of Next came the obelisks. These were a bit tricky - mainly because I started by winging it without looking at the directions. A quick glance showed me the error of my ways, and once I realized my mistake, I was putting these things together like clockwork - again: easy! After some initial concern, I was very impressed with how well the obelisks went together! Each one is made of eight pieces (not counting the base). These pieces fit together flawlessly. For real - flawlessly - no trimming, no sanding, nothing: cake! The next couple of photos show the interior nubbins that help you line things up properly - I had my flash too high, so these are washed out - sorry bout that, though I did lower the flash level at some point!).
Obelisk bases were next. These are made of thirteen individual parts (the little pyramids on top are made of 4 pieces). Again, the instructions show very clearly exactly how they are to be constructed. At this point, I first used my Legos (well, Duplo blocks, actually). In this case, I built a corner with Legos and used this to ensure my bases stayed square - I should've gotten a picture of it, but sometimes ya just can't have it all!
I had a picture that showed the correct alignment of the four pieces of the pointy obelisk tip, but they were so washed out that you couldn't see anything. You'll have to trust me that I really did build 'em! Also, at this point, I finally turned down the flash on my camera! The next photo shows the bits of the obelisks assembled and drying. You can also see what might look like some damage - these nicks were actually intentional! I wanted my final terrain piece to look old, so throughout the process I was doing some minor damage!! I allowed the bits to dry for about 20 minutes before I assembled them into complete obelisks.
I forgot to get pictures of gluing the pillar halves and obelisk parts together, but it was very clear-cut; stack, check, glue. Again, there was no cutting, sanding, scraping, cursing, or bitterness involved!
The next photo shows my pieces all assembled and arranged in essentially the right places on the plexiglass base. I've put two of the extra sphinx on, too…this isn't actually where they ended up, but you'll have to wait for the next article for that!
Also, astute readers will note that I never opened my chocolate bar! So much for the essential fuel…