Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Old West => Topic started by: Elbows on April 14, 2013, 09:00:32 AM
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Well, I mentioned it in another thread...but I have a desire to re-do my entire Old West town (Drake's Branch, NM). I decided to start this thread because I don't want to get my Shoot N' Skedaddle thread mixed up with too much non-game material. Don't hurt me!
GOAL: To replace my aging MDF buildings....with newer, better painted/prepped, more diverse buildings.
I had originally bought a couple of each Sarissa Precision Old West buildings when they first released them. They had a couple different faces, and only three sizes. My other laser-cut buildings were Tri-City Laser prototypes which I received for free from Lee over at TCL for selling some products for him at a convention (and he simply didn't need them as he himself does not game much).
My town is nice and large, but really really lacks diversity. I had also rushed most of my early buildings (and admittedly didn't take enough time on my TCL buildings either...). I had assumed (wrongly) when I began that I would be gaming Old West one or two weekends a year, and like most other hobby products - these Sarissa buildings would end up buried in a deep dark corner. Boy was I wrong...
While attending Siege of Augusta a few months ago, a guy named Bryant from NashCon approached me and offered me a rather aged Flying Tricycle laser-cut building. He asked me to pass the word around about NashCon and to try to attend. Who was I to say no? I got home and opened up the 15 year old kit. Inside I found about 50 freakin' pieces! Unfortunately I was missing several key pieces, and the aging wood strips for shingles were faded and semi-curled etc. I did salvage a spare outhouse and MOST of the pieces. I decided what better way to start my new Drake's Branch than with the Sheriff's office?
The kit was slightly warped...but a decent amount of gel super glue should do the trick. I am not a master painter, but I found a nice colour scheme and used some spray paints for the interior/exteriors etc. What you see in the pictures is all that I could salvage from the kit.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/001-1_zps44cec21b.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/002-1_zps24df1227.jpg)
Inside you see a handful of my new "ugly) civilians and whores. I made the mistake of painting them when I wasn't in a mood to paint - so I don't care for them, but they won't be key figures...lots of space though. I will be adding a desk to the front - which only has a long bench.
I cut one of my spare Perry cabin's roofs into a shingled porch awning, and have cut a piece of wood to make the last interior wall between the cells. I have a piece of MDF which will be cut into a roof, and ribbed with wooden spines.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/003-1_zps7b32e5a5.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/004-1_zps7364a297.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/005-1_zpsba83ba96.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/006-1_zps2c546cc8.jpg)
I was extremely pleased that the rear hallway (to the cells) is large enough for a normal Black Scorpion model to stand. Being 15 years old and with so much scale-creep I was afraid these wouldn't fit.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/008-3_zpsa6333644.jpg)
The Flying Tricycle kit fits in perfectly with the old Sarissa stuff and the old TCL prototypes --- a tiny bit shallower, but overall it fits well.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/009-3_zps033fe5e6.jpg)
Overall, very pleased with the kit - and while I didn't get to use wallpaper (I don't have the patience!) etc...it's a much nicer finished product than any of my other buildings. Hope it's the first in a long line of better buildings. After all, isn't that was the people of Drake's Branch deserve? This kit (while a bit warped and missing pieces) was a nice blast from the past!
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I did three four of the old Tricycle kits for Mordheim. Definitely ahead of their time! The kit looks like it fits right in with everything else, a good start for sure.
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Looking good !
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Finished assembling the make-shift roof, roof slats, porch awning, prepped the Sheriff's sign, and finished the makeshift wall (separates the two jail cells). Should have it together by Friday so I can use it at GnomeCon.
I also decided to try something unique on the roof, which I'll show off with pics in a bit.
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I also decided to try something unique on the roof, which I'll show off with pics in a bit.
Unbearable Suspense :p
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Good start with the re-birth, looks to be a nice good kit despite its age.
On with the more pics, I say! :D
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If you can still find some of Tricycle kits they are worth picking up. I have three or four of their half timber ruined buildings and they really were great kits. But they tended to be on the complex side with a lot of pieces. From a quality standpoint they were top notch. It would be interesting if someone could track them down and get the rights to produce some of their old kits.
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I agree with Heisler, I get the distinct feeling these are more MDF/wood models than they are "quick and easy" gaming pieces. The roof section to this building would have been about a dozen or more pieces, with individual frames, etc. I used a piece of MDF to cut a flat roof (I like being able to stand on roofs so I try to keep pitched roofs to a minimum).
I used a "make it stone' textured spray paint on the roof, hoping it would give it some nice chunky tar-paper texture. It didn't really. Front porch awning also didn't come out great and may be broken off and replaced in the future (the perry cabin is a pretty crap model, the roof tiles are vague and barely etched into the plastic).
Interior wall was added, just some wood cut up. Overall, very happy with the kit. It's a good start, even if the final touches leave something to be desired. I may invest in some proper shingles for that porch. We'll see.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/004-1_zps55a92ab1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/003-1_zps84f5ca4f.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/002-1_zps4199a779.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/001-1_zpsc1c86b8c.jpg)
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I think your textured roof came out fine. Accentuates the rough nature of a tarmac surface which would normally disappear in a 28mm scale model. :)
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I'm fine with it - but it didn't come out as I had envisaged. The texture was not really enough to properly drybrush much, which I was hoping would give it a nice grey-black finish. The porch awning bugs me a lot more! lol
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Maybe I'm just cheap, but I don't understand why gamers don't make their own buildings anymore. I have been soundly bitten by Old West Fever, but I'll be damned if I'm going to pay decent money for buildings. I can see spending the money if it is a club project or a demo game for a show, but for a weekly get togehter, I'd rather spend the money on more figures. Think of how many more figures you could have gotten for the cost of those buildings
Just my few cents for what they are worth.
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I disagree.
To me, time = money. The buildings I've purchased have been very reasonable (considering half of them have been free). The cost of good plasticard and wood to work with + the time = more "money" or at least equal with what I pay for buildings.
I have no time nor desire to spend 4-5 hours building then painting a building. For instance this Flying Tricycle kit took me perhaps...one hour to complete. It's well built, structurally sound..and looks the business. I like building things I can't buy...or when I have spare bits just sitting around. I have built almost everything in my town other than the buildings.
I would maybe agree with you if this was just an occasional weekend game for me. But as something I game heavily, the money invested has been very well worth it (and I've still managed quite a few minis too!).
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I really agree with Elbows. The Price and Quality of the MDF kits make them very competitive compare to scratch build and allow you too save a lot of time.
I doesn't prevent you from building some scratch build also but if you want to get quickly a good size playable Old West town it is probably the best way to go.
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I suppose the fact that it is one of three projects makes me think differently. Perhaps when I am really sucked in to gaming the Old West I will be looking to buy as well.
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I also think the biggest thing is something Nick mentioned in the other thread: whether or not you LIKE making terrain. I do (certain types of terrain). I enjoy building stuff like gallows, corrals, fences, the water tower etc.).
But, just like we have friends who never paint their miniatures (because they don't like to paint) - a lot of people would probably hate making terrain. The nice little plastic cactii are something like $6 a box, etc. So there are some really simple, cheap options available. I don't think we're encouraging everyone to run out and buy the $180 Battleflag hotels etc.
I think if I could buy well painted miniatures for a reasonable cost I wouldn't even spend too much time painting minis (as it is now, I paint a figure in about 30-45 minutes...and then dip them in army painter shade...so it's relatively painless). We all have different goals for the hobby.
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I really agree with Elbows. The Price and Quality of the MDF kits make them very competitive compare to scratch build and allow you too save a lot of time.
I doesn't prevent you from building some scratch build also but if you want to get quickly a good size playable Old West town it is probably the best way to go.
