finding myself at a crossroads. - UPDATE: Things happened!

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Heyhey. I'm at a bit of a loss right now. Few months ago I found that I would quite fancy owning an 28mm Eastern European rural village for Napoleonic and WW2 wargaming and for taking pretty pictures.

I particularly like the look of the Charlie Foxtrot offerings in that regard (knowing that MDF always takes a TON of exra work to get it to look good of course). Then again maybe this is an occasion to finally succumb and get on board with that 3d printing malarky (which I kinda abhor with every fibre of my being for reasons which are 60% rational, 40% "out of principle". Or the other way around. But maybe I'd like it a bit better if I got something I actually like made from the stuff.).

What's your verdict on that situation, Sirs and Madams? What would you go with and how?

Thanks very much for your input. I'm a bit torn on the whole situation to be honest.

[OSHIROmodels]

Resin! 

[Shtim]

I think it depends on what you’re going for and enjoy. If you enjoy making terrain, and you want customised buildings for your board, the MDF route makes more sense in my opinion! Having said that, and I know this from my personal work, it can take a very long time to finish (but if you enjoy the process, that may be for the better!)

Would you be making the models for 3D printing yourself?

[Battle Brush Sigur]

@OSHIROmodels: We both know that this of course would be the correct way of doing it. (right after scratch-building)

@Shtim: Yeah, that's another factor. I might have to buy a 3d printer if I were to go that route. Which in the long run is an inevitability anyway, but yeah....

[Dags]

Resin! 

Amen brother

Unless you're prepared to/have time to do a ridiculous amount of work the only buildings that, imo, really work in MDF are 'Wild West' ones.

3D printing, long term, will probably provide a reasonable alternative to traditional quality resin. But I don't feel we're there yet (unless one has silly amounts of money)

[carlos marighela]

This.

MDF is fine for what it is but I tend to regard it as a basic shell that needs to be detailed. Time and material cost usually matches any saving on the MDF kit. So if you are prepared to put in the time or it’s the only game in town for a particular model then yeah. To be fair somethings work better with MDF than others. So simple planked wooden structures are reasonable subjects for MDF. Otherwise, I’d opt for resin, hard foam or 3D prints every time.

If you are looking at cheap but effective Russian isba type buildings then take a look at the  plastic kits from Pegasus. They are 1/72 but with a little adjustment to door heights, work acceptably with 28mm. Quite cheap, well detailed and there are a number of different models.

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Thanks for the input so far.

I very much agree with your views on MDF. I think for what I have in mind it would work rather nicely.



Add some gardens, maybe scratch in some more texture, add some proper roof tiling and so on and those should be good I think, right?

Carlie Foxtrot certainly isn't a game anywhere near my town ( ), but I'd probably be willing to put up with all the insanity ordering from the UK means now, simply because I don't find any other kits to be any more convincing.

In terms of resins the only ones having those to my knowledge is 1st Corps, right?

[MaleGriffin]

I'm planning to get a resin printer and learn to use it but I'm not sure it will replace MDF, balsa, craft sticks, toothpicks, cardboard or plastic. I see 3d printing as another tool in my toolbox, not as a replacement for all my other tools. My opinion may change after a couple years resin printing, but for now, it's looking like only another tool.

[kingsmt]

Just my opinions. Take 'em or leave 'em.

MDF looks fake!
I understand why guys use them.
They still look fake!!

3 D Printing.
Too new.
Too expensive.
And still printing what is basically a plastic model.
I'll wait a few years.

You commented that you liked the scratch built models that I did.
That's your answer.
Make your own.

I will tell you that Hudson and Allen make a very acceptable set of 5 Russian Cabin buildings, that are made of lightweight foam. Very cheap.
I have this set and I also have their North American Indian pieces.

Try them, if you don't have the time to make your own.

[SJWi]

Hi, I understand and agree with the comments about MdF. However for Eastern Front I think the Sarissa Precision mdf are pretty good. The only issue is the "onion dome" for the church which is impossible to produce in mdf. I'm getting a mate to 3D print one,

[Dags]

The more I think about it, if I was in your position, first thing would be to ask James to quote for doing them....

(if he goes down this route, Jim, I expect a small finders fee  )

[Cat]

I use, and enjoy, both.
 
With a bit of care, MDF does not look at all fake.  The furshlugginer print line ridges on prints on the other hand, I just live with.  I save printed terrain for quick and dirty projects, MDF for the more showpiece ones.
 
The Charlie Foxtrot models are great, although probably far easier for me to have ordered them from here in America instead of from the other continent.
 
Things From The Basement has a great MDF village set from the US:
https://www.thingsfromthebasement.com/store/c39/Russian_Village.html

For STL files for a Russian village, this set can't be beat:
https://www.3dprintterrain.de/collections/musket-and-bayonet-era/products/napoleonic-file-set-edition-3
 
3D Print Terrain is currently running a Kickstarter for a new Fantasy/Medieval set.  If you back that project you can get that and bundle any of the previous sets onto it for the original Kickstarter prices:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3d-print-terrain/medieval-fantasy-printable-terrain-wargaming-and-modeling
 

[eilif]

I use and enjoy all the various materials for structures.  My brief thoughts:

MDF doesn't always look fake, but if you're going to pony up for the higher quality kits that don't then you may just want to go 3d printed or resin.  The Black Site studios stuff I've got is generally great, but you pay for it.

3d printed looks good if you're talking about high resolution and/or resin.  In my opinion, the print lines on lower resolution 3d printed PLA stuff is as distracting as the sharp angles of average-quality MDF buildings.  If it's not something that requires sharp angles, you can smooth it out with acetone or MEK, but that's not workable for most structures.  I don't mind painting my structures, so as 3d printed buildings come down in cost, it's looking like more and more of my purchased terrain will come from resin 3d prints. 

Resin is always great if you don't mind the weight and cost.  Generally the cost of resin buildings puts me off buying new ones, but the used MBA structures I've acquired have been fantastic.  If you've got the coin right now, Resin is fantastic, especially if it's got accessible interiors.

[Battle Brush Sigur]

@MaleGriffin: That is a very sane approach. Everything's got their place. It just gets iffy if people get all taken with some new tech (and 3d printing is majorly problematic in that regard) and think that it's the solution for everything. I've seen people ask how large a 28mm brick should be for their printer. That's a whole slew of problems right there. Or the people who 3d print trees or rocks.

@kingsmt: I do like your scratch-built terrain. Especially since I very much appreciate an uneven, organic look. And I do agree that MDF looks very fake in many situations. For what I have in mind I think it might work with some extra work. I agree on 3d printing.

@SJWi: I was thinking of supplementing the Charlie Foxtrot ones with a Sarissa building or two. Yes, the onion dome on the Sarissa church is a problem.

@Dags: Aye, I understand that LAF is dangerous terrain for asking such questions...

@Cat: Oh, I'm liking the Things from the Basement buildings! Not sure they're available this side of the Atlantic though...

@eilif: Oh yes, I wouldn't wánna put up with PLA printed stuff. I'd rather have my terrain look a bit fake than 3d printed.


A friend of mine just brought up a very interestig option -  anybody know what the footprints on those 25mm Hovels buildings are?

[Pan Marek]

Battle Brush-
If you don't want to deal with the shipping hassle from the UK,  Things from the Basement has very nice Eastern Front village buildings.  And they're US based.
See
https://www.thingsfromthebasement.com/store/c3/Wargaming_Miniatures.html