Making Jungle Huts, Part 1

I am gearing up for running a Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago game at Cold Wars 2018. This will be a big multi-player game. I do not have any Jungle Terrain, so starting from scratch.

First up is Jungle Huts. I am fortunate that I have a lot of cool tools, and now I get to showcase one. The Proxxon Foam cutter. If you can afford it, it is a great tool to add to the workshop. While this is an awesome tool it can be better, that's where ShiftingLands.Com comes in. They make a jig that sits on the Proxxon and makes near perfect Circle cuts. Gerard Boom is the guy running this site and he makes a few other Jigs, that make the Proxxon all that it can be.

Ok back to the huts. The Original goal was to come up with a way to make simple huts that I could make a bunch off all at once. I'm not sure I succeeded in the simple part, so here we go:

A quick and easy base for the hut.

 Trace out pattern on to foam. Measure it so you know where to get the circle jig.

 Hot Wire action!

First cut done, now adjust the jig to make a small circle cut inside the first one. This will give you the walls.

All wall cuts done. I slice off a thin piece out center to make a small insert that will attach to the roof
and hold the roof on when done. This way the huts will have playable interiors.

 Glue walls to base, with low heat Glue gun.

I used my Proxxon and the circle jig to cut the roofs. Proxxon also makes angle cuts. The piece I cut was not big enough to complete the cone to the top of the point. Not pictured,  I had to cut a paper cone to complete the point. I had to use actual math to figure the cone size and angle of the cut. 

With the math done already I could use the same calculations to cut out the "thatched roof". I'm using a cheap Walmart Towel. I got like 20 for $4. I had to give half to my wife for house hold duties. Using the template allows the edges to meet with no excess or bunching up of the towel. 

I glued one straight seem down, then the other seem that matched up against the first. Then I just fold back the towel, spread some glue and pull the towel down towards the edge. Doing small sections of the cone at a time

Last part, flip the roof over, and then trim off the extra towel, BUT leave a little overhang that can be glued around the lip of the roof. You don't want any pink foam showing thru on the roof.

AND BOOM, I have 7 huts with removable roofs. Wasn't that simple? Ok yeah that was a fail on the simple part. But they came out pretty good so far. Very happy with the results.

Next up, detailing, carve the door and paint.

Xin/Jeff