How robust are laser cut mdf buildings please?

[Monkey]

Hello, I'm doing a little Dead Man's Hand project and as we all do I've got totally carried away and am trying to put together a complete little settlement to play in. I 've seen a lot of really nice laser cut mdf buildings (especially the 4ground stuff), but I don't have room for a gaming board at home - I'll have to keep all my scenery in a big plastic box in the loft and drag it out and transport it to my local gaming club when I want to play.

I quite fancy some of these mdf buildings but I'm worried they won't stand this sort of treatment (especially given the cost of some of the bigger ones). Please can anyone tell me how tough  these buildings are? Would they survive intact, would they need to be mounted onto bases, or should I just not do it? So far I've stuck to Perrys plastic (Shop, farmhouse and adobe house - I'll probably get the tumbledown barn too) and smaller resin pieces (outhouse, water trough etc).

As an alternative can anyone recommend any nice plastic or resin scenery that would work?

Thanks - any advice gratefully received.

[Major_Gilbear]

They are fairly robust, generally speaking.

Some details like handrails and balconies can be a bit delicate, and some of the really simple buildings can benefit from having a few bits of balsa added into corners on the inside to act as stiffeners, but that's pretty much the same situation with most scenery really.

If you're UK-based, you can often get some suitable Wild-West themed buildings from TT Combat, Sarissa Precision, and Micro Art that are cheap (under a tenner for a building). Might be worth getting one kit and seeing for yourself? IMO that's probably the best way to gauge, and they're cheap/nice enough kits.

[hentzau]

I store mine exactly as you say, in a large tub.  I'm very careful when I pack them in, but they survive very well.

The 4Ground stuff is extremely sturdy.  As said, there are some fragile bits on some of them, but if you're reasonably gentle in the packing and transporting, you should be OK.

[Black Burt]

I have quite a few laser cut buildings which I store stacked up in plastic boxes and have had very little damage, the little damage that has occurred has been very easily fixed with a dab of glue. All the buildings that I have come with a base which gives extra rigidity, I would definitely add a base if it was not included in the kit.

[Mason]

I have a few and they are all mounted on MDF bases for strength and protection.

I store mine in A4 paper boxes, as these can easily be cut down to size and as you are making the bases you can make them fit pretty tight.
In one box I have four buildings on their bases and assorted scatter scenery filling the gaps.

This way they have survived pretty well, the only damage occurring during overexcited gaming sessions.
 

[Monkey]

Ok, cool thanks - they sound more robust than I had expected. I think I'll take Major_Gilbear's suggestion and get some small ones, see how they go and then maybe build up to bigger ones.

Thanks for the advice 

[Argonor]

I am pretty sure, I too shall go laser-cut on both modern city and old west stuff after realizing how much is available and how cheap it is doable.