New fields for multiple scales

            This all started when I took part of the game table apart. I put in drawers. And the bottom shelf was MDF. Throw it out, no sir. I am getting like my father. I made a huge mess cutting up the piece into a hundred other pieces perfect for fields.

            

            The door mat I got in a lot long ago. It was already cut into pieces. Liquid nail, AP paste, and flock. 1st one done two others in stages of drying.

THE MOUNTAIN

Bought = 199

Sold = 9 28mm, 5 epic detachments, epic FW terrain collection

Painted = 88

28mm = 24

20mm = 24

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 0

Terrain bought = 0

Terrain painted = 32

Printed Terrain = 0

Minis Printed = 0

Games 

Played = 3

Games hosted = 1

Books 

Bought = 2

Read= 6  

Can you see the woods through the trees?

 

            I saw this style of woods or tree on the Altar of Freedom ACW game at Little Wars. The effect is impressive. More realistic in appearance than my standard felt or MDF with single trees popped down randomly. 

            The GM said the idea originated on Little Wars TV. He used hot glue to attach the clump to a piece of card stock. Then used tooth picks as the trunks or support. 

            I think I would use MDF or plastic card as a base. Maybe hot glue or the railroad glue that goes down white and dries clear. After which it is sticky as hell and you press the clump on.

            

            The GM said the down side is players stack base on top. They do not remove the woods section when their troops enter. If they are on the hairy edge, its a balancing act. He replaces a lot of flag that way.

            I would create an area terrain base that the woods would slot into. Most likely from Si caulk. In that way it would be semi flexible. I would want a 2cm lip or edge that the woods would slot into.

Terrain Boards, Cons, and the Future part XV

 

        The 2nd river tile. I was tossed back out on the road. On the road it is just too much crap to take with me. I got an hour or so to work on it. 2mm summer grass and 4mm double stacked autumn grass. I didn't use the new grass applicator. The old one struggles with longer grasses.

        Side by side here. On the right is the original test tile. 

                1.) You can notice the river stone look a bit lighter. That doesn't matter, as the ends only need to blend. 

                2.) Also the sand is not as heavy on the left. I am increases the sand coverage now. They will match in the end.

                3.) The tuff areas are smaller on the left. That is not getting fixed. The next board they will match. I did the tuffs with the original put away.

       2nd tile finished. It is on the left again.

In House War Gaming table

            My War Gaming table is two drafting tables. These are the wood ones. If you use drafting tables, don't use the metal ones. The drafting tops are removed. The top surface is created and leveled with 1/2 inch ply. I added a 2.5 inch lip all around for Geo-Hex. With the long ends pushed together, you get a 6 by 5 1/2 table. If you use the drafting tops, you get a 6 1/2 by 7.

    Originally I had this craft store foam felt like stuff covering the wood top. It lasted about 3 years. It was hard to clean up. The flock stuck to it like glue. The Plastic GW board stayed in place and it held the Geo-Hex too. 

    Over the years it took a beating. I damaged it trying to get the flock that came off the mats and tiles off. I never glued the felt/foam down. The felt/foam was held in place with staples. The stuff came off no problem. No damage to the surface. My wood did warp over time. 8 more screws solved that problem.

    This time carpet glue and tool box liner was use. The glue needs to go down very lightly. Otherwise you will end up with dents and rolls created by the glue under the liner. It took 4 rolls of liner. I could have done it with 3. 3 rolls would have created 6 seems. Where 4 rolls created only 2.

        I took this time to lower the lip on the 6 foot side. I am no longer using Geo-Hex and don't plan to anymore. Actually I am going to sell it all. The lip now sets 24mm off the surface. The short edge can't be lowered. There are drawers there. A new piece of wood would have to be sourced. 

        The sides and under lip of the surface had the liner stapled in place. The first half went down like a dream. The second half I created dents with my elbows from too much glue.

        On the 2nd half, I noticed my side boards are 1/2 inch short. VV says the gap was always there. I don't remember, but it must have been. The table didn't grow over night. 
 

        VV help secure the sides on the 2nd half. Then asked to play Epic. 1st game was an Epic refresher for my kid. She got TSNP and DTF to me getting BTS. I should take her dice. They are worse than Dave's.

        VV won't be at Cold Wars. As she is on punishment again, x2. 

