Wednesday 23 July 2014

Card Models from Summer 2014

Introduction

I've mentioned this before (here, for example) that I like to take paper models on holiday with me.  They're light and easy to transport, don't require a whole box full of tools or paints and can be built in small increments.  For these reasons, they're useful for filling some of those small periods of otherwise dead time that always occur when away from home.  Of course, I could just as easily have watched television or read a book and I did a little of that too.

It should be fairly obvious from the pictures below that I'm talking about small items here: vehicles and furniture rather than entire buildings.  These smaller pieces are often a chore when built in long bursts, but fit very well into the odd 10 or 15 minute period.

So, what did I make during this year's summer fortnight away?  Read on...

Vehicles


Most of the cardboard vehicles I have come from various WorldWorks kits (and I'm deeply regretting that I never bought the warehouse model with the 18-wheel trucks before they withdrew it!).  However, this pair come from Stoelzel's Structures instead.  They can be found in the Auto Park Playset, which has dozens and dozens of vehicles with it.  Admittedly many of these are repaints, but even so there are enough basic body shapes to populate a large freeway or two!

I already have many cars, so I only took 2 more such models to build on holiday.  The rusty saloon will be useful for games with gangers or as decoration for a slightly unsavoury part of town.  I really like the station wagon, though I can't help feeling that it needs some flashing lights on top.  Maybe I'll find a light-bar from another kit and add it to this one?

Incidentally, the Stoelzel's vehicles are very nice, but I have some issues with the curves where the windscreen meets the bonnet (for those readers in the USA, where the windshield meets the hood).  I can't get this joint to work smoothly; it always seems to end up as nearly a straight line, so maybe the kit would have been better just made that way in the first place?

The SWAT armoured personnel carrier and the police motorcycle are WorldWorks kits, from the Mayhem Police set.  This is one of their older sets, but I prefer these over the more recent kits for the buildings.  All the newer WorldWorks structures use the TerrainLinX modular system, which is much more labour-intensive to build; it doesn't suit me at all.  Of course, props and vehicles aren't affected by this anyway (just buildings).

Despite the relative sizes, the SWAT truck was rather easier to build than the motorbike.  They're both more complex kits than a basic saloon or estate car, but the bike has a lot of components and they're mostly quite fiddly as well.

Furniture

I've mentioned recently (here) that I am working on a hospital in which to set games of All Things Zombie.  Well, the shell of Ward 1 is about 80% finished (so only another 3 wards, canteens or operating theatres to go, plus entrance lobby, corridors, roofs, fire escapes and so on).  The Grekwood hospital kit provides the fabric of the building, (exterior and interior walls), but no furniture.  I could have bought the Grekwood bed models as well (they're very nice indeed), but I figured that the quantity I'd need would be rather extravagant.

Instead, I've started to build beds from the old Ebbles Miniatures Derelict 2 Megaset.  Ebbles Miniatures closed down some years ago, but I believe the kit can still be found in the archive section of the Genet Models catalogue.  Derelict 2 is really a collection of components for a SciFi spaceship or outpost, but the beds from the barracks will just about work for my hospital.  I'll still need to find some compatible models for a bedside locker and a visitor chair though.

As an afterthought, I also built one of the conference room tables from Derelict 2.  For a table, this is a surprisingly complex model but it fits together well and is quite robust.  I'm not sure that I'll need it in the hospital, though...

The Bar

The final picture shows the fittings for Germy's bar.  I've had the printouts for this free model for a long time, but somehow it never made it to the head of the model-making queue.  I figured that if I built the furniture then maybe I'd find enough enthusiasm to produce the building to house it on my return from holiday.  So far that plan hasn't worked; the exceptionally hot weather has reduced my modelling mojo considerably!

Right, I've got to go and watch the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games now, so see you all later...

26 comments:

  1. Hey Colgar, you can get the old Mayhem Industrial pack here:

    http://paizo.com/products/btpy8600?Mayhem-Industrial

    As far as I can tell it includes everything the set had before it was binned by WWG. They also do a few of the other old sets that aren't available from WWG anymore, I think.

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    1. That's fantastic, UrbanWolf! Many thanks; I'll have to go and buy that now...

