Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of Myths, Gods and Empires => Topic started by: powerfrog99 on December 05, 2020, 07:49:45 PM
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At Salute last year I purchased Sarissa-Precision's mediterranean farm model, which I found to be excellently fitting to in my Wargods of Olympus collection. After nearly 1 1/5 years I started to work on it. Here some of my pictures of different work phases.
I am really happy :) about the perfect fitting of all the parts, it's really a high level of precision achieved here. The setup and design of the building I like very much :-)
However after assembly it was clear for me some tuning needed to be done, as the paper roofs, the smooth MDF walls and the paving in the courtyard were not so much to my liking.
In the next posts I'll show my measures how to customize that building.
cheers Thomas
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Looks a great structure to start with. I look forward to what you do with it.
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Looks nice. Where did you get the weights from?
Greg
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This is a youngster question. Old hands would recognize ancient market weights from back in the days...
Philippe
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Yes, these are surplus weights from work which I was allowed to take home long while ago. They come in handy to keep things in place during glueing etc.
The mdf structure is great and after assembly I was still very motivated to go ahead. For the roofs I did consider a number of different ways like cutting cardboard tiles or deepdrawn plastic sheets. In the end I favored a Hirst Arts mould to cast roman style tiles, as I had very good experienes with theses moulds when building my Egyptian and Trojan temples.
So I reinforced the cardboard roofs with mdf on the lower side and then started to glue the cast tiles on top.
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Nice work! Will probably also look good for Napoleonic Peninsular (or any other Mediterranean setting).
Interesting to see the model has cardboard roofs as other sets have MDF roofs.
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I think they've done card rooves for their whole Mediterranean range. I bought a small building with some extra walls to make an enclosed compound and that has a card roof with the same pattern of tiles.
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That’s a vast improvement already - great job ! Look forward to seeing what else you do with it
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cool
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Thanks for your interest :)
Here are some more details about the tiles.
The thing with the tiles is that they are made for large areas which use a number of casts side by side. However at the edges I did not like this and so decided to rework to create a more realistic look.
A needle file and a sharp cutter knife helped me in this a little bit boring job.
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:-* Lovely work ! Very nice attention to detail...paintjob is spot on
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Great work!
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Really nice work on those roof tiles. Looking forward to seeing how this project continues.
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Attention to detail makes all the difference 👍
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I thought at first the tiles where 'chunky' but they paint up superbly well - excellent job.
As for:
After nearly 1 1/5 years I started
Should that have read - 'I rapidly started'?
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Thanks again for your interest :)
Parallel to the roofs I was working on the walls and the coutyard to give them some more depth. It's details again ;)
On the walls I used Vallejo plastic putty which was spread and shaped it with a large flat brush. In the courtyard I decided to use stone floor tiles for the main way and gravel for the sides.
The stone floor tiles are made from a Hirst Arts mould I already possesed from my temple projects. https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=107908.0
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Next step was to inlay the flagstones in the courtyard and cover the rest of it with "open ground" material.
Last is to get some base colors in place.
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Great approach- it looks excellent so far.
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Its already come a very long way and no longer looks like an MDF kit - excellent work
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Excellent work, shows what can be done with MDF if you put some effort into it. Made me look twice at the kit.
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Really love how you're making this "your own"! I've stayed away from MDF kits so far partially because of the price, but also because they usually strike me as just a little too.... "shiny", I guess? "Flat"? Not sure, but I must agree with Warboss Nick: your project here is showing how great they can look if you in a little extra elbow grease :)
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Thanks for your comments, they motivate me to proceed with this thread.
I share your views when it come to mdf scenery, so from the beginning of this project I planned to "make it my own". However during the time spending with it I decided to put more and more into it ;)
The pictures following are the final ones of the basic building, but there will be more with additional stuff like doors, shutters and some stuff in the courtyard.
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That's turned out great :)
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I agree, it turned out very well and will only grow with further details. Looking forward to see further project on this project.
Doesn’t the original model have stairs in front of the entrance? What was your reasoning for taking them away?
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Hi Nick, about the stairs I am not yet decided...
I have just received a mediterranean villa set and some terrain tiles. Plan is to glue this building on some tiles to combine it with the rest of the buildings, or to make a loose base from some tiles.
So if I'll use the original stairs or a selfmade one ???
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Very well done Thomas. :-* :-* :-*
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A result worth emulating. You must be happy with your end product.
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Lovely work and I look forward to seeing what you do with that villa set too.
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Thanks, and yes I am pretty happy with the result so far :)
After the holidays progress is slowing down a bit, but I managed to get the doors and shutters in place.
They have been cast by my friend Kape who is very fond of moulding and casting ;) I made some fitting examples and he got on the job. I am very happy about the sharpness of the casts you can even see the wood grain!
Next step was to put some moss on the already finished roof tiles to give some more depth.
