15mm buildings

[Gern]

Hi guys.

I'm looking for some buildings to go with my 1/100 WWII German and Russian armour and figures. There's lots of good stuff about in the wrong scale, but there are problems with everything I've seen so far in 15mm:

(i) It's made from wooden sheets which have no texture or surface details and have the locating tabs and burnt sides visible; or
(ii) It's made from the stuff left over from when the builders pebbledashed the house next door, which has been put in a mould made from rubber about the thickness of a balloon. Hence the parts have HUGE nooks and crannies all over surfaces with more curves than Sophia Loren (One for us older guys there. You youngsters on here will have to find your own!) so nothing fits or looks straight; or:
(iii) I would need to take out a second mortgage to buy anything bigger than a garden shed.

I've seen a few references to foamboard and 3D printed buildings but I can't find anything but the sketchiest information.

I'm not looking for a whole town, and I'm not fussed whether they're city buildings, country cottages, farms or old derelict - NOT war damaged - ruins, just a few Russian/European buildings to break up the landscape.

Can anyone help please?

[Mini Me]

Hi Dave, I'm sorry to say you have already checked out sources I was thinking about. By the way us "Grumpy Old Men" remember when! I'm pretty much in the same boat. very little offered in 1/87 scale either. I was considering the laser cut wood models and up scale the doors and windows, but as you said, no details and thick as a brick. I know it is tedious work, but have you considered scratch building the few you need? Good luck in your search and please let me know if you find anything promising.
Cheers, Rick H.

[SimonT]

Buildings - any good?

[Tim Marlow]

Another source is these....

http://www.hovelsltd.co.uk/contents.htm

Failing that, get a few MDT buildings and use them as a basis for scratch building...you only need to add texture.....

[Gern]

Buildings - any good?

These look really good. They could be just what I want - thanks Simon.

[Gern]

Another source is these....
http:tongue-out3:/www.hovelsltd.co.uk/contents.htm

Failing that, get a few MDT buildings and use them as a basis for scratch building...you only need to add texture.....

I've seen these Tim. The surface features look to be really exaggerated and warped somehow. I looked at the wooden planking on some and the gaps between the planks look to be maybe 0.25 - 0.5mm wide. That's fine for helping the painting as washes etc work better, but it's not realistic - on the real building those gaps would be 25 - 50 mm wide. I've seen a lot of this type used in fantasy layouts but I'm not overly impressed.

What's MDT?

[Tim Marlow]

Sorry mate, that should have read MDF...the perils of autocorrect....

[Gern]

Hi Dave, I'm sorry to say you have already checked out sources I was thinking about. By the way us "Grumpy Old Men" remember when! I'm pretty much in the same boat. very little offered in 1/87 scale either. I was considering the laser cut wood models and up scale the doors and windows, but as you said, no details and thick as a brick. I know it is tedious work, but have you considered scratch building the few you need? Good luck in your search and please let me know if you find anything promising.
Cheers, Rick H.

I would have thought you would be spoiled for choice with all the model railway stuff around. I just typed 1/87 scale buildings into Google and got over a million results, so I'm not sure what you mean when you say there's very little offered. Talk to me! :smiling2:

You're right about the laser cut stuff. Some of it looks OK in the larger scales where you've got room to play around to add/hide stuff, but it's much too thick for 15mm scale.

As far as scratch building goes - I really wish I had the talent! I've done a few simple bits on the kits I'm working on, but that's just about my limit.

Simon's found a company called Timecast which appears to have exactly what I want so I'll be looking into that.

[Gern]

Sorry mate, that should have read MDF...the perils of autocorrect....

Aaaahhh! That's why I've turned off every form of autocorrect I can find! If I'm gonna get summat wrong it'll be MY fault - not the machine!

[Gern]

These look really good. They could be just what I want - thanks Simon.

Perfect! Sorted - thanks Si.

[Mini Me]

Hi Dave, What I was referring to was WW2 vintage East European, Russian and Western Europe for that matter, without handing over my life savings. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't get too excited about paying between 40.00 and 60.00 USD for kits I have to destroy to turn them into wartime ruins or damaged buildings. But I do agree, There are lots of model RR style kits available.
Rick H.

[minitnkr]

I'm confused. Is 20mm or 15mm closest to 1/87? PaulE

[Gern]

Hi Dave, What I was referring to was WW2 vintage East European, Russian and Western Europe for that matter, without handing over my life savings. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't get too excited about paying between 40.00 and 60.00 USD for kits I have to destroy to turn them into wartime ruins or damaged buildings. But I do agree, There are lots of model RR style kits available.
Rick H.

I see what you mean Rick. Just had a quick browse - and I thought I had problems! Plenty of modern stuff about but wargame type scenery (ruins etc) look to be about as rare as hen's teeth. And the prices are unbelieveable!

[Mini Me]

Believe it or not it is sort of in between 15 and 20mm Paul, as a result 15mm is closer to 1/100 and 20mm is closer to 1/76 so true 1/87 would probably be somewhere between 16 and 17mm. Sorry for Hijacking your thread Dave. Rick H.

[Gern]

Hi Rick.

I'm still nosing around looking for 15mm stuff and came across these folks:

http://www.tigerterrain.com/waterloo-buildings.html

I know it's supposed to be for 15mm stuff - I'll be ordering some on Thursday - payday! - but if you have a look at their gallery pics you might find it'll be OK for what you want. Their buildings don't look wildly out of place with either 15mm or 20mm figures. The range is very limited but the quality looks amazing.