Finish it! - TT Combat OTS026 Wild West Warehouse finished!

 Started: October 2024

 And it is done.  Yes, I could do a ton more, but I won't. She is done and can go with the rest of my scenery and live on a shelf. Again, a shame this is OOP, but there are more MDF fish in the sea. 

Enjoy! 

 

 

Finish it! - WIP TT Combat Warehouse

 Date started: October 2024

Original topic: Warehouse for STALKER

 

 Right, I need the space for a Groupbuild so this one has to be finished by the end of the weekend tops. Need to finish the glazing today so it all can dry overnight, then final detailing on Saturday, Sunday at the latest.

A lovely day out - Visiting the TSA Bring and Buy on the 16th of March 2025 - a nice haul

 After a very epxneisve month sofar (more about that later this month) I thought it be a good idea to visit the BnB to see if I could find some stuff suitable for my Stalker project. And maybeee look at some other stuff as well.

Well....

28mm M113, possibly as a TW:2K wreck. Maybe. It has potential.

28mm M40. Put it in in a sand bag bunker and it will work for everyone.

Older Nids make great aliens for Stargrave etc. 6 for the Ravener and 7 for the Guard was a steal.

20 for a box of Ork bikes. I can never say no to Orks (not that they would understand, but hey)

3D printed and painted T-34/76 in 28mm. Make a concrete plinth for it, weather it some more and add crap, et voila, another piece for Stalker. Hard cover for 5 euros :P

Things you never find these days, these will come in perfect for Post Apocalypse, Stalker, etc. 5 each, also a good deal. 

5 euros for a sprue of Winter FJ from Warlord. Why not, if just for the conversion potential

15 euros for those Necorumda Ash Wastes Hellmites. Sans riders will make nice beats to wander the table in Stargrave or TnT.

Should fit my 15mm Bundeswehr I think. Got it for a fiver as I was staring too hard (or the seller wanted to be rid of it)

12mm static grass, should come in handy for hay etc. 2 euros for a whole bag.

28mm ruined house that should fit right in my Mordheim collection, and that for 8 euros.

Dust Nissen Hut for a fiver. Super useful kit. Stalker, Post apoc etc.

Frostgrave Nullmen. Paint white, add a glowing green wash....Glowing Ones? Fiver again.

Been eyeing the Cargo ship for a while now, so 20 for that and the dock combined, why not. Should fit Stalker as well.

Iron Hands 30K decalsheet for 5 euros, unused. I just really like Iron Hands, so....

Picked up 2 of these rather large appartment complexes at 25 each. Seller had a third, which he even discounted for me, but these are so big and will take me quite some time to prep and paint....a good 2 months each at my current pace I think. Made by Knights of Dice, now defunct as a shop IIRC. Must have cost a sheer fortune to have those shipped over from Oz, and I intend to do them right....massive job though.

For comparison, left bottom is the Sarissa Ambassadors Residence for scale. Well, for those people that actually own that model as well, the rest of you will just have to guesstimate. I will need to measure them now and see what kind of RUB will fit these as none of my current ones do, except the really big ones....which feels like overkill.

Less time = higher productivity

Manager speak :P

But seriously, at certain times of the day there can be a good 15-20 minutes between calls, so I put a small kit or something I want to finish next to me, and when I have the time, I do a bit of this or a bit of that.

I don't haver a fixed schedule yet (and tbh I doubt I will get one soon) so planning time for stuff that needs more work is a bit troublesome, as I really want to spend what time I have wisely (while having fun), preferably with my wife and kids.

Having said that, with what in between time I had I have managed to build the following:

I picked up a couple of sprues of scenery from a Superhero game (couple of cars, 1 snack shop, 2 dumpsters and assorted bits that I wanted to build....but more aimed at Post Apoc, so, with a few minor changes (Which the kit fought me every single step on) it now has a closed shutter and it looks much better :)

A TT Combat kit I picked up off of a model trading site, for 5 euros, of the Grey Harbor House A. Built that in under 2 hours on my day off (today), but my pet peeve of MDF kits is those damn stubs on the roof, so.....out comes the ribbed metal roofing (cardboard). I had a class tonight as well, so I did not feel like cutting up 40 individual sheets so used bigger strips and added a bit of detail to both sides, and called it a day. The future paintjob will hide many sins, I say.

