Scratchbuilding is the art of starting a model or project from… scratch. It is the art of building from the bottom up, almost literally, models and terrain to a table top standard. The dedicated dumpster hopper will always be on the alert for interesting pieces of material in the home, office, by the kerb and so on. The most dedicated scratchbuilders do their grocery shopping based, not on taste or economy, but on the interesting shapes of the packaging!
The only real skill you need is the ability to see one thing in the shape of another. For example: Is it a piece of cotton wadding or smoke on the battlefield? That plastic doorstop… what does it remind me of?
Below is an A-Z of materials and the most simple techniques. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the following format to keep it consistent and easy to read. Please try to keep everything in alphabetical order. I will edit it, occasionally, for spelling and content, but you’d save me a lot of work by doing this!
Using simple scrap material (such as old game pieces, board and decorations) this WIP begins to take shape.
Base Item: Converts into:
Brush Bristles (1) Dried Grass (2) House Thatching
If you have a new idea for Brush Bristles, for example, you would add ‘(3) Your Idea’. Any expanded discussion you want to make should go in the article discussion. Please do not remove anything without contacting me (or any proxy I name) unless it breaks the site rules. Feel free to add simple notes to existing entries, for example: ‘See also: Another Base Item’.
In the future, when this A-Z is suitable well stocked, I will create a cross-referenced list that you can look up: “Smoke” and find Cotton Wool, etc.
If you add a technique, it should be explainable in no more than two short paragraphs and should be prefixed with a (T) and italicized to make it stand out. If you want to share an in-depth technique, it may be better creating a fresh article. Feel free to connect your article by adding a link here.
Tips can also be added by prefixing with (Tip) and italicizing : I.E
Scale: (Tip): in 28mm wargaming 28mm can be seen to be about 1.75meters or around 6 feet. Bear this in mind when creating vehicles and buildings.
One last note: Unless the material is vital, try not to list it under the name of the material, otherwise we’ll have a thousand entries under wood, metal and plastic!
Thanks to Yakface for catagorising!
Key
DOS: Dependent on Scale
New Entries in Bold
A
A3 Jotter Pads: (1) Makes a good solid basing
Ash: (1) Flocking
Appliance Parts: (1) Broken household or kitchen appliance parts can be scavenged for various uses.
Artificial Plants: (1) Leaves can be cut up to make scaled foliage and stamens (the things that stick up out of the (usually) round centers of flowers) make effective plants.
B
Bark: (1) Rocks
Binders (ring): (1) Runged ladders
Broom Bristles: (1) Dead Climbing Plants
Brush Bristles: (1) Dried Grass (2) House Thatching
Bottle Tops: (1) Turret Rings (2) Display plinths
C
Cans: (1) Basic Building Block (2) Large Culverts (3) Storage Tanks (4) Hellhound Fuel Tanks (5) Sheet metal structures
Carpet/Wall Tiles: (1) Flooring, to be cut to scale
Charity Shops: See Thrift Shops
Cereal Boxes: (1) Bunkers (2) Fortification (3) Other General Buildings
CO2 Cartridges: (1) Fuel Containers (2) Bombs
Cotton Wool: (1) Smoke
Coaxcable (1) The shielding of coaxcables (or any "armoured" cable can be used for flexible armour on legs and arms.
Computercables (1) Esp. the flat cables inside, cut across them to create strips of belt ammo of cooling cables
Corks: (1) Tank Traps (Wood Faced) 2 Bulking out shapes
Cue Tips: See Q-Tips
D
Domed Lightshades: (1) Make great 'scifi' domed buildings. If plastic it can easily be made 'ruined' by the gentle application of a large hammer.
Dried Superglue: (1): Ice and icicles
Dried Half-lentils: (1) Can be used to make very large (if slightly irregular) rivets for tanks/vehicles. (especially good for orky stuff)
E
Ebay: (TIP): Scan through the sales of War Game Terrain for ideas, if you're stuck. Nothing wrong with buying the odd cheap piece either (heresy!)
Egg Cartons: (1) Some contain Triangular bits that work well as Tank Traps (2) the egg cup parts make good "Mystery objects"
Electrical fuses: (1) Weapon Parts
Eraser Waste: (1) Rubble
F
Flocking: (T) Name given to material covering bases and made of a variety of substances
Fake Fur: (1) Fur Rugs (2) Thatch
Foam Board: An artistic mounting material, scraps are cheap or even free from most art manufacturers.
