I'm new, and this is my first time showing any work here, though I've stopped by to check out other people's customs for quite some time. Figured I may as well sign up and join in!

Recently picked up a commission for this roadside checkpoint ( please excuse the beat to hell work bench).
This may or may not be a WIP, I'm still waiting on the buyer to see if I'm adding a chain link fence/gate and a couple of Jersey or Bremer walls, but I decided that since the main structure was done, I'd go ahead and drop some pics.

Its entirely made of wood and MDF, and painted with latex exterior paints.

I have ginormous hands, but I really wanted this to have a properly sized entry and a closed back, so the lid is removable to allow me place figures in without having to call the fire deptartment to cut me out of it like some sort of &@€!ed-up middle-aged Winnie the Pooh.

The spot light/electrical box ( or whatever!) is sort of a first attempt at making wood look like metal, been experimenting for awhile on scrap with a few techniques, and decided to finally pull the trigger and try it on an actual piece. While it does admittedly look pretty rough ( I should probably get my dremel back up and running if I'm going to keep trying to do anything like this in the future), it was pretty good experience. Any criticisms, advice, etc. are welcomed!

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Cool!

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That is great. The only possible thing that could make it better are some working lights and sounds, either from a motorized toy or holiday decorations.

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very nice!

you might play around with real aluminum duct tape. you could just tape it over your wood/plastic/cardboard shapes then weather it. I haven't used it for that exact thing, but I have used it on vehicles. you can even poke bullet holes.

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dig the work, and great first post overall

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Really shows what can be done with wood. Most of the time I don't think it "scales" well for this kind of stuff, but there's not arguing that that looks great.

Nice work.

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Thanks everyone for the kind words, excellent suggestions, and above all welcoming me here in general.

I00% agree about the scaling issues with wood- it's been a learning experience, between " so thin it will break if you look at it", " NEEDS to be so thin you may lose some fingers", " so thick it may as well be alphabet blocks", and my three arch enemies wood grain, subtle warping and splintering, my scrap box and burn piles are definitely way bigger than my finished product shelf! Truthfully, were it not for the inherent durability of wood, I'd be using something else entirely. I ship these, so they need to be able to survive the gentle, loving care of the USPS!

Aluminum duct tape? That's something I'd never thought of. Ill be going to the hardware store today. Thanks for the suggestion!

Lights and sounds are something I've always wanted to attempt ( the spot lights are not exactly realistic, nor are they my finest work) , though I've had some trouble finding a good tutorial- granted, I haven't searched too deeply. The best I was able to find was a video with a seemingly meth addled guy tearing apart clocks, which I can totally already do if anyone has a good suggestion, I'd love a link (yes, I know about Google).

In any case, definitely appreciate the feedback... I AM here to improve my work after all!

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you might experiment with some dollar tree flashlights. they usually have a dozen different styles. saw off the handle and run wires to a battery, or some have just a watch style battery and an empty handle. I haven't done it yet just thought about it the spotlight I have used came off an old matchbox? trailer.


your ebay stuff looks great

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I'm going to have to check that out, I've also considered some of the led kits I've seen on ebay.

And thanks! I'm still trying to work out shipping on the modular walls, the weight adds up quickly with them being made of wood!

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Amazing work especially for a first time post!

But I really need to see this video of a guy on meth tearing apart clocks, that sounds so hilarious.

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