"I must be certifiable..." Topic

Sometimes a project can get out of hand and then take on a life of its own, you know?

First, two years ago I built a gaming scenic of Whiskey Outpost kit-bashing it using Tehnolog Platformer kits…

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I flaked out when I built the barracks with Hexagon pieces, thinking someday I'd make proper tent structures.

Then back at the end of June, 'ol CC here posted this-
TMP link

That lit my fuse again and I resolved to make at least one version of the structures used in the movie Starship Troopers. I ended up making at least two, as well as a connector piece. I custom-made a mold and decided to make some "hollow" versions using of all things …

truck bed liner, heh. I cut flaps and propped them up using toothpick hobby sticks (without the pointy ends).

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So, that should about do it, right? Project finished, with a kick in my pants from CC's topic here. Wrong. Oh, so very wrong.

I decided to build a table of Camp Currie. Yuppers.

Using very few pieces from the Tehnolog kits I'd tend to describe that this was much more toward a scratch-build than a kit-bash project (like Whiskey Outpost was), but of course it's not totally a scratch-work job. Initially using Hexagon pieces for the "maze" or capture-the-flag area of the board, I replaced them all using custom graphic stickers over plasti-card. I duplicated the gun tower (instead of just borrowing it) from my WO scenic, making it from Tehnolog Platformer pieces and then scratch-made the red and blue flag ramps. You might notice the combat knife range at the lower right.

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The obstacle course made good use of the sandbags offered from Pegasus Hobbies and actually mimicked the mud pits closely from the movie. The rope swing and overhead glide were scratch-made from flat plastic sheeting and wood pieces (coffee stir sticks). I made the I-beams from plasti-card and then made the "swing-set". Initially, I had a metal tube swing but rebuilt it all to get closer to the movie set version. The armored observation "bucket" was scratch-made from plastic, sourced from Evergreen Scale Models in my home State of Washington, USA.

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For the more open area of board #3 (each of two by four feet), I cut a thunder-bird stencil from sheet foam and then spray-painted it.

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"Board #4" or the HQ/washout-lane board was covered like the other "sand" area was. I used a good quality exterior house paint (a mismatched color at 80% off no less) and mixed with course silica sand. I found out later just how abrasive my sand was when several shallow-dropped metal infantry figures chipped their paint. As an expensive band-aid, I bought some automotive clear over-coater and sealed the sanded areas. In effect a clear rubber coat, it provided some protection for my figures. After some additional consideration, I also carefully re-processed my 120 Mobile Infantry Light Armour Troopers with the same clear chip guard protector. I encountered some fogging on some of the figures but fixed them by careful use of a cotton swab and acetone.

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I created washout lane using plasti-card, then added the Platformer antennas. The "High-Def" monitor carrying the "bad news" was made from plasti-card as well.

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The proxy of the dropship is from Old Crow, but I scratch-made a double-wide cargo pod, with interior. I didn't necessarily copy the grey tent fabric, but decided to go with several versions of a two-tone metallic from Krylon. It looked "sci-fi" so that's what I used.

I know that I made up over two dozen structures for this table. Almost all of them are made from my first silicone mold, which was made with a separate cast door access. After all of this, I finally settled for a second mold with a cast-in door. Also, most of the smaller round tents were made from an early mold made from the end caps of the large tent (cast in hydro-stone). I stuffed several CDs in the wet casting to assist in separation of the end pieces. Then, I sanded them and joined them in a first version mold. Due to its being a bit asymmetrical and deciding to offer the two structure styles, I went back to basics and scratch made the round master properly and remolded it with an included door.

This project is an example of a good idea gone wild.

I hope you enjoyed the crazy path this took. It's partially inspired me to change my TMP name from SciFi Gamer (with Bill's permission) as well as to dust off my casting company for a slow reawakening from 15 years of coma.

It has also occured to me that since the real instant structures (from Sprung Instant Structures) are being used all over the world in all climate extremes, these models could be used in conventional and ultra-modern games as well as for sci-fi use. Heck, why couldn't "SG-1" make use of these on distant worlds as base camps or temporary quarantine facilities? (idea).

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And one last pic of my insane project…

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My Goodness, DCP . . . you ARE insane! :)

Those buildings sure look fantastic in groups, not just as stand-alones.

Absolutely amazing!!! Very inspiring.

CC

You have officially lost your mind. But isn't insanity great. Your work is great also WOW!

So, when are you going to start public production of those fabulous tents of yours?