I am there with that too, but I will happily scratch build something special if its required
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I often buy a building from a range I like and look at the dimensions and style and make my own to compliment them. I don't actually copy them, just use them as 'inspiration' for lack of a better word. I like making stuff, I just rarely get the time.
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Many Old West towns were originally slapped together :o when there was minimal (as in none) ::) of the later building code issues. lol
Just a thought...
Gracias,
Glenn
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Particularly the small mining camps etc. Look at things like the railroad villages which would go up and down each week - they'd just grab four walls...stick em in the mud, lash them together - throw a tarp over the roof and use it for a couple days. You also saw a lot of actual fabric buildings (tent cities etc.). I'd like to find a way to make some cool tent structures for my towns. Newcomers around the outside of town etc.
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Update:
As mentioned in the other DMH thread, I'll be starting to sell off my Sarissa and TCL buildings that I currently have. They'll be pretty fair price, and I'll be hoping to sell them stateside (international post would kill the value). I'll post up a comprehensive picture of what I will have available once my DMH buildings show up. No callin' dibs until I've posted stuff! lol
Besides, I'll have to wait till I have my new buildings constructed, as I don't want to sell stuff before I've replaced it! lol
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EDITED - added to below post.
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Those are nice and if I could afford to, I'd buy some in a heartbeat.
Tents are pretty easy to make. Just go outside and get some twigs, cut them to the appropriate size and glue them together using super glue. To make the tarp you just need to make a 50/50 mix of white glue and water then put a piece of paper towel in it to soak up the mixture. Then drape the wet toweling over the sticks. Cut to fit, let dry and then dry brush the desired colour.
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Update:
Well, I received the five-building town from Great Escape on Friday. Being a huge 4Ground nut, I was pretty excited. I was surprised by how big the packs were (4Ground kits are normally work-intensive and come with a LOT of MDF for your dollar...these appeared to be no exception).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/2013-05-03_18-48-59_352_zps7ec39424.jpg)
Observations:
- I had never had a pre-painted 4Ground building so I was curious how they did it - turns out it's quite easy. They just pre-paint/finish the MDF then laser cut it. This puts detail on top of the colour, and adds a nice patina to the pieces (the laser burn gives off a light brown stair to the surrounding area).
-The MDF comes in two thicknesses...one of which is rather thin. This gave me some concern as none of my other 4Ground kits came with the thinner stuff. Some of the pieces are extremely thinly cut..so patience and a careful hand are needed. The interior walls and certain structure elements are the thicker MDF. Once the buildings are complete they are very sturdy - but they are quite a bit of work, and I foresee eventually breaking a piece I need.
-Some elements, while clever, are uselessly complex. Each windows consists of no less than four pieces. The final appearance is excellent, but it's a silly thing to make into so many pieces. The door frames are a horrible design (very thin, a pain to install). Again, when complete they're sturdy and look fine, but I'd have gone simpler if it were me.
-The pre-painted building pieces occasionally have over-spray on the underside. Once I noticed this I started checking every piece. I only have a couple which needed a sanding/scraping to make sure it would fit flush.
-As usual with 4Ground the pieces slot in perfectly and are actually a joy to complete. I'd rate the two buildings I've done has being MUCH more difficult than the previous 4Ground stuff.
Enough blabbering...pics!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/003-1_zps1a35cb3e.jpg)
"That's a lot of MDF!"
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/009-3_zps5f11dea8.jpg)
One of the two pre-painted pieces which needed to be scraped clean (extra paint had splattered on the back and gunked it up)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/010-3_zpsd1fc4475.jpg)
The two side-street buildings I've completed so far. First one took a careful 3 hours as I was figuring out the strategies for assembling it. The second took half that (or less, actually).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/011-3_zps0a2b6186.jpg)
The awning comes close on one of the taller Black Scorpion figures but he fits --- so it's easy to guess ANY old west figures will work.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/012-2_zpsc69cd046.jpg)
The other awning is plenty for anyone to fit under.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/013-2_zps31f9ec95.jpg)
The insides of both are similar, but different. Each building has different windows in different locations, and the doorway in the center-wall is in a different spot.
*NOTE: I've determined that the side walls, and interiors are all the same exact overall sizes. With a tiny bit of paintwork on the front fascias you could actually buy another couple buildings, swap walls and windows etc...and end up with different structures. It's a huge change (a nice one...) to have different layouts in each building. It was something I didn't care for in my old Sarissa buildings --- identical windows and layouts in each building.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/014-1_zps18f3577e.jpg)
The secondary door in each kit can be wedged into the center wall or glued into position. It does NOT come with swinging hardware or any way to mount it. The front doors are mounted in swinging brackets...and swing freely.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/015-1_zps1f1a3020.jpg)
The front door on each kit is a different design. Note that (so far) all of the doors/windows would also swap from building to building.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/016-2_zpsd2cf4fa5.jpg)
Roof latch which I messed up (screwed up the install) it's supposed to be more flush with the roof. Not a big deal. Opens and closes.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/017-2_zps5a30c064.jpg)
Some shots showing the size. The 4Ground building is shallower...but taller and wider (or as wide) as the others. Left to right: 4Ground, Sarissa, Tri-City Laser, Flying Tricycle.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/018-1_zps6edc9b2a.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/019-1_zps88bccfd8.jpg)
Each 4Ground building comes with a raised platform for the base (allowing the wood walkways to fit). This can be removed (along with the wood platforms) and allow the buildings to sit flush. I glued mine on, as I dig them. It does raise the building quite a bit by comparison to the others.
The thick walls etc. provide a nice real 3D feel to the building. Almost everything is double-sided, meaning there are no angles from which you see the "unfinished" side of things. It does appear that the signage is also modular...and might work swapped (they attach with the same mechanic). Depending on what else 4Ground release I may buy a few more of these, and swap them around. The painted pieces come in sheets of painted MDF...you could actually re-spray them quite easily as well. A little of ingenuity could go a long way!
The next day (my birfday!) my father added to my joy. He's a fellow gamer and we'd spoken about some Crescent Root structures I liked. He picked me up a couple of their adobe structures (I hope to be able to field a small Mexican town at some point). Adobe buildings are so versatile, I was stoked to receive them.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/020-1_zps82cd6919.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/022_zps97ec0ad1.jpg)
Each structure has removable doors and roof-tiles.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/029_zps119b9c29.jpg)
The two-story models have removable upper rooms too.
While these aren't necessarily part of Drake's Branch...I'll have to name a Mexican town across the border now...I'm not a huge fan of resin terrain but these are pretty good, and reasonable priced. The paint work is mediocre, so I'm debating if I'll buy them unpainted next time. I may not bother as it's a secondary setting.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/030-1_zps35d8fa8a.jpg)
I think it's time to go crank out another building. lol
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I snapped a few pictures while working on the third house.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/031-1_zpsf7d68c5c.jpg)
Some of the MDF sheets you get in a package - painted and cut.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/032-1_zps15f92bcc.jpg)
The instructions are...okay at best. It definitely takes building one to figure out how it all really goes together. Pictures are small, but get the job done. It's also a bit confusing because the instruction sheets show steps needed for other buildings...leaving you searching for pieces you don't have!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/033-2_zps3729e9aa.jpg)
You get quite a few pieces which end up being extra...and could well be used for other projects down the road.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/034-1_zps77d85427.jpg)
Various bits and pieces under construction.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/035_zpsf5aa0350.jpg)
Much easier to paint signs (poorly) when they're still on the sheets or unassembled.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/036-1_zps6bf0721b.jpg)
Occasionally 4Ground puts in little tiny pieces of character...almost easter eggs. This is a tiny mouse nest cut into one of the interior walls.
My third house is drying - will probably try my hand at the bigger two story stuff tomorrow. Time to get to bed!
