"Plastic Electrical Boxes With Removable Roofs?" Topic

This is what I'm talking about:

I've seen the awesome buildings JRacel, Riverbluff Wargames, Javelin98, Luckyjoe and others have done with the entire pieces but, just curious . . .

Has anyone ever cut those plastic boxes down to about 22-24mm in height, and then added a removable roof to them?

If so, what is the easiest way to make such a straight cut?

Thanks,

Dan
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Try a fine-tooth crosscut saw. You can use a coping saw, but getting the cut straight will be a problem. Use something like this:

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For fine tuning the cut, glue a full piece of sandpaper to a board and sand all the edges at once.

Cold Steel,

I was headed to Home Depot in a couple of hours anyway (to get some things for the house).

That is excellent.

Thanks so much!

Dan

Good news, everyone! I may not need to make any cuts at all.

Look at what I've just found online:

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More:

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Now I really have to get to Home Depot and check them out in person.

Hopefully I'll find some that are closer to 1 inch in depth (I will be using them with 15mm figures). If not, I'll get the next best thing and then raise the floor inside a bit.

Dan

Good luck Dan. The plastic is a pain to cut, so if you find a way to do it without cutting it, that would be the best solution. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Jeff

I hope that those "wall box extenders" are the answer, 'cause I just can't see myself wielding any kind of saw for another month or two.

Dan

Dan,
Home Depot has the box extenders you are showing that you found on-line. IIRC they are about 1" deep.

The box extenders I am familiar with are too shallow for 20mm .

I'm off . . . to the Home Depot!

Dan

If you decide to go the cutting route, the best way to start is to mark the box all the way around where you want to make the cut. Lay the box on a large flat surface. Tape a fine tip alcohol marker to a block of wood or something similar thick enough so the marker tip is at the height where you want the cut. Pass the block and marker all the way around to get a uniform cut line.

Ooo, I like that marker idea!

Dan

Laser beam, but I don't have one handy.

LOL!

Anyway, just got back from HD, where I bought 2 small plastic wall box extenders for just $1.47 USD a piece. The interior dimensions are about 42mm Width, about 75mm Length and 30mm Depth (Height), which I think will be perfect for single containers-turned-into-dwellings.

I'll let you know how it goes, after I add the Evergreen corrugated roof and GZG doors.

If I like the results, I'll just run to HD and get more. They are simply too cheap to dismiss.

Thanks everyone!

Dan
PS. Is Krylon Fusion still the best way to paint them? I assume I need to wash them with detergent first, right?

This is my set up so far. I was thinking of them as two story buildings, but I haven't had a chance to go any further yet due to other projects.
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malleman,

Those are the same boxes I used for mine. The hardest part is getting the nail wings off of them.

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Jeff

Nice! The balconies are really nice.

Okay, its official, those look completely awesome.

Those look amazingly good.

You can probably make them a liftoff type building too, and make a floorplan inside, with styrene sheeting, or cardstock, in case you want to have battles inside them as well.

Alternatively, just make up some floorplans, and store them under the table, and bring them out when you want to do that instead. That way, you can have combat on both the lower and upper levels, and you don't have to move the buildings at all.

Mako11,

You are a genius!

Dan

I could use a couple of these, you can never have enough terrain especially when its this cheap…

These things don't seem to be available in the UK, possibly down to some EU electrical standards or something. Has anyone seen anything similar in the UK at all?

That is a great idea Mako11.

Jeff

Felonmarmer,
We run into the same problem in certain areas of USA. Here in Chicago where the IIRC, the blue boxes don't meet indoor building codes, they are really hard to find. In the suburbs of Chicago however, they are plentiful.

I'd ask at the hardware store if they are unavailable due to codes and if there's anywhere in the country (or perhaps elsewhere in the EU) that has lower standards.

ordinarybass, I'm curious. What type of boxes do you have to use if you can't use the blue ones? Different type of plastic or all metal?

Thanks,

Jeff

"You are a genius!".

I keep telling people that, but few seem to believe it.

Glad you like the idea, and hope it comes in handy.

Of course with interiors, you're going to have to install wall to wall carpeting, hang pictures, figure out what colors to paint the walls, etc.

It'll be an interior decorator's nightmare.

And you thought choosing a camo pattern for your troops or vehicles was difficult.

Jeff,
I think it's the metal or composite/thick-plastic ones. I went to Home Depot and all they had were metal boxes and these really thick plastic'ish ones that were shaped like the metal ones.

They told me they didn't carry them because of Chicago Building codes. They were about 100 yards over the border from Chicago in Cicero. I went down the street a quarter mile (still in Cicero) and found the blue plastic boxes at Menards.

Lift-off exterior with a playable interior should be fairly easy to do.

With the box extenders, interiors should be easy to add textures to the walls. Using something like WorldWorks Games walls from a SciFi set, they could be glued to the box extender interior for wall color/features or to extend the height. Then additional textured walls could sub-divide the interior. Since those same kits include walls with doors, just cut the door so it can open or remove it entirely for an entry.

Since these sets also have interior SciFi furniture, this could look very realistic with desks, bunks, consoles, computers, power generator, etc. I'm already thinking this would make good barracks, HQ, power plant, small warehouse, etc.

Malleman Question: where did you get your doors and how was your balcony made?

"Malleman Question: where did you get your doors and how was your balcony made?"

Was it Malleman that had the balconies? I think it was JRacel.

Dan

The balcony looks like something from IMEX, Platformer set,
but not sure.

Lee

JRacel explains here:

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Dan

The hardest part is getting the nail wings off of them.

Those are what's been intimidating me as well. Great pics!

The nail wings can be removed with any moto-tool with a cut-off wheel. The rough patches can then be smoothed with a sander attachment.

Either Krylon Fusion for Plastics, or Rustoleum Paint for Plastic will work on these. Once the initial paint coat is applied, any paint will work, but if using the specialty paints as a primer, go with matte, for more tooth for the additional paint to adhere to.

Guys,

Check this out:

link

Thanks for posting.

Dan
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Thanks for the link, Dan. I guess that is another way to create lift-off roofs.

These are the coolest!!!

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Dan

Jason is incredible. Check out what he did with his electrical boxes:

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Dan

man those are cool never thought about useing them.thanks

Are they available online? The ones we use in Europe are completely different and unusable.

"Are they available online?"

Some of the links already provided above:

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link

More options:

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Dan

"The ones we use in Europe are completely different and unusable."

Electrical boxes in Europe are different but not unusable.
You can see some conversions of basic pattress boxes here:-

ancientbuzzard.co.uk/15mm_Exteriors.htm

and I've just bought some dry lining boxes (see petershed.co.uk/images/MDLB1D.jpg) which have a similar shape to the US ones (but smaller of course). They do double versions of these too.