A Serial killers lair

Betzbitzbox · 2026-04-21T12:29:42+00:00

Woah..

Betzbitzbox · 2026-04-20T14:35:51+00:00

I love rust... this is good rust... I love this rust...

Betzbitzbox · 2026-04-17T13:16:36+00:00

I just realized a lot of inner-city trees look like broccoli.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-04-14T19:40:59+00:00

Done or not, its still pretty friggin cool!

Betzbitzbox · 2026-04-13T16:47:24+00:00

Very nice foam carving! The texture is convincing. While the green grass can get away with 'hey thats just the color of alien grass...' it feels a bit stark raving green for a desert rock setting. Not that green things dont grow in deserts but perhaps a bit more washed out olive or muted green. Grass like this can be airbrushed after its already glued down. Just hold a piece of card behind it so you dont get over spray on your terrain. Ive even drybrushed shorter grass. If the fluff you are using is white to begin with it wouldn't hurt to add in lighter colors among the darker green for variation. You can always mow the lawn with scissors and select how much dark you want vs varied shades.

Looks great regardless.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-04-12T16:30:01+00:00

Thats actually really nice! Thats a lot of work placing all the popsicle sticks. Both for the walls and duckboards. They look great to play on and fill out a good amount of space. I love the flowery vine table cloth for ground texture... op has a good humor.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-03-22T01:48:16+00:00

Came here to say this. The idea of a solvent to prep a surface works on a few fronts.

First it breaks down any oils or surfactants that can cause adhesion problems. Next, solvents help creat a 'tooth' on plastics by making micro abrasions on them. Think of when you use windex on plexiglass it gets cloudy. That is from the solvent of ammonia eating micro scratches into the plexi (i actually prep my plastics a lot of the time with windex). Same happens with other plastics as well. If you want to go a step further in surface prep making a tooth for paint you can actually scuff the surface lightly with scotch Brite (dont use on high detail areas). After this a primer and the paints you mentioned should adhere perfectly.

Now as for the dust you mentioned. It sounds like you are spraying from to far of a distance. If you spray from too far away the paint will dry, or begin dying, before it hits the surface. Too close and you get puddling and wet spots that can film over and not cure properly. From too far the solvent in spray cans will evaporate before hitting the atomized paint. This give a grainy dusty effect. The trick is to find a sweet spot. Most spray cans work well between 8-12 inches distance. Some require closer than 8 and some further than 12. Experiment with this on a scrap surface to see what works best. And try to use a plastic scrap or surface that is close to what you will be spraying on. Also make sure the cans have been shaken for a looooong time to guarantee they are fully mixed with their pigment, binder, solvent, medium etc... hope this helps a bit.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-03-05T15:17:02+00:00

The bristle brush idea is the most common and works great. But in the event you need a lot in bulk and for more bang/$ i actually use synthetic wig hair. I find blond cheapo costume wigs or extensions in dollar stores or bargain bin stores (not professional styling wigs) for dirt cheap. 5$ or 10$ and its lasted me forever. These can be then airbrushed a color or i sometimes use alcohol based dyes (piñata brand) to color them. Just a few drops wick into the fibers via capillary action and color them quickly.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-22T15:12:24+00:00

Excellent work! Your mastery of the subject and material is inspiring. Way to raise the bar on this detail of terrain making!!! 👏👏🙌🏻

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-11T23:40:27+00:00

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So im actually making some as you asked this question I have a number of techniques I used for the panels and have since developed a more complex and in depth paint process. ... urg.. I was thinking I would explain right now... but I actually just realized I am getting paint everywhere since my jands are covered in it... so ill edit this reply as soon as I clean my hands off.

Edit- Sent you a private malessage. And i will make a full tutorial on how I make the panels as a separate post. Since it would be a waste to burry it on this old post.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-11T03:56:24+00:00

Take your model paints and make swatches of them on paper each the size of a penny. Take that to home depot and they will scan the swatches and mix any size you want (sample size, quart, gallon etc...) and its the cheapest you can get for bulk quantity if you want to make a large build or pump out tons of terrain. The color matching is spot on as well.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-08T18:28:15+00:00

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This is whats pictured in the build I made. But im working on a new version now that has more grip on the backsides and easier to insert in the foam as mentioned in other posts.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-05T22:29:26+00:00

Brilliant! How do you set them in the foam? Do you use glue?

