Resources -Help!

[matus]

He's two quick questions, (Personally I'm particulary keen to hear form UK peeps or people or know of UK suppliers)

What useful resources have you found for making scenery with?

Where do you guys get you building materials from?



The cool stuff that many people seem to have found has managed to allude me. The pink high density polystyrene stuff that GW are always going on about in White Dwarf and on the website seems impossible to find. B&Q, Wickes, Homebase etc don't seem to have heard of it. When i ask for insulation foam I get pointed to either the low density white stufff or a can of spray foam, neither much use. Even when I ask in GW stores no one seems to know. (I've found one industrial supplier on the internet who will ship it to hobbyists but at £30 a sheet. I'd give serious rep to anyone who could find a (reasonably) cheap UK source of that stuff)

Also I've heard people talk about plastic rod (from which they cut rivets) and textured/corrugated plasticard. Everyone seems to say 'local model shop' but all I can find is model car shops and hobby craft, none of which seem to help. The best thing I've managed to find a model car shop that sells plasticard. If anyone knows of any suppliers/ shops (especially in Hertfordshire or there abouts) please let me know.

Anyway, I'll start off. Things I've found useful:

MDF sheets - DIY superstores. Useful for basing and thin bits for making roofs etc

Foamboard - Art shop/Hobby Craft. Useful for making walls and rubles but blunts blades fast and needs a realy shap one to cut and not tear.

low density polystyrene - Around things I've bought or as ceiling tiles. NOt much use as it crumbles and releases loads of small balls. Has come in handy as rubble before but its hard to disguise what it is.

corrugated card - Packing boxes. Useful for making walls, but not as tough as foamboard and the edges need to be filled. Easier to cut though.

copper wire - Electrical shop. Whenever I want small poles/axels/gun barrels/pipes. Makes good concrete reinforcement when stuck in the edge of foamboard.

Metal mesh - DIY shop (i think its for making radiator enclosures, its certainly stored with those bits. Great for making fences. Cuts easily with wire cutters (one link at a time) but leaves a VERY sharp edge, beware!

Wooden dowel DIY shop. I use it for thicker poles, lamp posts etc. Not that great to work with.

Plastic fish tank plants - From an aquatic shop. Like the GW jungle plants but a hell of a lot cheaper.

[bugbait_nz]

Hardboard 6mm is great for basing large items, hardware stores everywhere

MDF 3mm good for basing small items - not all hardware shop stock this in my area.

Plaster, (powdered) great for building up bases, covering polystyrene walls and then carving in details/battle damage, sticks great!

Electronic gubins, hold onto that dead VCR its full of interesting shapes and bits.

$2 shops (cheap shops) - browse through them to find cheap stuff, found some interesting hair rollers that will be used in my Plasma generator project.

Bugbait out

[Canew]

An easier way to make rivets may be to get one of those leather hole punchers, the kind that have the wheel of different-sized punchers. Use that on a piece of plasticard to make "rivets" of any number of sizes.

Also, Evergreen makes plasticard/rod/tube, etc. You can buy direct online, I think. Some Google-fu will give you the link.

[Shonuff]

I'd rather list the resources and where I found em:

WalMart/Kmart/SuperStores;
Craft section - Wooden dowels , Craft paint, balsa wood, pillow foam square sheets, craft sand, plaster, clay, bags of random wood pieces, fishing string, beads, templates for doll houses (windows, doors etc), Granny grating, mesh screening, disposable paint brushes,(the list goes on and on)
Elsewhere - aquarium plants, aquarium scenery pieces, spray paint, glues, toys to convert, LEDs,

DIY Hardware stores:
PVC piping, couplers, electronic parts for converting, Wall switch covers, flat basing spraypaint, scenery spray paint, gutter grills (for industrial fan covers), tools, rivets, washers, SIMPLE GREEN, glues, adhesives, Metal and plastic electrical outlet boxes, Hardboard, resin, plaster, expanding foam, wood sheets, wood crown moulding, knives sharp enough to cut the devil himself, measuring tapes, Door/Window screening,wire mesh, spools of metal wire, sand, gravel, basing rubble, broken bricks or stone, plastic turf, plastic plants,


I'll add more later.

Shonuff:working

[RexTalon]

One place I also look is garage sales. Some people call them tag or yard sales, but it's essentially things people are trying to sell from their yard. I often buy cheap old clocks and watches because I'm trying to build a mechanicus army. I take them apart and steal the gears inside.

I also like to go to a music shop and buy guitar/bass string. They ask me what type of music I play and what instrument I have. I laugh on the inside and just tell them it's for a friend and I don't know anything about it. It's easier than trying to explain.

[omgitsduane]

All I use is cardboard, plasticard and some random computer pieces.

Cardboard "borrowed" from mates, but some large businesses that throw boxes out will let you have them if you just ask.

Plasticard A little harder to find, but any hobby shop that is half decent SHOULD have this stuff.

Computer parts I find these on "hard trash day" where people throw out all kinds of useful, and not so useful stuff.

Hope I did it right.

[matus]

Admin and mod types, if this thread fills out more do you think I could take the suggestions and compile them into an article? We've had some good ones so far.

[Zeewulf]

I had an awesome centerpunch that I could use for rivets, or sheetmetal work (I ganked it from Airframe fair and square!), but one of hte guys at work, while I was away, replaced my tip with a busted one.

Another thing I find useful are juice bottles, PVC piping, razor blade packs, paint pots, old air fresheners, and even a starter from a florescent light.

[Shonuff]

Admin and mod types, if this thread fills out more do you think I could take the suggestions and compile them into an article? We've had some good ones so far.

Go for it Matus. All we do is point the big wigs to the article..up to them to 'articlize it".

but sounds great. Go for it.

[Colray]

so this is a really really dumb question, but i keep seeing the phrase "plasticard" used everywhere, what exactly is "plasticard"?? i have an idea, like the top of an oatmeal lid something about like that texture only flat and square, can someone please enlighten a newb, i promise i'll bring cookies