Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: anevilgiraffe on 19 February 2012, 07:04:16 PM
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as briefly mentioned here (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=34495.0) I picked up a basic laser cut kit from 4ground.co.uk (http://www.4ground.co.uk)... now just looking at the site to check the url, it looks like they're not doing the basic kit anymore, which is a real pain... in fact the whole website has been updated and some new kits added... but that's not the point... for under £6 you could get the basic cottage without any of expensive laser cut detailing...
so... basic kit in hand, balsa wood has been added to follow the frames cut into the mdf... I still need to do the curved braces and the undereave timbers, but the majority is done... annoyingly I bought a shedload of 2mm balsa a while ago and so went with that for the timber, but it was too thick so when it was on, the whole face was sanded back to a rough and varied 1mm... the slight differences add to the feel I think, although some horrendous over pressure (mainly on the gables) meant g/s had to rebuild the timber in a few spots - I have to say Silent Invader's work are very handy references for this kind of work... also I'm becoming a huge fan of GW Liquid Greenstuff, when dry is hard, but is just soft enough to allow a wire brush to add some woodgrain...
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201740.jpg)
I gave the whole balsa frame a good going over with the wirebrush to get some more grain into the sanded flat surface, varying direction with the length of the timber... windowsills were added with matchsticks, cut into the existing balsa frames, but standing proud of the frame itself..
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201741.jpg)
the basic kit didn't come with the floorboards cut in as I said before and this is something of a blessing as the mdf surface is too smooth to get a wood effect with and when 'roughed' up just gets down to the fibrous mess inside which is no better... I bought the thinnest balsa I could find and glued that to the interior floors and scored in the floorboards - each is 5mm wide which may seem wide in the grand scheme of things, but gives me 17 boards across, when the lasercut version has 16 across... I also cut the hatch over to one corner (from the look of the instruction diagram, on the bought kit that is in the middle of the floor), it's 2cm square, wide enough for the ladder and a 28mm body, leaving the majority of the floor clear - what I loved about this kit is the access to the inside and I want to make the most of it... I added a frame around the hatch into the balsa, with a little help from more liquid g/s...
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201742.jpg)
same with the downstairs floor really, although no hatch... the ladder will be attached to the downstairs wall once it's prepped and I have a rather nice fireplace made up - it just didn't photograph well... I need to do the matching breast upstairs, but it will be on a small footprint so I don't lose any floor... the one difference with this floor was that I needed the balsa to be flush with the bottom of the doorframe, so the walls are all raised slightly by the same thickness of balsa, this is hidden by the framing timbers though, but just thought I mention it if anyone is following in these footsteps...
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201744.jpg)
and a shot for scale... poor photos I know, but they do the job... I need to add the curved timbers on the frame, the chimney breast on the first floor and decide what to do about the roof before adding the chimney stack itself... that will probably be made from blue insulation foam rather than using the mdf one in the kit... similarly to the floorboard problem, the door from the accessories kit is going to be too smooth, so I need to think on that... I still think that kit is a good deal, the windows alone make it, and the lovely little tudor door frame detail as well... I'll keep you posted on that...
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201745.jpg)
it is a bit annoying that they don't do the basic kit anymore, as working on this had inspired me to get a few more and lob them together into a farmhouse, but not going to be happening now... the basic kit was great value, the detailed kit at a £10 is ok, but is flat looking and £30 to bash into a farmhouse is too much of a luxury for me... if nothing else, it will help me design my own building maybe... but I would have prefered that hassle, bloody right angles... and that roof access is great...
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Thanks for the tip! Looks like they have an interesting range of kits planned.
Had a look around the site, they still actually do the minimal cottage, it's just listed under Model Making & Tools: Silhouette Building Kits (http://www.4ground.co.uk/Default.aspx?page=268&pid=157)
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Had a look around the site, they still actually do the minimal cottage, it's just listed under Model Making & Tools: Silhouette Building Kits (http://www.4ground.co.uk/Default.aspx?page=268&pid=157)
thank god for that! now if only the new Market Hall was available as a basic kit as well...
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Yes, that looks like it has great potential. 8)
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It's lovely, but I'm far too mean to spend ten bar when I can slowly and labouriously make one from scraps...
