After starting this, ohh, last year or so, and after getting the main structure together, I got side tracked (as you do) and have only recently resumed working on this. The first picture shows all the parts that come in the kit assembled, including the vac formed floor, which in this instance I won't be using. I painted and dry fitted it to give you an idea of what it's like if you would use it. For me, the damage is on the wrong side of the floor, so I'll scratch one instead. And a ceiling...and a roof structure...




The floor has very nice grain detail, which responds well to paint and wash.. this is one coat of Vallejo Flesh, with one (heavy.. ) wash of raw umber oil paint.


This is my scratched floor half way ready. The damage is less extensive, in keeping with the mostly intakt roof section that will be next. There will be a deviding wall next to the stairs as well.


Underside of the floor. This will be finished with an appropriate coat of 'plaster'..


And what the outside will sort of look like. the figure is for scale, but will be used in the final diorama.

Thanks for looking, and as always all comments are appreciated.

Cheers
Henk

Nice work Henk. How do you like these MiniArt vac-form buildings ? I have the one called "German Village House" (35012) and was looking for some basic tips on how to go about constructing it. I've read a few of your in-box reviews on similar kits. Any of the diorama buildings I've worked on in the past have been ceramic ones (like Verlinden or Custom Dioramics).

Thanks for posting yours, and I will keep an eye on this thread

Cheers !!

Robert

Thanks Rob,
I like these, for various reasons. They are big. Not just a "small front and side wall", but fullsize two or three story buildings, with windows and doors and steetlights etc. They have nice and well formed detail. They are very distinctive subjects, rather than a "small front and side wall". They include a colour sheet with relevant propaganda posters, road signs, house numbers, etc.. The finished house and (possible dio) don't weigh a ton. They are reltively cheap.

I did a step by step using the Park Wall kit, here

The French Town House is a good kit for those with little or no experience with vac-form kits.

Cheers
Henk

nice work henk. i think i should get started on my polish city building from mini art in time.

can't help, but the ground floor somehow reminds of the final battle scene in saving private ryan, where mellish has his final stand with the mg.

in all this build is by no means restricted to hungary.

I have though about getting some of these houses as well, but have not gotten around to it yet. Nice to hear that they are worth the money. I assume no rubble piles are included?

I will follow this one as you go along.

Thanks for sharing

Hi Henk,

Nice job you have done on thsi buildiing.
I do love too miniart products, buildings and figgies.
I wait for the normandy, unfortunately annunced for the end of 2006, but not released yet.

Best,
Julien

Nice work Henk!
I have never tried the Mini-Art buildings but as I can see they have enough detail to work on.

Are you thinking to scratch the roof as well?

Nice WIP, Henk!

Looks good, mate, and I'm sure that the scratch ceiling and roof that you'll be constructing will turn out just as well!
Looking forward to following this build as you go along, my friend, please keep the updates coming!
Cheers,
~Mark

Cheers guys,

You're right Patrick, these buildings can be placed alsmost anywhere. I think that MiniArt refer mainly to the enclosed posters etc, as they tend to be area specific. Although they tend to include a number of German propaganda posters, which can be used almost everywhere. This specific kit however, contains a number of very nice advertisment signs, in (you guessed it) Hungarian.

No, you will have to add your own rubble Jesper. The latest releases now also include a small piece of clear acetate, to add glass to the windows.

Julien
The Normandy house/farm is a very promising kit, as is the German shed. But one I can't wait for is the German City Building. It will need a substantial base though..

Yannis,
Yes, the plan is for a complete corner section of the roof. I'm just not sure yet how I'll do the tiles.

Cheers
Henk

Thanks Mark

Here is a technique for producing nice looking roof tiles. The end product is Greek - Roman type of tiles that were used extensively in Hungary.

First you use a piece of styrene rod, hollow half round 3.5mm in diameter.
Then you mark the rod at 15mm intervals and cut the pieces. Starting from bottom to top glue the tiles in position side by side. The row on top of the least should overlap. Fill in some gaps with milliput, as the connecting mortar, and ready to paint.

Thanks for the tip Yannis, those look absolutely superb. I was going to the dolls house shop this weekend anyway (need more pieces of wood) so I'll check if they stock these profiles.

Cheers
Henk

@Henk: Thanks for the quick answer.

@odysseas: great job on the tiles. A nice and quick way to make a roof nand have tiles for debris/rubble as well.

Right, the floor is finished, just simple wash with very diluted Vallejo German Camo Black Brown. Started on the window glass and the curtains, next will be the interior wall.





Cheers
Henk

Todays progress.

I started the interior wall next to the staircase,which will be badly damaged, in keeping with the rest of the damage. It would have taken most of the blast though, leaving most of the room interior relatively intact.



Joist detail in the stairwell, some of this will be exposed. I'm still undecided whether to box in the stairwell from the ground up. Whilst it would no doubt look good, it might be a little bit over kill... we'll see how things develop. You see, I seldom work to a set of plans, but rather make it up as I go along... :-)



This shows the damage to the ground floor ceiling. None of this will really be visible when the building is finished, unless you use a mirror on a stick...but who would do such a ridicules thing..



Another overview, the ceiling will be fairly complete, but sagging down due to the loss of the support wall where the door is (was..)



I found a very nice little touch at the dolls house shop today, alas, it will also only be visible with a mirror... but you can't have a ceiling without a ceiling rose...

Cheers
Henk

Hello all, just time to post so more progress pics before I'm of to work.











The ceiling will remain separate untill the room has been finished ( furniture and rubble) and the ceiling has been plastered.

Cheers
Henk

Terrific work Henk. Although I don't have it this is my favourite of the Miniart buildings I think because of the curved corner. Great job on the interior as well. This is a great model in it's own right and not just as an element of a diorama.

Hi henk,

Another masterpiece, the quality of the presentation of each of the miniart buildings that you show, make the process look so easy. I look forward to seeing it on a diorama.

John

Thanks Pat and John,

This will be a small mini diorama (or should that be a large vignette? :-) ), with all the action happening in and around this building. The base will include pavement, and maybe a small piece of the road, and rubble etc from the neighbouring properties. Several figures are marked to be included, but I may yet change my mind (again ) . I found just the right vehicle for in the covered area...

Cheers
Henk

Todays progress is not spectacular, but I have been pondering a few options. I have started to make some furniture, but as I still havn't decided on what the room actually is (was..) I've not decided on a desk (office) or living room...



The stairwell is coming along nicely. The structural work is about doe, ext stage is weathering the wood.



My biggest dillema now is if I should put these wooden gates in the downstairs openings or leave them open..



Decisions, decicions...

Cheers and till tomorrow.
Henk

Henk,

Looks great so far! Looking forward to seeing the next progress shots!

Thanks Thomas

To make the plaster ceiling I'm using a piece of Kitchen Cloth, soaked in dilutd PVA. I'll make a plaster mix to cover it. Just like real plaster...
Edges will be trimmed and damaged when the plaster is finished.



Cheers
Henk

Another big advantage, is because both sides are vacuuformed, the interior is detailed aswell! As Henk shows in the images above, its quite easy to take this a step further and add more details to make the scene visible from all sides and make the most use of this extra dimension, rather than just filling this space with rubble!

Great work Henk. Love what you´re doing to the interior!
My wife reckons your curtains are clashing with the wallpaper :-) :-)
Thanks for sharing.

Great idea, mate!

WIP looks great, Henk. . .
~Mark