Hadley's Hope: a Weyland-Yutani WIP

[Braz]

Thanks all.
Connectamabob, found a shaving mirror and that seems to work but layout is cramped so still restricted to the shots I can get. Will need to reverse the pics otherwise seeing mirror image and need to set up some proper lighting first.

Duncan, here's a few tips and I'll document/mini-tutorial the next batch I make as I have a few things to make soon (desk, gun locker and bunks):

Most of the furniture I make is made with illustration board although sometimes I make it with styrene which gives crisper edges, sometimes with wood (balsa/toothpicks/bamboo skewers, etc) to get instant wood texture. Sometimes I make a full or partial card model in GIMP/Photoshop which I reinforce with illustration board or scraps of foamboard to help it survive gaming abuse. Whatever is around.

Sharp blade and steel ruler to get nice straight cuts. Don't force the cut, let the blade do the work.

Illustration board cut thin will flake...use something else in that case.

Furniture will be taller than life to accommodate the figure's extra height from the base and sometimes wider so that the base will fit under. Shelves will be taller.  I find 2cm high to top of table/desk looks good (that's my standard). Have a based figure around to compare with to see what looks good. Check often. If you have the location, check the furniture in situ with based figure too. Modify as need be. Many items are thinner than life to maximize floor space for figures.

The two foot rule. You should have idea what piece of furniture/room is used for at that distance and it should not look sterile. Pimp it up to make it look as if it is used.  Make relief items, panels, cupboard doors, etc with cereal box cardboard or card stock. Tiny relief makes a difference.  Just a few extra details will give the correct suggestion.

I mostly forgo chairs against tables/desks so that figures can be placed against the furniture...the mind fills in the missing details.

Reinforce where it won't be seen, especially for legs of tables, beds.

Paint the whole thing with a base coat of artist/craft acrylics...hides flaws and paint seals the edges. Add/paint details after.

Watch many episodes of "The Furniture Guys"

[Gluteus Maximus]

Some very good tips there. Most are obvious - once explained of course

Don't know about watching "The Furniture Guys" though 

[The_Beast]

EVERY time I'm thinking I've fully resolved to be satisfied with my little corner of LV-426, a board where the first aliens show, someone comes along to total abash me... 

Then insult to injury, the Furniture Guys?

 

Lovely work; waiting on tinters for it to all come together!

Doug

[abhorsen950]

Very cool, nice work.

[dijit]

Thanks for the tips. I'm impressed at the leel of quality on your furniture, I'll have to satrt givingit a shot now.
Duncan

[Braz]

Beast, no abashing intended. Most of ops and medlab are complete with just a few things left to do (but important ones) before I release pics for consumption. Should be quite soon.

GM, Dijit, most of the furniture builds are quite quick and straight forward.

Here's a demo of how I just built a weapons locker consisting of a weapons rack and bottom locker cabinet:
Start with a basic plan that it will be 1.5inch wide x 1.75 inch tall and cut out pieces


Glue the sides and top:


Use front piece to determine location of the middle shelf and glue in place. Then glue front panel in place.


Correct error... oops (front panel slightly too wide) Thankfully illustration board is quite easy to work with.

[Braz]

A basic cabinet built...could be used for buffet or with extra shelves as a bookcase also.


Don't like the look of edges on top of the locker so cut out a top panel with cereal card to cover the joint edges. Tip:I use the locker itself to measure the dimensions.


Cut out some panels from cereal card and glue in place.


There's the basic cabinet

[Smillie]

Nice little tutorial there. 

[Braz]

I don't quite like the look so decide to add a top row of bins. Just a couple of strips of illustration board and some card. I often change design as I'm building if it doesn't look right. Easy peasy.




Built the locker, a desk and two cots in about an hour (including photo shoots) and all it cut offs of board.


And painted with a base coat.


Next detailing:

Tip: you can sand the edges of illustration board with fine grit sandpaper to remove imperfections but sanding the top or bottom just produces a rough surface

[warrenss2]

AWESOME!!!

Great talent you got there, Braz!!!

[Braz]

Didn't have/couldn't find spare weapons bits for the weapons rack, so...   a few toothpicks (square and round type) and some cereal card trimmed a bit into the right shapes (two foot rule) and a back panel for the rack


Cut and mount the pieces on the illustration board. Having a separate panel that will fit into the cabinet back makes it much easier to assemble, paint and detail.


Paint the panels silver/aluminum, and the weapons gun metal, brown and black (and yellow on the Taser), a Lettraset rub on letter, and pigma marker handles.


Completed weapons locker (less the digital combination lock pad still to add) All from scrap.


Batteries died so will post pics of the detailed bunks and desk once they recharge
Cheers all and happy building.

[Photographer]

You are a genius!

[MrHarold]

Wow that looks awesome! Thanks for sharing all those tutorials as well.. i'm very inspired...

How did you come up with your layout? Was is just trial and error or did you have something in mind already?

Thanks!

[Ray Rivers]

Loving this thread.

Keep up the fine work!

[Braz]

MrH, way, way too much watching of Aliens (nah..can't watch it too often). Then trying to resolve how the internal layout worked based on the interior scenes, what was said, plans that were seen, and exterior views. Stupid curiosity and a continuing fascination with space colonies. Then trying to resolve lots of discrepancies, lots of unseen areas and came up with this plan which was fairly close but still with quite a few errors that have since been corrected.



Some changes of course made to accommodate game play but some errors still exist (like an itch I can't scratch)

Also see this thread:
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=20667.0

Cheers