The finished Buffel

The Buffel is finished now and here it is in the bush. Not my best paint job, but it will have to do.

 Here is the Buffel with some Eureka 28mm Rhodesians jogging along side. What do we think of the scale? Too small, too big, or just right?

The Rhodesians got lost and tiered. Here they are taking a ride in the Buffel (I made the seats detachable) and asking directions from some locals

 Here is a shot with a 1:56 Force of Arms Panhard 90.

The verdict. Building this was fun. It is almost a miracle how all the parts fit together. It took about three hours to build. Despite being mostly paper, the kit is very strong.

I am not sure about the scale against my 28mm soldiers. But the Buffel was a tall vehicle, so as long as it is not next to anything I think this will get some 'table time' in games of Flying Lead as a terrain piece.

Building a paper Buffel

 As more pieces of cards get folded, the vehicle looks more lie a Buffel and less like a paper circuit diagram.

Here it is nearly finished looking quite Buffelish

I have left the window frames off for now as I am going to try to put 'glass' in them. I think the contrasting materials will make it look better.

Some of the folds help the model along, while others didn't quite look right. A few dabs of my 'ol friend Timber Mate fills these in.

 

Next the vehicle heads off to the spray booth.

Building a paper Buffel (the wheels)

At this stage I have moved from MDF to terra incognita -- cardboard. Its actually easier than it should be. The card bends easily along the creases and can be glued with PVA glue, for a quicker 'grip', super glue. Here is the cardboard 'growing' on top of the the MDF base

The wheels, believe it or not, are just stacks of cardboard. I would never have thought of that. Perhaps from the same spring of South African ingenuity that conceived of the Buffel in the first place.

No I have built the wheels, lets hope they don't fall off at the next stage.

Building a paper Buffel

 

Last year, Neal from Laser Cut Card sent me his paper Buffel model to build and review. Incredibly the model is mostly made from cardboard, with some MDF and a plastic tube.

 

Unfortunately, just before I got started I broke my hand, and everything in it, and would not be building anything for a while..

Here I lie, relieved at not having to glue anything together for a while.

 Three months later, I am quite recovered; and it is time to get to work. Here are the compents, at this stage looking nothing like a Buffel

Stage one is putting together the MDF parts, no worries here, everything fits together perfectly.

 Here are a few extra bits to make before I start on the cardboard.

I think it is time to go to bed, before I start that... to be continued