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    2. No worries mate, I was looking for the old industrial set for ages and eventually stumbled onto that site! On a vaguely related note, would you be interested in some customised versions of the WWG vehicles? I got commissioned by a good friend some time ago to make a more varied selection of vehicles beyond the basic colours WWG supply. I shared them with Vampifan as well but he hasn't got around to building them yet! There are about 22 Vans (some with only minor changes) and assorted other hatchbacks, sedans trucks and the rest. I can send you a few examples if you like!

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  2. All good stuff C6, I made a lot of card boxes and other items a good while ago, sometimes it's relaxing but mostly I found it infuriating.

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    1. Well, each to his own :-) . Whilst I find that card models require a moderately high degree of precision in cutting and scoring, they're very quick and cheap to build.

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  3. Thank you very much for this, mate. Genet Models had been unknown to me until now and that is one terrific resource. I will definitely be making a donation.

    I hope you like Germy's bar. It's one of my favourites (as are all of Germy's buildings) for zombie games.

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    1. I like the look of Germy's bar very much and it would be an invaluable piece to have. So why can't I convince myself to get on and finish it?!

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    2. I made it without foamcore (as it was intended) ad it only took about half an hour. I sympathise, though, that it's the 'getting started' that's the hard part.

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  4. Wicked card-fu skills dude!
    This very much the direction I'm going for.

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    1. Thanks, Bob - though I don't think that my builds are exceptional in any way.

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  5. Once you've finished then how do you fit them in the luggage?

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    1. On the way out, I transport the paper sheets, a few offcuts of foamcore and mounting board and some basic tools (knife, 6" steel rule, glue) in a shallow A4 plastic box (one of these: http://www.westonboxes.com/collections/a4-storage-boxes , to be specific). Since there's plenty of extra space, I use a few socks or handkerchiefs to pad the box and stop everything rattling about.

      On the return journey, I do exactly the same - all the finished models are short enough to fit inside the rigid box - though I usually haven't got quite as much space and therefore need fewer socks to provide padding.

      Note that I always take extra care when packing the knife and glue, so that they won't damage anything else! An extra layer of wrapping or a stout griplock bag are good ideas...

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  6. Wonderful job, but aren't they a tad tricky to transport home when completed?

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    1. Not really. See the reply to Robert just above this comment for more detail on how I pack stuff so that it won't be damaged.

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  7. Light-bars? Absolutely!
    MayhemPD->Vehicles->Cars (the small one)
    MayhemPD->Vehicles->Wagon (the bigger one, that might actually be a little too big. You'd have to try.)
    I got a printed sheet of these trucks around here somewhere, but all those fiddly tires made me put that down again. :)

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    1. Thanks, Stefan - I was thinking along those lines for a light-bar myself :-) .

      I agree that the wheels are probably the trickiest part of any vehicle model, but I've done enough now to have the process off by heart.

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  8. Great additions. The APC and the bike are awesome despite the latter being fiddly to build.

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    1. The police motorbike comes on a page with 4 models on it. I've only done one; I suppose I should also build the other 3 some time :-( .

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  9. Nice work yet again Colgar - you are an inspiration to me to make more vehicles.

    From here:
    http://www.wargamevault.com/product/60654/SemiTruck-3D-paper-scenery
    you can get a big rig for 29p if you need one. I have it but haven't built it yet - I'll give it a go soon and report on what it was like

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    1. Thanks for that. I've looked at the WargameVault link you've provided and I'm not sure that I like that particular big rig. However while I was there I saw a very nice hearse and some other stuff that I didn't know about before, so I'll have plenty more to do!

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  10. Looks good but I could never safely transport card terrain so just a little bit envious!

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    1. As I've mentioned in earlier replies, I find that solid (but shallow) plastic boxes and spare socks are the solution. Works for me, at any rate :-) !

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  11. Those beds and bar furniture are ace!

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    1. Thanks, Z.A. Now I really need to finish off the buildings to put them in!

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  12. I love what you have done on your holidays, Hugh. What a great way to pass the time.

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    1. Well, we did do a few things in addition to these :-) . The card modelling was only for filling time between other activities. Thanks, Bryan.

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