Having watched Adam Savage's recent maze build, I've set out to make my own. There are a number of choices I've made differently, including certain measurements, the overall scale, and the choice of materials.
I first researched the dimensions, did the photogrammetry, built the maze graphic, and did a little 3D work to be sure I was on the right track.
The base for the model is plywood with a beveled basswood frame, with the maze map printed to scale and glued on top -- roughly 3 feet x 4 feet in size. The map graphics include a grass verge around the base of each hedge, and gravel everywhere else.
I have almost no experience with either building scale miniatures or working with pink foam, but I figured the miniatures to be the hardest part, so that's where I started. I built the gift-shop first:
And then the map kiosk. Seemed like a good idea at the time to mitre the map frame; probably not worth the effort at that scale! I drilled out the basswood uprights with a hand-held pin vise and a very small bit. They're about the size of matchsticks.
The maze is built from 1/2" pink foam board.
The entrance is built up out of layers of foam glued together:
And the front wall is likewise a layered construction. The blind arches came out a little deeper than I wanted, so I've brought the level up with 1/8" white foam inserts. The pilasters are a two-part construction, with the top as a small cube, and the front as a thin strip covering the entire vertical distance.
The paint is all dollar-store acrylics, with train grass brushed on over spray glue.
Here's the result thus far. The little bench is made from plastic and balsa wood.
"How do you like it?"
I first researched the dimensions, did the photogrammetry, built the maze graphic, and did a little 3D work to be sure I was on the right track.
The base for the model is plywood with a beveled basswood frame, with the maze map printed to scale and glued on top -- roughly 3 feet x 4 feet in size. The map graphics include a grass verge around the base of each hedge, and gravel everywhere else.
I have almost no experience with either building scale miniatures or working with pink foam, but I figured the miniatures to be the hardest part, so that's where I started. I built the gift-shop first:
And then the map kiosk. Seemed like a good idea at the time to mitre the map frame; probably not worth the effort at that scale! I drilled out the basswood uprights with a hand-held pin vise and a very small bit. They're about the size of matchsticks.
The maze is built from 1/2" pink foam board.
The entrance is built up out of layers of foam glued together:
And the front wall is likewise a layered construction. The blind arches came out a little deeper than I wanted, so I've brought the level up with 1/8" white foam inserts. The pilasters are a two-part construction, with the top as a small cube, and the front as a thin strip covering the entire vertical distance.
The paint is all dollar-store acrylics, with train grass brushed on over spray glue.
Here's the result thus far. The little bench is made from plastic and balsa wood.
"How do you like it?"
Last edited: