Thursday, 7 November 2019

What a pigsty

Looking through my box of modelling bits, thinking about what buildings I could knock together, I suddenly realised a distinct lack of Will's Building Materials plastic pantile roof sheets. All I had was a bag of off cuts. I was about to put making a building on hold when a thought occurred to me. I'd recently seen a blog post which had a model pigsty - a commercial one in resin if memory serves. Pigsties are small buildings which don't require much roofing.


The idea appealed to me for several reasons. Firstly, it wouldn't require much in the way of materials; secondly, it wouldn't need to occupy a full sized 'town section' base (and I've felt the need for a couple of small sections); thirdly, it's something a little different. 


I constructed the main building and section walls out of foam board. I made a couple of gates out of balsa wood and used a few War Bases bits (shutters glued together, a few plain window frames and a door) to make the sty doors and windows. To cover some of the joins in the roof (I had to use three off cuts) I stuck on some foam - which painted green would look like ivy, kinda.


I finished the model with artists acrylic paint to get wall textures, plus some door mat for the yard, and finally a couple of Irregular Miniatures bits and pieces (grape vines, I think) that I've had in the doings box for twenty years. Finally I finished it with a selection of household emulsion paints, and artists acrylic paint and ink.


It came out fairly well and, although only half the footprint of a standard 'town section', it can still hold 24 defending figures.


11 comments:

Steve J. said...

Really nice scratch building:)

warpaintjj said...

"You Irishmen out of my pigsty!"
Cracking piece of scenery, can't wait to see voltigeurs & riflemen taking cover in the muck.
Best wishes,
Jeremy

caveadsum1471 said...

Lovely bit of frugal scratch building!
Best Iain

Colin Ashton said...

Best looking pigsty I’ve seen!

Gonsalvo said...

Very handsome bit of scenery!

Gonsalvo said...

"You must bring us... a Piggery!"

Norm said...

A 5-star Pigsty - lovely!

AJ (Allan) Wright said...

FANTASTIC piece. Unique, useful, and masterfully executed.

pancerni said...

Very useful, very picturesque, hopefully not fragrant. An excellent addition to the table.

Phil said...

This building is absolutly superb James, nice details and wonderful work on it!

David said...

That is a grand addition, worthy of being used as inspiration.