Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Rob_bresnen on August 09, 2011, 11:44:05 PM
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Here is my first posting in the workbench section of the LAF...
I have a habbit of starting building projects, but then running out of enthusiasm before painting them, and so I thought if I posted my WIP here, it might encourage me to get it finished.
This is a prototype of a hobbit house for a Shire army for GW Lord of the Rings.
(http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/7417/dscf4621.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/dscf4621.jpg/)
I used foamcard to get the basic shape of the hill
I glued them together with PVA on a base made from Mounting Card
(http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/3484/dscf4622r.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/225/dscf4622r.jpg/)
(http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/961/dscf4623y.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/16/dscf4623y.jpg/)
I made the front of the house with mounting card and added details with Balsa. The door is a 25mm palstic base from Bolt Action Minatures, with a planking effect carved into it with a craft knife.
I couldn't work out how to make round windows. I might add square ones, or might leave them off.
(http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/922/dscf4624n.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/824/dscf4624n.jpg/)
Progress to date. I think I might add a chimney, a small front garden, and possible a dorma window at the back. Then I am going to Mod-rock the hill.
Please let me know what you think so far- all the encouragment and advice is most welcome.
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Looks good so far. Keep posting pics.
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Round windows: Use round 'plain' slottas (without the slot) with the backside/bottom outwards.
I saw a tutorial somewhere, maybe in WD or in one of the LotR:SBG books (Scouring of the Shire, maybe) - I can go look when I get home, then scan and send you the article?
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Thanks for the suppost and advice guys. :)
Progress on the Hobbit house contines at pace. Yesterday I solved my round window problem.
While rummaging in my bits box I came across a set of 00 scale windows my mate Leon had bought, but then desided he didn't need. I used a craft knife to clip out the center of teh arch window- like this...
(http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9089/dscf4630ct.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/8/dscf4630ct.jpg/)
I think you can see the way this is going...
(http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/4619/dscf4631s.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/42/dscf4631s.jpg/)
One round hobbit window! Easy as pie (hmm...pie! :D )
(http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/8387/dscf4632.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/803/dscf4632.jpg/)
I added a dormer window on the back- it looks a bit 'sticky-on' at the moment but I think when I mod-rock the hill side it will blend in metter and look more natural.
(http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/4984/dscf4634j.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/717/dscf4634j.jpg/)
This is the progress to date- I have added a path way made from blown vinyl wall paper (B+Q) and extended to facade.
(http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5503/dscf4635g.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/dscf4635g.jpg/)
The next step is to add a chimney and then mod rock the whole hill side to stop it looking so much like a stepped pyramid.
comments very welcome
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I am not sure anyones following this anymore- no comments after the last update :'(
Anyway, I have an update on the progress so far- just in case anyone cares
(http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4318/dscf4679zr.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/97/dscf4679zr.jpg/)
I added a chimney and modrocked the hill side. That was a lot of fun :)
(http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/5027/dscf4680c.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/192/dscf4680c.jpg/)
Then I added a front garden using match sticks.
Next job- to paint it...
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Looking great so far :-* :-*
Some very nice details.
I will need to look out for that material you have used for the path, it looks ideal.
Looking forward to seeing it painted.
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This looks great!
If you plan on making more, it may be less labour intensive to you polystyrene and then giving it a layer of 'filler.'
Just a thought, your version looks fantastic.
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Thanks for all the support - here's the finished prototype- I am delighted with how it came out- I might make a couple more, then use the same techniques to make some hills, and maybe some barows too.
(http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4329/dscf4693b.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/14/dscf4693b.jpg/)
(http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4141/dscf4694.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/228/dscf4694.jpg/)
A close up of the vegi garden- all hobbit holes need a vegi garden!
(http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1301/dscf4697c.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/7/dscf4697c.jpg/)
The back window with views of the Brandywine river
(http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/2739/dscf4699x.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/dscf4699x.jpg/)
Here's a size comparison shot with a certain Mr F. Baggins Esq.
(http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/572/dscf4702b.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/217/dscf4702b.jpg/)
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Great paint job to finish :-* :-* :-*
Veg is cool
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That's very very lovely Mr Bresnen! Everything looks just right, perfect for a respectable family of Hobbit-folk to live there!
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That has come out rather nicely :-*
I wasn't too sure when I saw the layered foam card but it's certainly paid off 8)
Just one small point, there's no door knob :)
cheers
James
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I wasn't too sure when I saw the layered foam card but it's certainly paid off 8)
My thought exactly :-*
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Very nice indeed!
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Very nice. give it a big brass door knob I'll move in!
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Superb! :-*
That has certainly turned out very well
That has come out rather nicely :-*
I wasn't too sure when I saw the layered foam card but it's certainly paid off 8)
cheers
James
My thought exactly :-*
Agreed!
It looks like you have surprised us all!
The veggies are fantastic, one small suggestion would be to add a couple of dolls-house flowers to the other side of the garden.
Hobbits love their flowers, ya know!
Excellent work.
Now do some more! ;)
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Turned out quite nice,I had faith in ya! :-*
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:-*
absolutely gorgeous ! I will steal this idea for hill making and my 15mm projects :)
The details are spot on!
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that is a great piece
well done
dodge
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That's a cracking finish!! I would agree with other people in using carved foam for your hill as opposed to foamboard. It would save a lot of work with filler and look smoother, plus foam board is more expensive.
Anyway keep up the good work!
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but there's always left overs from foam board use so now I know where to use those also. I think that filler using makes it more realistic since plain "carved" foam hills look rather cartoonish
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'Dense' foam can be cut and sanded to very realistic shapes if you want to - the average gaming hill is kept 'stepped' though, to ease the placement of minis, and on that kind of hill, edges are mostly just cut with a sharp knife or a hotwire-cutter, which can both leave a 'rough' edge which moch gamers chose to ignore.
I'm pretty sure, a bvery similar result could be achieved with foam, but at the end of the day its up to each man to chose his preferred method :)
For instance, I cannot get the dense insulation foam here in DK, so I'm stuck with the more coarse 'styropor' (made of compressed little pellets), which tends to break and scatter when cut with a knife (and easily gets chipped at the edges), so I usually have to use some filler after shaping a hill or a dune, thus mixing the two approaches.
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carving and sanding sounds very messy to me,
I would have gone with the foam core and filler myself.
dodge
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carving and sanding sounds very messy to me,
Some of us are lucky enough to have a little workshop ;)
The end result is much lighter, which means a lot to me, as I'm constantly moving large boxes with terrain from my home to my club and/or from my storage room to my gaming table.
..., but at the end of the day its up to each man to chose his preferred method :)
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Thanks for the feed back and I am glad you like the results- I am delighted.
I didn't use filler as such, I used Modrock, which is plaster impregnated bandage, like the stuff tehy used to make plastercasts out of, if you broke your arm, when I was a kid. I git it cheep from hobbycraft
As far as the foamcard vs pink/blue foam debate goes, I opted for card for a number of reasons-
1 it's easy to get from my local hobbycraft
2 it's not too expensive, as they sell two sheets of A3 size for £5- this hobbit
house used about 1/2 a sheet- £1.25 worth of foamcard
3 It is less messy and hassel than cutting and sanding
4 I have tried using foam before, and found the resulting shape to be a bit
unnatural. Also the slope was too steap to stand figures on- I wanted something
natural looking and random, but still useful for balancing figures on
Using the Modrock was a lot of fun too- all sqwidgy and messy
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I really like that, top job. :)
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VERY nice.
I like it a lot.