"Timber-frame or stucco?" Topic

So I'm finally getting into pirates gaming for one simple reason: it looks like a heckofa lotta fun. I've already purchased some minis (Old Glory and Eureka, with a few reaper for personalities). I built some Gary Chalk ships (easier than I would have imagined). Now comes the terrain. I want to do it right without spending a pile of loot (Let's not use the word 'booty.' There will be plenty of time for that later). I have it in mind to build a small Vauban-style fort using these principles: link . I can make native huts, reefs, hills and forests easily enough.

As for the town, I plan on making buildings with foamcore, balsa, and roofing material. However, I must admit that I am torn between architectural styles. Both Spanish-style adobe and English-style timber frame have their appeal and one could make a good historical argument for either. I really have no preference, and when it boils down to it, one is not that much harder to make than the other. So I thought I would leave it to the community:

Should the Mad Doctor go with timber frame or stucco in his Pirate Village?

I'll go with whatever side gets the most votes.

Thanks for your help!

Yes, both.

If you are going to do Blackbeard style pirating he operated out of the Carolinas and Virginia where the prevailing architecture started out as Timber Frame. (One of my friends grew up on the house that Blackbeard allegedly owned in Beaufort, NC – they found a skeleton under the front stoop during rennovations when he was a boy!)

Of course the spanish stuff will also do.

I have both and play games in both settings.

If you make them from scratch, they will not cost much booty!

Lost Pict

Why not both?

Both might be a long-term goal, but I'm looking to host my first game in a few months. And I'd rather have a consistent look to my first village (though I'll probably do a mission-style church regardless of what I choose).

if quick and easy then stucco for sure.

What are your other interests? Do you like Napoleonics in Spain, if so, stucco will do for both, If ECW then timber frames would be a good investment.

I don't do a lot of 28mm gaming. However, I do have some 28mm Old West (with a small town's worth of clapboard houses). I know that means I can go all "Magnificent Sever" if I do stucco, but I'm not averse to the timber-frame. I can always do some northern European or AWI skirmish with them someday later…

As someone who makes a lot of buildings, often for big projects, I say stucco Spanish style buildings are much, much quicker to build.

Use fine gauge corrugated card for terracotta tiles (find it at scrapbooking shops) cut in strips over a heavier hard roof.

I agree with Angel Barracks & Howard, er, Mexican Jack Squint. The Spanish style buildings are much easier to build and paint.

Herb

On the stucco subject, I've been fiddling with something I happened to have around the house lately for ground cover, and I think it will make super stucco, too – it's acrylic grout (sold at home improvement stores in premixed tubs, typically for use with vinyl tile).

Doug

Thanks for the input, everyone. Looks like my pirates will be ravaging the Spanish Main. I even started work on my first house. I'll give the grout a try. I've used spackle in the past to mixed results: it looks good but it chips quite easily with excessive handling.

And two days later, I have a prototype:

Very easy and inexpensive. You can read more about it at link

But you did not use cut corrugated card for the roof tiles as suggested by Mexican Jack Squint! It seems you used corduroy fabric?

Very nice DrMadMark – seems we are both developing Pirate adventures…

Eric

Yeah, I used corduroy. I had a whole bunch left over after making a bunch of fields.

The little old ladies who work at my neighborhood fabric shop laugh when they see me coming: "I would like one yard of corduroy and some teddy bear fur, please."

Here is a warehouse with office above made from foam core with cast metal windows and lanterns.

Here is a link to a photo of it

Front of warehouse:

Nice. My daughter looked at your photos and said "Why can't I see the bricks on yours, Daddy?" Thanks, kid.

Anyhow, I appreciate the inspiration. I'm making a shed right now, and I'll try to leave a corner free of stucco for some exposed brickwork. I'll add some quoining on the corners too--I think that looks great. I'm still too cheap to buy any accessories, though.