Small Old West Store

[Deathwing]

Hello all. I’ve been going through my resin terrain collection and realized that I’ve been missing the Zen like feeling that comes when you make your own terrain.  Before I always preferred commercial products as they look better, but lately the weight of resin and the impersonality of such terrain has been bugging me. I’ve always considered myself a decent terrain maker, not great, but better than average. However, I’ve never developed that edge, that extra something that adds so much to wargaming.  With all that      in mind I have decided to get back on the horse and make some good quality terrain.  First on the chopping block is the Wild West.  I have run several .45 Adventure Wild West games in the past and would like better terrain that is larger for figs to move around in.  I also like running Gutshot and I need stuff for my alternative West VSF game.  With that I present my first step into this endeavor; a small store.  Those paying attention at home will note some of the design elements are inspired by Terrain Builder.  The entire structure is thick card and balsa.  The siding is individually drawn lumber.  I’m not happy with the overall evenness of the boards and may switch to individual planking in the future.  The building is roughly 5.5 inches square and 4.5 inches tall.  Opinions and questions are most definitely welcomed.  I posted this too multiple forums, sorry about that, but I frequent several and hate to individualized each post since the information is the same.  Thanks for looking.

Joey

Front (Inspected by his Majesty Emperor Norton I)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180031.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180025.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180032.jpg

Sides (I admit they aren’t very exciting)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180026.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180029.jpg

Back

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180041.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180028.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180027.jpg

Interior

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180040.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180039.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/azrael2305/P9180034.jpg

[Dewbakuk]

Nice building. I like the little detail trim above the windows etc.

Is that the Norton fig done for the "win a green" competition? Was it ever available from anywhere? My Wild West world is incomplete without the Emperor 

[revford]

Very nice, those door and window frames look excellent, the door itself is great too.

Good job on Norton I too.  

[Deathwing]

Thanks.  I did not paint his majesty, that was wunderkind painter John Newman (I think that is how you spell his last name).  Emperor Norton is from the win a green competition.  I have an entire box in the closet waiting for me to decide how I will unleash him to the world. 

Joey

[archangel1]

Looking good! Nice composition.  It is satisfying to build your own, isn't it?
You might want to try using basswood in the future, though.  Balsa is a bit too open grained, as you can see in your second interior shot.  The window opening of your door is definitely a bit ragged.  Balsa, particularly the softer types, is also a paint sponge, as you'll find out when it comes time to paint.  The problem with scribed boards is not necessarily the uneven lines.  I just don't like the continuous grain that runs through every plank, sometimes in the wrong direction! That's why I always use individual strips of wood.  Takes longer but looks much better, IMHO.
Masking tape for the tarpaper, I assume? So far, mine are all shingled, the hard way!  Here's a sample.

[Deathwing]

You know that's the tick I just dropped $15 on balsa, but I did debate bass wood.  It's more expensive and I wasn't sure that it was easy enough to work with, especially for the scribing.  However, while working on the building I also felt that balsa was too soft.  This building was a test piece and I'm about 80% happy on how it turned out.  Next time will be individual planking and bass wood.  As for the roof, I normally go shingles, but I felt tar paper (masking tape) felt more natural. I'll probably mix it in and out.  Plus I didn't feel like cutting out card tiles.   BTW Archangel, what's your building painting method?  Your wood looks great.

Joey

[archangel1]

Glad you like it.  Basswood may be more expensive but it's much easier to work with, because of the finer grain.  It usually doesn't tear when cutting or sawing and it doesn't 'squish' like the softer balsa.  It also takes paint or stain beautifully.
The wood is individual basswood planks, cut to rough length and glued on to a printed pattern from Eric Hotz's 'Whitewash City' models, which has, in turn, been glued to black 3/16'' foamboard.  Each board is outlined with black magic marker after gluing.  The wood is stained by soaking it for 12 to 30 hours in a mixture of water, ink and Polly Scale paints.  (15 - 20 oz. water, 1 tsp. India Ink, 3/4 - 1 tsp. each of Grimy Black, Oily Black and Railroad Tie Brown.  Mix in something like a spaghetti sauce jar.  Shake well.  Stinks, but lasts for a long time.  Still using the batch I made several years ago.  Recipe courtesy of Brett Gallant, Sierra West Scale Models.) Every couple of hours, you remove a few of the boards to dry, so it gives a variation in colour intensity.  Each strip of wood is run through fine steel wool several times to defuzz it and then run over lengthwise with a brass brush to give it a bit of grain.  Then, out comes the glue and, it's sticky finger time!  When everything's dry, you trim the overhang, give everything another going over with the brass brush and then use some fine sandpaper to give a bit more variation in tones.  More steel wool and you're done.  You can also go back and paint individual boards with the mix if you want.  Repeat until satisfied.  You may see some nailholes in some of the boards.  I used a compass point for them.  I'm still not convinced they're necessary but I'll try it a couple more times and see.
The roof is laid, on top of some basswood siding turned scribed-side down, with individual shingles, cut from another printout, on 110 lb. card, from the Whitewash City buildings and given a coat of, in this case, Polly Scale Tarnished Black.  Wash the shingles with thinned black paint, tinted with some dark green.  When dry, drybrush with various lighter colours then give it another dark wash to blend everything together.
Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Mike

[Deathwing]

Mike,

I forgot to thank you for you last and very informative post.  I just some Polyscale.  Do you think your method will work just as well with applying the stain after the model is built?

Joey

[Malamute]

Very nice.

[archangel1]

Mike,

I forgot to thank you for you last and very informative post.  I just some Polyscale.  Do you think your method will work just as well with applying the stain after the model is built?

Joey

I imagine it would work to some extent, because it is a stain after all.  You probably wouldn't get the depth of colours, though, because you couldn't afford to apply the stain in such a quantity as to affect the glue or base material.  Any glue you didn't wipe off the wood would also act as a resist, preventing the stain from soaking in.  I'd also worry about the stain causing the wood to expand, putting pressure on any loose boards and popping them.  Presoaking the wood and letting it dry is much more convenient.