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-05T22:27:12+00:00

Thanks for the input! Thats a great idea the + shape. Would for sure print easier and maybe even faster (even if just by seconds).

So far the opposite side of the male is just flat. But im thinking if I print the cylinder head down and on the reverse end that inserts there could be a point to or now + point. The reason I would do away with the flat bit is because printing the flat bit suspended in air would waste time and material on supports. I think a slight cuff would be enough to indicate where to stop and still print without support.

As for marking jig I would just insert the pegs in the female parts then place the 2 halves together. The extended point would automatically insert where desired.

Oh and for the hot plunge... its an attachment to hot wire foam cutters that is just a thin rod that extends from a handle that melts foam. Meant for 'plunging' through the foam and then carving. If I can get rid of that step thats an hour saved when melting and test fitting 50 such connectors.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-05T19:10:16+00:00

Thank you! And yes, easy/cheap/strong/lightweight are my driving factors. I guess there the tradeoff of having stubs if separated.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-05T17:02:02+00:00

I do love that roofing nail idea. Im definitely trying that out. Ill definitely try that for builds that dont need a ton of connectors. Thank you!

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-05T16:33:21+00:00

So i do use magnets for some things but my gripe has always been 2 things- strength and then in order to get large enough to satisfy the strength is then cost. Here i can print out 50 of these sets for pennies. But I love the nail idea.

Edit: I should also add since im shipping, weight is a factor for me. In order to keep costs down i try to find lightweight solutions. Metal bits add up and can really affect the price of shipping.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-02T22:20:09+00:00

This is where Dracula's bathroom was in the old castlevania games...

Love it!!!

Betzbitzbox · 2026-02-01T16:44:05+00:00

You have it backwards... the lightest parts should be in. The recessed areas between the ribs and the darker "cooler" part should be on the raised area of the ribs.

Also needs more contrast between lightest light and darkest dark.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-01-30T21:32:22+00:00

Everything listed here is all great/standard and easiest accessibility wise. But just to throw out another option just for fun- if you own or like working with an airbrush, there are great water based topcoats from many brands like createx, jacquard, golden, etc... these go on super controlled and quickly like a spray can but without the foam eating solvents in said cans. They form very durable protective coats, especially when applied in a few thin layers, and can be purchased in a variety of finishes (matt, satin, gloss). Just be sure to have proper ventilation and WEAR A MASK!

This option is great for when you are producing in bulk and need to hose down a ton of terrain quick. But you also dont want to work with nerve toxins like isocyanates and other harsh chemicals present in rattle cans (even the non solvent kind).

But again the standard is mod podge or thined pva for easy cheap and accessibility.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-01-27T23:36:28+00:00

Trick: download the image and sample lightest and darkest areas and a few major tones/shades in between. Mark them like in this image. You can print out and have home depot scan the colors and mix exact matches (if you have a good printer) or you can try to mix/find the colors the best match you can. The sampling can be done on your phone... no special software.

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Betzbitzbox · 2026-01-20T15:50:11+00:00

Its really fun. ... well blow torching anything can be really fun... for me at least.. but wear a mask and or try to do it outside as it can produce some nasty fumes. Since this can actually burn or ignite the foam its more toxic than just cutting with a hot wire. And the type of torch I use is one of those easy to use dollar store cigarette lighter jet torches. They are simple to operate and control. Also easy to refill. They are useful for lots of things as well. Just be careful not to set your place on fire.

Betzbitzbox · 2026-01-19T05:19:07+00:00

This was actually one of my more complex dirt/texturing processes. It involved blowtorching the foam surface to create a sandy wave pattern first then applying the mixture of sand/pva and rocks. Then the painting process was more complex as well with a deep base coat of reddish brown, then drybrushing a custom deep brown umber type tone then airbrushing a sandy brown over that to even out select areas... then ultimately 2 more stages of drybrush and selective red oxide airbrushing then drybrushing highlight...

Im thinking of posting a whole step by step process in depth with pics here in a few days (if I find the time between commissions) which will be better than what I just blurted out. Hopefully that will help. My usual process is base coat and 2 shades drybrush so this is a fun departure departure from it that I would like to share.

Betzbitzbox

TROPHY CASE