Floor Games Flotilla

[puddingwrestler]

Last week the esteemed woodwork teacher of my school announced he would open the mighty workshops of the trades wing every tuesday evening for staff to pursue some projects and spend some social time hitting nails together. That is, the staff would come together to hit nails. Although I guess we could just get a few nails and whack them together. Might not be that interesting...
So naturally, I started thinking about making wooden toys. Not having the space, money, or powered shed for such things as band saws and drill presses I got all excited about my options and went rampaging o'er the internet looking for ideas. Having decided to build some toy cars, I then threw it all away when I suddenly remembered Task Force from Skull And Crown games (makers of Wooden Wars) - a floor game using big chunky wooden war ships at which one flicks D20s as cannon shells.
This lead to a weekend of frenzied Sketchuperation.* And my inherent cheapness and rules tinkering obsession lead to me developing my own ideas of rules. Which lead to this:

From top to bottom: Three destroyers. These are armed with torpedo tubes, so no visible turrets.
Two High Fo'c'sle cruisers, each mounting two turrets, with one gun each. This gives two shots per turn in game. Turrets have not been pegged on, nor have barrels been fitted.
One Forard Turret cruiser. Ditto on the turrets.
The High Fo'c'sle cruisers are part of the same fleet as the destroyers - there will be a battleship in similar style which I will get stuck into next tuesday. The Forard Turret cruiser is part of a second fleet, inspired by HMS Nelson and Rodney's forward turret layout. There will be matching battleships and destroyers.
I've also been thinking about submarines. Not so much how to make them (I know how to make them) but how they'd work in the game. Which I plan to use at the Gippsland Gamers School Holiday Program during the mid semester break, and probably at GeekFest 2017.
And now, more pics!
Yay!





All ships are made from various sizes of pine - 10X30, 19X42 and 19X70 or thereabouts. Wood sizes be strange y'all. The hulls were glued together then cut to shape with a bandsaw, and smoothed with one of those big discy sanders which stick off the side of belt sanders. Superstructures were then attached along with dowel smoke stacks. Turrets were made with a ring saw. They are pretty rough and will be cleaned up next tuesday once I have fitted their mounting pins. Barrels will be fitted at the same time. The High Fo'c'sle fleet will be varnished or oiled. I plan to stain the next fleet before varnishing/oiling so they are a different colour to aid recognition.

*This is a real word damnit! It means to frenziedly use Google Sketchup for purposes of awesome and win!

[NARSES2]

I like those 

[kerick]

Those look like fun!
I hope there are some kids involved!
I made wooden airplanes for my son and the nephews one Christmas.
They still have them.
And Harry Potter wands from old chair rungs and dowel rods for my daughters and my one niece.
Wooden toy possibilities are endless.

[puddingwrestler]

I have just cut the hulls for three more destroyers, two freighters and two battleships. I'll need to cut the hull for a fourth cruiser as well. Everything will be shaped and hopefully assembled on Tuesday night. More pics then.

The freighters are 25cm long (5cm shorter than the cruisers) and have double height hulls with simple center castles. They're much stubbier looking with blunter hows than the cruisers and semi-circular sterns. They will be used for escort scenarios.

[puddingwrestler]

Hark! What dark smoke smudge besmirches the clear skies? What distant thunder of Parson's Turbines approaches?* Tis the mighty Floor Games Flotilla!
Having spent a pleasant couple of hours in the company of Woodwork teachers, I have much progress to show, and even a few more compelted ships. Actually, just about everything is complete now, only a few clean-ups to go, and building a second forward battery cruiser.
Anyway, picture time!**

A mighty High Fo'c'sle cruiser with turrets pinned in AND guns fitted. (Note: not all turrets are done - I've been sharing the completed ones around to get the best pics, but six of them still need sanding and their gun-holes drilled out due to an unfortunate drill-bit size mix up)

Turrets are fully poseable. Just so long as you don't try to elevate the guns. You will be disappointed if you try that.
Because you cannot.

The two freighters. These are actually completely built. They're much quicker since they have no guns and are a simple shape. Knowing my love of absurd names, one will be named after Gerald Durrel's childhood boat, the Bootle Bum Trinket. The other might end up being Boaty McBoatface.

Forward battery cruiser with turrets and bridge fitted.

New destroyers for the forward battery fleet. Okay, they don't look much like the rest of the ships, but they have double funnels which is one of the forward battery fleet's design cues. They will also be stained walnut or something dark and reddish to seperate them from the high fo'c'sle fleet.

Speaking of... the High Fo'c'sle battleship takes shape. Have to trim the pegs which hold the middle turrets in so I can add the super structure over the top.

Forward Battery battleship.

Note twin gun read turret. Battleships always have four guns, and I was running out of turret space...

The entire Forward Battery fleet steams to battle. Steamily. Amidst clouds of steam. Someone left the kettle on.

The complete High Fo'c'sle fleet girds it's mighty lions for battle. Which is LIKE girding ones loins, but more growly and with a great chance of serious injury.

I'll be trimming the turret mount pins and gluing them in during the week, and hopefully also cutting and adding some bridge wings etc. There are a few things which I will need the school workshop for, so will have to wait for next week, but I'm hoping to get most ships ready for stain on the weekend.
Then I shall build submarines. Oh yes.
Also torpedo launch rails.***
Who knows, there may even be a photo with my cat at some point so we can reignite the argument over his scale.

*Yes, I know, turbines do not exactly thunder. This is called poetic licence.
**Like adventure time, but with a lower chance of Jake the Dog and Finn the Human being involved.
***Which I will not explain, making you want to come back and read this thread again. I know how cliff hangers work!

[NARSES2]

I really do like those 

There are some toy shops in the "posher" parts of London where nicely varnished or stained they would probably be asking £50 to £75 each for those. You may have a business oportunity awaiting. In which case I want 10% consultancy fees 

Thinking about it I may have a word with my brother when i see him. He was a 7 year indentured shipwright and is the best carpenter/chippie I know. 

[Crackingjob]

Hi these look great. Following your original post I have tracked down Wooden Wars Task Force...but yet get a reply re rules....do you have a copy? Pm sent.

[Captain Canada]

Great stuff ! Glad this thread was brought back to life. Those look like a lot of fun to both build, and play with !

[Crackingjob]

Hi Puddingwrestler.......thanks for a copy of your rules...I now have a beta copy of rules from Wooden Wars and just cutting the first planks for my small fleet.  As you said you gathered rules from WW magazine article, and they are very close in content.
I like the fact you have added torpedos into the mix, what does your rail look like for launching the marbles..sorry torpedos. I was going to use a bit of curved wood edging.
Have time off later this week, so hope to put up first photos......how are yours doing? Pre dreadnought style for me.