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:o :o :o :-* :-* :-* ;D ;D ;D
I guess there's not enough suitable emoticons to put here! Congrats on getting such cool buildings, they look mighty fine. Never heard before about those abode buildings, need to check on them more closely at some point. Keep us posted with many more pics! :)
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That's a really nice (and welcome) haul for your birthday then Elbows! Very nice and extensive review, personally I'm waiting for your review of the No 2 Main Street building. :)
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That towns coming together nicely.
Cheers
Geoff
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Fantastic! I'm drooling over here :-* :-*
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Before I sell off my older stuff I'll have to put it all together on the table, and see how crowded I can get Drake's Branch. The last single story.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/038-1_zps084699f9.jpg)
The interior wall is the same as one of the other buildings, but you can turn it either direction (again, it's all a bit modular the more you look at them). I'm curious to see if the 2-story buildings share the same components (windows, interior walls etc.). I suspect they will, so really the entire thing would be quite modular, the front fascias being the only exception.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/037-1_zpsde611b28.jpg)
I know women wouldn't have gone to the barber (or I don't imagine they did) but surely in some small towns you could get away with it... lol I did manage to properly flush-fit the opening latch up top this time.
PS: I will eventually be adding appropriate resin furniture to all of these buildings. I believe most of the small single-story ones will be done up as a home/shoppe - with the back room being the home of the owner, the front being the small business parlor.
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I'm going to enjoy seeing those furnished. Hurry up and put the old stuff up for sale so I can see if I can afford any of it.
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Update...knocked out one of the two-story buildings. I was able to figure out a few tricks which is making assembling them much easier (slowly but surely!)
Also knocked out some of the awesome 4Ground outhouses! One of which i decided is...in need of some repair.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/001-1_zps057e3569.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/002-1_zps0cb9e93f.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/003-1_zps8f32329b.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/004-1_zps74faeef3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/005-1_zps8f290a01.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/006-1_zps24bdef5a.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/009-3_zps30bf687a.jpg)
Notes:
-The structure of the two-stories is identical...and thus...interchangeable with other elements. The windows have one additional piece of dressing, but you can convert the bottom story into a single story building if you wanted. In theory these are also stackable, so you could construct a sort of three-story or more building...?
-The two stories come with a lot of the boardwalk material. I keep mine separate as it's much easier to store that way.
-Roofs/signage appear interchangeable between all buildings.
-Interior walls and doors are all the same again...so you can mix/match/flip till your heart is content.
I also assembled some of the quasi-broken stone walls, but they're awaiting paint.
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PS: Who makes some reasonable old-timey street lamps? I think it's time to give the citizens of Drake's Branch some more security at night...
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After following this thread from the start, I decided I had to have a building under construction which is done by Aetherworks, here in Oz. I picked up 4 of their buildings in January at Cancon's Bring & Buy, so this was a follow up to increase the size of my town for a LOTOW game next week. Hope the postie is kind and gets it to me in time.
Edit: These guys are great, arrived today and it almost assembled itself. :-*
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PS: Who makes some reasonable old-timey street lamps? I think it's time to give the citizens of Drake's Branch some more security at night...
Well there are a number of them out there it depends more on what look you want. A search revealed a large number of O scale and HO scale versions, unfortunately the O Scale ones are like 4" tall which is probably to tall, HO Scale are probably going to be a bit small but if you frabricated a taller base you could probably get away with it. S Scale would probably be about right but I didn't really find anything available in that scale.
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I saw West Wind Productions has a small set for one of their late 1800's games...maybe not perfect, but I might try them.
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I placed an order with The Terrain Guy for a heavier duty gaming mat (and one without street layout so it's more vesatile). It's a little pricey, but I could use the upgraded texture of a nice mat. Also, been converting over the really nice Gale Force 9 rock sets (inspired by PocoLoco's stuff on here I think). Happy with the small rocks, will be doing up the larger rocks later. I have some rivers etc...hoping to see how a game unfolds on the outskirts of the town. Trying to really expand the possibilities for my game settings.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/001-1_zps5ffe8531.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/002-1_zps597d0bf2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/003-1_zpsa711eb75.jpg)
Also going to work on some cactii formations and a bridge I have standing by.
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Everything's looking great in Drakes Branch. I've been meaning to get some of those small rocks for the outskirts of my town, i think they are just the job.
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Yeah, they're good stuff - the big rocks are great too --- sadly they're in that horrible dark red/black paintjob. But some spraying, a bit of drybrushing and a couple hand-painted rocks and they end up perfect.
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I'll pick some up next time I'm in my local store if they still stock them.
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Some more updates (been going a bit terrain crazy). My mat order was nixed by the Terrain Guy - they're no longer taking orders, so I'm going to have to find a new solution.
I completed the two large hill sections in the matching paler desert scheme (no pics!?)
I also knocked out the second two-story building, and a mediocre molded plastic bridge I got from Recreation Conflict at a convention - it's a nice enough bridge but was a pain to get paint on it, and it's a bit small for my GF9 river sections.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/023_zps20b02b47.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/024-1_zps2b223156.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/025-1_zps17b34330.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/026-1_zpse5cbd6d3.jpg)
I'm hitting up the hobby shop soon to make a bunch of home-made fencing...as I'm not happy with the random plastic perry fences I have (except the corral which is great). I also have some tree/cactii bases in the mail, so I'll be doing up some more trees and cactii. Also some detritus. Then it'll probably be a cool-down period for terrain. I have some more figures and minis I need to knock out (including some new mounted figures).
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Those buildings look really really nice, especially the raised boarding/sidewalks.
Keep it coming.
Oh thanks now I need to buy me some gf9 rocks... there went the money lol
Regards,
Za
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Well, the nice thing is that I plan on just buying all of the DMH buildings which come out. I'm hoping one or two a month come out - that'll help me save a bit of money and slowly but surely build them all. I forgot, I do have some walls from 4Ground I need to paint/assemble. I also realized the bridge I just finished really doesn't fit over any of my river sections - so the center piece (it's a three piece model) will be replaced with an extended basswood scratch built center.
If I happen to find any usable funds I'm also looking for 3-4 more adobe buildings. I'm not going to go nuts on the Mexican villa side of things.
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And some more wonderful looking buildings. Unfortunately, I really like the bridge as well. lol
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I really agree with Elbows. The Price and Quality of the MDF kits make them very competitive compare to scratch build and allow you too save a lot of time.
I doesn't prevent you from building some scratch build also but if you want to get quickly a good size playable Old West town it is probably the best way to go.
I agree 100%. I'm going to pick up some of these kits before my move to Moscow (who knows what will be available there??) and they are on par expensie wise with scratch built, they looks grea, are easy to build and old up. I use HO scale RR kits to play 20mm zombie games, and I need to make sure to do extra reinforcements on some of these plastic kits as they were meant for display and not gaming. Laser cut n the other hand...
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Fantastic work! Great colors! :-*
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Very nice work!
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Good Job
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Super additions to Drake's Branch elbows! You have a nice pace, you lucky bugger! :)
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Hah, it burns me out pretty quick sometimes, but I am using the excuse that I need the terrain/figs done for photos for my rulebook etc...and hosting games at conventions keeps me motivated to "finish" stuff. :?
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Superb work, great signage!
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Unfortunately I found I have zero free-hand ability. I tried some test pieces of wood to see if I could do cool signage...nope...so pencil and simple line paint. I wish I had the artistic ability to do cool crazy Old West stuff --- really don't have the hand for it. :(
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Unfortunately I found I have zero free-hand ability. I tried some test pieces of wood to see if I could do cool signage...nope...so pencil and simple line paint. I wish I had the artistic ability to do cool crazy Old West stuff --- really don't have the hand for it. :(
I know what you mean. I tried doing some fancy Old West lettering styles but I hated the way it looked so I ordered a bunch of the Tri-City laser ones. The artistic ability I used to have has all but dwindled. Your signs look great as they are, I will try do some of mine simpler like this rather than my poor attempt at fancy lettering that I'm achieving at the moment.
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I once did some research on how to do your own rub-on transfers. I should dig that up and see if the process is worth using to recreate signs on the false fronts.
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I had actually considered printing signs on laminate...and then cutting them out, etc. Of course all of this would be easier if I had a quality colour printer (only have a BW laserjet).
With the inset frame work on the buildings I have, it'd be a snooze to cut some signs to size and slot them in there.
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Updates...
Well, lucky me...some late birthday gifts showed up. I received two more Crescent Root adobe buildings. I did get a duplicate so I've contacted them to see if I can swap it out. My Mexican town will be small, so one or two more buildings and I'll likely be done with it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/007-2_zpsf63022b0.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/003-1_zpsca522e1d.jpg)
Some pictures I took of my terrain inventory...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/004-1_zps888a4a1c.jpg)
I'll be replacing quite a bit of it, but it's still shocking that I can cover more than a 6'x4' table with just terrain!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/006-1_zps5e52e4d4.jpg)
If anyone is interested in my five prototype TCL buildings, let me know. I'd like to offload them to a fellow Old West gamer for a very reasonable price. They're laser cut plywood, and could likely use a repaint. I'm not too stoked on my paintjobs. Shoot me a PM if you live in the states and are interested, we'll work something out.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/008-3_zps08ec1644.jpg)
Also picked up this $30 Old West-ish train at the local toy shop. It's not perfect but I have neither the patience nor money to spend on really good quality trains. The scale looks like it'll work. It comes with four cars...and if I decide I need more, I'll grab another $30 set. I picked up some plastruct H-beams and a bunch of basswood from the local hobby shop. I'll be doing a lot of fences, and I figure I'll make my own rail-road track sections most likely.
Of course...now I need a damn train station. I'll probably crank out a handmade one to hold me over until 4Ground makes one (seems likely).
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Don't Sarissa make a really nice railroad station?
Where are you rivers from, are they flexible and how wide are they? :)
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The rivers are from a Gale Force 9 set...repainted. I like them, a bit flexible, nice and heavy...BUT...the bottoms of the rivers are coated with a sealant. Unfortunately mine were CONSTANTLY sticking together. I had them stacked in a box...the bottom sealant ripped paint off of the rivers. Then I put them between some wax paper...nope. Still ripping and sticking to everything.
I live in Charleston so it's hot and humid here. The repaint seems to have fixed most of this. The tops don't stick, so I'm going to actually go ahead and use sandpaper on the bottoms, removing the sealant. I hope this is just a rare issue. The product is good, just be ready to fix them. They seem to range from 3" to 5-6" at some sections. The main box only comes with straight sections. I haven't bothered with any of the turns etc.
EDIT: Yes, Sarissa makes a nice railway station. At the moment though there is no other game in town for me when comparing 4Ground to every other company I've tried. I'm 100% sold on their stuff. Since my budget is limited, I'm going to just build some stand-in stuff and populate the entire town with 4Ground as they expand their lineup.
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Thanks, El. Unfortunately that river set is now OOP (I have an Ebay search set up).
The rivers are from a Gale Force 9 set...repainted. I like them, a bit flexible, nice and heavy...BUT...the bottoms of the rivers are coated with a sealant. Unfortunately mine were CONSTANTLY sticking together. I had them stacked in a box...the bottom sealant ripped paint off of the rivers. Then I put them between some wax paper...nope. Still ripping and sticking to everything.
I live in Charleston so it's hot and humid here. The repaint seems to have fixed most of this. The tops don't stick, so I'm going to actually go ahead and use sandpaper on the bottoms, removing the sealant. I hope this is just a rare issue. The product is good, just be ready to fix them. They seem to range from 3" to 5-6" at some sections. The main box only comes with straight sections. I haven't bothered with any of the turns etc.
EDIT: Yes, Sarissa makes a nice railway station. At the moment though there is no other game in town for me when comparing 4Ground to every other company I've tried. I'm 100% sold on their stuff. Since my budget is limited, I'm going to just build some stand-in stuff and populate the entire town with 4Ground as they expand their lineup.
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Very impressive! I need to get moving on mine and at least get the buildings finished on the outside!
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:o Wow, that's an impressive amount of scenery and what a nice birthday gift! I wish I had the space to store that amount and to have a table that size. If I lived in the States, I'd buy those TCL buildings in a heartbeat, I'm sure though they'll be plenty of interest.
The train looks good, getting hold of one like that over here in the UK seems almost impossible. I work in a book shop and at Christmas we get a Christmas train similar size to that and similar engine but it only comes with a flatbed carriage (with Xmas decs on that I will remove) a Santa sleigh (pretty much useless) and the caboose. Good thing is they are about £5 plus I get discount and after Christmas they are usually buy one get one free, so I may be able to make my own carriages on the flatbeds or using the wheel chassis from the santa sleigh.
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I'd be happy to send you guys some, but I grabbed the only one I've seen in months at the toy store here. It's also a big box so it would be a bit to send. I've been disassembling the cars slowly but surely (some might take some work to get apart). It looks like it'll work a treat when finished. I'm actually debating building interiors for the cars, but the interior space is a bit tight for models with bases.
While it all looks like a bunch of terrain, it actually fits into four plastic bins quite nicely.
I repainted the other rock formations to match the desert theme tonight...started building a new, longer centerpiece for the bridge (so it'll fit over the damn rivers!), built a half dozen new bits of fence, disassembled/cleaned/prepped some of the train cars...and I think I'll knock out some more before I hit the bed. Pics tomorrow.
PS: I also sprayed my new detritus pieces for painting...as well as some new figs earlier today.
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/002-1_zpsbbd0c3c3.jpg)
Behold the cheap Chinese majesty!
(This train is easily the worst toy I've ever seen...super-appropriate for our gaming...but as a genuine toy: ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. The plastic is obnoxiously cheap, tracks are horrible, tons of flake and bits hanging off. Really really weak joints etc.)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/003-1_zpsbca047da.jpg)
The train comes with the engine, two passenger cars, a caboose, coal car and a open topped cargo car. Overall, a great freakin' deal for $30 (20 pounds for you Brits). Just enough for a good train heist scenario, or a nice piece of scenery on the table top.
It comes covered in crappy stickers with some really poorly assembled controls etc. Lots of screw-heads to be covered, hidden etc. I can see a ton of promise though. I am concerned that it'll have to be transported somewhat carefully as it is sooo incredibly brittle.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/004-1_zps9e3373ba.jpg)
Delicious, delicious quality...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/005-1_zps13eb3eeb.jpg)
Only the finest for the citizens of Drake's Branch.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/006-1_zps9ade68c7.jpg)
Lots of flash to be trimmed with a blade...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/007-2_zps0a9781f5.jpg)
Thankfully the stickers all came off without a fuss.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/010-3_zpsfc6b66bc.jpg)
Cars are very poorly glued and can be disassembled with varying degrees of difficulty. Only one was cut up for removal - something which won't be too noticeable when re-assembled.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/008-3_zps655875bd.jpg)
Some fences assembled to replace the variety of poor fences I've been using. These are more robust and much more table-friendly.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/009-3_zpsbfae2401.jpg)
Going all Colonel Patterson on this bridge - expanding the center section by about 1.5"-2" so it'll properly cross the river. I also replaced the pins I was using with a simple mdf "lip" that'll catch and hold the pieces together when on the table.
I just sprayed the first three cars - may have them painted and assembled by tomorrow. More pics to follow...also pics of the newly finished hills.
