Building Sets

Written by Mike Brent

I wanted to get this chapter uploaded, even though all I have so far is a collection of links. We'll be adding to it as time goes by... if anyone knows of any other sites or threads from the message board that should be added, by all means contact me and let me know. Most of what I've dug up thus far is in the model railroad terrain/miniature gaming arena, except for a few threads from the board which deal more specifically with stopmotion setbuilding. Keep in mind, as with any skills involved in the eclectic artform of stopmotion, you need to be diligent... seek out related knowledge in other areas and try to figure out how to apply it in stopmotion. For example.... one technique for making model railroad terrain involves layering sheets of styrofoam and cutting contours to make hills. If you're going to do that for a stopmotion set you'd want to find a way to get your tie-downs through it, or leave a flat "trail" where the puppets can walk.

So, with no further ado, here's another concentrated burst of Link-A-Mania!

TERRAIN AND BUILDINGS

Scenic Woodlands terrain products from Oak Ridge Hobbies

Tips and Tricks at Hirstarts

Making a stone building - Hirstarts
They sell miniature stone molds... very small for us, but good tips on construction.

Hirstarts index page
Many more great tips here.

Making hills with styrofoam

One way to make trees

How to build buildings
Wildcard - using insulation board.

Printable brick pattern + tips on using it
Scale to the size you want.

Making ruins from styrofoam

Tools and materials for terrain work
Last Alliance (wargaming).

Making cliffs
Last Alliance again.

Last Alliance tutorials index page

Jasons setbuilding thread for Illume
Read along as his set takes shape.

Folaige info by Nick Hilligoss
Posted by Mawg

Styrofoam castles thread

Street set
more Hilligoss goodness, plus a little advice from yours truly.

City set thread
Nick. Again.

The Hills are alive...
...with that Hilligoss magic!

Making brick walls thread

WEATHERING TUTORIALS

Model railroading with the Weathering Doctor

Weathering models
Aimed at plastic combat model kits... Using styrene.

Weathering with pastels

Miniature painting and modelling guides index
Ellsweb.com : Huge site filled with great info

Drybrushing
By Steve Bamford.

Warhammer painting and modeling section
Miniature wargaming stuff.

Crumbling wallpaper thread
Great advice by Trickfx

Leper film thread
I did a big writeup on weathering puppets and sets.