Welcome to my blog, the story of my continuing journey into the World of Zombie Wargames.

Monday 11 June 2018

Shotgun House Take 2

   Front and side (obviously )
So this is the second of my two shotgun houses from 4Ground, bought earlier this year.
In preparation for this build and building on my experiences with the first kit, I files all the tabs, slots and fitting a small amount so that the fitting together was made much easier. In addition, not having slightly warped wall certainly helped the assembly process.
Rear of building
Despite all this I did have a couple of problems, some slight breakages (but nothing too serious) and on the whole it all went together very smoothly. Once more I added some perspex window-glass to the building, inserted between the inner and outer walls and although not completely satisfactory (the window frame is only on one side), I've found that without 'glass' a lot of buildings look ghost-like and it's such a simple fix that it hardly worth NOT doing it.
The 'glass' can just about be made out in the photograph to the left)
Boring other side
As always, the roof looks unfinished and despite my careful assembly doesn't seem to fit as well as I'd want. The photographs of the front porch below show the gap between the roof and the porch lintel.
If I thought it worth the effort I'd have a go at making the roof fit better, but as these are really only for my own use (they won't be at any show), I think it not worth the time fixing it.
After touch up on the left), before on the right.
As per the last build, I also went over the unpainted bits from this 'painted' model, a quick fix but getting a matching colour is a bit of a pain.
The photograph on the left shows the before and after touch 'ups'.
There's really not much difference but it was a quick fix.
View from above with roof removed



The major internal difference with this model and the previous one is that this is more of a 'Shotgun House', with three rooms, rather than a 'Shotgun Shack', but other than the extra room they're both very similar.
Obligatory boring picture of a door



In a fit of short lived enthusiasm, I even touched up the bits of the doors that would be seen when open.

So the verdict on these kits ?
I think the jury is still out, they fitted together well (probably too well); the painted surfaces are adequate (but need touching up); the roofs are awful (those tabs and the roof ridge -aargghh!); they are a good size and well in scale for "28mm" figures and as a basis for modelling a decent house they do the job.
I didn't bother to put any furniture in this one to take advantage of another photo-opportunity  to pad this post out - saving you, the reader from falling asleep from boredom.


From my point of view, the sad thing is that once more, these will be stored away, probably never
to see the light of day on my games table (currently unusable) as my enthusiasm for this hobby is rapidly waining.

As always many thanks for taking the time to visit and your comments are welcomed and appreciated.





27 comments:

  1. You are rattling through these Joe, although sorry to read the comment about a waning enthusiasm for the hobby, particularly given your recent and thoroughly enjoyable work on Jimland.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Michale, though I suspect the next (and final MDF build I have) will take a little longer. The shotgun builds had a single double sided instruction sheet whilst the next has eight (yes 8!) double sided sheets of instructions!
      I've never known such a low in my gaming enthusiasm, but I'll probably continue to chipaway at my lead mountain as long as storage lasts!

      Delete
  2. Like Michael above I'm sorry to hear you say your hobby mojo is a bit flat at the moment Joe, having been there many a time I know the feeling well, I believe that when that happens there two things you can do,1 take a little break from the hobby or 2 take up a different direction in the hobby, for my part I always try 2 first.

    Glad to see the second building went together better for you & I don't know what you'd think about doing this but I have seen others recover the roof on buildings to improve the look of them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mojo flat ? More like flat-lined! Maybe after 50 years of gaming it's not surprising, but it's a first for me though. There is a slight glimmer of hope though, but I'm not betting my house on it.
      If I had more enrgy for the buildings I would certainly re-roof them - it'll not be the first time I've glued on tiles singly (or an entire castle's bricks for that matter)

      Delete
  3. You are always a GREAT source of inspiration for me :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Michal, that is a great compliment, I too find inspiration in many blogs

      Delete
  4. Your enthusiasm will return Joe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks MJT, I'll probably be still plodding along, just ever slower (if that's possible).

      Delete
  5. ZZZZZZZZZZ what AGGGH, no I didn't fall asleep, :) as you say the roof is naff but if you tile it then it will
    look good. The rest of the building is more than fine.
    You have not told us what these are for?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The buildings will fit into any American era from about the 1920s until the present day (in some parts of the US iirc). I got them as part of my ever growing city-scape for ATZ, but they'llalso fit into my pipe-dream of finishing off my gangster project (now only seven years in the making)
      Sorry to have woken you btw.

      Delete
    2. Gangsters sounds interesting, I have just undercoated some of the Copplestone Gangsters, I'm intending doing some Raymond Chandler detective, type of game some time in the very distant future.
      Have you given any thought to rules?

