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Building the Black Gate
Part one: The Gateway
© Lotrscenerybuilder 2008
Step 4:
So far, things must have gone fairly smooth. This next step shows you how to produce some crucial parts. Don't get fooled by the amount of time that it probably costs you to cut out the first sample of these elements. After a while you'll get the hang of this.
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The moment has arrived for you to do the drawing all by yourself. We are going to need fourteen copies of the Pippin template. Start with drawing a few series of three vertical strips onto a sheet of 0.1cm cardboard; the distance between the lines should be:
2mm - 3mm - 3mm
(The Pippin-template and the next pictures will give you a clue of what's the intention). Next, add series of horizontal lines in the manner, from the bottom upward:
6mm - 6mm - 6mm - 6mm - 6mm - 6mm - 3mm
(Again, study your sources).
By using a red pencil you can select these individual rectangles that are needed to produce a single Pippin element.
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Don't hesitate to extend your grid; you're going to need quite a few of these elements for the other parts of the Black Gate.
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From left to right, the picture shows you how to cut a single Pippin element. You may want to draw the complete element before you start to do the actual cutting but if you follow the next directions there might be no need to do so:
- Cut out the individual rectangles.
- Cut away the upper half of the top spike; follow the red diagonal across two 0.3cm squares;
- Cut along underneath the top spike;
- Remove the 0.3cm strip on the right; cut out the other five spikes by following the red lines;
- Remove the parts in between.
- One down, thirteen more to go…
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It works best if you press the (sharp!) point of your knife into the cardboard instead of making a 'cutting move'; press through the cardboard, turn the element 180 degrees and press again. That should do the trick…
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The 5.8cm guideline marks the position of the top spike. Cut off the redundant part after defining the correct size.
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Glue the Pippin elements onto the gate. The picture shows you their positions. Note that the elements that prolong the bigger Gimli's, are (naturally) shorter than the others (note also that the strips of painter's tape on your model have more length than the one's shown here…)
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In the same manner we're going to produce the Merry elements. Study the template for the measurements of the 3.3cm 'base-strip'. Add a 0.8cm guideline (up & down since we are going to draw a series of alternating elements). The picture above shows you - this time from right to left - how each individual element is drawn step by step. Use a ruler! Note that there has to be a red folding line in the middle.
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As before, this picture shows you how each individual element is cut out from the cardboard. The good news is: by now you have become a real pro in knife handling. The bad news is: we do need fifteen of them (and that only for the moment …).
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Again, bend the elements before you glue them onto the frame. This time, the top of each element is glued on top of the ridge. You might have to exert some pressure upon the elements to force them into the right position - and keep them there until the glue has dried. As you will see, the spikes in the front will slightly become out of shape because of the incision; by putting a small amount of glue onto the spike - and removing the excess - you're going to strengthen it and bring it back into shape.
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The Merry elements at both ends do need special attention. While the inner half is glued to the frame in the usual way, the outer half has to be connected as shown in the picture. Maybe you want to do a dummy run first.
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As before, mask the incisions in the Merry elements by using 0.6cm strips of painter's tape (don't cover the front spike though).
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