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Great progress, quite a lot of stuff going on for Drake's Branch.
Train is looking promising, what plans you have for the engine?
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Good luck with the train! Every wild west town needs a train. I looked at that one more than once but opted for the On30 route. I justified that to myself because I decided that I would shift model railroad scales and my steam layout would go from HO to On30 instead. So any railroad oriented material I buy for Calamity will be able to serve double duty on the layout.
The other thing that bothers me about that train is it has a definite British style to it. But it looks like you are going the extra mile to make it look good.
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Yeah, the train is not very accurate...but it's the only money I'm really willing to invest. The other model they make is a 1930's looking engine with similar cars. Plans are very simple...simple clean paint...engine will be mostly black, with some rust/brushed metal etc. Big flat surfaces are quite a pain. I'll also be using some clear plastic to go for some vague look of windows. I kinda/sorta finished most of the caboose last night. Looks just okay - but miles better than the way it came in the box.
I found this picture and it seems to be almost exactly what they based it off of, lol.
(http://www.scripophily.com/webcart/vigs/chicagorockislandvig3.jpg)
(http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/steamtown/shs2t1.jpg)
Guess it is American style...? I'm just calling the rail-road the Pacific Railroad Company or P.R.CO. etc. I'll have to decide whether the railroad is evil or good I suppose...
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Appears to be a "famous" 2-6-0 Baldwin Mogul train...built in Philadelphia.
(http://www.greatamericantrain.com/images/locomotive_tender_new_large.jpg)
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The engine looks closer to an american style design and without seeing the wheels a 2-6-0 Mogul sounds about right. The cars look very english to me. In the end its what works and looks good and the majority of the players are going to think it looks cool and that's what's important.
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Some updates...
Pics later of the train progress and bridge progress. I set up a table...ended up hating it (using my alternate side to the Hotz mat I normally use). After looking all over the place for a robust simple desert mat (with no roads) I went to the local fabric store and grabbed some nicely coloured fake-leather (pleather, vinyl, mbtex, etc.). It stretched out to about 58"x72" which is a bit more than my near-4'x6' mat earlier.
I'm very pleased. It's a nice surface and the fake cracked leather actually looks quite good as a desert base. I can now put stuff where I like sans lines and roads!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/001-1_zpsc555200f.jpg)
Checking out the new Adobe buildings...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/002-1_zpsf71af249.jpg)
Life is pretty good in Drake's Branch...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/003-1_zpsc0e61dba.jpg)
Thanks DMH/4Ground!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/004-1_zps6a9eef40.jpg)
The table I didn't like...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/005-1_zpsd9757c23.jpg)
argh!
*EDIT: Guess this picture didn't come out properly...hmmm...
New..fresh...and only 35 dollarbucks.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/007-2_zpsf56f4fce.jpg)
Just enough texture to keep the eye distracted.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/008-3_zpse2167713.jpg)
Freeeeeeeeeddoooommm!!!!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/009-3_zps40ea872c.jpg)
Gallows front and center!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/010-3_zps41de5f18.jpg)
Some new nature creeps into town.
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Very nice additions Elbows! My project is on hold at the moment, too bloody much work!!! >:( Although more work=more money=more stuff... lol
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I must have looked at this thread a dozen times and I still have not commented.
Terrible, shoddy behaviour for which I must apologise.
Soory, Elbows.
There is some stunning eye candy here.
Love it!
:-* :-* :-*
That faux leather looks great.
I may have to look into that idea.
8)
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I was going to invest in a nice textured mat etc...but all of them are absurdly expensive or out of business. This will do for a while. I had been hoping for a more heavily textured mat that I could have dry-brushed. As it is, it's very robust, and reasonably priced. I can't complain. If I had any airbrushing talent some minor work would make it look even better. I will be doing some teddy-fur high grasses or something eventually.
Pics later tonight: first finished train car, assembled new bridge, maybe some detritus...oh and I had my buddy at Tri-City Laser cut me out about 20 various shape tree/cactii stands, so I'll have some more done eventually - you'll note a couple of my tree bases for intended for other projects and have all-green foliage. I want a few more solid desert scheme trees. Eventually a handful more large rock sections so I can do some real genuine wilderness-only boards.
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This is all looking great Elbows. I'm looking at using textured wallpaper on MDF boards if I can find the right design. I have a few samples to experiment with. I really like the look of your mat though.
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Yeah, my whole town/minis/mat all fit in my car, and I tend to do a lot of gaming all over the damn place (SnS has already been gamed in Augusta, Savannah, Raleigh, Charleston and some town I forgot in Kentucky...soon to be Charlotte next weekend etc.) so something robust that I can roll up is really a necessity.
I'd like something with more flavor, but I'll cope. lol
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Looks great, which reminds me that I really need to finish some buildings and get to work on my board.
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Great idea with the faux leather, something that I will also check into :)
Drake's Branch looks darn good, would be a treat to get a game a scenario or two set in there.
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I have a bunch of stuff to snap pictures of - but its been raining here, so I've been lazy about ferrying it from my house to the garage (man cave). I'll try to snap pics tonight finally! lol
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Most of the stuff I've been working on.
Been replacing my weird mediocre fences I've had. Just doing some simple multi-post fences...I'm also doing several MDF-based corral style fenced sections.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/002-1_zps3f39f10b.jpg)
New expanded bridge. Unfortunately I forgot what colours I had used previously..but it matches well enough that I'll leave it. Now it actually can cross the GF9 river sections (most of them).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/004-1_zps9adf002a.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/005-1_zps5c584293.jpg)
Three of the train cars. I'm..."meh" about them, but the simple fact is that the train was pretty bad. The details were soft or flimsy. It was tough disassembling the train cars without snapping them in half etc. Overall a bit of metal brushed on...sprayed cars...repainted some stuff, and stuck clear plastic from a cinnamon roll tray inside for use as windows. I'm happy with the scale, etc. I was going to free-hand "PACIFIC" down the sides of the green cars but my painting is so horrible I'll just leave it as be! I also had to put some plastic framing up around the doors, etc. The train will work fine when its all done - two cars and an engine to go.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/006-1_zpsa61b9525.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/007-2_zpsae4b542e.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/008-3_zpsbd555bc2.jpg)
The detail was even soft around the windows which made it a bit of a pain..my shaking hands didn't work out so well.
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New additions look great, I am envious of the pace you are working with this project! :)
Those train cars look perfect for gaming, maybe add just some wear and tear if they are not supposed to be just new and shiny that is.
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Yeah, I debated doing some weathering, and I may...but my enthusiasm for the cheapness of the train is limited. lol Maybe a quick black wash over everything.
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If you decide to do the wash, go with a darker brown instead of black. You will the same effect and it won't be as harsh a contrast. You could use a black wash on the roofs of the cars to simulate the smoke and cinders.
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I was thinking about using black spray paint along the top...but I know I'd over do it!
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Elbows,
try a dark brown dry brush on the train followed by a light brown dry brush. Next give it a thinned brown wash. Then dry brush with a mid tone grey paint. This sounds like a lot of work but it isn't and it realy "livens" the train up.
I did this with my toy train over the factory paint job and it works. (have yet to take picture to proof it lol)
Regards,
Za
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Every time I try to dry-brush any kind of flat surface...I ruin whatever it is I'm working on. :-[
PS: 8 of the 10 detritus bases I decided to do. I'm tired of placing individual barrels and boxes. I feel like I'm genuinely closing in on "finishing" my Old West pursuits for a while. I'll simply add a few DMH buildings as they're released and paint my last 12 figures, train etc. I'll grab one or two more adobe structures and then take a nice long break from Old West terrain and models. The past few weeks I've been finishing up all these bits and pieces I've had laying around.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/010-3_zps1b2bd3f0.jpg)
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:o nice detritus bases I like them a lot.
