Kore 15mm hab block

I went all-out on this hab block from Kore, scultped by Giacomo Pantalone.  It was a hollow-cast model, filled with expanding spray foam.  It was heavily discounted when I bought it, being slightly warped, but not too badly and so still perfectly usable.  I sawed off the bulge of foam underneath, mounted it on a Foamex base and added various extra details, some 3D printed and some hand made materials.  The Foamex was scored to create a concrete slab effect out to the front.  A few cracks were carved in and some areas shaved to give the effect of subsidence.

"Excuse us citizen, we've had reports of a disturbance."

Everything was sprayed with Wilko grey primer, then touched up with Vallejo stonewall grey until the colour was fairly uniform.  A few extra details were added with silver for the pipes, window shutters and vents. Doors and some other vents were picked out with red and blue.

"We have a warrant to check the premises."

A wash of black ink/matt varnish/water was applied over the whole model, then dabbed off and streaked for weathering.

"What a dump. Looks like he has air conditioning though."

Various extra items of scenery were added, then brown tile grout and sharp sand was sprinkled around the edges of the building to hide the joins and bring everything together.  Some small shreds of my home-made scenic foam flock added a touch of extra colour.

"Not particularly hygienic."

Additions round the back included some 3D printed chemical drums and some scraps of paper. I also constructed some tiny cardboard boxes out of paper.  They were stained with some dabs of heavily diluted ink and matt varnish.

"Nothing round the back."

I added some of Ecaroth's "dungeon sticks" 3D printed wall sections to create a little storage area to one side of the building.

"Does he have a licence for these chemicals?"

Some more scraps of paper and some more 3D printed cans were added, but leaving space for troops to hide behind the walls.

"Hope you're not intending to fly tip these anywhere."

More bottles, jerry cans and a tyre stack add to the rubbish round the front of the building.

"That vent should be kept clear."

The cans were all painted beforehand, then glued in place. A few extra stains and streaks were added to some of them.

"So... you claim rats made all these holes, hmm?"

The front of the building is riddled with bullet-holes.  I crushed up some bits of cast plaster and sprinkled the fine debris on the ground under al the damaged parts of the building, then fixed it in place with a few drops of PVA/varnish and black ink. The ink soaked into the plaster, giving it a grey colour to match the building.  I also cut some tiny bits of stretched sprue and glued them down near the door.  Painted white and brown, they make ideal cigarette ends.  I used some suitable bullet-holed oil drums on the corner of the building too.  The little pile of boxes and cans to the right of the door is all cast as part of the model - fantastic detail!

"I'm not buying it.  I'm checking up top."

A small piece of paper from a magazine became a poster.  This certainly looks like a fun place!

"Fag ends, cards..."

The roof includes lots more cast-on detail such as cigarette-ends (the reason why I added some more out the front), training wires, a tyre, drink can and blanket/tarpaulin.  I added the fuel can and some playing cards.

"Wonder who won the game?"

The cards are just tiny bits of paper glued down, then dotted with red or black to give the impression of cards.  There's a vague attempt at a face card there too!

"Heavy smoker."

The photographs don't really show it, but gloss varnish was used in a few places to show leaks and damp patches, such as under vents and broken pipes.

"Someone's been up here too."

The roof incudes some badly cracked tiles, rubble and a broken TV aerial, plus a few more fag-ends.  I didn't add anything up here, the amount of detail was nice and I wanted to leave plenty of space to position a weapons team or a squad of troops.

"Been keeping a watch from here too."

The broken pipes give plenty of opportunity to experiment with streaks of rust and grime.

"Not much of a view though?"

The yellow lines were stencilled on using a sheet of paper and a Wilko "Bumblebee" yellow tester pot.

This is a really great model, super-detailed with loads of character.  I felt it deserved a proper scenic base to complete the aura of decrepitude and decay.  It was a chance to try out a few new techniques and improve some existing ones, such as the rust-streaking and using weathering washes.  The little sheets of paper, playing cards and cardboard boxes were fun to make too.

The original building, top right.