First, I got some magnets! I went through . These tiny Neodymium magnets are only 15 cents ea, so I got a ton of ‘em for my Warhammer 40k modeling. As I put together the buildings from Village Works, though, my only real gripe was the stability of the multi-storied structures. The 2nd and higher floors and the roofs slid around whenever the table was bumped, and soon they all looked like the big one had just hit!

I read a lot of talk of the Pro Masterboard, but Velcro just wouldn’t cut it for this. I could just glue ‘em together, but that cuts down on the modularity that I love so much about WW! Then, I came across a thread about using magnets for an alternate Pro Masterboard. That got my gears turning, and here’s the results.

I kinda wrote this as I worked, so we’ll see how it goes!

Second, I took my new stack of magnets and wrapped tape around one end (with a directional arrow on the tape), so that I could keep polarity consistent for all my buildings. That way, I can mix and match buildings as much as I want, with no fear of creating a “floating” floor or corner.



Then, starting with the ground floor, I put one of the magnets in each of the two very corners of the back of the building (furthest from the front door), on the “ceiling,” i.e. under the triangular supports. I used the stack of magnets to align the magnet, and hold it into the corner, while I glued it in. I use Zap-A-Gap CA+, so can just dollop a bit onto the magnet, and it’ll seep in around it, holding it fast.



Then, I put one under the support flap in the middle of the front of the building. I don’t know if the buildings are even supposed to have these, but I find it helps with stability. Again, I used the magnet stack to get the correct polarity, and to hold it in the middle, while I glued it down.



Then came the second floor. I positioned the second story, and put magnets in all three corresponding places on the “floor” of that piece. This held everything down, and allowed me to make sure the two floors looked perfectly lined up before I glued those magnets, too.



As I worked, I noticed a nice side benefit: the magnets, tiny though they are, add a nice weight to the buildings. Not even close to enough to bend the cardstock, but a nice heft that means the buildings may not get blown away by the ceiling fan!

I then aligned and glued the magnets to the “ceiling” of the second story. This time, I did all four corners, since any taller stories (or the roof, for that matter) will need them.

Then, I put magnets in the roof’s corners, pushing them in as far as the angled roof would allow.



Then, they didn’t match up! Crud. Well, I was going to make a three-story building eventually anyway. No time like the present to learn how to fix an alignment problem!

I figure the issue is that the roof I built is actually a 1/4-inch longer than the building itself. Plus, the angle of the roof didn’t allow me to put the magnets all the way into the corners. This means it sits at a crooked angle, with only two sets of magnets holding.

So, here’s the fix: I built a third story (which could be used as a second story with an added magnet in the center of the “do not fold” tab), and aligned the magnets on the “floor” corners first. Then, I placed magnets to hold the roof on top of the new level. Once I was happy with the alignment, then I glued them down.

The two magnets in the “ceiling” of the back wall ended up vertical, not flat, but that’s what needed for a secure grab, since the roof’s magnets are further away.



Because of my goof on the roof length, there’s also a tiny gap in the front of the building, where it meets the roof, and a little less than 1/4-inch gap in the back. But, with a little black cardstock in the gap, you can’t see inside, so it’s not too bad. Plus, once the building’s on the table, you’ll never look up at that angle anyway.



In the end, I have a very sturdy, still modular building that can be picked up and carried by the chimney! Hmmm... magnetic chimneys... I need to get some more magnets!

That's sweet! great work, and thanks for the post! Where can I pick up those magnets? I'd love to play with them myself.

Thanks!

At the very top is a link to . They've got magnets that'd crush a man, so be careful what you order!

Thanks, guys!

I used an interior-less building for this demo, but maybe I'll try it again with interiors. ...Oh, great. Now I'm thinking about magnetic furniture!

Halcy, about the sheet magnets: I've never had much luck with strength. Everything else about them is perfect, but I've never found them to grip well enough to be practical for anything (not even on the fridge). If you could find some kind of stronger sheet magnets, I'd be very interested to know! They might help out with the furniture...

That's a really good concept! You could also put the magnets on the corner bracing as well. I'll need to look into that for my VillageWorks buildings!

I've been agonizing over how to handle a masterboard. Was looking at using felt, since it kind of keeps the models from being bumped, but it just doesn't hold like I want it to. I had looked at the velcro concept, but am worried about my models getting destroyed as they are removed from the board.

But, magnets, I might be able to attach a piece of thin sheet metal underneath the table we use on occasion and the magnets just might hold to it!

New test project on the horizon!

Skunk

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