Paper (mainly Worldworks and Whitewash City), is cheap, just needs to be printed, cut out, and glued together, is light-weight, and looks OK, especially in numbers. It is also prone to warping due to to air humidity and/or pressure, which is a big problem as I have moved my gaming activites 2/3 of the year into my un-insulated garage attic.
Resin withstands humidity, and makes truly beautiful models, but they require a lot of work; cleaning, filling and painting a large building can be quite daunting. Larger resin models are heavy, and usually not exactly cheap (including postage). Also, most resin buildings have no access to interiors, and are not easily converted.
Plastic (Renedra/Perry), very nice models, but usually slightly undersized, and rarely with accessible interiors (without extensive conversion work). Not overly expensive, but not a lot of choice out there.
So, I wanted:
- a light material
- a sturdy material
- buildings with accessible interior
- fast to build
- large model ranges (for easy variation)
Looking at the level of perfection currently reached by manufacturers of laser-cut mdf building kits, I realized that I probably had found a viable solution. If I had any doubts, THIS wiped them all away.
Recnently, as part of my plans for playing High Moon: Dead Reckoning, I ordered some Old West buildings from Sarissa Precision, and they arrived Saturday.
I almost immediately started putting some of the models together, and I must say, I have not been disappointed.
The parts have been cut so precisely, that the only work I have to do is sanding those very small 'tabs'. left to keep the parts in place in the mdf sheets for packaging, and then glue the buildings together.
In this picture, I have finished the Shack, and have two more buildings under construction (first, window and door frames, plus the ornaments on the facade, are glued in place on the outer walls, then the building is assembled), and I expect to have at least four buildings ready tomorrow.
All roofs are lift off, with full interior access, which opens up a world of opportunities for modelling and gaming.
The best part about these is, I can use them right away, as the 'wood' look is quite fitting for the Old West, but of course I shall want to slap som paint on, especially on the facades and the interiors.
I've been thinking about getting some of these myself, so your positive reactions are very encouraging! It'll be good to see them once they are finished.
ReplyDeleteThere should be a post with WIP pics, and a picture of the first 4 finished (built) models later this evening!
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