try to see what else I have gathered!
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You have no idea how excited I am that you asked this.
Build a stepped castle wall. The bottom most level of wall is X wide, the next going up is X-1, then X-2, X-3, etc. The upper most wall section is one wall thick, so this is probably where you want to put widows, archery loops, etc.
In the schematic (attached),
Grey=3Ø 24 763Ø (or like)
White=3Ø 24 763Ø (or like)
Blue=3Ø 21 158Ø
The lower sections at at least 2-wide, so you may want to brace them every so often (such as 30 26 1040), and you may or may not want to put 3Ø 24 763Ø’s at the base (better footing). Something to consider.
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You have no idea how excited I am that you asked this.
Build a stepped castle wall. The bottom most level of wall is X wide, the next going up is X-1, then X-2, X-3, etc. The upper most wall section is one wall thick, so this is probably where you want to put widows, archery loops, etc.
In the schematic (attached),
Grey=3Ø 24 763Ø (or like)
White=3Ø 24 763Ø (or like)
Blue=3Ø 21 158Ø
The lower sections at at least 2-wide, so you may want to brace them every so often (such as 30 26 1040), and you may or may not want to put 3Ø 24 763Ø’s at the base (better footing). Something to consider.
where's the pic? Do you mean to make a tiered castle? So far this is what I am trying: I just took some steck walls from my 3667 and literally just placed them atop the inner decking for the 3268 castle walls. Perhaps some custom cutting might have to be done to make the steck walls sit flush against the two jawbridge towers and the rear keep, but this is the simplest "mod" I can think of without hacking anything at all so far. So it provides a lower level of walls (the stock 3268 walls) and even some planking room for klickies to roam about the perimeter, and then a second tier of walls that are closer in to the castle keep, and higher than the first tier. Is this what you mean?
(sorry for the poor pic, taken at night with my celphone...my camera upload cable is fritz :(
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Ok Atto, first things first...
Officially, you can expand the 3298 Knights Empire Castle with the following extensions:
7758 - Wall Extension for Knights` Empire Castle (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=7758)
7761 - Tower Extension for Knights' Empire Castle (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=7761)
7836 - Wall Extension B for Kings Castle (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=7836)
But, these are not capable of giving you more hight for the walls... A sollution for that would be to use system x walls like in attachment 1 but, their pattern does not match the castle pattern... There 3298 castle has pieces like that that can match the external walls.
The people who did the castle in attachments 2&3 did a much better job but in order to do something similar to these external walls 30 24 8120 - Castle wall, single-height with trapezoidal section in cntre (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-24-8120) you would probably have to cut the battlements... and then again, there is no holes to place a piece like that 30 22 2720 - Base plate, rectangular (2x4 units) (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showpart.pl?partnum=30-22-2720) on them.... so cutting, drilling and glueing might be unavoidable...and they will certainly be in the case of the gate towers...
Now, there are no direct/official possibilities of connecting steck and system x together...the latest castles are something of a hybrid between steck and system x http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=5897.0 but, some of their parts might fit your 3298 castle ... you'll just need to experiment ;)
And if I was to colour the walls, I'd use any spray paint to do the job!
Hope these ideas work... I'll try to see what else I have gathered!
thanks for the info! I can't wait to mod this baby somehow!
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What I can see Rock Castle (3269 (http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=3269)) IS much more customizable.
Many System-X castles are made from the Dark Grey pieces instead of the light grey that comes with 3268.
YOu could try and combine the two?
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where's the pic?
It’s up now. (Never post when you’re falling asleep.)
EDIT: I have reviewed the pic you put up (fuzzy yes, but more than adequate for these puroses;)), and it’s really kinda like my idea, but in reverse. There’s no reason you can’t do both (I could get a pic together, but I think you can figure it out on your own very easily). In fact, I plan (eventually) to do something very similar (not exactly, but close).
EDIT 2: Ah Hell, I included the second castle schematic; In this version, the Yellow is any kind of door (most likely the 3Ø 26 236Ø/3Ø 27 22ØØ/3Ø 24 768Ø arched doorway/door/padlock system).
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Ok, so I completely disassembled my 3667 steck castle so I could play with the parts and see how I can add it to the 3268 castle and here are my preliminary results so far:
Raised walls (steck) on the east and west sides.
