Christmas has been and gone, but it proved to have been a very nice one! On the wargaming front I was given a few ex JB Models Airfix kits, which will prove useful for Harad. I also received a Kindle Fire which will also prove useful on the gaming front - both for research and for in game referencing of PDFs.
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| Sometimes potential is rather hidden. |
Whilst shopping before Christmas I came across this rather garnish toy house. I presume that it is a knockoff of another item - the main hint being that it has cast on it half a latch and hinge system but not the other half of the item. It screamed potential.
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| It came with furnishings. I have a plan on how to use these as well... |
My plan was to see if I could turn it in to a suitable BUA for AWI Volley and Bayonet games. This meant that I could tinker with the way I left the open space open on the stand. Rather than having enough room for a full Brigade stand on the base, as I normally do, I instead left room for two Regiment stands to be side by side.
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| Lucky Products Hessians inspect the house. |
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| Plenty of room on the inside. |
I removed the stickers festooning the house inside and outside, and then sprayed the the whole thing with nice brown spray paint - inside and outside!
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| Now in a less painful brown colour! |
I then mounted it on a base after hacking off any overhanging bits and crudely applied some bogging where required.
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| Quickly added plastic card - My favourite cladding solution! |
Some white plastic card was affixed to the back and was hacked to size.While not an elegant solution, it is a very functional one, especially give the constraints of the V&B BUA base size.
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| A rather more sedate colour scheme! |
I then applied paint, wash, and a new white picket fence for the the front of the yard.
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| A closer look. |
The back was painted in a way that I hope will look streaky and washed out, and hopefully drawing attention away from the neat straight up and down lines. I considered making the lines go side to side but decided that vertical would look better.
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| Poorly white washed at the rear with two stands of Airfix Americans. |
Of course the main effort I am looking for is that of troops behind a fence, in front of a white pillared house.
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| A much better view - the BUA garrisoned by Airfix figures. |
So a rather quick and cheerful conversion ready for the tabletop! Now I just have to paint up some more AWI troops!
Very clever stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks NIck, I am quite pleased with it!
DeleteAmazing transformation! And it does 'fit' one's imagined impression of New World domestic architecture.
ReplyDeleteI know it isn't really suited to your project, but I might have gone in for 2 of these with the view to placing them back to back as a complete building. Or they can be placed on the edge of a table to suggest outskirts of a town, the rest of which lies off-table. This would work best on an edge that is placed against a wall, say.
Cheers,
Ion
Alas Ion, they only had one that I could see, otherwise I would be showing off two BUAs! Your idea sounds very good and would create a very good effect. The other idea you have about it being placed up against a wall is making me think about looking for some (or something similar) next time I am in PA and using them on my Father in law's train layout.
DeleteVery well done Brian! I really do like what you have done. Works well!
ReplyDeleteThanks Roger! I figured I needed a more upmarket building for my AWI and this seemed to be just the ticket!
DeleteNow this works Brian. Well picked and converted!
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul! I hope to have it feature in a game soon.
DeleteThat's a huge improvement.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andras!, it's amazing what a lick of paint can do to a place!
DeleteYou have done an excellent work with this toy house !
ReplyDeleteThanks Sam! I am very pleased with how it turned out.
DeleteThat's cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks Al! Now i just need to paint up some more AWI troops!
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