Mountain

2023

Bought = 1 collection 

Sold = 35, 71 Detachments

Painted = 175

28mm = 30

20mm = 88

15mm = 0

10mm = 0

Epic = 49

Terrain bought = 40

Terrain painted = 8

Printed Terrain = 0

Printed = 30

Games

Games played = 1

Games hosted = 1

2022

Bought = 1289 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 76, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 763

Books

Bought = 1

Read = 3  

Terrain Boards, Cons, and the Future part XIV

        The rain is playing with me. Its a holiday. I got nothing to do. This crap is taking forever to dry. It is creating an unpredictable reaction. I am going all stop. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for drying. Or maybe it will take that much longer to dry. 

        The rain continues another day. Almost an all stop today. 

                I had order more flock it came and the lighter one is lighter, the darker darker. I used the exact same source codes. One river section, the test section, will not fully match. There is no way I am going to do it again.

Terrain Boards, Cons, and the Future part XIII

 

        Onward to the river sections. The tiles were primed in Otter Brown. Then the river stones airbrushed in Desolated Beach.

        Next the river area/stones were washed in GW Aggaros Dunes and Basilicanum Grey. More grey than Dunes and a heavy dirty paint water was added.

        The same steps with tile grout.

        Then the same step with the flock and 2mm grass. Only change was a 4mm Autumn green was used along the river banks. Then this was double layered.

        The other river section getting bulk done.

        During all this business this 20mm building was in the way. It got finished.

Mountain

2022

Bought = 368 + a collection + 3 Armies

Sold = 64, 14 Buildings, 22 detachments + 3 Armies + a game

Painted = 634

28mm = 65

20mm = 45

15mm = 290

10mm = 0

Epic = 0

Terrain bought = 82
Terrain painted = 234

Games

Games played = 25

Games hosted = 9

2021

Bought = 366 + an army

Sold = 0

Painted = 841

Books

Bought = 14
Read = 6

Terrain Boards, Cons, and the Future part XII

        This is the 1st tile. A test tile. I am pretty sure how it will go. I have the stuff. It is more about how the colors turn out Vs how I think they will turn out. Then I want to be able to do the easy time eatting stuff on the road.

        All the tile will get a brown primer. My brown of choice is Otter Brown. It ain't exactly brown, or grey, or black. It is a little bit of each.

        Next the stone gets a grey heavy dry brush. Cheapo craft paint

        A light dry brush of Tan next.

        The GW Realm of Battle board take a beating from Con to Con. Nothing sucks more than trying or having to repair them after some many. The FW board is in a never ending repair phase. After about 3 years 6 Cons, they need major attention if a complete redo. 

        With this in mind, I am going to coat them in Poly. I had an old full-ish can of soft tone. 

        Now a I am sure you said; "what the hell did you just do?" Yep its a little too stained brown. Doesn't matter so much as it is not the point. The effect is to toughen those base layers. No one wants chipping in 3 years. Second was shading between the stones.

        Normally it is about 24hrs for the poly to dry. We don't want that. At 10 to 14 hours, when the board is still wicked tacky. Not so much you left finger prints. This will help lock down the next step. 

        Air Brush time. An AdeptiCon free swag paint, a terracotta color. Just on the stones again. Only enough to stain them.

        Let all that business dry over night. The next step is another "what the hell did you just do?" I laid down white glue where the dirt part is. Then covered it with a chocolate grout. This shit is extra messy. 

        After its covered, immediately grab it, flip it and beat the grout off. Don't worry the grout will stay where ever you put glue!

        Massively important. 1.) do this outside. 2.) follow the order of steps. If you skip a step, this shit is never ever coming off. 

        Now grab your airbrush, ensure it is clean and dry. You do not want it spitting liquid. Your going to use the airbrush to blow off the grout.

        You need to set the grout. To do so you will need IPA and a spray bottle. Make sure the bottle is set to mist, not stream. If set to stream, you will have to throw a section out. Next with IPA, 100%, mist the entire section. You are going to soak it. Not flood the bloody thing! 

        Let it dry for 4 hours. Once dry. A hammer with be all that will take it off.

        Over top of that a cream fine tile grout. And IPA again

        I am happy with the results. So the next tile was started. There is a lot of standing around waiting for shit to dry.

        The goal is to make the tile look like these two terrain pieces.

        I had come out a little too dark. I went over the dark spot with 2mm summer grass.

Not so dark

        See too dark.