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Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Multiverse MDF bunker - finished!

Continued from my previous post...

Multiverse has clear assembly instructions on their website in PDF format, so assembly is simple.  After ensuring everything dry-fit nicely, I began gluing.  I glued the surface applique to the outer walls first, since it made alignment easier and allowed me to press them flat with a heavy book.


The bunker's vertical walls are totally plain inside and I thought maybe they could use some detail too, but in the interests of getting this all done in a timely fashion, I resisted until later.

Rubber bands used to clamp the main walls and roof.
That flat, plain roof was still bugging me, so I added some details to make it into a VTOL landing pad.

... on the cheap: window screen and cardstock.
Once assembly was complete I gave everything a generous coat of spray primer.  As it turned out, I probably should have done this twice, since when I put the acrylic on with my airbrush it seemed to soak into the less-primed areas and leave an uneven finish.  But once I drybrushed and weathered it I think it turned out looking pretty good:



In retrospect, it would have been smarter to finish the inside before assembling the parts, as it's harder to do it afterwards.  But I came up with a decent solution: a printed cardstock "liner" to give it a more appealing (and customizable!) interior space.


This is supposed to be a review, so I guess I need to sum up my impressions of this set.  Some of these may be typical of many/all MDF kits but since this is my first, I'll just list them.

Pros:
- attractive design
- excellent fit
- simple instructions
- easy to customize

Cons:
- limited detail
- challenging to produce an even paint finish

Overall, as you've probably guessed, I really like it!  Most of Multiverse's designs are more elaborate, but if they're as well-made as this one they should produce great tabletop terrain for minimal effort, even for a beginner.

"I know you can hear us in there!  This can be easy, or it can be hard!"

8 comments:

  1. Hi, Mr. M: Informative review of product and assembly and finishing. Great job of painting and action photo display of the item.

    Nice photo edit blend of foreground scenery with middle scenery.

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    1. Thanks. Stock photos of bushes + feathered selection is a killer combo for someone like me whose Photoshop skills are... "self taught". Covers many sins.

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  2. Wow, looking good. You really added a lot of details with your paintjob.

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  3. That looks ace! Very nicely done!

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  4. If you give the building a coat of watered down PVA before undercoating that usually seals the surface.

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    1. That's helpful, thanks! I should have done more research but I figured that spray primer would seal it well. The trouble is my primer coat was uneven... I think :p

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    2. Or use MDF sealer paint - available from most DIY shops and being white, it gives a very good undercoat at the same time! I've used it on all my MDF buildings and has worked great.

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    3. Hmm, I didn't know about that, thanks! I just undercoated another MDF building with a heavy spray coat and that seemed to work too. I think total coverage is key...

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Thanks for commenting!