Great bit of kit, simple but gets the job done. Not a fan of lift off roofs, but in this case I'm happy with it. The only issue I have with it is that the frontage as the top part has a buttload of flex in it, so I will put in a additional beam to fix that.

I copied the Fallout style of shack as this is for my Post APoc collection and should fit in nicely. Needs a little bit of extra detailing with the card supplied, but other than that ready for primer.

Also build a lot of 1/35 Miniart artillery shell crates for use as 20mm/28mm "Tractor Parts". The 100mm shell crates are perfectly fine and easy to build, the 152mm....not so much. If I can get more boxes cheap at a later date, the 10mm are the ones to go for. Also comes with a nice decal sheet with a lot of markings that will come in handy for other Soviet items.

Rusty old hog

Finished the first of the GW 40K bike wrecks, only took like....forever. Wheels will get recycled some way, they live in my bits box now. No papers or anything, thought it was good enough and I want to clear the table. Goes straight into my Inq28, Necromunda and Post Apocalyptic pile.

Oh, and 2 aluminium canisters, like the ones I keep hoarding in Fallout 4. From TT Combat I believe. To be put inside scenery at a later date.

Replies from the producers to the MDF review

I've had quite a few replies to the review I did, so it is good to know I didn't just do it for myself. Both TT Combat and Sarissa Precision Ltd took time to send me emails.

TT Combat

Hi Johan

Thanks for taking the time to review our products. It is always helpful to get constructive feedback to help us improve our range and service.

Regards

Patrick

Sarissa Precision Ltd

Hi Johan,

Keep the  benches, put them together based on the comments I make below but I will refund the cost of them regardless (modify, un-base do what you want with them)

I Read your review, I’ll comment on your main points - your review style is very unique with a focus on things that many don’t even mention which was interesting from a manufacturers point of view so thanks for sharing

Packaging - We always use new packaging and take care when packing kits. We also put this into the way we sheet our kits wherever possible - this stands up by the fact that out of thousands of kits we send out to trade and retail I could count on one hand the number of damaged in post problems we have had to resolve. Thats not to say that our friendly couriers and postal workers all over the globe don’t do their best to destroy them during handling so some battered boxes do happen.

Spaces on the sheets - We make most of our kits to standard sheet sizes which helps with packaging, instructions, storage and also sturdiness of the packs - another point to note is that filling every inch of the sheet costs more money - most of the cost of kits is TIME to produce. Filling sheets for the sake of it would add to the time and thus the cost - also as above making the MDF sheet the same size as the Greyboard sheet makes the kits pack more sturdy and stops odd corners sticking out to get damaged - we put a great deal of thought and effort into kit layout. That being said sometimes there is simply a price point issue and we feel small cheaper packs are better than larger more expensive packs when it comes to accessories - Our new picket fences agains the Park Benches are an examples - people will tend to need a fair amount of fencing so a bulk pack is better for everyone whereas expecting someone to buy 24 park benches or that they would even want that many doesn’t make sense so its a small pack.

Greyboard - you made similar comments on the greyboard elements on all kits from us and TT combat - we use greyboard in a number of out kits as it gives us an thinner material excellent for detailing but we can also use it to make some interesting shapes and constructions that MDF would be unable to do (our Armoured Train Kits would be the perfect example) - so about the material, well it’s NOT cheaper than MDF which is what most people assume you use it for. As for the strength suitability of it for certain parts of kits. Once glued and painted it goes like concrete, glue/paint are absorbed into it rather than just sitting on the surface so it actually gets a lot stronger ones glued etc. If you also have angles involved and folders you end up with a rigid and strong component.

