Tactical Command
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Puzzling
http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=27408		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  brumbaer [ Tue May 13, 2014 8:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Puzzling
It was time to redo my Epic terrain. My "ordinary terrain" is modular terrain, but that is scaled for Warhammer and Warmaster.
So I usually use just a GW gaming mat - but I was in for something new.
At last I settled with a puzzle mat, which is intended for small children to play on - now also big children play on it :)
Easy to storage, being able to combine different terrain styles and rearrange them and digging into the material are just three of the infinite advantages.
My idea was to flock each of the tiles, but when they arrived and I saw the surface of the tiles I decided just to spray and dry brush.
The tiles are about 30cm square, but there are also edge and corner tiles to create a smooth frame.
Here is edge tile in it's "natural" color.
Image
The yellow color proofed to play well with the colors I have chosen for my terrain and letting it shine through looks nice.
I tested different colors. If I wanted to combine the colors on one table, I would of course create some two colored transition tiles - but I haven't yet.
Image
The same with some terrain and models for size reference.
Image
Before anybody asks. The trees and woods-bases have magnet, so you can remove them if you want to place models in the woods.
Image
Author:  moredakka [ Tue May 13, 2014 8:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
Very clever sir good idea. What material are they made of?
Author:  brumbaer [ Tue May 13, 2014 9:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
The ones I used are are made from Polyethylene foam.

There are also some made of EVA (Ethylenvinylacetat) foam. But I do not know what their surface is like and how they take color.
Author:  moredakka [ Tue May 13, 2014 11:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
Thanks for the info.
Author:  mspaetauf [ Wed May 14, 2014 7:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
great work, really like it.

Where did you get the puzzle mat? Only ones I could ever find were for gyms and much heavier/more expensive. They also look quite thin - don't they warp?

cheers,
M
Author:  brumbaer [ Wed May 14, 2014 9:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
I bought them at http://www.puzzlematten.net

They are 8mm, there is also a 16mm version.

This is very much WIP.
I do not know how they will fare over time. If they bend with temperature, if the color will crack and peel, if the nooks break with frequent use, if the surface gets dented by players leaning on it, etc..

The whole thing may proof useless.

I'll take it to the club this afternoon for a first real-life-test. I know a little bit more after that.

So if you try it out, don't blame me, youv'e been warned :)
Author:  glorfindel [ Wed May 14, 2014 11:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
Some really inspirational ideas, thank you.

I have seen something like this used before :

http://hachimanstoychest.blogspot.co.uk/p/interlocking-modular-terrain-tiles.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/war_artisan/sets/72157625204013209/

A really clever idea and a source of much inspiration !

Cheers,

Phil
Author:  brumbaer [ Wed May 14, 2014 12:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
glorfindel wrote:
Some really inspirational ideas, thank you.

I have seen something like this used before :

http://hachimanstoychest.blogspot.co.uk/p/interlocking-modular-terrain-tiles.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/war_artisan/sets/72157625204013209/

A really clever idea and a source of much inspiration !

Cheers,

Phil


Thanks for the links haven't seen those. Seems to be some kind of a natural idea as mspaetauf seems to have had the idea as well, but hadn't found the right material - great minds and so on.

The material seems to be something similar - probably the EVA stuff - just guessing because the surface looks different.

But the solution doesn't make sense for me personally. Because if I'd use a wooden base any way and put felt on top. I'd put the felt directly on the wood and mill the nooks directly into the felt covered/wood. Otherwise I'd always worry wether the heavy tiles would tear the interlocking apart.
I did something similar (flocking than cutting)on my Warmaster modular terrain. The tiles consist of styrofoam with sand or flock glued on top. I cut the tiles only after they were flocked. This obviously gives perfectly flocked edges - but you need the machinery to make it real nice.
Image Haven't got a better picture handy, but you might get an idea what the edges look like.

But in this case I wanted a quick solution and I felt cutting a mat was too tedious - I was already fretting about flocking and making sure that the glue wouldn't run between the pieces - but I have to admit that this is usually one of the things which you fret over longer than it takes to do :)
Using spray and doing a dry brush it took less than 2 hours for a 120x180cm table.

But I must admit the felt solution looks very nice, but a bit like a felt on a table - just as mine looks like a dry brush.

In contrast the Forlone Hope thing really looks like a proper table. Very well done.
That might make me reconsider using just a paint job and redo it with old school flocking.
Author:  Legion 4 [ Wed May 14, 2014 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
Neat ! Very nice models as well ...
Author:  primarch [ Wed May 14, 2014 4:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
Hi!

Innovative idea for terrain!

Great models too!

Primarch
Author:  6mmwargaming [ Mon May 19, 2014 9:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
I used larger ones for my terrain boards here. They take paint and glue very well and I used a cheap soldering iron to burn detail into the mats.

http://6mm.wargaming.info/page350.shtml

The finished boards
http://6mm.wargaming.info/page352.shtml

I have found that after about 3 years the foam hardened slightly and the interlocking teeth became brittle and started to break off. I ended up chopping the teeth off and adding a aluminum edging but it was a lot of work and hard to retrofit. It would be better to do it when you are making the mats. Anyway you can see the mats with the aluminum edging here in a battle report. I think the joins are a lot tidier now and more discrete. Just my 2c

http://6mm.wargaming.info/page45.shtml

Cheers
Kieran
Author:  brumbaer [ Tue May 20, 2014 11:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
Very nice work.
You're approach to the subject is different from mine.
You're putting much more effort in creating the terrain getting close to modular terrain (using modular terrain in the strictest sense, i.e. all terrain being on the modules) - I just replace a gaming mat.
In my case it will make no sense to add some edging, it will be quicker and cheaper to replace the tiles when the softeners volatilize.
My very first modular terrain was made from styrodur in a wooden box. The alu-edging/tile would be an alternative for that, except that it is much harder to do custom edges with different contours i.e. rivers, slopes.
Author:  mspaetauf [ Tue May 20, 2014 8:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
6mm your pieces were my original inspiration and the reason I started looking for puzzle-mats.

I am wondering 2 things however, concerning your retrofitted boards:

a) what kind of aluminium edging did you use?
b) how did you manage when there were rivers or anything else that didn't give a straight edge on the board?

cheers,
Author:  Apocolocyntosis [ Tue May 20, 2014 8:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
very interesting to see two different takes and finishes with one material, very good ideas.

Quote:
a) what kind of aluminium edging did you use?
I was wondering that as well. Aluminium tape? or some sort of strip/sheet metal?
Author:  mspaetauf [ Tue May 20, 2014 10:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Puzzling
I imagine it's those corner rails that are made of some kind of metal and used in certain indoor walls at the corners. Anyone know what I mean? :)

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