Terrain For Hippos: Reviving the art of Cardboard Cottage Construction!

[Weaver]

UK fans of TFH please note: some branches of Hobbycraft (well the Stockport one at least) are selling off FOAMBOARD at much less that the breathtakingly expensive prices it usually goes for over here. The stack in the Stockport branch was of A3 sheets, going for £2.50 each.


CORRECTION: the sheets that are on sale at £2.50 are A1 size, not A3, i.e. roughly 3' by 2' (I just bought 10  )

[puddingwrestler]

Oh stop complaining; you can buy high density foam sheets from any DIY shop. I think that out weighs the price of Foam Core. Which can be replaced with Cardboard anyway.

[Weaver]

Who's complaining?  

I think we've had this discussion before: foam core (i.e. the stuff with foam sandwiched between two smooth faces) was much harder to come by in the UK than in Aus: most hobby shops and models shops didn't stock it and looked at you blankly when you mentioned it. Hobbycraft (big chain) started stocking it recently, but it was specifically packaged as "hobby materials" which meant it was small and expensive. It's bigger sheets of this stuff which they are now selling off.

The only foam which DIY shops sell is expanded polystyrene roof insulation board. It's cheap, but it only tends to come in one thickness (about 25mm from memory) and very big pieces (about 6' by 2'). You used to be able to get polystyrene ceiling tiles, which were about 10mm thick and 18" square which made them very useful, but they've been out of fashion in interior design circles for some time and hence they've disappeared from the shops.

One modelling project on my list is for a ZELL fighter hidden in a factory building, and when/if I ever get around to it, then I will be going through TFH very carefully looking for appropriate techniques...

[puddingwrestler]

I was teasing you; I've gotten a lead on roofing insulation in this country anyway.

[puddingwrestler]

Remember chaps, just one month left on the terrain compo!

[puddingwrestler]

Modelling For Hippos has debuted! In this ishoo you can find out how to convert up some Kislevites!

[puddingwrestler]

[puddingwrestler]

Gentlemen: It would seem that the time has come for you to all troop over to TFH again and gasp in wonderment.
Form an orderly queue (that's a queue made up of medical orderlies)

[Weaver]

Spooky - I've just been thinking about how to work cheap lights/torches into models without getting into soldering up LED rigs and the like... nice one!

[puddingwrestler]

Under orders from Mr. G. E. Bag, professional hippo, it is my solemn duty to inform you that ishoo firty-sven is now available for your delectation.
Delectate it here.

[Weaver]

Oh yeah - much more my sort of thing. Good timing too, because another thing I've been thinking about is a 1950s retro rocket-ship on a launching base, with little (REALLY little) people trooping aboard for their holiday on the moon....

[NARSES2]

Oh yeah - much more my sort of thing. Good timing too, because another thing I've been thinking about is a 1950s retro rocket-ship on a launching base, with little (REALLY little) people trooping aboard for their holiday on the moon....

Regarding little people do you know that you can get (or at least could get) 2mm scale wargaming figures ? Probably nearer 3/4mm now knowing the way wargames ranges grow.

When Phil Barker of WRG first mooted this idea he christened them "hair roller armies" because he used the "spikes" from ladies hair rollers suitably painted 

[puddingwrestler]

I have heard of 2mm scale, but always assumed it was more used for massive vehicle combats and naval engagements...

[Weaver]

Hmm, I was thinking more of Continental N-gauge (1/160th) or 1/200th architectural figures. I have some 1/300th sci-fi wargames figures around somewhere, and they're basically nearly-unrecognisable blobs...

[Mossie]

Games Workshop Epic stuff, is somewhere around 1/300 I think, the figures are quite recognisable.