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anyone know of an online resource about Tudor/Stuart architecture... typical houses and so on...
done a bit of google and the whole chimney/hole in roof thing has intrigued me and wondering how that would have looked... also suspect a two storey building is going to be posh enough for a chimney, but some have external brick chimneys, some have the chimney slap bank in the middle of the house - and I guess there is the possiblity that external chimneys are later additions...
obviously taking this all far too seriously, but the info is giving me lots of avenues to think about for variety...
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anyone know of an online resource about Tudor/Stuart architecture... typical houses and so on...
done a bit of google and the whole chimney/hole in roof thing has intrigued me and wondering how that would have looked... also suspect a two storey building is going to be posh enough for a chimney, but some have external brick chimneys, some have the chimney slap bank in the middle of the house - and I guess there is the possiblity that external chimneys are later additions...
obviously taking this all far too seriously, but the info is giving me lots of avenues to think about for variety...
EG, try this:
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/vagbiblio/index.cfm?CFID=2995&CFTOKEN=3C7BDEBE-8681-4483-AE7527C44D5FBC81
The Bibliography of the Vernacular Architecture Group sounds like as good a place as any to start.
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ok... been plodding along with this, the render gave me a bit of a worry, but after an undercoat looks good, the thatch looks quite good although it needs some g/s to correct some over enthusiastic trimming...
now, something I've been deliberating, and I don't really know why, is whether to have a working door or not... opinions? I should be able to rig it, but after dithering a bit, I really can't decide...
also, as you may see from the pics, I have a rather large wooden step into the house - do you reckon that is ok as is, or try for a stone doorstep?
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I saw one of these the other day that comes painted. I was impressed, particularly for the price. Looks like they colour the wood before using the cutter and then assemble the pieces. Simple and rather clever.
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cleverer than I am... as they suggest rendering while on the sprue as well... can see why lol
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ok... been plodding along with this, the render gave me a bit of a worry, but after an undercoat looks good, the thatch looks quite good although it needs some g/s to correct some over enthusiastic trimming...
now, something I've been deliberating, and I don't really know why, is whether to have a working door or not... opinions? I should be able to rig it, but after dithering a bit, I really can't decide...
also, as you may see from the pics, I have a rather large wooden step into the house - do you reckon that is ok as is, or try for a stone doorstep?
Is there going to be any other basing, or will the house sit on the table "as is"? If the latter, I'd think about a step, if not, then a bit of jiggery pokery with the basing will sort it out.
HTH,
Mitch
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ok... terrible pictures, but progress of sorts - I had been worried the render wasn't working, so gave it a spray undercoat to get a better feel for it... that worked ok, a few spots needed more definition, so I stippled some liquid g/s in spots... windows were added and the door and lintel... the windows and door lintel are from the detail kit, with a bit of texture added to the lintel again with liquid g/s... the door was made from 2mm balsa, with a latch made from g/s - it's loosely hinged, so can be open, closed or kicked in...
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201750.jpg)
and then to the roof... tried thatch as I couldn't face cutting all those tiles... some nice tutorials can be found here for teddy fur and here for towelling... I went the towelling route, as they were dirt cheap in primark... not 100% about it yet, it looks ok, but I was a bit over enthusiastic with the brushing down and trimming, so patches needed replacing... this was especially true for the split where the roof seperates to give access to the first floor, a good hard line there helps a bit... the roof is taking an age... I think I've managed to replicate the weave ok in g/s, but won't know for certain til I can undercoat that... it may all get removed before long...
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201751.jpg)
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That's shaping up very nicely. I could see picking up one or two of those to help flesh out a medieval/ECW/fantasy village, even though I'm usually more than happy to scratchbuild my own buildings.
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You've done a nice job with this. They do still have the basic kit, by the way. It's under the "Model making and tools" tab, and is called "Silhouette Building Kits":
http://www.4ground.co.uk/Default.aspx?page=268&pid=157
Hopefully the plural "Kits" means they'll have more sooner or later.
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Hopefully the plural "Kits" means they'll have more sooner or later.
yeah, I had a few emails back and forth with them - I think I posted them in the ECW scenery thread I started - long short, yes more will be coming, the said the market hall should be there soonish and that's a nice looking kit...
I've now undercoated the g/s bits and it actually looks pretty sodding seamless... couple of spots need a bit more work, but on the whole it's looking ok despite my bodging it all :D
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interior painted:
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201753.jpg)
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201752.jpg)
(http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roweller/witchhunter/IMG_%201755.jpg)
think I may use the same colour for the exterior rendering...
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finished pics in my main Folk Horror thread
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=30813.msg469595#msg469595