African mud huts

On to another project. A neighbor had thrown out a shipping tube made out of thick card. I have a modeller's eye for such things and quickly snaffled it before the garbage collectors came round. Back in England I'd made a number of mud huts for my 25mm Daftest Africa project but had to leave them behind. This excellent find enables me to begin afresh!

The tube has an external diameter of 4.5 inches, and is a sturdy .25 inch thick. It's maybe a smidge larger than I really need but beggars can't be choosers. I cut three 1.5 inch segments from it, as shown below. From here it's simply a matter of cutting a card disc 6 inches in diameter from a cereal packet using that invaluable device, the circle cutter. This will make the roof. Cut in a line to the center of the disc then form a shallow cone. An impact adhesive is the best for gluing this down.

I fitted the cone to the round, again using impact adhesive. To further strengthen the roof I added a smaller cone at the peak of the larger, as shown below. Colonel Chomleigh-Warner and District Commissioner Carstairs demonstrate the scale.

Next up, a good layer of lightweight spackle, thinned with water so it spreads easily. I stuck small pieces of tissue paper all over the roof, working from the eaves inward to the peak to give the effect of thatch. The brown area in the middle of the wall is the door. All that remains is to paint them. The paints used on this project are the cheap and effective Craft Smart acrylics from Michael's hobby stores.

And so to the final result, set in a suitably African scene via a quick spot of photoshopping. The huts serve well for any Victorian-era gaming in the Dark Continent. The Spottiswood-Gallant Steam Exploration Vehicle is making its last appearance here before being shipped off to a new home in California.

It's rather quiet, Colonel.

Yes, Carstairs. Too damned quiet...