Lord of the Rings. Nunawading Wargames Association Inc.

Lord Of The Rings Home Page Making a Mumakil Figure Gallery Making Minas Tirith - Main Gate & Level 1 - Levels 2 to 3 - Levels 4 to 7 - Central Rock - Details - More Details Making the Mines of Moria - Watcher in the Water - Precipitous Paths - Balin's Tomb - Treacherous Stairs - Bridge of Khazad-dum - Flight From Moria	Precipitous Paths Leading from the Hollin gate, the precipitous paths wind around and upwards towards Balin's Tomb. I had to raise the pathway from the Hollin gate up to the right height for Balin's Tomb and the top of the Precipitous Stairs. My idea was to get the longest possible path while keeping the base size to a single of the standard modules. This is done with a combination of stairs, bridges and winding pathways. Most of the floor was cut out of each module except the one that would be the lowest level. The only parts that were retained was the two bridges across the middle and ledges around the edges. The stairs were made from 5.5mm thick foamboard. Once assembled and the PVA glue dried, it was time to glue them in place in the module. The larger stalagmites and bridge piers were carved out of closed cell foam. Smaller stalagmites were made from leftover polystyrene foam, although the latter is not as strong as using closed cell foam. They were all glued in position with PVA. Gaps between modules and special rock faces were made with spray expanding foam. This creates magnificent rock textures. It is also very light and quite strong. It helps to keep the module sections together. The only thing to be careful about is that it continues to expand a little overnight. I placed some heavy weights on top of the whole assembly otherwise the expanding foam would have forced the sections apart as it expanded, even though the sections had been glued with PVA. I also found I had to cut back the dried foam the next day to uncover the stairs. Although not planned, it gave the appearance of the stairs being hewn out of rock. Sometimes you can turn these unforeseen events to advantage.
		Above. A small amount of the tan brown was mixed with light grey for a final dry brush on the passage floors gives the slightly pink tinge. Too much grey can look very boring.

Above. Terrain for the Precipitous Paths module ready to paint. The four levels glued together can be seen at the front. The top layer has been painted brown to highlight.		Above. The finished module. The module was undercoated in black then dry brushed in successively lighter shades of grey.

Precipitous Paths