Regarding the Dry brushing make sure your brush is completely dry. do a test run on your hand palm and just do it. The brown wash will take the chalkiness away of the dry brushing.
O I did not find the time yet to look closer to your rules sorry but I will try this weekend.
Regards,
Za
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Those are nice. You could always take a break from Drake's Branch and build my town! :D
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Hahaha, I figure a building every month or so for a while will keep me honest. I'll be burned out on Old West for a while, then come back next year, paint up a few new models - maybe do my plains war expansion.
Za, no worries - I've revamped most of it, and will be sending a new word file at some point. The good news is that I've almost nailed down the entire campaign system (simple, but amusing)...so that needs to be written up too.
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Great additions, Elbows!
:-* :-* :-*
That detritus is excellent, and I sympathise with individual barrels, it is a pain.
Great work, please dont stop too soon as this thread is very inspirational.
8)
That train is ok, mate.
If you have not already done anything to it could I make a suggestion that cannot go wrong?
If you can get hold of some Modelmates stuff, do so.
I dont know if you can get it easily where you are, but it really is excellent and really easy to use.
It comes in a liquid form and you just paint it over the area that you want to weather.
Then you just dab at it with a damp cotton bud, cotton wool etc (I used kitchen towel and that was easy enough) and it comes off 'bitty'. You just stop when you are happy with it.
I wont plaster pictures of non-OW stuff on your thread, so here is a link to some cars that I gave the 'treatment' to.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=39808.855
(Scroll to the bottom of the page. There are several more on the following pages).
All they have had is a coat of that stuff, dabbed off, followed by a very light drybrush of dark brown paint around the wheels.
I cannot recommend it highly enough, it makes life so easy.
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First blood was spilled in the "new" Drake's Branch this evening. I met member Ronin at a local game store and ran him and another fella through a game. It ended quite badly (for Ronin!). It was a rather significant bloodbath. Suffice to say the Dice Gods did not cut him any slack. More games on Saturday up in Charlotte.
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even with all the bad luck the rules were alot of fun.
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Bad luck might be putting it mildly :D
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This is a great thread - my apologies for not noticing it sooner (I've not done much Old West stuff recently)
Your town is looking great - BUT - (there's always one) I have always felt that scratch building is by far the best way to go. One can create anything at all, and as a consequence, large projects such as towns develop organically - without constraints imposed by the availability of kits/styles of building/variations in scale between manufacturers, etc.
And while time may indeed be money, Old West buildings are not that difficult or time consuming to produce when compared to Edwardian, medieval, Victorian Industrial buildings (and the list goes on)...
I think what I am trying to say is, if you're going to go to the trouble of building a whole town, why not make it unique?
Just a thought...
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I understand that many people prefer to scratchbuild their buildings. However, some of us have to factor in the time component as well. Buying laser-cut mdf buildings allows me to get the bulk of my town built quickly. I'm then free to spend the time to scratch build a few buildings to give my town its unique character, a signature building as it were. Its kind of like characters in a western movie, the no-name supporting roles get held down by the laser cut buildings and the staring roles get filled by those buildings I choose to build myself. For example the classic corner saloon for my town of Calamity will be scratch built with a full interior, but it will be surrounded by buildings from Sarissa Precission and Battle Flag. Each of those will eventually be unique when I get to detailing the interiors and all of my buildings receive some extra exterior detailing anyway mostly to hide ugly seams.
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I'll be honest. I just don't have the patience or skill to put up with making an entire town from scratch. My enthusiasm "only goes so far" unfortunately. Sadly you can see that in all of my gaming. I make some stuff as needed, but at the end of the day I'd much rather just buy some stuff, assemble it, and put it on the table. Heck if I could find well painted cowboy miniatures for a fair price I'd be fine not painting any of my own. lol
Regarding the Sarissa stuff and some of their more simple kits...I bought some...received them in the post and then assembled nine of them in about an hour of sitting at my desk. The next day I had a nearly complete town and was able to game. Now, I'll admit the DMH buildings take a good while, perhaps 1-2 hours per kit if I have the patience.
I'm afraid the answer is quite simple: I can't be bothered. lol
I suppose that's always been the case with me. Back in my GW days I was never ever nearly as good as anyone else with regard to painting or modelling. However...my stuff was table-top presentable and I was the ONLY gamer...ever...to have a complete, fully painted army. My buddies armies consisted of gorgeously modified models painted to a golden demon standard...well...five or six models - the rest hadn't been painted. At the end of the day I want the stuff on the table, and I want to game. :?
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Heads up - if I get time to snap photos tonight, a large portion of my Old West terrain is going up for sale. I'd imagine I have to put it up in the Bazaar and not just in this forum, or I'd give all of you guys dibs on it! I'll post a link here when it goes up. Unfortunately I won't be shipping abroad (not worth my time, and it wouldn't save you guys any money really from buying locally!).
Now to clean off the desk... lol
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Okey dokey, buildings are up for sale.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=55096.msg652820#msg652820
Guys from the Old West forum will get some fences and extra bits included for free (need to clear out some of that stuff too!).
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^Updated shipping and prices on some of the buildings. Selling them in groups will make it much cheaper to ship. Check out the thread for updates. I'll toss it all on ebay at the end of the week if no one is interested. Cheers!
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Okay,
Need some community help here. Who makes the best, reasonably priced wooden shingles? Well, wood facsimile, I don't care what the material is...and yes I'll consider doing it myself.
I'm thinking about making a big huge order to 4Ground or GEG...and I'm going to likely pick this up:
(http://www.4ground.co.uk/ProductImages/65fb67f3-e05c-4c49-85f5-c5674cdecc2b_lightboxLarge.jpg)
Obviously I won't be doing thatching, so it'll be Spanish tile (I have the plasticard) or wooden shingles...so I'll need...quite a bunch. lol I actually think 4Ground could make a painted version of this and sell it along the DMH range as it fits very well as a generic ranch from the time period. I'm trying to create a few more "theaters" for the game. I've been churning away on Casa Grande and Drake's Branch, so I think a big ranch/farm stead will be a nice change of pace.
Also, are chopped up paint brushes still the best bet for hay stacks/bales? Small things are happening behind the scenes, but I've been concentrating on selling off all of the old Drake's Branch.
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Finally sat down last night and started cranking away on some more terrain...and yes this stuff was scratch built (I have so many materials I try to occasionally use them).
I am concentrating on "extras" and leaving the buildings to 4Ground (another large order coming soon!)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0126_zps3e87ab4a.jpg)
More detritus stands and a well (poorly sized, but oh well....get it!?)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0127_zps39917b5d.jpg)
4Ground wall set (which..they recently released pre-painted! DAMMIT). The bricks will get a drybrush of orange/dust shortly
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0128_zps3e6deea2.jpg)
Two different fence enclosures. One is a single, one is a double with taller slats
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0129_zps41314fe9.jpg)
The taller one is made to stand alone or be backed up behind two buildings...representing storage behind the shop.
Just some more slow steps...trying to finish all of the terrain I've had stacked up lately.
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Nice work 8) these are the little pieces that add character to a town I think, they make it feel lived in rather than just a collection of buildings lined up for a game. Keep 'em coming.
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I completely agree. I think the "extras" absolutely make the table. In fact that's why I have so many of them. I'm selling off my old stuff, but I have a whole box worth of fences, corrals, tents, boxes, wagons, carts, outhouses etc. All of the stuff that makes the town feel 10x more interesting (and more stuff to hide behind!). I washed the walls down with a sepia wash and dry brushed an ochre/orange onto them so they're a bit more dirty and sunbaked. Look much better.