I cannot possibly be the only one to get them.

You've gotta go public with them.

CC

Those look GREAT!!

WOW!

Awesome work!

Very impressive – but please don't give me inspiration for yet another project – great stuff.

I must agree that you are insane. It is probably in the good way but insanity is insanity.

I want to know more….

Well, I'm certainly impressed. Thanks for sharing!

Well, if it's insanity I can only congratulate you on the levels reached! Very nice job!

very nice job. alot of work and detailing went into that.

CC, I dropped a hint to you in another topic weeks ago here that I had built this but no one took the bait, heh. I knew I'd eventually do a topic on it, though.

As far as selling the structures, I placed a topic in the marketplace here that points to a very cheesy starting website (hey, it was only $6.95 USD a month). I actually made a mistake and thought that I was opening an eBay store, but what I opened is yet a different holding of eBay (ProStores). Go figure. At least it's cheap and that fits my budget lately, lol.

It was sad to box all of this up, but it was stuffing my store up, being a 4'x8' "thing" sitting in the middle of my floor area (what there is of it). When Mongoose gets things straightened out on their second version of SST and the new miniatures are released, I'll be hauling this to a few regional gaming cons here in the pacific NW (of the States). My premise is to hold literal 'boot camp' intros to the game. Then I'll use the board as a target of attack and invade it. Since the "Bugs" are supposed to be smart, why wouldn't you logically then go to the source of all the trouble that those pesky humans are causing?

Is not certifiable a requirement for being a war gamer?

Although it doesn't have anything to do with selling the models or with the boot camp table, here are a few shots of another hollow tent. It's made as a cutaway model, showing an interior. I just thought it would be fun to do.

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Great pictures, thanks so much for sharing.

Out of curiousity, how do you box up the more delicate structures, like the obstacle course overhead pieces.

And … I just want to understand where you said you used "truck bed liner". Was that just filler material in you molds or support pieces in hollow structures? Or did you use it as a source of flat material (like it was sheet styrene)? Not that I have a truck or a liner, but I'm wondering if I see one on sale that I should be considering it as a source of modelling material. :)

donrice, this may explain better what I said. A few years ago I was thinking of what I might be able to use to make thin-walled structures. I was in an automotive supply store near me and spotted a gallon of liquid truck bed liner. It was a bit expensive at $60. USD On an impulse I bought it and didn't come up with a use for it until these custom tent structures.

What I do is to brush it inside of my silicone cavity and allow it to dry. Over several days I build up a few more coats until it is thick enough to stand on its own. For the tents that I want to have flaps on, it works great beause of the flexability. I also have used ABS pipe glue and made hollow versions that are not flexible. A problem with ABS is that it dissolves any previous layer unless you paint something in between each application. Maybe only 1-2 of the structures in the project were actually production casts. At that time I didn't have my resin ordered, so many of the tents were cast in hydrostone.

While I could cast a cheaper version of the tents for sale using hydrostone (or even ABS), I really want it offered in a quality, durable (and lighter) resin. The memory of the money paid for them will diminish over time, but I want the product to be of a high standard and of long use. My own experience with these heavy castings has shown this to me already, heh (and I used a plug to reduce volume as well).

As to storage, I bought a stack of Rubbermaid containers (on sale), so it wasn't too bad. You are correct in that the "swing" is a bit large even for them, lol. Oh, well (sigh).

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"I really want it offered in a quality, durable (and lighter) resin"

I was surprised to see how strong and light they were. I LOVE them!!!

CC

Thanks for the explanation. I was picturing something totally different, the hard or soft plastic shells that are laid inside the bed of a truck. You're talking about a paint-on product, like a varnish or resin.

Re-reading your first post, it makes a lot more sense now. You had molds and painted this stuff in there a layer at a time until you could remove a rigid hollow shell. Pretty cool, not like anything I've ever tried.

donrice, it's sort of like vacuforming but without the vacuum, lol. It is pretty much the same stuff as what ends up in a truck bed but is intended to be applied by the end user with a brush. I saved my brush from the trash by cleaning it carefully with acetone.

I've had a minor issue with shrinkage, but remember that these were experiments while I waited for my proper casting materials to arrive.

CC, I'm glad that you are satisfied with them. They really are unique models and that's what I'd like to focus on doing if I'm going to get back into model making. I rather enjoyed making the medical tent and the cutaway barracks. Now I have a dedicated place to park my two Corgi 1/64 Hmmwv ambulances.