Pulpish Building Facade

[Wirelizard]

At work we have a point-of-sale machine (the thing you swipe your bank or credit cards thru) that uses paper on plastic spools. I've been snagging the spools when I can, with a scratchbuilder's magpie instincts. Cylinders, spheres and domes are the hardest shapes to work up from scratch, after all!

I've got at least a dozen of these things floating around; at one point a 15mm SF elevated expressway or monorail thing was thought up, but then I got more into 28mm skirmish instead.

And we need more urban scenery for 28mm pulp games, so we can get our adventurers out of the trackless jungle finally.

So this evening I snagged a piece of matte board, a quartet of plastic cylinder things, and started cutting.



Two thirds of an 11x17 sheet of mattboard, four plastic POS paper spool things, inspiration, and a fresh blade in my Xacto:



The photo above is a dry fit. I did the outside square pillars and ledges as two subassemblies, and I'll cut a scrap of cardboard as a guide to get even spacing on the pillars when they get glued down tomorrow.

There's a long strip of card cut to form the top part of the facade, and I'll probably extend the roofline upward a bit to give people something to lurk behind. Detail will mostly be more strips of card; I'm not planning on doing any signs or particular distinguishing marks.

It's designed as a board-edge facade, so it's 9" wide, about 4.5" tall, and just over 1" deep. There's going to be a small forecourt/sidewalk area in front of it, so the total footprint will likely wind up something around 9x3.

Bank, train station. museum or university building, Embassy of the Republic of Costa Guano, whatever - whenever our games require a building that attempts to look grandiose, we're set.

(and yes, I'm doing this instead of the yacht that's my nominal Build Something entry. Inspiration strikes where it will, and it's been missing that damn yacht often enough lately I think it'll turn into my firsdt New Year project instead of a Build Something entry...)

[Red Orc]

Nice. Those spools look useful, getting a bunch of the same type is much more useful than a load of different lengths and diameters. One problem I find is that the stuff I pick up from work is always mismatched, like the excellent 'tank tracks' from inside old printers... four different lengths and widths now, it looks like I'll have to build four mono-tracked vehicles...

Have you thought about having interchangeable signs for your bank/office/govt. department/embassy? I know Operator5 has posted some links to various pulp signs. I think your building would look smashing with a big 'Wayne Enterprises' sign on it, but obviously you want to keep it flexible; just wondering if there was a way to have non-permanent signs.

[Plynkes]

Perhaps drill some holes where the sign goes, and have some short rods on the back of the sign that slot into the holes. No gluing required.

The lazy man's way is Blu-Tac.

[fastolfrus]

Or perhaps a small piece of metal on the facade and then a small magnet in the back of the sign ?
That would also allow you to use something other than a signboard - a fresco or frieze perhaps, or something symbolic (like an eagle perhaps, or a large star) for an embassy building.
If you don't use a sign you could paint over the metal plate so that it looks just like the rest of the stonework.
You might need to add a bit more weight at the base to counterbalance things.

Otherwise, looking good.

[Mr. Peabody]

Good proportions for a BMO or old style RBC, just needs that old style classical roof. Go for it!

[Wirelizard]

All the walls finished, pillars installed, and mounted on it's bit of forecourt.

Still to do: roofline, minor decorative details, and the door. I might put a decorative panel or something above the door, if I get inspired to bust out the milliput. We shall see.

I'll probably get the roofline done tonight, possibly the detail panels. Paint tomorrow, as the door should go in after I'm finished slopping paint around anway!

[Mr. Peabody]

Are you going to add a few steps at the front?

[Grimmnar]

At work we have a point-of-sale machine (the thing you swipe your bank or credit cards thru) that uses paper on plastic spools. I've been snagging the spools when I can, with a scratchbuilder's magpie instincts.

Register receipt tape rolls. Yeppers know all about them. Spent ten years in computer retail and had the front end save em when they thought about it. Which was often enough so i collected a ton of them.
Now off work for MANY MANY MANY months i went back to work in computer retail again for a larger chain, and guess what they use?  LOL  Also, when the registers run out, guess who they have to come to to get another roll, and cant get one unless they have the empty to trade? Yeppers, ME! No magpie instincts needed.  LOL Now i have a HUGE amount. The GF hasnt taken notice yet though.  :-)

Grimm

[Wirelizard]

Roof done, steps added in front of the door, one strip added down the square outside pillars.

The door is under construction; basically a big double door. I might yet add some bits around and above the door. The sort of chunky Art Deco/Moderne building I'm ripping off for this project is short on frills, though.

It's basically done, construction-wise!

[Mr. Peabody]

Prime +1 with every new account? Free chequeing?

Actually it reminds me a lot of the OLD Montréal stock exchange building in Old Montréal. And it would also make a great art gallery.

Really looks the business.

[Wirelizard]

Painting basically done; going to touch up the sidewalk in the morning, but the building itself is done. I was aiming for a paler shade, closer to white, but I'll take this, it looks fine.

The door is just propped into place, not glued yet, so yes, I know it's skew, but it won't be once it's properly installed!

Not bad for two evenings disorganized work, I think.

[Silent Invader]

Great concept and execution.  Congrats on a job well done. 

[Red Orc]

Yup, looks excellent. Nice work on the doors, I like the panel detailing, it really fits with that neo-classical look. Actually, that wouldn't look out of place for Rome or Egypt, or a lot of fantasy settings either... Lankhmar, Ankh-Morpork and Minas Tirith spring to mind.

Ooh, I'm going to have to try to build one myself now! If only I had some till rolls...

[Unforgiven]

Thats really cool!!


ahhhh moddeling related cleptomania....you just cant LEAVE those little doodads behind, always gotta take them! 

[Grimmnar]

Thats really cool!!

ahhhh modeling related kleptomania....you just cant LEAVE those little doodads behind, always gotta take them! 

I dont know what you are talking about.
Just because i brought home 4 bottles of energy drinks to pour out the liquid to get tot he bottles.  :-)

Grimm