"Scratch-Built Your Own Small 15mm Family Colony Dwellings?" Topic

This is the only example I could find for 15mm SF that DIDN'T look like a bunch of post-apocalyptic shanties (but it's written in French):

Source:

link

More pics here:

link

I love how the gentleman built the parapet as part of the removable second floor. I'm sure it makes it easier to access the figures he may have in the first floor (as it lowers the height of the first when lifted) and, at the same time it must make it simpler to lift the second floor and keep in place the figures that may be on that floor.

I'm really hopin one does not need a degree in architecture to make such a nice and clean-looking little homestead.

QUESTIONS:

Has anyone else scratch-built their own simple 15mm SF homesteads, either for use in planet colonies or as near future dwellings?

If so, we would love to see how you made them, and what other structures you included around the main building.

What dimensions did you use for the walls, the doors, windows and other features, to accommodate your based figures? And if you were do do it all over again, what would you have done differently and why?

Did you include a lot of interior furniture, some or none at all? If you did, what furniture?

I'm considering putting all my stored foamcore, thin expanded polystyrene sheets and mdf and cork tiles to good use. So I need a little inspiration.

Thanks,

Dan
TMP link

Dan,

Nice find.

Those look simple enough to make. A lot of the "not everyday building" look comes from the repeated use of the uneven hexagonal shape. A very good choice, since you can have them abut one another at many angles, and could (if you size them right) even be used to make a completely enclosed courtyard. You could even make each hex look like some kind of cargo module retasked as prefab housing, just the thing for a young colony.

If I still had a shop to work with I'd try making a single "blank" of the shape, cast it up in resin, and then dress them with different arrays of interior walls/doors/windows/etc. Sadly, those days are behind me, but maybe someone else will tackle it instead.

Very nice find Dan.

Jeff

Chief Lackey Rich,

Is this what you mean?

link

Dan

That looks kind of like the colony farm in the first mission of Halo:Reach! Cool! If there were some vertical "egg-beater" wind turbines around it would complete the image!

Is this what you mean?

Ye gods, no. Had some bad experiences with vacuforming when I was much younger, quite gun shy of the process now. No, I'd just throw together a basic hex building out of plasticard or (like your link) foamcore, maybe add a little wall detailing, and then make a mold for it so I could dupe it repeatedly in resin – if I had the space, money, and time to do so, which I don't these days. Once you've got a mold of the "blanks" you can make an near-infinite variety of individual buildings out of them by adding details (including closed doors and windows and interior walls) or cutting voids (for open doors/windows, damaged structures, etc).

The expense of making the mold and master and resin usage would probably be easily recouped by just selling a few painted custom jobs once you started making them. As you noted, they are a nifty design, be plenty of people who'd pony up for a few.

Oh !!! I do like it !!!

This is a great example of how simple foamcore (or similar) constructions can look compelling if a little architecture is applied, instead of just making box buildings.

It's also making me think of getting a Kallistra hex set again..

Great use of foam card here. Really like the layout and central court yard. They are also great for the internal fights with nice doors etc.

Do you need to do anything to foamboard to get it ready for molding?

Brilliant stuff -thanks for the links!

I have a nice link for shanties somewhere -I'll try to locate it and post it like tomorrow…

Would love to see that myself.

I wonder if some of these foam board tips could be used for non-Apocalyptic SF , like a small circular (hexagonal) domed settlement with nice clean lines:

link

Or the "dome" could be a clear square?

link

What do you guys think?

Dan

I don't see why not. Construction techniquese are generally pretty universal.

-Eli

Some shanty links as promised earlier on.

link

link

Both great links with some fun ways to add stability to what can be pretty flimsy structures.

Mine were built as free standing structures with nothing more that paper and card cut-outs glued together on the inside. The glue has cracked on several of them over time and they have just fallen apart.

Might have to rebuild using some of the suggestions here.

-Eli

Wow. So THAT'S how it's done!

Thanks,

Dan

Woohoo, found part 2 of the awesome terrain project mentioned in the initial post:

link

Nice clean lines. Not a shanty town. And not some sort of spaceship wreckage village either. Very nice. I can see a major colonial landowner or administrator residing there with his family.

Dan

Not sure if it will work on foam, but Elmer's Wood Glue is considerably stronger than plain white glue, so you might consider trying to use it instead.

I imagine it would help bond the two paper surfaces together more securely, even if it won't adhere to the foam (though I suspect it will, since it is porous, and unevenly shaped, so a good candidate for gluing).

If you are gluing on the insides Eli, you might trai hot glue gun.
Cheap and works very well but its messy, so I would use it only for insides.

For Indies I would use 2d items like desks , beds and so on.

They will be seen but will not get in the way.

Has anyone recently tried to make buildings like those at the top of this thread?

If so, got pics?

Thanks,

Dan

Might have a go at design something similar, did design some hex rooms sometime back but not took them anywhere. Going to do some wind turbines both vertical & horizontal types.

Ahh, they are nice. I've been experimenting with designing and 3d printing some 15mm buildings:

I think I will have a go at something like those hexagonal shaped buildings this afternoon…

Pre-fab rather than shanties – mine from a recent club game, with GZG, hasslefree and scratchbuilt junk pieces :

A (very) quick design and test print this afternoon. I'm aiming for modular sections so I can vary the height and configuration of the buildings. Designed to make a roughly 18cm diameter hexagon. Very interested in anyone's thoughts/comments…

More images:

postimg.org/image/llsqvh7yb
postimg.org/image/beeswtb43
postimg.org/image/igcqj0epv

Neat job, is that printer one of the PLA wire extruder types?

MMG.

Oooh, shiny!

Is that a reprap-class machine?

These look interesting – would you consider sharing the files?

Prints are from my printrbot JR ( printrbot.com/shop/jr-v2-kit ) . It prints in PLA.

I'll share the files ( probably on thingiverse ) once I've finalised the designs some more.

That's very cool!

Supposed to get my printer March.

Will be trying to combine what it can do with my laser cutter can do.

I got a bit of inspiration from this thread and had go myself at a generic 15mm compound for modern and sci-fi.

Looking a bit rough just now but it still needs filler applied all over and some windows and doors added.

More information on my ‌solo gaming blog

Sologamer