The basing - you make a fair point about a base for the Swing Set - We will look to add one to that, there is room on the sheet. The bases on the other kits you didn’t like, again they are there you don’t need to use them - as you said you didn't. If we didn't base them people would say why no base, if we do they say why on a base.

Anyway thanks for taking the time to read my reply, your thoughts and feedback matter and since you have taken the time to write a review and give us the link I thought I would give the reasoning behind a couple of the things you mentioned. If you have any further questions or comments please feel free to give us a shout.

Thanks,

Steve

 I like that both companies have taken time to read and reply to my review. I've heard plenty of good about both companies communication skills and it's all ok. I have yet to write a reply to either but will try and do that tomorrow as I've been having trouble focussing today and I didn't get get a clear head till about an hour ago. Did sort and clean almost all of one cupboard though, which has sofar resulted in 3 shoeboxes of stuff that I can sell for future purchases.

My orders from Sarissa Precision Ltd and TT Combat - a review

A few posts back I said I wanted to use MDF for my TNT board, so I ordered up a few things. Directly from Sarissa Precision Ltd, and the TT Combat stuff through my preferred Ebay.co.uk shop, the Trolltrader.

Both were ordered on the 17th of August, both sending a order confirmation by email. Trolltrader sent me a shipping confirmation the same day, Sarissa sent me one on the 23rd of August. The TT Combat order arrived on the 24th, the Sarissa one yesterday on the 30th. The TT Combat order was sent in one box, which arrived ship shape, the Sarissa one in 2 boxes, one of which arrived banged up on every corner.

I've seen this plenty of times in my previous job when items are packed with room left in the box, so it can bang around and either break free of the box or break itself. There was only some thin loose plastic put on top to fill it visually and that just won't cut it. So the box took the brunt of it. Oddly enough the contents of the smaller box had been taped to the bottom so they would not move around, so they know this can be a problem? There was nothing wrong with the contents though, everything nicely shrinkwrapped and no banged corners.

For this review I will start with the TT Combat stuff first.

I ordered the Bus Stop (5,95 Pounds), Construction Office (3,95 Pounds)  and Subway Entrance (4,95 Pounds). I paid 4,72 Pounds in shipping. Total order cost was 19,57 Pounds.

The Bus Stop

In the pack is a cover sheet with the code, name and finished product, a 2-sided instructions sheet, a thin piece of lasercut cardboard and a lasercut sheet of MDF with 2 acryllic inserts. Both cut sheets seemed to be well laid out, with no waste of space. The bench looks a bit flimsy being just a thin piece of cardboard but it is supported on both end and in the middle, and I like the fact it has been designed to stand up as is, without the need for a base, so it should blend in on your table with no problem at all. The acryllic inserts were a bit of a surprise as I had thought all the glass areas were open. This will make it easier to add posters or graffiti. There seems to be a lt of thought put in this, with a pole with a timetable to a map with the routes. Quite good I say!

The Subway Entrance

 In this pack is a cover sheet with the code, name and finished product, no instruction sheet and 1 medium and 1 small sheet of lasercut MDF. Again the sheet is pretty much full of parts. It looks simple enough to go together without any problems, and should look nice in any 1920's, Modern or Post Apoc table, as either a point of interest, a spawnpoint or a escape route. Happy with this one!

The Construction Office

In this pack is a coversheet with the code, name and finished product, no instruction sheet and 1 medium sized sheet of lasercut MDF. This is a really versatile building, with a door and window on one side, and 2 windows on the other. It is labelled as a Contruction Office, but with some signage on top it could be a check-in counter for my trailerpark, or a booth for some Carnival rides, a Border Guard checkpoint and give me some time and I'll make up some more uses for this. Will fit any Modern table really. The roof, if you don't glue it, should come off nicely so you can stuff inside as well, which is a nice option. The sheck itself is standing on 3 raised legs which might be an issue if you move it around a lot, but adding a form fitting base should negate that problem. Cheapest of the lot, and well worth picking up if you are making an order and have a few spare Pounds in the bank.

