1:72 Roof tile (beaver tail)

Beaver-tail roof tile 1:72: diorama material (Firma49)

This is not a model but building material for a diorama, a set of individual beaver-tail roof tiles in 1:72 scale. The tiles have the characteristic rounded shape that recalls a beaver tail, which is where the name comes from. Firma49 is a Czech maker of accessories for modelers and dioramas; the parts are made by precise SLA 3D printing in resin. From the tiles you can lay a realistic house roof, or scatter them as fallen roofing around a ruin.

What it is for

• realistic roofing for buildings in a diorama (houses, farms, villages)
• broken roofs and heaps of fallen tiles at ruins and demolished sites
• an authentic detail for a scene after a battle: rubble and scattered roofing
• an accessory to go with diorama buildings and materials (bricks, rubble, beams)

Tips for working with resin

The tiles can be worked in the usual ways: sanded and drilled, bonded with super glue (cyanoacrylate) and painted with ordinary modeling paints. Before cutting or drilling it helps to warm the parts in hot water so that they do not chip. For the faithful look of an old roof, use several brick and gray shades, then bring out the joints with a wash and suggest moss and dirt with pigments.

Who it is for

• builders of dioramas with buildings, ruins and village scenes
• modelers who want faithful roofing instead of a uniform surface
• anyone working in 1:72 scale and on smaller diorama settings

This is diorama material, not a model. It is supplied unpainted; paints and glue are not included in the package. The tiles are also made in 1:35 and 1:48 scale.