This site is for archival purposes only. The ranch is closed as of March 9, 2008 and is in the process of being dismantled. There is a new location at Wellington, Al and info can be found at http://alabamaairsoft.technoprimitive.org.
Mongo, Mehel and Chris worked on and almost finished the walls of the spindle fort yestderday. It’s a monster!
Mongo and I worked on and almost finished the rest of it today. Still got 2 sets of steps to build and some top bracing to put in but other than that it’s fightable right now. It’s now got Mongo’s tarp attached to one wall inside the compound for shelter from the elements. It’s gonna be a beast to take!
Cat and I went back out after supper and I got to looking at the DEA building. Mongo and I have been talking about extending the building by adding another 12×12 room. Well other than still needing to add the top wall supports and some bracing the exterior walls are up and the end connecting wall is half open as we planned. Will see what we can find/make for props but again the building is fightable as of now and with another hour or two of work will be mostly done.
Looking forward to seeing how these structures work out in active play.
Wolfie
Mongo came out this morning and we went to Anniston and got a load of 15 frames along with a pile of 1x and 2x 6’s 2 to 4 feet long. Then went to Coldwater and got a batch of stripping and plywood scraps from a cabinet shop. Still need as many studs and 8 foot and longer 2×4’s in any condition but totally rotten that ya’ll can come up with.
Life intervened in the mid afternoon but late afternoon got to working on the new registration booth.  Building is an old 8×8 storage building that is wired for 220 with outlets and lights. Got it cleaned out and a desk moved in.  Ran power to it and plan to move a computer/monitor and such in tomorrow.
After that took the yellow and red sided registration booth down. Plan to use the sides across the creek to build a barrier between the staging area and the playing field. Entry to the playing field will be through the briefing room which is eventually to be a 10 foot wide x 20 foot long structure but for now will be Mehel’s portable garage.  Canvas top from the old booth will be used as a sun/rain shield over part of the hilltop fortress/crackhouse.
Slowly slowly eats the elephant…Â And this is one hell of a big elephant…
Wolfie
Open play this Saturday. Come out and try the new buildings. We’ll be open for play from 11 till the last bb is fired. Donations accepted. 
Mongo and assorted help have been here and working but I’ve been down and not doing since Saturday. Am doing better (some anyway) tonight and am planning on getting out and doing at least a little tomorrow if possible.
Will try to get some progress pix if I don’t get anything else done.
Wolfie
Daily report of doin’s at the Combat Ranch
Todays workers were Mongo, Boat, Cathy, Laura (who is an excellent chair tester 
) and your’s truly.
Got some more details worked out and finished on the Hilltop Fortress/Crack House. The windows/gun ports now have flexible shields. Top of all the side walls have been braced. Not pretty but stiffens it all up quite a bit.
The DEA office/lockup now has hinged (tire sidewall rubber is wonderful stuff) steel grills on both outside windows. To open one a lockpick (phillips head screwdriver) will be needed Lack 2 or 3 boards and a few pieces of plastic having the cell wall, window and door finished. Inside cell window has a nonremovable steel grill. End wall needs 2 pieces of plastic, 3 uprights, and a 12 foot header to be done. Also need to build a back door. Hope to have it done tomorrow or monday at the latest.
We need more screws. So far everything has gone together with assorted sheet rock screws for ease of both assembly and later disassembly. As you might guess this is using up a LOT of screws. We can use any and all donations of any size of rock screws. We wiil be glad to arrange a pickup time for any materials you cannot deliver to the ranch.
Thanks to everyone that has already donated time and/or materials! You are the ones that are making this possible!
Wolfie
Todays list of workers was Mongo, Psycho, Cathy, and yours truly. Again no pix but will try to get some this weekend.
Didn’t finish with anything but made a lot of progress. Mongo, Cathy and Psycho got a lot of the portable barriers built. These will be able to form barricades, building walls, road barriers and any number of things. Got a lot of different things planned using these and many more with some modification.
We got the front door covered on both sides (after the glass was removed) with plastic. Hung it with tire hinges and made a tire and plastic “latch” that is kickable (semi gently please). Also got the cell window bars hinged. Haven’t done the “lock” yet but will be easy to defeat so access can be gained and/or escape possible.
I got a batch of mobile home type windows that has a lot of broken glass in them. Gonna remove all the glass and put just the frames up as windows to shoot through. Got some old storm doors that will get the glass removed and used too. Also have several water heaters, sinks, old washers and driers that will be put to use outfitting kitchens and such in some of the planned buildings.
We still need building stuff. Metal roofing with holes will let in the rain but will help keep everyone cooler in the coming summer sun. Any and all types wanted.
Wolfie
Mongo, Mehel, Mary Ann, Cathy, Bill, Psycho, and yours truly, Plumb Wolfie, all lent one or both hands at one time or another today. No pix as we worked till dark.
Well, the hilltop fortress is now much more than it was. Added another 3 feet or so on top of the walls with window/gun port areas every 4 feet. Got a few more top pieces to put on and some reinforcement needed at the doors but it’s fightable right now.
Got the side walls covered on the DEA station and one row across the remaining unfinished end. Still got some uprights on the end and 2 more plastic panels to be fully enclosed but should be done with trim and all on the outside by tomorrow evening. Got one door to clad in plastic and install. Guess we will build the other one from scratch unless someone donates one in time. Found some chain link fencing today and know I have more somewhere so will see how much of the detainment cage can be built tomorrow too.
We have had some 10 foot building trusses donated (Thanks, Bill) and are planning on using them for the roof of the briefing building which will be located close to where the power panel at base camp is now located.
Materials of any and all kinds needed. You deliver or pick up can be scheduled.
Wolfie
Got the Hilltop Fortress / Crack House about finished. Just a bit of touchup here and there that needs to be done. Got a bunch of new stuff around the outside and down by the road that is being planned but it’s playable right now so will be open for the next Open Play day which is coming up on the May 19.
This is the entry as seen coming up from the road. We extended it by another pallet length to provide a bit better protection for the defenders.
And an inside view. Should provide good cover now.
Center divider with added bracing. No longer portable but much more stable.
Front extension from the inside. Plenty of room for 2 or more to cover the trails coming up.
Rear L shaped entry from outside. We added another pallet and more plastic to this one too. Much harder to see or shoot into the interior now.
Inside view of the rear L shaped entry. Added bracing and a small pallet to help support the walls.
Pallet chair. This is made from 2 of the small pallets. Cut one into 2 pieces and then screwed them together then to the full one about half way up.
Back view.
Bottom view. Note the 2×6 added bracing in the center. Also added a piece of the sheeting to the ends for additional stability.
As visible here. Then added the top piece of plastic sheeting for the seat. Sucker is comfortable and reasonably water proof.
After sweltering up on the hill for most of the heat of the day we went down to the DEA headquarters to see how much more we could get done before collapsing for the day.
Got another piece of siding and the center trim on the front wall. Also added some 2×4’s for the door frame and top header.
View of the front wall from the inside.
View of the back wall. This is the full length now with the added 6 foot sheet past the door frame.
Back wall from inside. Temp bracing in the lower left of the picture. Soon as the end wall starts going up that will be removed.
Hope to get the outside of this building finished tomorrow.  Then for the finish work on the doors, windows, and inside walls. My current feelings on the inside is to use the existing finished area as the holding cell with the end we are working on now being used as the DEA office and drug storage area.
More to come as we get it built…
Wolfie
