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For complete instructions on pouring the blocks, see the Casting Instructions Page. Below are a few suggestions on how to use the turret mold.
| 1. | I'll show how to create corner turrets for your castle by doing one corner. Start by making the bottom of the keep with square corners. We're going to add the turret to the second floor. |
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| 2. | Create the second floor separately. When dry, it will lay on top of the first floor. The photo shows the circular pieces added onto the square corner. The blocks shown in red are special pieces included on the turret mold. They help splice the turret seamlessly into the flat wall. |
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| 3. | The second row of blocks is placed on top staggered. The blocks shown in red are special blocks on the turret mold used to splice the turret into the flat walls. |
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| 4. | Once the second floor is placed on top of the first, you need a way to support the turret. The photos on the right show what pieces are used to support the turret. These pieces are shown upside-down. The final decoration is the knob sanded in half. |
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| 5. | Here's a photo of the finished turret. The miniature was made by Games Workshop. There are lots of possibilities for this thing. The turret could have extended further down into the first floor and included a window, we could have added the dome to the top, or the turret could reach all the way down to the base. Also, these turrets could attach to a flat wall (half circle), or they could be on an inside corner (quarter circle). They also make great circular staircases using the flat tiles as steps. |
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| Making a balcony is very similar to making a corner turret. The only thing different is how to brace the underside. The pieces shown here are upside-down so you can see how the underside of the balcony is built. Start with 2 of the large smooth curved sections. Place a regular curved piece inside to act as a brace. Next you'll need 4 of the smaller smooth slices put together to form a half circle. Place these on top and glue them to the brace block and against the wall. Finish the decoration by sanding a knob piece in half and gluing it against the wall. |
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| 1. | To build the tower, you'll have to cast the turret mold 9 times. We'll start with the base of the tower. Glue the first layer of blocks down to a piece of cereal box. Be sure that one of the outside ring of blocks is a flat one (for the threshold of the doorway). |
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| 2. | Lay down 2 pieces of notebook paper end-to-end and tape them together. Place a ruler on the left side and measure in 6 1/4" and place a mark. Draw an arrow to the line as I have done. |  |
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| 3. | Roll the paper, line up the arrows and tape the roll together. Place the paper in the center of the tower. This will be a circular guide we will build around. |  |
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| 4. | Add 2 more rows of blocks leaving the doorway open. Sand 2 of the decorative caps halfway. Glue these to the inside top of the doorway as shown. |
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| 5. | Place the curved arch over the doorway and add the other blocks shown. Since we want this tower to come apart later on, we need to mark where the tower will separate. Use a marker and draw lines on the tops of all these blocks. The marks will remind you where not to glue later on. |
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| 6. | Continue to add 2 more rows to the tower, but be sure not to glue where the marks are. When the glue is dry, you should be able to remove to top section to make painting easier. |
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| 7. | For the second floor, glue the pieces together as shown and let them dry completely. Glue this on top of the tower. |
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| 8. | For the window pillars, stack 2 half-circular blocks together. You will need to make 8 of these pillars. |  |
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| 9. | Glue the pillars to the tower and add the circular window sections on top. Sometime when the glue is dry, you can trim the extra cereal box from around the base of the tower. |
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| 10. | Now for the dome roof. Take two sections of the dome and glue them together. You will notice that there is a right and left half to each section. Each completed section will form 1/8th of the dome. You will need to make 8 of these sections for a complete dome. Let these sections dry before continuing. |
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| 11. | Glue the 1/8th sections together to make four quarters of the dome. When dry, glue together the complete dome. Sand the top flat and glue the knob decoration on the top. Here's what the complete tower looks like. |
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| 12. | To paint the model follow the instructions on the Painting Instructions page. For the dome, I'm going to use green paint, mixed with a little white for the first coat, then a lighter green dry brushed afterwards. This will simulate the patina of a copper dome (copper turns green when it oxidizes). |
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| 13. | Here's a photo of the finished tower on a rock hill. To see how I build the hill, go to the Tips & Tricks 6 page. The turret mold was also used to create this fountain. To see how to build the fountain, visit the Tips & Tricks 6 page. |
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"Castlemolds(R)" is a trademark of Hirst Arts Fantasy Architecture Inc.
For more information contact bruce@hirstarts.com. Page last updated 2/15/04