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| Matchstick miniature of Minas Tirith |
This miniature replica of Minas Tirith, the White City of Gondor from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, which is on display in the museum, was made out of 420,000 matchsticks. There are many other impressive models in the museum, including one of the US Capitol Building and one of Hogwarts School from the Harry Potter stories.
It is of course possible to make smaller miniature buildings using matchsticks. Acton himself started out by making matchstick miniatures of a barn and a church.
However, making a complete matchstick building takes up a lot of time, so it will not be the best option for most 28-32mm ("heroic") scale gamers, as there are so many other good options available for making miniature buildings.
Matchsticks, however, are perfect for constructing simple post and beam structures (like sheds or porches) at 28-32 mm Scale.
First of all, they are the perfect size.
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| Comparison pic showing a matchstick next to three metal miniatures. |
This picture shows a craft shop matchstick set upright beside three metal miniatures, a Villager from Hasslefree Miniatures in the middle, a Celt Chieftain from Warlord Games on the right, and a Saracen captain from Perry Miniatures on the left.You can see that the matchstick extends a good distance above the heads of the figures, making it the perfect height for making sheds and porches.
Second, matchsticks look good. Because they are are actually real wood, they are easy to paint up to look like wooden posts and beams. No need for priming. You only need to apply a thin layer of brown paint, which will allow the underlying wooden pattern to show through. Once painted, the matchsticks can be used to construct simple wooden structures.
The best matchsticks for making matchstick miniatures are those that can be bought from a craft shop. These are cheap and a lot easier to use than actual matchsticks because they do not come with a sulphurous tip that has to be cut off before use.
Click here for instructions on how to make a miniature shed out of matchsticks.
And here if you would like to go to the website of the Matchstick Marvels museum.