Now I have to work on the main door...
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You have put that original MDF kit into a league of its own now...the added details like the shutters make such a difference...excellent work
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Good to see you adding more details to an excellent model. And I love the moss effect. How did you do that?
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With due respect to the companies who make these kits, given how much extra time and details you are putting into a project like this to get the results you do, is it worth buying the kit in the first place?
From what I can see, I'm wondering if you wouldn't have been just as well off building your farmstead by scratch.
Either way, I thinks it looks superb. It's curious just how much of a difference the shutters make. Very nice.
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... And I love the moss effect. How did you do that?
Thanks, I have used a texture paint called "Lustrian Undergrowth" from GW which is dark green paint with some sand or so.
As I was not sure about the effect I made a test piece, which came out very pleasing.
I think it important to place the moss where it grows first on a roof, so I put only at the upper part of lower tiles.
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With due respect to the companies who make these kits, given how much extra time and details you are putting into a project like this to get the results you do, is it worth buying the kit in the first place?
From what I can see, I'm wondering if you wouldn't have been just as well off building your farmstead by scratch.
Either way, I thinks it looks superb. It's curious just how much of a difference the shutters make. Very nice.
I have seen the finished model in the web and later during my visit to Salute 2019. I really liked it and so decided to buy it on the spot ;)
The model at Salute had shutters and some other extras. I decided to do a few similar add ons. For roof tiles and flagstones I fell back on Hirst Arts parts which I like very much.
So yes I think it's worth buying these kits as a point to start, although for my Trojan temple project I made all layouts myself.
Thanks
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I agree powerfrog99. I think the key is to buy in expensive kits such as are offered by Warbases, Sarissa Precision and the Tabula Rasa range from Knights of Dice. When ever I design and build my own stuff from scratch I am always a little frustrated that walls are not quite perfectly square or the windows and doors a little off. If I had my own laser cutter I may feel differently but for the time being I am happy to tarte up MDF shells.
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Thank you powerfrog, I will try that for my own Peninsular buildings.
Just to echo powerfrog and codsticker I find MDF kits well worth the money. It saves a lot of time for the basic structure (planning, measuring, cutting etc.). I will still construct simple bases from scratch but will happily use MDF kits as well.
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So now I am nearly finished with the farm, just the main gate and some stuff inside the courtyard are missing.
Main gate I nearly finished today, although I want to add some kind of locking mechanism on the insíde. I'm just not sure how it should look like for the ancient period...
The original door of the kit I didn't like,so I made one from real wood ;)
Also I have a set of amphorae which I like to put there, just how to stakc them or something I am still not sure. Maybe someone here has an idea ???
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Looking good so far!
Not sure what is historically accurate, but a crossbar would seems timeless and easy enough to make.
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It's looking great already! 8)
Christopher
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Very nice and yes a crossbar would be nice.
For the set of amphorae you could do a separate base. If they are glued to the farm you can only use them there but with a movable base you can place with other buildings you may use.
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Personally I would go for Amphora on a rack. Here they are laid at an angle
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x1iZLm3vNPw/U0Lk9DvpXsI/AAAAAAAAC6M/O1kUYbSn5aw/s1600/IMG_1044.jpg)
Here stored vertical in a ship's hold (but I have seen similar for warehouse reconstructions)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Amphorae_stacking.jpg/1200px-Amphorae_stacking.jpg)
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Perhaps a smidge off topic but can anyone tell me why they didn't use containers with a flat bottom? Does the tapered bottom allow for sediment to settle from the wine?
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Perhaps a smidge off topic but can anyone tell me why they didn't use containers with a flat bottom? Does the tapered bottom allow for sediment to settle from the wine?
Apparently it was to enhance transport and storage. Not unlike a round tower vs a square one, the pointed/round bottom was less brittle and subject to damage. They could also then be stacked vertically in a ship's hold.
It would also help with sediment collection, something useful in ancient wine making (wine making was far less...sanitary, than it is today).
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Interesting, thank you.
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Thanks for the lively discussion :)
I'll go for the racks then, although they will be a fiddly construction - but worth the effort!
And to have the tracks separately is worth while thinking, as the mediterranean village is already under way ;)
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Further to the Amphora topic. In Pompeii the wine shops have shaped holes
in their counters, so that the amphora just sit in them.
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I’m fairly certain the ones I saw had them “cemented” in but it would make sense to be able to remove them for cleaning etc.
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I’m fairly certain the ones I saw had them “cemented” in but it would make sense to be able to remove them for cleaning etc.
Not just cleaning, but take out the empty & put in a full new one, has to be easier than
trying to pour the contents into the old one.
Not to mention two denarii back on the empties!
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.....Not to mention two denarii back on the empties!
lol lol
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While working on the amphorae and other pots I started with the first buidings of the village kit I mentioned earlier in this thread.
