“Metal” False Fronts - For a Space Western Flavor?

[Cacique Caribe]

Hi there!

I plan to use these junction boxes for a 15mm Space “Western” frontier settlement on some outer planet (or moon):

https://youtu.be/HuMvK5VhQsk?si=8QKeVmfxsOk01asQ

But I plan to add some sort of “false front” to them, like buildings used to have in Old West towns.

However, with local lumber being in short supply, and their one-way (Conestoga-type*) colony spaceship available for parts, I was planning for the false fronts to be salvaged metal sheets, either corrugated metal or floor grating turned vertically. I’m not sure if either of those would look best (or be most convincing) once painted, or if I should keep considering other materials to use.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks!

Dan
*  https://johneaves.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/the-ss-conestoga/

[has.been]

I like what you've done so far & your approach.
As to the cladding (for the false frontage) I suggest:-
Pick as many cheap kits/broken or incomplete. Use those bits.
Look at cheap, again broken or incomplete, toys. Use bits from those.
(Charity shops/car boot sales/e-bay/Internet recycle sites are all worth a look)
With a box full of bits, & a hacksaw to break up the larger shapes, buy some
craft scissors (the ones that cut out different edging). Sit down one evening
& while you watch a film/interesting programme cut up a cerial packet or two.
This will provide a tub of thin card with interesting edges, so that when you
start gluing together your false fronts you can fill in the gaps with the thin card.
Even better if they overlap, as that adds to the 3D effect when you dry brush later.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[dwbullock]

I like the idea of corrugated steel.  There's a few tips for corrugated steel.  You can cut coke cans and run them through a 'wrinkle' making thing.  Thin card works, too.



You can buy plasticard that is in the correct shape, but can get expensive.

You can try to take cardboard apart, which I despise.

Or, my favorite ...

Scrapbook corrugated steel card sheets.  Usually get a 10x10 inch square for less than a dollar stateside.  Saves a lot of time over the other stuff.

But, if you want the idea to be more salvage from the spaceship itself, rather than the idea of having terraforming supplies on board (I still think corrugated steel will be used for quick bunkers in the future...), I agree with has.been that busted toy space ships work great.  You can also look for Matchbox megarig bits on ebay.  They have great details.

[Cacique Caribe]

Great points, guys.

I also bought some 12” x 12” sheets of textured metallic cardstock in the scrapbooking aisle that I plan to use, though I would need to put some backing to it to sturdy it up.

Dan
PS.  Just to clarify, that video in the link isn’t mine, but it has definitely inspired me to pick up the junction box idea.

[Plisken]

If you're looking at a colony ship that was intentionally one-way then the ship would be cannibalized for the parts, right? With that in mind, I'd expect these scraps to look like external panels from the ship or maybe internal corridors and ship structural supports.

[Cory]

One thought. The purpose of false front buildings in the old west was to give a facade of "back home" civilization to what otherwise were at best poorly constructed boxes.

I would save the corrugated material for the back of the building and use sheet styrene with sci panels cut into it. The cheap for sale signs from the hardware store work well for that. You could even cut them into strips and etch in a floor pattern with a quick pass of a knife to give a grating effect.

The important thing is the false front is dichotomous with the rest of the building. Nicer, gaudier, what ever it needs to be.

[Cacique Caribe]

Cory

Excellent observation!  Yes, it should be to remind them of the life they had before and where they came from.  The Old West towns wanted to be their equal.

Dan