Another passion project!

My friends, as I was finishing the WH tank, I was becoming obsessed with another facade mainly because I discovered new materials that are real game changers.

The first one, the one used on this facade, is called Forex. It's a lightly expanded/foamed PVC that's very similar to plastic sheets, but it's more malleable. Something between styrofoam and Evergreen sheets. This allows us to create very intricate details that would otherwise be impossible with other materials. In this case, the hollow bricks with their characteristic grooves. Of course, the name Forex comes from a Swiss brand, so you'll probably find it under different names. Just look for foamed PVC sheets.

The second material is Foamboard, a type of artistic canvas for painters. It's a sheet of polyurethane foam sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard. You have to peel the cardboard off, of course - but then the magic happens. It's almost the same as styrofoam, but you don't need a foam cutter to work with it, as it comes in 3mm, 5mm, and 10 mm thicknesses. And it's dead cheap, just like Forex. I bought both for around 7€, and they come in 70x50 cm sheets.

On the other hand, the foam is a bit porous, but this can be quickly rectified by sealing it with Tamiya paints directly from the bottle. A thick, generous coat will get absorbed by the foam and after it fully dries, you can work with it further. And what's best? Forex is immune to lacquer and enamel thinners, and foamboard isn't affected by enamel thinners either after it's sealed with Tamiya paint. The "base", or terrain, of this facade, is made from Foamboard.

Now, a little about this facade. I wanted to build a barn for a while, but I wasn't sure if I should do it fully wooden or combine the planks with some bricks. I didn't want to do the same old boring bricks, so I played around with some ideas and came up with this design. The original inspiration photo is at the end of this gallery. I took it on a hike last year.

I also employed a lot of acrylic wood putty. The foundations, the terrain, and the cemented jambs are all textured with this stuff. The upper floor will be covered with planks, and there will also be a large painted advertisement there!

Not to mention I collected a TON of old enameled advertising signs from Czechoslovakia (all found on second-hand sites), screenshotted them, and created an A4 document that I sent to print at 300 dpi on a glossy photo paper. So the barn will be decorated by a few of those.

On a final note, while building models is my daily job, these facades feel like a hobby. They bring me back to my teenage years when I used to work on models all the time during holidays. I would go to sleep excited for the morning because I could build models again! That's how these little buildings make me feel :)