G
Guitar string (1) cut to length to make tubing. Has some memory so you can bend it to fit and it will hold in place. Remember to bend past actual needs.
Glue: (i) You will use four main types in modelling.
1: Super glue, which is good for gluing everthing, but bad because you need to be ventilated and it will eventually stick you to something. Melts plastics including unpressed Styrene. Dries clear.
2: Plastic Cement, which sticks plastic to plastic , but nothing else. Dries clear. It can scar your models if you are over liberal. Melts plastics inc. Styrene (this is how it works on your models - Chemistry fans).
3: PVA, which is not used, usually, directly on your models, but to coat bases or models with 'flock' or to give a weathered look (with flakes of styrene) to vehicles. Does not melt styrene and, used liberally to coat styrene, will give to protection to styrene from Aerosol Propellant. Dries Clear (though opaque in large enough quantities)
4: 'Hard as Nails/no more nails' or equivalant. Can be used to stick (large) components to each other, but is very slow acting. Can be sculpted slightly when damp, but while craze on drying occasionally. Can be messy (or is that me?) Can be sculpted, carefully, when dry or to fill cracks instead of modelling clay. Dries Opaque. Will take paint.
4.1: Gator Glue. A strong PVA usefull for sticking Etch brass.
Glue: (1): Dried up superglue on tubes can make nice 'icicles' (Tip) use a small amount of superglue to 'hold' plastic components of a model and then drops of carefully applied plastic glue to the seal. 3: For heavy metallic and/or awkward pieces use 'Pinning(qv) instead.
H
Hairdryers: (1) Large Engines (Tip) Dry your Metallic Models quickly with one.
Hair Trimmer attachments; (1) Dozer Blades (2) Titan hand Blades
Handheld Vacuum Cleaners: (1) Make a pleasant looking base for an alien space ship.
I
Ice Cube Trays: (1) Molds for Tank Traps
J
Jenga Blocks (normal and mini): (1) Can be used as building blocks
Jewelry/Necklace Chain: (1) chains (depends on gauge of chain vs. scale of model)
Joss Sticks: (1) Battlefield Smoke (make sure everybody likes the smell first!)
K
L
Lego: (1) Spare Tires for Terrain Apps (2) Brick Walls (3) Orky Buildin'z
M
Mechanical Parts: (1) DOS, vehicle parts, Industrial Machinery, etc
Modelling Clay: (1) Very useful for either filling in gaps or sculpting things up to your talent level. Comes in grades from coarse filler up to fine modelling clay.
Matchsticks: (1) Fence posts (2) scaffolding
Medium Density Fiberboard: (1) fantastic for a good strong base for buildings (also very cheap)
N
Nail Accessories: (1) The ladies use them for the nails we can use them as gems, sniper scope lenses, little ribbons, heart shaped gems for HE/Eldar
Noodle Cartons: (1) Turned upside down and trimmed about 2-3 inches make a solid bunker.
O
Oasis (Flower Arranger's Foam) (1) Rubble (2) Bigger, 'natural' features (takes some carving)
'Oriental' style dinner Place Mats: (1) when cut up, can be used (on a modelling clay 'underblanket') as a wicker riding blanket on various creatures. (2) or wiicker armour for oriental armies. (pics to follow)
P
Pen Tops: (1)DOS: Weapon Parts, Ship Parts
Pinning (Tip): To pin, which gives a firmer joint to heavy or awkward pieces, drill a small whole corresponding to the joins on each part to be connected. Take a small pin or staple and put one end in one hole. Carefully superglue in place. Do the same for the other side and you're done.
Plaster of Paris: (1) An excellent material for making any kind of building, though you will need to make a mould.
Plst Door Stops: (1)Ramping: (2) Nacelles or Gondalas (for Dirigibles): (3): Feet Part for large Models
Plumbing pipes: (1) Useful as scale pipes, particularly T-junctions and bends.
PVA Glue: (1) Basic Material, water based
PVC Pipe Connectors: (1)Barrels, especially if capped with a bit of plasticard
Parts Boxes (Rectangular Cardboard): (1) Fast, single storey prefab hab structures. Add some card to the outsides for added details.
