Why I shouldn't use a not very sharp Utility Knife, not highly densed styrofoam and ceramic paint...

[Ezio]

Well, first of all, I made my first terrain piece, finished it today. It could be better, but as the title says, all those stuff that were around the house were a year to 5 years old. The utility knife was not very sharp and basically pulled the not highly densed styrofoam (those you get with PC's and Glass...) so it was not very straight mess....
I used my mom's ceramic paint she was using a year ago (I didn't want to go to a painting/hardware shop as I first wanted to do the free stuff... :P), so I basically coated it with what I thought was black. It was black at first, but then when it dried it became gray. OK, I thought, gray is also good, but when some of the dried ceramic paint started to peel... yea...
Another problem was, obviously, the shape of the styrofoam, it wasn't the normal flat square you use for the hobby, like mountains and other stuff, it was like this:
http://www.astronomican.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14261 (the link is to the topic where I put the picture...)
So it was another big mess trying to cut it and it wasn't straight and with marks so it was another huge problem.
Last problem was the glue, because the styrofoam wasn't highly densed, the glue basically got drained by it and couldn't let me stick it, so I thought, I'm making stuff that cost me nothing, maybe I'll use toothpicks, so it partially worked until my roof I wanted to make from styrofoam got all messed up as I did some bad measurments and because all of the signs and bumps on it I couldn't make it out of styrofoam. I made my roof out of card board, now the problem was, again, the paint and the edges of the card board (you know, those tunnels under it...) so It also wasn't so perfect...
Other than those problems I made 3 mistakes:
The first of them making a window too high and thus ripping off a little portion of one of the walls, so I stuck it back but it didn't look so good.

The second one was forgetting I already have a wall with an OK window (after failing with the first one) and made another wall with windows, so I kind of shut one of them but it also didn't look good.

The third one was being lazy and not going to buy normal paint, normal, good styrofoam and sharper utility knife.

PICS:
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/5403/dsc0827y.th.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/i/dsc0827y.jpg/)
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/370/dsc0831.th.jpg (http://img34.imageshack.us/i/dsc0831.jpg/)
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/2882/dsc0828.th.jpg (http://img44.imageshack.us/i/dsc0828.jpg/)
http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/9902/dsc0829j.th.jpg (http://img34.imageshack.us/i/dsc0829j.jpg/)

[Honsou]

Sounds like you had quite the challenge there! Looks like you got through it well though, and it does look good. Personally, I'm a big fan of using random bits and bobs to make terrain, and so on.

REP for the effort and showing the pics! You've also given me an idea :)

[Hephesto]

It is indeed a bit of a learning process, but you really do pick up a lot of things from basic projects like this. A pointers (better late than never right ;)):

- A sharp, cheap knife is indeed essential, especially since some types of styrofoam have the tendency to make your knife dull quite fast.
- Styrofoam can melt when undercoating with sprays and even some normal paints, safest thing is to work outside and always seal the foam first. Easiest way is to treat it with a watered layer of sealant or cheap pvc (once again ventilation will keep those headaches away). This has the added advantage of adding some strength to the structure and is also ideal if you want to add texture to the walls.
- Grab a few 40K bits and add them, a quic control panel of spare weapon will really add tons of character very fast.

Looks like you have a rich modelling future ahead of you, have some rep for the effort and pics and keep us posted on whatever comes next!

[Honsou]

- A sharp, cheap knife is indeed essential, especially since some types of styrofoam have the tendency to make your knife dull quite fast.

I'm not sure I agree with you there Heph- personally, I like to keep a few other, lower quality (or also tools that aren't intended for modeling!) around. The reason being that sometimes they create great quirks, that add character and realism, which can be hard to duplicate.

[Ezio]

Thank guys! :D Finally some posts after those 200+ views... It was difficult indeed, and I guess that untill I'll be actualy getting some stuff it will still be difficult... :D
Well, I learned from my mistakes and I think that the first thing you do in everything in your life always have mistakes, but now I know what I should do next time!

Honsou Eshara, what idea have I given you? :D African mud huts? what I did kind of looks like one :D

[Honsou]

Thank guys! :D Finally some posts after those 200+ views... It was difficult indeed, and I guess that untill I'll be actualy getting some stuff it will still be difficult... :D
Well, I learned from my mistakes and I think that the first thing you do in everything in your life always have mistakes, but now I know what I should do next time!

Honsou Eshara, what idea have I given you? :D African mud huts? what I did kind of looks like one :D

With a little bit of luck, you will see soon enough ;) And Honsou will do mate, no need for formality :)

Keep up the efforts, I'm looking forward to seeing some more modeling work from you! I'd also suggest you keep those tools around, you never know- you might find em damn useful sometime :)

[Ezio]

With a little bit of luck, you will see soon enough ;) And Honsou will do mate, no need for formality :)

Keep up the efforts, I'm looking forward to seeing some more modeling work from you! I'd also suggest you keep those tools around, you never know- you might find em damn useful sometime :)

Oki doki Hensou, I also looking forward for your idea (don't forget to give credits! >| just joking you don't have to!)

Aum... I also thought I better keep them around, 'cause when I don't do it, I do need them but don't remember when I put them... ;)
I guess that I'll get what I need and try making the basic 40k building, if it will go well I'll try to make some better stuff and I'll see where it will get me!

BTW it took me 2 days to finish what I did (including hours in which I did something else), the most frustrating part was the ceramic paint... and the sytrofoam.... and everything, well, next time I'll have better types of those "everything" so hopefully my next results will be better.

Thanks again guys, you really helped me and gave me more hope! :D I love those kinds of forums 'cause in the others they give you those crappy posts of "very nice!" or "that's crap!" and not really explaining...

[Honsou]

Very nice, that's crap! xD Nah, just messing- you should see my fic C&C xD

But yeah- you'll most likely get used to working on terrain over time, and also with odd materials. I can tell you, there's nothing quite as satisfying as looking at some piece of terrain, or whatever, you've made and knowing that before you started each part there was just random garbage!