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These are the bits I need to start gathering. I'll scratch build some, buy wagons and outhouses from 4ground and crates, barrels and goods from Ainsty. My small town lacks good cover at the moment lol
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This is all good advice if I ever get my town off the paper stage! I have a whole area drawn up, locations planned and named, gangs worked out and a few figures aquired, but that's as far as it goes. I am totally in favour of the street clutter and 'stuff' approach.
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I really want to find suitable materials for making some fabric covered buildings...for the outskirts of town. I think a visit to the fabric shop may be in order. Does anyone know what material Playmobil used to use on their ship sails? It's a thick, fabric-like paper...it looks ideal, but I have no idea what it is called or how to locate any of it.
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I was going to experiment with canvas paper (A4 size sheets designed to go in your printer) to try and make some tents for then outskirts (and sails for my pirate ships). The stuff we sell in my shop is made by Polaroid so I'm guessing you'd be able to find similar of not the same in the US.
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Hmmm...indeed, I shall look into it. I am building some railroad track for the trains, and I was considering building a railhead...lots of shacks and fabric buildings perhaps...
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If you're still searching for shingles, Fenris Games have these (http://www.fenrisgames.com/shop.html#!/~/product/id=16079262) and a couple of others, all laser cut from styrene.
Warbases have some tiling sheets (http://war-bases.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=107_119) as well, though they're laser cut card.
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Yep, definitely still looking. That Rorkes Drift set is more and more appealing...(I'm just ebaying as much as I can to make as large an order as is possible...)
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Some updates. Ordered some more DMH/4Ground stuff, and have been feverishly assembling stuff (and a few more minis) for a convention in a couple of weeks.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0168_zpsaaac0c4b.jpg)
^Some more tree stands (lichen will be added shortly!) a 4Ground gallows and another small fenced section.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0169_zps645fc87c.jpg)
4Ground Sheriff's Office --- this has been modified from the normal kit. I didn't care for the long awning and the additional signage. I also inverted signage so I could hand paint (which looks worse, but matches the other buildings). Will add some wanted posters etc. (they're actually included on the instruction sheet which was a nice touch). This was a rather lengthy build, and was the most time-consuming one so far. I almost fear a proper huge Saloon build now :D
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0171_zps86a852c6.jpg)
^Don't like the sign location on the rear of the building...will fix/fill or change it at some point.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0170_zps0f80f990.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0172_zps345a7cb6.jpg)
I swapped around the upstairs and inverted the wall, which left some floor gaps. They were covered with some spare planking I had laying around. It also puts windows on the completely blank side of the office.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0173_zpsa51f7c65.jpg)
Bottom floor has two cells, each with barred doors...a barred door to the office and a heavy full steel door to the outside. Should be a tough nut to crack!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0174_zps606e27cb.jpg)
The full cast assembled for a dress rehearsal. They've been hit with a little bit of anti-shine after I used it successfully on some other models. There are a couple more buildings which'll be done this weekend, and a handful of horses to be finished (for dismounted use). Maybe another fence section or two.
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Sweet! It all looks great, should be a place of prominence on the gaming table.
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Should be interesting...I've done almost the entire "re-birth" since the last convention I attended, so this'll be rolling out all of the new terrain, and some new figures...new cards, etc. All new. lol
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Blargh...
Well, it had to happen. I got a bad 4Ground kit. The yellow two-story building was already not in a colour I liked. So I double-washed all of the walls and made it filthy. Then I swapped out the roof from another building. Unfortunately in the process of assembling it, I realized two of the interior walls were a little misshapen (too thick, and globbed with paint). A couple of other sprues had heavy paint on them which kept the pieces from coming out cleanly. This is the first bad kit I've had in about 20 various 4Ground kits...so I'm not too angry. It was minor stuff, but it caused the walls to break along the seems and really frustrated me.
The end result, I decided to leave shabby looking, threw some more washes on it. The poorly named "Elegance" Hotel...a brothel.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0177_zpsb406e8c1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0178_zpsd295e869.jpg)
I took the roof from the two-story yellow building, and decided to try some Army Painter green on the storefront and sign. It worked out very well (and in retrospect I should have simply repainted the entire yellow building as I hate the colour)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0180_zps370696bd.jpg)
I also finished four sets of hitching posts (not pictured). Everything is boxed up and ready to go to Southern Front (convention in Raleigh, NC) this next weekend. Should actually have pictures (also received a set of five boxes of Shoot N' Skedaddle which I'll be taking with the game).
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The DB Sheriff has a mighty fine office! :-* And liking the Elegance "hotel" as well, fine work.
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Small update.
Added two more plateau hills from Gale Force 9 (sprayed, added some colour and green). Painted up a bunch of horses (5 for unmounted use, 2 as part of a "wagon stand", and 2 which will receive riders who are currently being painted). I'm tired of painting horses. I have no idea how anyone can play games that require cavalry!
Also added a set of five Brigade Games Bushwackers (they're okay, not great) and painted up a plastic Perry officer to portray a Southern officer who's still clinging to his past. Another load of 4Ground stuff is inbound for next week (and they of course released a bunch of furniture kits I need a day or two after I placed my order!)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0280_zpsbdcdc1b3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0279_zps240c6c2b.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0278_zps1cacaa40.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0277_zpsd4f92774.jpg)
This is all just in case I get a slot at a convention here in the middle of November. No word back from the organisers yet. It gives me good motivation, and the minis I'm finishing now are likely to be my last for at least a year. I'm quite tired of horses and cowboys! Buildings will slowly creep along. I'll be constructing a type of ferry crossing for the convention if I am allowed to host.
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It has been a while since I last travelled to these parts and there are some great additions to DB.
Great stuff, Elbows!
8)
Love that shot of all the 'cast' and the new buildings blend in perfectly to your town.
:-*
Looking forward to getting my SNS cards and have a feeling that they will make my own OW project start barging its way to the front of the queue for some attention.
:D
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Your guys box goes out as soon as the post office opens here. I'd imagine non-fancy international shipping is 7-10 days? Haven't shipped something to the UK in years!
Once I get the other two figures mounted, I'll increase the "cast" picture to full size. Funny how a skirmish game ends up with as many painted minis as my old Warhammer armies... :D
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I forgot to post some of the other pics from the last convention...showing the state of the town.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0210_zpsba3475b7.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0208_zps946f526f.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0207_zpsa019d925.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0206_zps896fd9d4.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0205_zpscd69e576.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0204_zps757a581f.jpg)
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Great looking town board, even a few miners/settlers in their tents on the outskirts. :)
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More 4Ground whoring here...I placed a large order for fences and random additional buildings, including one I've wanted for a while - one of their American Legends line lofted cabins. Beautiful piece, a bit finnicky to assemble in certain parts.
It'll serve as an out-building, basically a homestead which has been around for 20-30 years. Maybe a road station, etc. Not something I'll be placing in the middle of town. Other buildings are additional sheds/outhouses. Fences are being finished and will be posted later. I also snagged a darker brown piece of material to make a wide 12" river which will be used eventually for a ferry-crossing.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0283_zpsaea2b6ec.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0282_zps3130f484.jpg)
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Small quick addition before leaving for a convention next weekend. I whipped up a really quick Ferry crossing...not a great effort, but quick and complete. I also did up two pack mules I had laying around (also part of the scenario) and some Ainsty mealie bags though I'm not chuffed with the way they turned out. Oh well, for a quick couple hours they'll serve the scenario well.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/2013-11-10_18-59-46_88_zps59f0aecd.jpg)
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Small update.
Added two more plateau hills from Gale Force 9 (sprayed, added some colour and green). Painted up a bunch of horses (5 for unmounted use, 2 as part of a "wagon stand", and 2 which will receive riders who are currently being painted). I'm tired of painting horses. I have no idea how anyone can play games that require cavalry!