An extra blockade/stockade wall on the west wing (steck).
Extra west tower/battlement second story using steck! (I made only a slight cut in the systemx tower battlement to accommodate the steck tower and it fits perfectly! Interesting because it ends up taller than the stock 3268 east tower, and is, of course, a different design which makes it more interesting.
The only parts that I need to custom-fit still are the front castle walls; I need to cut some steck wall panels to custom fit the contours of the jawbridge towers so they are flush.
Wudya think so far?
p.s. Oh, btw, the seige tower is now just a bit too short to work against the higher walls without the ramp being inclined upwards at about 25-30 degrees. Unless I find a way to move the ramp to the top-most platform of the siege tower.
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p.s. Oh, btw, the seige tower is now just a bit too short to work against the higher walls without the ramp being inclined upwards at about 25-30 degrees. Unless I find a way to move the ramp to the top-most platform of the siege tower.
¿And this is a problem why?
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¿And this is a problem why?
lol, well I guess it's not a problem for the folk INSIDE the castle, since their walls are too high for invading parties' siege towers to penetrate, but it's not so good for the invaders! (nor for me if I want to reenact an invasion using the towers!)
Even though one is sys x and the other is steck, I think these two wall aesthetics go well together, dontcha think?
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This is great work Atto! Do you think its possible to take a few pics of the joining points too and the base of the steck tower?
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That's a very impressive castle custom. I'd certainly think twice before attacking it!
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Atto... the result is great!!!! It would be cool to see details of the parts you had to cut and how they fit. What do you use to cut a steck piece? That is thick plastic!
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Atto... the result is great!!!! It would be cool to see details of the parts you had to cut and how they fit. What do you use to cut a steck piece? That is thick plastic!
I've cut steck pieces, actually the male ends (and I am sure somebody is about to make a comment on that :lol:), with an iron saw (is this the right term?--- see attachment)... not practical at all but I have no mechanical tools that I can use.
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I've cut steck pieces, actually the male ends (and I am sure somebody is about to make a comment on that :lol:), with an iron saw (is this the right term?--- see attachment)... not practical at all but I have no mechanical tools that I can use.
If it works, it works so stick with it, Panos.
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it looks really great, atto! i'm surprised how good they look together!
I've cut steck pieces, actually the male ends (and I am sure somebody is about to make a comment on that :lol:),
:giggle:
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I've cut steck pieces, actually the male ends (and I am sure somebody is about to make a comment on that :lol:), with an iron saw (is this the right term?--- see attachment)... not practical at all but I have no mechanical tools that I can use.
We call those 'hack saws' here. You could use a band saw to cut the pieces with. You could also use a scroll saw. A bet they make mini-bandsaws for hobbyists. However, if you're not into really customizing steck pieces, this would be a waste. Or you could take up some type of woodworking! ;D
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We call those 'hack saws' here. You could use a band saw to cut the pieces with. You could also use a scroll saw. A bet they make mini-bandsaws for hobbyists. However, if you're not into really customizing steck pieces, this would be a waste. Or you could take up some type of woodworking! ;D
I bought a bandsaw last week, and it is indeed very good for 'hacking up' Playmo :evilplan:
Before, I used an ordinary hacksaw as well :)
Damo :)
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You could use a band saw to cut the pieces with. You could also use a scroll saw. A bet they make mini-bandsaws for hobbyists.
Power tools generate too much heat over the cut area, and ends up melting the plastic rather than cutting it. Hand tools move slowly and give a cleaner cut. (Just my experience.)
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I'll try and get more shots of the base and connecting points soon.
As far as cutting playmo, I've used a dremel before, and since Playmo is so tough it doesn't ALWAYS melt, but still can.