Q
Q-Tips: (1)Smoking Weapons (weapons producing smoke, rather than guns having a quick fag).
R
Roadsides: (Tip) An excellent place to look for vehicle detritus which can be used for many purposes. Be careful though!
Rocks: (1) Rocks (2) Rubble (3) Peices for a very realistic castle.
Rubber Bands: (1) Good for holding large things together while glue sets: (2) Makes good leather patches/armour if cut to size and stiffenened with superglue.
S
Scale: (Tip): in 28mm war gaming 28mm can be seen to be about 1.8 meters or around 6 feet. Bear this in mind when creating weapons, vehicles and buildings.
Scale: (Absolute) Divide 1776 by mm and you have the 1:xx ratio divide 1776 by the 1:xx ratio and you have the mm's. When looking for models, look for anything between 1/46 and 1/54. Take an unpainted figure with you in your pocket to measure up against.
sponge: (1)foliage/bushes
Sprue Frames: (1) Rubble (if cut into pieces) (2) Can make frames for doors or windows (3) Support Struts (4) Train (or Minecart) Tracks.
Straws: (1) Piping
Styrofoam Packaging: (1) Rubble (when broken up) (2) Makes a base ‘block’ for a variety of buildings from castles to bunkers. Needs liberally coating with PVA Glue (qv) before painting as it can absorb some paints. Note: the Aerosols in spray cans melts Styrofoam and other soft plastics. (3) Flocking
T
Thrift Shops: (Tip) An excellent source of cheap toys and other base materials
Tools: (TIP) Although the scratchbuilder tries not to spend to much on actual material, when it comes to tools you can't get away from paying out. Cheap tools, particularly cheap blades. are more dangerous than helpful. Any economy in tools is a false economy as you'll end up replacing them faster than quality tools.
Toothbrush: (1) Vehicle Legs (T) Good for adding ‘spatter’ effects during weathering (q.v) by loading with paint and drawing your thumbnail along the bristles. (3) Bristles used for basing
Tubing: (1) DOS, tunnels, tubing, drainpipes, etc.
U
V
Vac Forming - A process used to create multiple copies in sheet plastic of an item.
Ventilation: (Tip) If using strong glues or melting plastics, it’s vital that you work outside or in a well ventilated room
W
Weathering: (T) The act of making a model looking worn or ‘battlefield real’.
Wire Scourers (1) Can be used for barbed wire if pulled out.
Wiring: (1)Can be used to make scaled down fencing, even barbed wire if you are particularly nimble!
X
'Xacto blades provide invaluable support to builders and sculptors alike, you never know what tool you will need next.
Y
Z
Zip kicker - Super Glue accelerant
Tip Collection
Ebay: (Tip): Scan through the sales of War Game Terrain for ideas, if you're stuck. Nothing wrong with buying the odd cheap piece either (heresy!)
Glue: (Tip) use a small amount of superglue to 'hold' plastic components of a model and then drops of carefully applied plastic glue to the seal. For heavy metallic and/or awkward pieces use 'Pinning(qv) instead.
Hairdryers: (Tip) Dry your Metallic Models quickly with one.
Pinning (Tip): To pin, which gives a firmer joint to heavy or awkward pieces, drill as small whole corresponding to the joins on each part to be connected. Take a small pin or staple and put one end in one hole. Carefully superglue in place. Do the same for the other side and you're done.
Roadsides: (Tip) An excellent place to look for vehicle detritus which can be used for many purposes. Be careful though!
Scale: (Tip): in 28mm war gaming 28mm can be seen to be about 1.8 meters or around 6 feet. Bear this in mind when creating weapons, vehicles and buildings.
Thrift Shops: (Tip) An excellent source of cheap toys and other base materials
Tools: (Tip) Although the scratchbuilder tries not to spend to much on actual material, when it comes to tools you can't get away from paying out. Cheap tools, particularly cheap blades. are more dangerous than helpful. Any economy in tools is a false economy as you'll end up replacing them faster than quality tools.
Ventilation: (Tip) If using strong glues or melting plastics, it’s vital that you work outside or in a well ventilated room.
The Beach: (Tip) Loads of useful stuff like sand and rocks, also a good place for inspiration (and maybe a little holiday ;) )