      Delete
    3. When I started the zombie project way back in 2011 I was reallt just looking for a game I could play solo with my then growing collection of Gangster figures.
      I have Copplestones, Brigade and Old Glory, along with some Foundry too - some 160+ figures of all types.
      I started with THW's free gangster rules - interesting but needed a re-write (they never were), I then looked at Steve Barber's "Prohibition" rules but again they were very poor. Next up was Howard Whitehouse's rules in "Wargames Illustrated " (or the other one), which at the time were incomplete, but usable.
      The Rules "We only Kill each other" from "The Armchair General" never materialised and I set-to making my own, which were never very satisfactory.
      Then came pulp Alley and their rules looked amply suitable for a gangster style game (and probably suitable for a detective type game too) but at the same time as I picked those up, I came across "Mad Dogs", which are a very good set of rules (with an almost workable campaign system; they are the re-written commercial version of Howard's rules all those years ago.
      So to answer your question, yes I have thought about rules!

      Delete
    4. I'm glad I asked, I've not heard of mad dogs, I'll look them out.
      Cheers

      Delete
    5. Let me know what you thinnk of them if you get them!

      Delete
  6. Hi, Zab. Hey, you might consider doing the following: if you can snip the tabs at the roof peak, do so and fill them something you use for filler. Then fill the divots in the roof. When the filler (paste, glue, etc.) is set put some masking tape on a piece of glass, measure some strips that are the same size as the roofing material and cut with a sharp knife. Apply the new roofing material to the roof. Next cut small pieces of the tape and add them to the roof peak. Paint and voila a new old tar paper roof!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jay, I have considered re-doing the roofs, much asyou suggest; it's not a big job and something I would find easy enough to do, much as you suggest. However, I have to wonder why I would do it.

      Delete
    2. Probably the best reason ever

      Delete
  7. Enthusiasm always ebbs and flows Joe, mine is constantly doing almost depending on the time of day. Diversity is the key, I find. I’m on a big board game kick at the mo, but I’m sure Bushido will Make it’s way back soon

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops...

      The house looks fab btw, the roof tabs are annoying but fixable as Jay says

      Delete
    2. Thanks dGG, yep, enhtusiasm for this hobby is always shifting, but my own has been on a steady decline for most of this year, with the occassional high spot.
      "Jimland" went some way to alleviating my falling spirits, but I thkn I've taken those adventurers as far as I can.

      Delete
    3. Hopefully Blood, Sweat & Horses will invigorate your mojo mate...

      Delete
    4. Strangely enough the more I read of your rules, the more I am enthused abut your project.
      Don't get me wrong I still have interest in the hobby, just no enthusiasm for once more going through the motions without an end-product (so to speak) in sight.

      Delete
  8. I think the house looks mighty fine Joe, I'm sure the "niggles" will disappear when it's on a table and surrounded with other terrain and mini's.
    It would be nice to have terrain that matched the detail and accuracy that diorama builders and railway modellers acheive (and we often see in the wargaming 'press'), but we need to accept the compromises that make our terrain "practical" for gaming, storage and handling purposes.

    Sorry to hear your mojo is suffering at the moment, why don'y you try a quick dose of ATZ and see if that helps?
    I only ask because I've spent time reading through a lot of your early posts, and I think you might just find a spark there buddy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks WA, I don't mind the 'niggles', as you put it, I know i'll not win any prizes. All my buildings have to be fit for purpose (i.e. my purpose) in that they have to at least look vaguely what they're meant to represent and if they have interiors then they have to accomodate figures.
      I have been thinking of ATz (and a Pirate game) on the slim chance that I may yet get an opponent.

      Delete
  9. I think they've turned out rather well,excepting the roof, which would be an easy fix if you really wanted to,I haven't really gone down the MDF building route,mainly because I say"I can scratch build that out of foam board and stuff" six maybe seven years later I've finally finished one,I thought your scratch built church was great, the MDF kits just speed things up I guess. Sorry to hear of your lack of motivation,I guess it comes and goes,I can't imagine you walking away from all you've put into it?
    Best Iain

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Iain, MDF is a rather quick fix for many gamers; roofs are a bug-bear of mnay otherwise fine models along with those 'tags'being very hard to disguise.
      I've tried several MDF builds and they all have their pros and cons, the biggest argument against though is the one you mention, in that argument over time versus money. I'm sure I could build one of these in a week, given the motivation or like this one I can have a usable building in two days after a ouple of hours 'work' each day. I've had this argument with myself, in that I wold like some 'Arab' type dwelling which I could knock up fairly swiftly or I could buy some MDF ones.
      Motivation just comes and goes in one degree or another at times in all of us I guess. I'm continuing to do hobby-related things to fill my day, but can't get enthusiastic about it all now when I see there is no real purpose other than to finish and store whatever it is I'm doing!

      Delete