Fatrix
Ambitious Upstart
Posts: 108
|
Post by Fatrix on Jan 29, 2005 15:47:46 GMT 12
Sparked by PitYak mentioning using tea leaves for leaves on his models i want to know of any other things people have used for little details on models that lie around the house.
|
|
|
|
Post by PitYak Studios on Jan 29, 2005 15:59:04 GMT 12
I use as much as i can from around the house or in the garden.
You will often read of decorating bases with sand. Most folk will recommend "builders sand" or "modelmakers sand". I use "Petone garden sand". Go to a dry bit of your garden, and scoop up a cup full of dirt. in here you will have a mix of fine dust, coarse stones, and everything in between. Get your seive (from the $2 shop, where else?) and with a bit of care you can seperate this into different grades. Save your self a ton of money buying flock from a model shop.
Like wise, kitchen and bathroom sponges can be ripped up to use in place of flock.
Lichen is a popular terrain material used in model railways a lot. I used to collect lichen for free in the hills at home, I'm sure you'd be able to find something similar here (although you do have to make sure it's not illegal to take wild plants).
While on the subject of household stuff, here's a cheap filler;
pack some baking powder into the hole you want to fill, and drop on a drop of superglue. Be warned this sets very hard and gives off some nasty fumes, but it has it's uses.
|
|
|
|
Post by Aaron on Jan 29, 2005 16:04:06 GMT 12
Totally agree on the sand. My main source for basing material is the dirft floor under our house. Its got different grades of sand, a few little pebbles and the odd bit of leaf material, it makes brilliant desert terrain (perfect for my Tomb Kings) and then if you need you paint it to match other schemes.
Personally Im not too fond of using all the same grade of material, I like it mixed up a little, especially flock, an all flock base doesn't look quite right to me... an awful lot better than not basing at all of course.
|
|
Pirate Wench
Scalpel supremo
my favourite finger paint is strawberry flavour
Posts: 353
|
Post by Pirate Wench on Jan 29, 2005 16:20:15 GMT 12
Pumice is awesome for rocks and sand. You can break it up into jagged rocks or even grind it right down into powder. We usually get a heap everytime we travel through taupo. the kids like to collect it then it sits around the house forever. You can also find it washed up on the kapiti coast, not sure where else around nz you can find it..
|
|
Abaddon
Putty pusher
Bringer of Chaos
Posts: 126
|
Post by Abaddon on Jan 29, 2005 16:22:37 GMT 12
cardboard, toothpicks, ice block sticks also come in handy for the like of spikes, walls, ladders etc
|
|
|
|
Post by PitYak Studios on Jan 29, 2005 16:32:33 GMT 12
Pumice - i like it, good idea
toothpicks and ice block sticks too, i also use those bigger wooden lolly sticks and wooden skewers. The sticks are good for making doors and window sills and stuff
|
|
Fatrix
Ambitious Upstart
Posts: 108
|
Post by Fatrix on Jan 29, 2005 16:46:07 GMT 12
See, i wouldn't of thought of pumice, this threads enrichingme already ;D how do grind it up?
|
|
Pirate Wench
Scalpel supremo
my favourite finger paint is strawberry flavour
Posts: 353
|
Post by Pirate Wench on Jan 29, 2005 20:29:32 GMT 12
I use the mortar and pestle my mum gave me for xmas one year.. it's supposed to be used for herbs and spices and cooking type things but yeah...
oh yeah bark chips from pine trees can make really interesting craggy rock formations. Find a really old pine tree that has split it's bark, when you lay the bark horizontally it looks like sedementary rock that has been exposed for a few centurys. give it a spry with black, drybrushing with a few different greys and bam! rock.. though probably use it for table top scenery rather than basing figures as it is not overly stable. If you were real keen you could make moulds from it and pour your own resin 'rocks' I guess
|
|
MongrelFish
Scalpel supremo
Bow before the might of Chaos
Posts: 384
|
Post by MongrelFish on Jan 29, 2005 20:38:12 GMT 12
Scouring pads. The things you wash pans with. Cut them to whatever width you want, fold them in half and staple the ends together. Cover with flock/static grass and instant hedge. You can aslo cut ridges and curves into the top of the scour pad once they're folded in half and then static grass/flock them for a realistic look.
|
|
|
|
Post by fantasychild on Jan 30, 2005 8:04:52 GMT 12
Cork makes excellent miniature rocks, I use on all my Cavalry bases. So when you see me with a hundred corks sitting on my modelling desk, at least you know I'm not an alchoholic  |
|
MongrelFish
Scalpel supremo
Bow before the might of Chaos
Posts: 384
|
Post by MongrelFish on Jan 30, 2005 9:35:37 GMT 12
O.K. you've probably heard this before, but for making ruins for your bases, sprue rubble works extremely well. For those of you who don't know what sprue rubble is, it's the outer frame that fantasy, 40k and LotR (maybe other systems as well I don't know) miniatures come on, cut into small (3-5mm) lengths. It can be glued in piles and painted accordingly to look like concrete or metal, depending on your preferences.
|
|
|
|
Post by PitYak Studios on Jan 30, 2005 9:39:28 GMT 12
I was in a model shop recently and was amazed that you can actually buy resin rubble. It was a little bag of what could only be scrap and flash left left over from casting, about $40!!
I couldn't believe it!
Actually forget that. New product available exclusively to all board members; bag of resin rubble for your dioramas, $40!
|
|
Pirate Wench
Scalpel supremo
my favourite finger paint is strawberry flavour
Posts: 353
|
Post by Pirate Wench on Jan 30, 2005 9:57:18 GMT 12
I've just dismantled my old watch that was no longer working. I now have a small inch round base with cogs and teeny screws and other neato stuff. I'm going to use it as a base for my Astragoth. i think he's a chaos dwarf and has these mechanical arms and legs so the watch innard fits the theme nicely. Cogs, nuts and bolts, small chains, anything from the garage makes for interesting industrial/steam punk type accents
|
|
MongrelFish
Scalpel supremo
Bow before the might of Chaos
Posts: 384
|
Post by MongrelFish on Jan 30, 2005 10:05:42 GMT 12
That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea, any suggestions on what you could take apart to make instant cityfight terrain on a base?
|
|
|
|
Post by PitYak Studios on Jan 30, 2005 10:13:31 GMT 12
Steam punk! now you're talking! I thought I was the only one who knew about that!
I'm a big fan of that genre, I'll see if I can rustle up something on the subject.
That watch/base is an awsome idea. I am sure there must be something similar for the cityfight idea.
Squares / circles cut form circuit board maybe?
|
|