Also added a set of five Brigade Games Bushwackers (they're okay, not great) and painted up a plastic Perry officer to portray a Southern officer who's still clinging to his past. Another load of 4Ground stuff is inbound for next week (and they of course released a bunch of furniture kits I need a day or two after I placed my order!)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0280_zpsbdcdc1b3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0279_zps240c6c2b.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0278_zps1cacaa40.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/DSCN0277_zpsd4f92774.jpg)
This is all just in case I get a slot at a convention here in the middle of November. No word back from the organisers yet. It gives me good motivation, and the minis I'm finishing now are likely to be my last for at least a year. I'm quite tired of horses and cowboys! Buildings will slowly creep along. I'll be constructing a type of ferry crossing for the convention if I am allowed to host.
Everything looks fantastic mate! The only thing I noticed was the way the team was attached to your open wagon. The front bar should go in front of the team and the bar that connects it to the wagon should look horizontal. Here is a link to a picture to show you what I mean.
http://www.ratestogo.com/blog/covered-wagon-tours/
Cheers!
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Yeah, I'm more making due with some old wagon I assembled a year or two ago and some Civil War horses...so I suppose beggars can't be choosers. lol Eventually I'll do a couple of legitimate stagecoaches/wagons properly with proper teams etc. This is more a stand-in thing for use in games if players insist of trying to hook up to one of the wagons on the table.
Ideally I'd like maybe 3-4 legitimate wagon kits/models done up properly. That's a ways off though. lol
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Outstanding work. Will you be adding cacti to the outskirts of the town? Being from the Southwest, you can't walk 5 feet without navigating around a cactus. I think the most common cacti in New Mexico would be the prickly pear.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia)
A patch of cacti can be about 10 to 20 feet wide. You can't walk through it, you have to go around. In gaming terms, it would cause concealment but is not considered hard cover, and impassable for models on foot or mounted.
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Yep, I have some plastic cactii in a box - having spent four years in the BP down in AZ workin' the desert I am uncomfortably familiar with cactus. I have many scars to prove it (and I think I still have some Cholla stuck in my hands and legs...)
lol
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Hey Elbows,
Beautiful little town with so much variety, stuff and 'western' charm. The colours and hand painted signs really pull the place together. You should have a sign writer shop ;)
After pouring over every image of your wonderful town, I'm left wondering... what ever happened to your choo-choo?
Cheers
Matt.
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It's sitting in pieces...just got distracted. I am debating getting another one and starting over. I have stuff to make tracks, just been lazy. It will happen eventually! lol
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Ah, a "wizards tower". lol Well get another one then with better plastic. ;) who knows perhaps you need a steam thingymagiggy for VSF, or a traction engine with the spare parts.
Cheers
Matt
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(wipes off cobwebs)
Yes, my Old West project was nearly done...and yes I still have a damnable choo choo waiting on the wings. However this week I finally got around to doing my least favourite of things...basing things.
I finally broke open my 4Ground fences and decided to make a number of enclosures and one under-construction (read: I had a bunch of bits sitting around and not enough fence left to make an enclosure). I also found a dozen tree armatures sitting in a bag...and half a bag of lichen so another five tree stands got underway. Then, for no friggin' reason at all, while looking at a spare wagon wheel I decided to make a wind-mill.
I've been asked to host a game at a charity convention sometime next month so I figured now was good a time as any to put some more polish on the town.
(and yes I've been a bit manic lately...pursuing an entire Dungeon crawl project, adding a dozen gladiators to my ludus, and I will be purchasing some cavalry/indians for the start of the SnS expansion, lol)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/Old%20West%20Gaming/DSCN0690_zps32e8fa41.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/Old%20West%20Gaming/DSCN0691_zps02c0bfb0.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/Old%20West%20Gaming/DSCN0692_zps527d1354.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/Old%20West%20Gaming/DSCN0693_zpsc76ff9dc.jpg)
In addition I'll be retiring three of my "eh" older fenced pieces.
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Some great additions, mate.
:-*
Welcome back to the fold.
:D
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Every town needs a windmill... and a train. now get steaming on the engine elbows, I've done mine :D
Cheers
Matt
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Well, sure, they look nice and nice modeling. But, as a life long resident of the west, I'm not sure I've seen any fences like that unless you count the 'new' west. Mind, I could be wrong. Of course, they will make fine places for the figures to hide in.
Looks like its time for some more research.
Here is a link I found: http://www.google.com/search?q=fencing+in+america's+old+west&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=onuSU5_pLc3yoASS54LACQ&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1274&bih=636 (http://www.google.com/search?q=fencing+in+america's+old+west&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=onuSU5_pLc3yoASS54LACQ&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1274&bih=636)
A couple of very non-American wattle and daub type fences in there and one very similar to yours that is ABSOLUTELY New West. The closest to yours is the one at the bottom left, all the way to the bottom of the first screen - and the closest I've seen to that is at Fort Ross, an old Russian settlement on California's coast.
In that link, though, are lots of examples of fences that you would find in the Old West.
So, how about you scratch up some of those picket fences with the curlicue tops!
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Having lived in the South West I don't care too much about accuracy. I'm not going to spend my time modelling a bunch of mesquite tree fences and barbed wire. ;)
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(blows dust off thread)
I received a box in the mail from Mark at Crescent Root studios while I was away training for a new gig. I picked it up a few weeks back and tossed it in a corner (I don't have any glue or hobby supplies in my new apartment yet). Today I decided to bust out the box and thumb through it for sheer boredom. Imagine my surprise when I realized this kit didn't need glue!
This is a factory/warehouse compound I picked up. Laser-cut MDF, pre-painted etc. Quasi-detailed interiors (ie. floors, nothing else).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/Old%20West%20Gaming/DSCN0870_zps4a203b83.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/Old%20West%20Gaming/DSCN0871_zps052d055c.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/Old%20West%20Gaming/DSCN0872_zps49723c58.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v455/Elbaus/Gaming/Old%20West%20Gaming/DSCN0873_zpsfcf4f877.jpg)
What you're looking at is the four main brick structures (well 3+1) and the walls. All for a good price actually. I'll do a break down of the buildings sometime. They're semi-pre-assembled (is that a thing?). Some components are glued in place before they ship them to you. There are small wall attachments which allow you to slot the sides together with small metal pins. The wood work is a very very thin layer of card/wood which is applied to the outside of the brick (done for you). It eliminates most of the joints you'd see in MDF. It's a neat idea with a few flaws.
1) The wood work is super duper thin...any snags when assembling and you'll break it. Not overly gamer-friendly.
2) Some of my wood posts for the metal pins were out of whack (they're glued before you get them in the mail) and one of my walls is slightly warped because of this.
3) The pins are neat and let you break the buildings back down but for any serious gaming you'll want to glue the buildings together.
4) The loft flooring slots into the walls with supremely thin pegs...one of which broke the second I slotted them in.
All in all I'm happy and think this'll pass well enough for a 1890's-1900's building for late Old West stuff and can easily be used for WW2, moderns, etc. Nice kit. Once I get my model supplies I'll be gluing them together etc. I'm impressed enough I'll be buying some more of Mark's MDF stuff.
PS: This would look great along a railroad line...something I should finish.
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Hi Elbows
Trawling through old stuff came across your old thread, most of the pictures are missing for me. Some of the ones on the later posts are there.
I would really like to read through it all as I am trying to make a decision on MDF or scratch build, is it a simple matter to create the links again, if not don't worry but dont go to any trouble.
Thanks
John
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I'll be re-igniting my Old West stuff at some point, unfortunately I killed (overloaded) my Photobucket account and will have to go the way of the blog here shortly.
I run too many huge-picture threads and I'm out of space, so I had to clear some aside. I'll start a new thread at some point.
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OK I will look forward to it, thanks for the reply