For precision cuts that are straight, I use a mini hand saw (like a hack saw of sorts) that you can buy in most train hobby stores. It wil cut a very straight line with its cerated edge. I've cut strips off of playmo victorian flooring as thin as 2mm thin. Very accurate. It's what I used on the battlements to accomodate the steck towers which just slide over the tops! I'll get more pics when I can. :)
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This type of saw is ideal for cutting as it cuts flush and so there are no rough edges to sand down. It cuts only on the backward stroke:
http://hobby.uk.com/tools/saws-screwdrivers-hammers/zona-flush-cut-saw.html
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This type of saw is ideal for cutting as it cuts flush and so there are no rough edges to sand down. It cuts only on the backward stroke:
http://hobby.uk.com/tools/saws-screwdrivers-hammers/zona-flush-cut-saw.html
Yes Gordon, this is the type that I bought on Wesley Myers recommendation and I think it does a great job! I feel like I have more control over what I am doing and haven't cut a finger off yet! ;)
Joe
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This type of saw is ideal for cutting as it cuts flush and so there are no rough edges to sand down. It cuts only on the backward stroke:
http://hobby.uk.com/tools/saws-screwdrivers-hammers/zona-flush-cut-saw.html
Aha, yes, that is exactly the same type of saw I use as well! :)
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Ok so I skipped out on the expansion sets made for the 3268 (the extra doors and tower, but I DID buy two WIZARDS WORKSHOPS and used them to extend both the width and length by enough that it made the castle big enough for my likes, but not too big. Here was the result:
(see attachments below).
Oh, and I went and bought some 2-inch thick styrofoam and carved out a "floor" ground for my castle to rest on so it would feel more complete (as oppossed to using the living room floor as its floor.) Plus it raises the entire base of the castle by 2 inches and gives it a more solid feel.
I was going to carve a mote around the castle, but then decided against it for space reasons (and the fact that real water would be messy). I can always add one later. Styrofoam nees to be painted still, but you get the general idea of the shape:
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Looking great, Atto!
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Really great!!!
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You wanna put a motte around your castle, CONSIDER building a false-wall assembly to recess int the table. Then seal it (silicone, whatever; You may have to experiment a bit to figure out what will work best.)
EDIT: Here’s a diagram of how it lays out; Please keep in mind that this particular diagram wasn’t actually meant to address this sort of design so it’s a bit on the “rough” side.
Red indicates dirt, wood, or whatever you set/mount the castle itself to (you could actually build a table/false deck of PM itself), light blue indicates water (or gel, or whatever you fill your motte with).
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Gel? :o What do you mean? This sounds like a good idea.
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I like the base idea. If you want to expand it, you could make it modular.
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I like the base idea. If you want to expand it, you could make it modular.
I thought about that too. Actually, the base edges are carved in way that they can double as one riverbank side of the mote (sorry spelling). The outter parts I could have saved to become the outside bank of the mote, but I threw them away because of my space limitations. But I can always buy more material and reconstruct it later.
The base is modular, so to speak, actually. It is comprised of two blocks of foam on which I cut a puzzle-type interlocking pattern so that they could be joined together to form one base, and can be disassembled for storage without taking up as much space since it can be stacked in multiple pieces. If I want to expand the castle further, all I have to do is insert a new block between them (similar to a dining table that has a removeable center portion) with the same interlocking pattern.
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Gel? :o What do you mean? This sounds like a good idea.
Well, I thought of gel because water leaks and evaporates too easily. I can’t suggest what type of gel, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be a type you’d want to eat…
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If I had my own room for displaying the castle I would have carved the mote, painted the bed of the mote blue, and filled it with real water.
However, for now it resides on the living room floor in full access to my wee ones, so having real water (or even gel) in there just isn't feasible at this time....too messy.
One other alternative I may use is to place a play mat under the base that is slightly bigger, and just paint blue mote water around it to suggest real water for now.
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Have considered EZ water, like model makers use for train layouts? Because it dries hard and wouldn't be messy around the kids, but can look very convincing. You paint the surface underneath whatever color you want the water to be. I know you weren't really asking about this anymore, but I couldn't help but bring it up. ;D
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Have considered EZ water, like model makers use for train layouts? Because it dries hard and wouldn't be messy around the kids, but can look very convincing. You paint the surface underneath whatever color you want the water to be. I know you weren't really asking about this anymore, but I couldn't help but bring it up. ;D
yeah, thought about doing that too. It's pretty much a clear resin I think. I also thought about somehow incorporating the playmobil river sets that come with the wildlife animals (like the Lion Pride) that hook together to make a riverbed. Lotsa ideas. I'm sure I'll get more ideas from the train show with Glazz's playmotrains tomorrow in Seattle :D
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However, for now it resides on the living room floor in full access to my wee ones, so having real water (or even gel) in there just isn't feasible at this time....too messy.
Ya. Maybe later on.