BEHIND THE SCENES: KNAPFORD HARBOUR AND YARDS

This is going to be a big one!

     Upon publishing two recent hit remakes, I was asked to further explain my papery take on Knapford Harbor and Yards, as seen in the "Duck and Diesel Trilogy" and "Percy Takes the Plunge."

After reading through this How-To article, if you should

have more questions, feel free to email me at:

larrisons1234@gmail.com

1. 3-D Ships and Watercraft

Supplies:

• cardstock similar to the colors in the original episode
• hot glue gun and glue or glue of some sort
• skewers (if you plan to use the crane arms to lift engines)
• Sharpie marker (or any black marker)
• Galaxy marker (or any white marker)  
• miniature paper cutter
• scissors
• pencil

STEP 1 - BASE

Acquire your paper. Fold it in half, and trace the design of your the desired base and shape for the hull and sides for your boat. For a tug it might be a teardrop shape, whereas a floating crane might be perfectly rectangular. Cut out with scissors. Note: Usually I use a darker color for the base. 

STEP 2 - HULL and SIDES of the SHELL

Again layer two pieces of the color of the actual boat exactly on top of each other. For example, we'll use white. Sketch a design on the paper, mimicking the shape of the real boat. Cut out. Then, cut out a small section for the stern. 

STEP 3 - BUILDING

Now, using the hot glue gun, secure all pieces together to form a the shell of the boat.

STEP 4 - DECOR

Cut out and make lines on white or tan paper to fit inside the shell of the hull and paste them about 7 mm down from the top to create the deck. Use a white marker if your ship is a darker color and make a name for it, and decorate the sides with a stripe or other naval embellishment. 

STEP 5 - FINISH, but CONTINUE for FLOATING CRANES

If you are making tug boat, then you've completed a basic shell successfully.

If you are making a floating crane, then continue. 

Floating Cranes Continuation:

If you are making floating cranes you should have been making a different shell than the tug all along.

> Make a box and put a skewer through it towards the middle. 

> Then glue two skewers together, but let there be a 4 mm gap at one end for 5-8 cm. 

> Cut a square hole in the paper box, about centered with your rod in the middle. 

> Put the gap end of your double skewers on the rod and hot glue one end, so as to close it in on the rod. NOTE: BE CAREFUL TO NOT GLUE THE DOUBLE SKEWERS TO THE ROD, FOR THE SKEWERS SHOULD ROTATE ON THE ROD LIKE AN AXLE, THUS YOU CAN LIFT AND LOWER THE CRANE ARM!!! AGAIN, YOU MUST MAKE SURE THE ROTATION ON THE ROD IS LOOSE, AND NOT STIFF OR SEIZED UP.   

> Cut paper the length of skewer and start making the crane arm. Lay short and thin pieces of paper perpendicular to each other at and angle to achieve a realistic crane arm look. 

> Add a weight, on the back to counteract the items lifted by the crane. 

Although unbelievable, by using these counterweights and good wooden skewers, I've lifted many things with this crane arm, from a small piece of track to Percy himself. Never once did it break. 

2. Buildings

For my buildings at Knapford Harbor, I simply copied a few from the original episode. 

• The large dome-type building was easily made by cutting the shape out of a brown sheet of card stock, drawing in apparent lines, and weathering it my way by spritzing it with brown and black spray paint. 
• A large building appearing to be a workshop or something was just a creme piece of paper folded into a box and weathered.
• A small building with a black roof was actually made for "Saved from Scrap," but I repurposed it again, to add effect to my harbor.  

 SEE THE HARBOR IN ACTION BELOW!

Season 2 Episode 4 "A Cow On The Line"

(Note: Get a quick glance at Knapford Harbor at the beginning!)

Season 2 Episode 11: "Percy Takes the Plunge"