Best Materials for Quick Mos Eisley-like Buildings?

[Mako]

I'd like to make some quick, dirty, easy to assemble buildings for Mos Eisley and Tatooine, for 32mm troops.

I'd seen a lot made with foamcore, but that requires a lot of cutting and gluing.  They do look superb, and I suspect I'll eventually need to make some out of that, since they look so nice.

I also have some of the really cheap, white plastic drawer trays, like people use for putting kitchen silverware and other utensils in.  They're pretty small, and have elongated oval slits in their sides which can represent windows to those with an imagination.  Covering those up with either a clear, or blue, black, or gray, shiny material will sell that even more.

However, I'm looking for something a little less advanced than the latter (only the very rich people/aliens have those), and easier to construct compared to the former, just to get at least 6 - 12 buildings built.

Foam cubes and rectangles seem like perhaps the best, decent options, but am wondering if there's anything else people have used, or considered using, e.g. cardboard boxes, cheap plastic plant containers, other leftover packaging, etc., etc.?

I'm thinking something square, rectangular, hex-octagonal, round, etc., might work.  Then perhaps, add a thing or two up top (those seemingly obligatory half-domes), and a door, some textured paint or spackle, and a final coat of paint, and done.

So, any other ideas for very cheap, easy to field, useful items for making Tatooine-esque dwellings and buildings on the fly?

Would love to see photos too, if you have them.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

I made some buildings from cigar boxes (collected by a friend), and added some walls out of EPS foam. These were supplemented by domes (craft shop) and various towers from packaging. Everything was stippled with terracotta and sand coloured paint. The posters were found on-line and printed on a laser printer.

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More pictures here https://www.flickr.com/photos/31905569@N05/with/41661451914/

[6milPhil]

Cork tile is a great material; if you're scratch building, very easy to work with, takes paint well, and sturdy.

Matakishi has some great guides for it... https://www.matakishi.net/making-things.html

[fastolfrus]

Plastic Christmas baubles are quite useful - they can be cut in half to make domes, and the ones that are not spherical provide other shapes too. Plenty of choices at present.
Craft shops are good for small detailing parts, beads, cogs, bits for card making can be used for doors/windows/control panels etc.
There are a few online 3D printing people who do doors and window panels, or there are also some of the laser cut MDF ones available too.
Cheap plastic toys (possibly from charity shops if you only need one-offs) can provide bits too. The original Mos Eisley bar set was built from scrap aircraft parts painted gold & silver.

[Billchuck]

You can find paper mache or cardstock boxes in craft stores or on Amazon.  That will get a lot of basic shapes on the table quickly.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

I found the link to my Star Wars project - picture above.

There are some notes about how I built things.

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=109767.0

[Mako]

Thanks for all the ideas and tips.

I really appreciate them.

Was pricing some foam at the local Walmart - even the really "cheap", crappy, white, floral-like foam is pretty outrageous.  $3.00 for a 4" x 12" x ~ 1.5" piece.

Need to raid the collection I've acquired over time, and some of the cast-offs I've been able to get from discarded packaging.  "FREE" is much, much better.

Might need to splurge on some balls, and cut them in half, since the pre-cut, half-dome prices are ridiculous too.

Definitely want to consider other options suggested as well, and perhaps even some cardboard boxes for rigidity, with foam-core laminated over top of that.   A bit slower process, and perhaps too modern looking, but I guess I can dirty it up a bit to make it look a bit more low-tech.

[Billchuck]

Definitely want to consider other options suggested as well, and perhaps even some cardboard boxes for rigidity, with foam-core laminated over top of that.   A bit slower process, and perhaps too modern looking, but I guess I can dirty it up a bit to make it look a bit more low-tech.

You can break up the flat surfaces by spreading acrylic paste or similar on it. That’s what I did for this building.

[Supercollider]

Like others here, I just used packaging and some quick/simple techniques to make various sci-fi buildings.  Then added to other terrain I already had for wild west. They've been used extensively over the course of a couple of years and are holding up well.





More info in an old thread:  https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=86856.0

[Mako]

That acrylic paste and/or spackling certainly looks good over the foam-core/cardboard.

What lid/material did you use for the brown dome in the photo with the 4 x Stormtroopers/Colonial Troopers in white?

I especially like the look of that, though the others are neat too.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Mako
I bought a sheet of XPS (Extruded Polystyrene Foam) from a DIY and building store. It was very cheap.

In some countries this is called blue foam or pink foam. In Switzerland, where I live, it is a pale yellow colour.

It is easy to cut with a serrated bread knife and can be sanded to give round edges. You can also press in brickwork etc.

[Mako]

Thanks for the additional pic, and details Mick.

How thick is it?

I've got some in the garage, pink stuff, but I think it may be thicker than what you are using.  Then again, if those are larger minis you are using, it might be the same thickness.

Last I recall, the thinnest stuff I've found is about 3/4" thick.

Would love to get some 1/4", and/or 1/2" material too, if anyone makes that.

Also, while I'm asking, what kind of glue do you use to assemble the pieces together?

I'm not sure what works on this material, other than the really expensive, commercial glue made for it.  I'd like a nice, easy to obtain, durable glue, if there is something that works on this stuff well.

[Dr. Zombie]

Ikea can be your friend. They have tons of small boxes in either wood or cardboard that girls apparently find useful for storing trinkets and knick knacks. Turn them upside down give them some texture and paint add a door and there you go.
https://www.ikea.com/dk/da/p/grasidan-kasser-5-stk-gra-60353843/
https://www.ikea.com/dk/da/p/moppe-minikommode-birketraesfiner-40216357/

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Dear Mako,

I think this is the XPS that I have. it is 20mm thick which is about 3/4 inch.
https://www.jumbo.ch/de/daemmplatte-swisspor-xps-300ge-3572?sku=1180014

According to the website it is also available in 4mm thick tiles that are prepainted
https://www.jumbo.ch/de/daemmplatte-xps-grundiert-1x0-5m-4mm-17958?sku=1308925

There is a special glue or XPS but I just used hot melt glue.
You can glue it easily with a hot melt glue gun - it is very convenient.

I second Dr Zombies recommendation for IKEA MOPPE.
The drawers are very similar plywood construction to the cigar boxes that I used.
https://www.ikea.com/ch/en/search/products/?q=moppe

[Mako]

Thanks for the suggestions on IKEA for the boxes, and the glue, foam, etc..

Yes, that's a great idea on containers.  We have a place called TAP Plastics that sells various sizes of thin, plastic boxes as well, which might work too.

Good to hear about the hot glue.  I have one of those applicators, so that should work.

Yea, sounds like the same board I have, only a different color, so good to know that works.

I was unaware of the 4mm stuff though, so that would be very useful too, especially with 15mm minis.  I shall seek it out, but I've never seen any listed for sale anywhere.  Hopefully we have it on this side of the pond too.