hello from the Rockies

Wow Haven't seen that aluminum stuff before. That's a cool option. I think I would take a real hard look at fiberglass before going with wood. A steel structure with fiberglass over the top would be really durable. I wouldn't trust Luan or hardboard to be strong enough. While you describe the structure as hopefully not taking a lot of abuse... it sounds like there is a possibility of it getting knocked around a bit. 1/4" would be strong enough to survive a fairly substantial accidental jolt.

I think the lowest budget approach would be to build a steel tube frame and face it with 1/4", take hardboard and cut it into squares . Attach the hard board squares to the 1/4" ply to create some depth to your concrete blocks. Texture with Van's V.S.S.D. (Van could he skip the hard board squares and texture the 1/4" directly? Sounds a little more tricky to get it right).


Should be strong and not terribly heavy. Remember that "light weight" and "strong" are words that can only be combined through the application of a lot of money.

I'm having trouble tracking down fiberglass panels, any thoughts? How much more durable do you think 1/4 ply will be than Luan? I am intrigued by the texturing idea, but texture is really secondary, getting the walls to be solid and stable is far more of a concern to the folks I am working with than the precise look. They'd probably settle for grey walls with black lines for the stone as long as the walls were sturdy.
 
You can put your knee or elbow through a sheet of 2 mm Luan or Masonite without a lot of effort. The 5 mm Luan is a little tougher to damage but not as strong as 1/4" ply.

Another interesting option would be Coroplast. It's corrugated plastic... there are other manufacturers, contact your local plastic dealer and find out what is cheapest. Think sheets of corrugated cardboard but made from plastic. You've probably seen it used as garage sale signs. Well you can get it in full 4'x8' sheets. It wouldn't be as strong as 1/4", but it is probably as strong as Luan, it's also waterproof. 1" tubing and Coroplast might be a great option. Cost: google corrugated plastic and you'll find it for $34 a sheet with a 25 sheet minimum (call your local plastic dealer to see if you can avoid the minimum).

Van what do you think?

EDIT:... OH this is cool stuff. Corocell expanded PVC in 3mm and 6mm sheets. Wonder how heavy it is.
 
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You can put your knee or elbow through a sheet of 2 mm Luan or Masonite without a lot of effort. The 5 mm Luan is a little tougher to damage but not as strong as 1/4" ply.

Another interesting option would be Coroplast. It's corrugated plastic... there are other manufacturers, contact your local plastic dealer and find out what is cheapest. Think sheets of corrugated cardboard but made from plastic. You've probably seen it used as garage sale signs. Well you can get it in full 4'x8' sheets. It wouldn't be as strong as 1/4", but it is probably as strong as Luan, it's also waterproof. 1" tubing and Coroplast might be a great option. Cost: google corrugated plastic and you'll find it for $34 a sheet with a 25 sheet minimum (call your local plastic dealer to see if you can avoid the minimum).

Van what do you think?

EDIT:... OH this is cool stuff. Corocell expanded PVC in 3mm and 6mm sheets. Wonder how heavy it is.

Hmmm. will the plastic sheets provide enough cross-bracing for the studwall "legs" that support the platforms? Then again will 1/4" luan?
 
So these walls are supporting the platform? I thought they were a superficial facade with the real structure underneath. Cross bracing doesn't have to be super strong. It's not actually weight baring, it is just fixing points in relationship to each other. 1/4" ply is strong for many cross bracing applications... not all. 5mm Luan well that's pushing it... I wouldn't use it as a primary source of cross bracing but it's a good reinforcement for some applications.

I think we need some drawings here to better understand what you are doing.

Also what's your budget?
 
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So these walls are supporting the platform? I thought they were a superficial facade with the real structure underneath. Cross bracing doesn't have to be super strong. It's not actually weight baring, it is just fixing points in relationship to each other. 1/4" ply is strong for many cross bracing applications... not all. 5mm Luan well that's pushing it... I wouldn't use it as a primary source of cross bracing but it's a good reinforcement for some applications.

I think we need some drawings here to better understand what you are doing.

Also what's your budget?

I'll see what I can do about getting some drawings up. Some of the walls are purely superficial, bearing no weight at all. The tower walls support platforms making the castle "practical". Effectively I'm thinking studwalls for the platform legs, faced to supply cross bracing.

Budget-wise we are limited by our fundraising ability, realistically I am looking at a max of $4000 but closer to $2500 would be better.

Steel tube is currently leading in the steel vs wood debate, if only for weight reasons, and despite cost, but it also brings up the issues of requiring more equipment to work and thus more funds.
 
You might be able to save some money on the construction by going with a mix of "Unistrut" (aka "Superstrut") and Wood instead of the welded tubing. Are you familiar with UniStrut? It's an adult erector set. Very strong, just bolt and go.
 
You might be able to save some money on the construction by going with a mix of "Unistrut" (aka "Superstrut") and Wood instead of the welded tubing. Are you familiar with UniStrut? It's an adult erector set. Very strong, just bolt and go.

So effectively build the studwalls out of unistrut and platforms out of wood. Hmmm that might be a solution. IT would remove the need for welding, now I just need to find a price. Suggestions on how to attach facing to the unistrut?
 
You might be able to save some money on the construction by going with a mix of "Unistrut" (aka "Superstrut") and Wood instead of the welded tubing. Are you familiar with UniStrut? It's an adult erector set. Very strong, just bolt and go.

Hmm actually for the prices I'm being quoted I think it might be worth the investment in equipment to work with steel tube.

Can a drill press handle 16 gauge square steel tube or do I need to look at getting the holes done by someone with access to a hydraulic punch?
 
How long is this piece of string?

Can a drill press handle 16 gauge square steel tube or do I need to look at getting the holes done by someone with access to a hydraulic punch?
Depends on the torque of the motor and how sharp your bits are. A punch is usually not required.
 
I'm guessing that you are a SCAdian, no? If so, the group up in Greeley (forgot the Barony's name) used to have some similar structure for their Brigand's Bizarre (except made for the heavies). If not, check sca.org for suggestions as well.
 
I'm guessing that you are a SCAdian, no? If so, the group up in Greeley (forgot the Barony's name) used to have some similar structure for their Brigand's Bizarre (except made for the heavies). If not, check sca.org for suggestions as well.

Not actually a SCAdian, the group I am involved with is called Amtgard, kind of the SCA's bastard scion. We use boffer weapons instead of rattan. I've got a couple pictures of the current incarnation of the castle I'll post when I get home.
 

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