Next up, Sarissa Productions Ltd.

I ordered the Retro Americana Bundle #2 (67,50 Pounds for a pack of 6 trailers, this gives you a 7,50 Pounds saving to buying them seperate), the Children's Playground (7,50 Pounds) and the Park Bench Set (5 Pounds). Shipping is a fixed fee of 2,50 Pounds worldwide. The total cost for this order was 82,50 Pounds.

The Retro Americana Bundle #2 (which consists of 6x Residential Trailers)

In this pack is a coversheet that doubles as a instructions sheet printed on the back, 4 sheets of lasercut MDF, 1 sheet of cardboard (well, matboard) and 2 pcs of clear acrylic. The sheets are well layed out, though there are some empty spaces that could have been filled with something like lasercut pink flamingoes, the instructions easy enough and this is actually a pretty big piece of scenery. The trailer alone is 24x8 cm's.
What I don't like is the overly large base, as this kit does not need that (Caveat: I belong to the "School of minimal to no basing"), the trailer can stand on it's own, it just adds weight and will need to be flocked with sand or astroturf to blend in with the table. Sure, you don't pay much for shipping so the extra weight bit is a bit moot, but leave it out and save a bit on costs? The 2 top windws are a nice toutch, the matboard sunshades I have doubts if they will survive frequent handling. Filling in the openings with some left over bits of wood or cardboard will create variation if you build more then one (as in this case, 6). There is plenty of space inside for figures or scenery or objectives. You should have no problem lifting off the roof if you would like to do so.

The Children's Playground

In this pack we have one cover sheet, with the instructions printed on the back, 2 pieces of lasercut MDF and 1 small bit of matboard. As you can see, both MDF sheets have wasted space. Basing wise, I see some odd choices. The roundabout (please correct me if this is not the correct term) has a very large round base. I've never visited any playground which has such a large bit of concrete underneath. We just use astroturf or rubber tiles, so I will not be using that base and just glue it down to a washer that fits nicely underneath the roundabout. It is very well put together though, it looks like a real one (not that you can find these around here anymore, Health and Safety has them replaced with versions with bars all around the outside to prevent kids from being ejected at high speed. Lawsuits, funerals, etc). The See-Saw suffers from Basus Maximus too, again not needed, a small base should support it well enough. The Swing. The one thing that does need a base, lean on this a bit by accident and you'll break a leg easily. A misplaced elbow, dice at speed, plenty of rougness on the table that happens by accident and this just wont cut it. But it has no base.....:(  The tireswing is a nice toutch, but I'll cut the tires in half and glue them underneath either end of the See Saw to cushion the blow. Too many kids front teeth flying without them :). I think the wasted space on the sheet could have been easily filled with one or two Spring Riders (we call em Wip Kip) for a minor, if any, cost increase.

Park Bench Set

I'll be frank (as usual). I don't like it. A coversheet that doubles as instruction sheet, a piece of MDF and a piece of Matboard.. The base is matboard (which you have to blend in with your terrain unless you want to tell everyone it is based on a concrete plinth, or cut it down a lot), in which you insert the 2 nicely ornamental sides, and then you glue the seat and back to that. If you don't want to use the big base you will end up with something that has little lateral stability. As the MDF sheet has a lot of wasted space (again) it would have been nice to have 2 MDF beams added, one on the base, one underneath the seating, for more strength and easy blending with your table as it can be a stand alone piece then. I have no faith in the matboard adding strength as just picking it up made it bend quite a bit. I will be returning this one as I think (well, know) I can buy a better product elsewhere.

There you have it. I'm happy with most of it, some layouts I question and it's been ages since I last returned a product, but I'm really not happy with those Benches (I had hoped they would be able to stand withou the base but it does not seem so).

Leave a reply if you liked the review, or disagree, of generally feel like replying. Final note of the day, all of the items you see in this review have been paid for with my own money, no freebies were asked or given. 

Now to build, basecoat and paint the lot as fast as possible so to finish the TNT demo table.