If you are going to run a Games Store - perhaps especially if you are going to run an independent Games Store - every now and then you are obliged to follow through with one of the many lunatic ideas that frequently come up in random conversation.
It's an unwritten rule.
Something along the lines of a big sign that says:
'Here be mad (if somewhat creative) people!'
One recent topic of conversation has been,
"How can we generate publicity for the in-store board games group?"
Small wooden 'Miniature People' widely used as tokens (or pawns) in board games. Most closely associated with the board game: Carcassonne.
Standard Meeples are approximately 15mm tall (a little over half an inch). My plan was to build one taller than a metre (3'3").
As with any project, prior to the fun bits of cutting-out, assembling and painting (in this particular case) a giant Meeple, there is a fair bit of preparation and planning.
The basic Meeple outline itself is fairly straight-forward, but this had to be enlarged to the necessary size. In the end I opted for a half-template (one arm, one leg, half a head), cut from cardboard.
The front and back were to be cut from a single 8' x 4' (2440mm x 1220mm) sheet of chipboard, which effectively limited the size of the finished article to half a sheet: 4' x 4' (1220mm x 1220mm). In practice, the size of the car turned out to be the limiting factor and the finished height is approximately 3'7" (1100mm).
Two large gingerbread-man shapes cut from chipboard.
This was also the major decision point of the project...
In order to ensure that they are stable, Meeples are quite fat relative to their height. Height to Width to Depth, the ratios are about 1.0 : 1.0 : 0.6
In order to be 'accurate' the finshed Uber-MEEPLE would need to be more than 26" (660mm) deep! Far deeper than required for stability on this scale.
Ultimately, the decision was based simply on what looked right and the spacers between the front and back panels are only 12" (300mm) long.
The curved side panels are made from ¼" (6mm) hardboard.
I knew that it was possible to bend hardboard (or indeed most wood) to shape using a combination of heat, water and tension. I didn't appreciate that in the case of hardboard this could be achieved simply by pouring boiling water directly from a kettle down the smooth face of the board, before bending it into shape, tying it off and simply leaving it to dry over night.
Aside from the obvious dangers involved with the use of boiling water, getting any water on the softer textured side of the board can result into the whole panel disintegrating into a soggy mush. Even so, the process turned out to be far, far simpler than I could possibly have hoped.
Each panel is held in place with string. Some blocks of wood are there to prevent the string from cutting into the panel (especially whilst it is wet). Other, small blocks are used to keep the string under tension.
In total, five panels are needed: Head, Arms and Legs. The underside would be done later with solid board to ensure that the base was flat.
Standard Woodworking PVA is used to glue the first three panels into place. String, gaffer tape and hot glue (around the inside) hold them steady while the glue dries.
It may well have been possible to glue all of the panels into place using the glue gun. Given my lack of experience, combined with the size and shape of the panels, I decide to play safe with regular liquid PVA and just accept that it would be slower (needing to dry overnight).
The first panels firmly glued into position.
The first indication that this idea might actually work.
With the leg panels now glued into place, heavier 18mm MDF board is added to the the feet to ensure a flat base, improve stability and provide something solid for the bottom of the leg panels to fix to.
The final panels are glued into position.
Construction complete!
Filling, planing, sanding...
White primer...
Lots and lots of green paint...
CLIFTON ROAD MEEPLE!
Exeter Board Games Club meets every Monday evening, 7pm-11pm at Clifton Road Games in Exeter. Contact the shop for more details... or just turn up and join in.