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| rural battle mat; WIP | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 27 2017, 08:28 PM (154 Views) | |
| Bobscene | Jul 27 2017, 08:28 PM Post #1 |
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Super Mutant
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Hey, thought I share with you folks how I made my 'rural battle mat'. It 's not PA but maybe you can pick up some technique's and turn them PA (use more black/grey then green f.i.). First I got some canvas, you can use an old bedsheet also. I stretched and fixed the cloth on a wooden board with staples. ![]() Sketch out the layout of the fields or where paths or rocks or craters or streams or... will be. You can also use an old painting that is allready stretched on a frame (I reused an old painting of my daughter to make river sections, but that's an other post). Get your flock together, I make mine with anything that is green or can be colored green and use some good scissors and a small glass to cut it up. Sometimes I used dried coffee or thee or herbs, fake fur, rope,... ![]() Next step is the caulking gun. I used 'mastic' as they say in French, the stuff you use to seal your windows. It stays flexibel (so afterwards you can roll up your battle mat), and takes paint very well (I use Acrylic) even when it has not dried yet, as in the picture. Smear it open with a spatula or piece of cardboard or plastic ... ![]() Now comes the interesting bit. You can texture the caulk easily. In this picture I used a sponge (with big holes) for cobblestones. ![]() I experimented with pressing a crumpled plastic bag in it. ![]() Here I used some cloth and crumpled newspaper also added some tracks with toy wheels. ![]() So Her I wanted a patch with not much grass, more 'rocky'. At the places where you want to ad some bushes or small stones I made the caulk extra thick (say 4 mm ?) and pushed them in while the caulk was still wet. I also prepared a mix of earth flock (not much grass in it) containing: coffee, then maybe some sand, small flock (thee ?), cork painted grey or real small stones,... After I planted/flocked everything I always spray the whole thing with mixture of wood glue and water ![]() The 'big rocks' in the middle are very thin slices of rubber or sponge, I bought some A4 rubber sheets (2mm thick ?) and with a ball point engraved some details, such as: dead tree stumps or foundation of a house and also rocks. ![]() ![]() Using the 'tile glue tool' (thing in the right hand corner) to create a row as if a farmer had just planted something ( I used flock that was in clumps (make clumps with white glue and let dry) sprinkle the clumps onto the rows and finish with glue water spray, easy. ![]() Or painted pieces of sponge as cabbage. I planted this one buy one, nuts, never again ! ![]() ![]() A Small stream (not yet varnished on this picture) ![]() The whole thing stays flexible so you can create hills no problem. ![]() ![]() Of course it does not have to be so complicated as I did. I wanted to try different things combined in one battle mat. If you caulk one, press a wrinkled plastic bag in it, make some tyre tracks, maybe add/glue some sand, let it dry and paint/dry brush it, ready. This can be easy and well worth it. I think the biggest advantage is that it can be rolled up and stored easily. Any C's or Q's ? Shoot ! Ciao, Bobscene |
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| tinker | Jul 27 2017, 09:27 PM Post #2 |
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CEO of "Rat-on-a-Stick" Industries
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A very good tutorial, thanks! |
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| mattblackgod | Jul 27 2017, 09:32 PM Post #3 |
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Big boss warlord dude!
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Cool game mat tutorial. I may have to try this one day. Have you got any post apocalyptic mats made up? |
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| Bobscene | Jul 27 2017, 11:04 PM Post #4 |
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Super Mutant
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I posted a small WIP of some more PA styled battle mats/basing idea's in the (wrong ?) WIP section. Hope you like it, check it out. Ciao, Bobscene |
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| Crazy Joe | Jul 28 2017, 03:46 PM Post #5 |
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Mutant Hunter
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Nice! I like that it's flexible, but doesn't that mean you have bits and pieces of terrain flaking off? How do you store it? |
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| Bobscene | Jul 28 2017, 08:01 PM Post #6 |
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Super Mutant
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Thanks Crazy Joe, yep, sometimes small particles fall of but not that you can really notice. And if ever it should become to 'bald' I glue some more flock on it, but until now no real damage. I store it wrapped around a pvc rain pipe, it 's much more flexible then the battle mats I made using wallpaper. I can surely recommend the technique, the caulk really sticks well to the cloth I used. Also important, it takes the wood glue and paint very well. |
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