Basicly this is close to the farm in design and style, although the buildings are smaller and come on Sarissa's terrain tile system, which I liked after seeing live at Salute (with the Japanese village at that time)
So I started with more or less the same technics and ideas that I used for the farm.
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Love it already - this is going to be spectacular
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Good start!
I’m not sold on the terrain tile system, so it’s a potty they don’t sell these buildings on “normal” bases. Do you think they could be built on another base easily?
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Hi Nick. it shouldn't be a problem to use another base! :)
Just remove the small protrusions on the lower end and glue them on another board. I have actually made one shed without a base at all, the roofs helped to keep the right angles ;)
Personally I would do it in this way:
The terrain tiles are 2 mm MDF, so the edges can easily be cut to a slope and then the whole thing is glued to another 2 to 3 mm MDF of the needed size.
P.S. I like the tiles' non straight edge, because even if I use single buildings only the edges kind of blend with the surroundings I think.
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Very nice indeed
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So, progress is slower, but I managed some painting as well as some test shots on the kitchen table :)
These days I am working on some inhabitants and more pottery ;)
The farm house is getting some large removable base from the terrain tiles, no pics yet.
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Fantastic work Thomas. :-* :-*
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Looks lovely!
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Ideal for an Ancient skirmish. I want one.
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It looks great!
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That looks fantastic. Amazing how much one can really spice up the kits.
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Excellent work. Where did you get the olive tree?
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Thanks for your comments :)
There's more to come, the pergolas will get some grape vines, amd more plants and weeds will be glued.
I am not yet decided how to paint the wall deck... ???
The olive trees are from "Noch's Profi Line" model railway scenery, I also purchased some Cypresses - great stuff :)
cheers Thomas
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Love what you’re doing with the houses! The extra grape vines etc will make them even more splendid, I am sure.
For those who were wondering: Some of the NOCH stuff is sold by Woodland Scenics internationally (and vice versa). Highly recommend!
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So now the additional base is nearly done :)
Some stones, grass and a tree or two will complement it.
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Some projects are never really finished, are they? ;)
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Some projects are never really finished, are they? ;)
Oh yes ;D
This one started when my father read the Odyssee as bedtime story to us children - my interest in Greek mythology war awakened! lol
Many many years and a lot of Wargods minis later I was looking for a farm building to accopany my Trojan temple.
At Salute Sarissa caught my eye and when in the middle of the project the village buildings were released...
That's how things work in my hobby life, do you feel mirrored?
cheers Thomas
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Very much, only that my father added a good helping of military history later, which brought me to Carthage and Napoleonics lol
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So now the base is painted and the courtyard made anew :)
This weekend I'll hopefully get some green to it ;)
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Looking good!
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So eventually I did some greenwork and inhabitants, but look for yourself.
I'm thinking about adding a cypress or two and some more bushes and shrubs.
Creeping plants are on the list too, and maybe an olive tree in the center ???
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Very nice! I really like the colour of the roof tiles in particular. Yes, I like the idea of a tree or two- would be mice additions. Maybe one in the corner, where the two story building and the wall meet.
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Yes, I know it is a typo, nearly made me choke. lol lol lol lol
would be mice additions.
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Yes, I totally would like to see some mice added. :)
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Those are some nice additions to the farm that add extra character to it.
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cracking work :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
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Outstanding work!
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Fan F...ing tastic work, wish I had your terrain skills (Patience, work ethic) sigh.
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Thanks for your positive feedback!
Took a while, but with May being much colder and more rainy than usual I went back to the working table ;)
I have added trees (with magnets) an some more grass and flowers.
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sorry, wrong quote :-(
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Very nice peice of terrain. :-* :-*
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Brilliant - outstanding project :-*
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Thomas, you did a great job on that mdf kit. :-* :-* :-*
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Love the tree in the courtyard- it looks perfect.
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very nice extra details you added
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Good to see how your plan with the terrain tiles worked out. I must admit it again adds another nice touch to the farm.
Out of curiosity as I still haven’t built mine: was the difference in hight level between courtyard and house floors a problem?
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That's turned out well.
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Good to see how your plan with the terrain tiles worked out. I must admit it again adds another nice touch to the farm.
Out of curiosity as I still haven’t built mine: was the difference in hight level between courtyard and house floors a problem?
There is no significant hight level dfference as I have inlaid the cast flagstones. In the picture you can see the laser printed flag stone pattern beside the plaster cast fkag stones.
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I'm glad you like it, thanks for the nice comments.
In next steps I'll fit the famhouse to the village houses to get a mediterranean setup for skirmisher games as well as just for the glass cabinet ;-)
So there is more to come, although progress will slow down durnig summer time :)
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There is no significant hight level dfference as I have inlaid the cast flagstones. In the picture you can see the laser printed flag stone pattern beside the plaster cast fkag stones.
Very cleverly made indeed! Thanks for the explanation.