Antiquitas

Pooh Bear Rules!

Awesome effect. Thanks. Definately try it on the next project.

The work's Xmas do 2011 And Hans is still a hard nut to crack. Hope you all have fun this Christmas! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yep - changed the mode and now on linear - hope it helps! Wood glue IS a lot stronger (and I use it when fixing bits together) but in Ireland it is stupidly expensive - most things are here! - so large tubs of PVA do the job. I haven't noticed a difference in shell strength on boards when I have used wood glue mix though. I have never used Minwax Polyshade so I haven't seen the results on boards up close but I will order some and try it. Thanks! I do a lot of boards (but this is the first for a 12 month 'cos of work commitments etc) so I try to keep the materials costs to a minimum and will use any paints (emulsions and acrylics) that are being thrown out or are at car-boot sales. I do like to use multiple layers - and wet washes and dry brushing is so quick anyway - but to me the proof is when you take close up photos in games and all the colours and textures make it look real. That makes it all worthwhile!

Help - please. Sometimes when i post a reply it ends up in the wrong place, so if I want to keep the timeline I add it to someone else's reply. Your replies are all routed to the initial post, but are at the end, whereas mine are on branches! What should I be doing?

I had always used white polystyrene when making boards and these needed a tough coat to prevent 'chipping'. I would usually use a PVA, emulsion paint (colour to suit terrain concept) and sand (for texture). Sometimes i would use layers of tissue paper instead of sand as this can be smoothed or wrinkled to give some unusual effects. The paint added in just saves a stage and makes the PVA go further. Generally I would use a 60:40 mix (paint to PVA) and add sand until it was still runny enough to brush on (one or two handfuls depending on the quantities). The mix fills in any joints, can be 'piled up' on the bottom edges of cliffs, and can be stippled or smoothed as it dries Black paint mix gives depth to the terrain and usually only requires two differing wet washes and a dry brush to look really detailed and realistic. I have boards that are made with low density polystyrene that are 8 -10 years old with very little damage showing. There are probably simpler methods but this one is cheap and easy and works well for me.

Near enough is good enough - for them

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Thank you. Still a heck of a lot more to do yet! But it's fun. Cheers

Three hours of fun this evening finishing of the hills, cutting out the platform for the beam engine, and making the drainage / river system. It now all fits! There will be a pipe from the pump barrel to the outflow, where the water cascades into the culvert and joins the river. The river goes into a drain under a wall, flows along an open channel, and goes through a pipe under the Guild House. The other end of the pipe forms the start of river again. The high walls by the beam engine have a coal bunker cut into them. I have blacked out the whole board with a 60:40 mix of black emulsion and PVA. Now i'm twiddling my thumbs waiting for it to dry! Time for a tea-break...

It's coming along really nicely. I like the trail/track idea - more versatile. How are the buildings doing? Looking forward to some more pics and hope you finish on time! Good Luck

I'll let you know how it plays next year!

I think you've got a convert (and I could save money buying presents in the January Sales!)

But it's not going to get finished in time... Best laid plans etc etc.

A few seasonal distractions...so a little behind schedule but it's coming along. The Beam Engine: And the Mine Board: I will do a proper update later but work calls...

I will put them up tonight - got to get ready for work now. (This season is all about the anticipation!) More soon!

Sadly outbid at the last moment But they are used in terrariums and vivariums (lizard tanks) so shouldn't have a problem getting one. (Actually placed my bid, set the alarm, and then got tied up painting the beam-engine and 15 minutes later it was gone! Woes of the Malifaux inflicted!)

Looking Good! Keep going you're nearly there. Good Luck.

It's not Malifaux related but I just wanted to share some good news with you. Have you ever made a terrain piece, or played on one, and imagined yourself actually there at ground level, and thought what it would be like to battle there? I do with most of the boards I make, but occasionally I actually get the chance to play in them! In my spare time, when I'm not at work, terrain building, painting or gaming, I design (and sometimes build) Lasertag arenas for companies. As well as concepts and designs, I make a scale model (1:24) of the arena to help with the build and later for promotion. I have just received an email saying that they are going to start building an arena project I have been working on for the last 6 months on the 9th January - to be opened in May (latest). This my fourth now - the first two are in Southern Ireland. A futurescape Themed Arena A Futuristic Urban Jungle Theme The third one is in Northern Ireland, and is a Fantasy / Medieval Theme, with Wizard's Tower, Keep, Forge, Gallows and an animated skeleton in the dungeons! This next one is in my home town in England, and is quite special to me as I now live in Ireland. It's an unusual arena as well, as it is themed on modern day piracy and has a freighter and docks but should be great fun to play in! Sorry about the interlude - now back to terrain making...

Finished riveting the Beam Engine Pump, added the pits for the drive wheels and a few extras. The other end of the beam rod (the pen) will have Qualcast piping on it, and be supported by a pier on the side of the Guild House. Next step painting...

Thanks. It's been a very enjoyable project... so far.

Thanks for the suggestion for rivets Damonn. Picked some up today, so I will probably be cursing tomorrow!

I didn't get as much built today as I had hoped. This was mainly because, as Yazza kindly pointed out, it is easier to draw the board than build all the bits and try to fit them in. So today was spent mainly making paper templates, moving them around and trimming them to gain that essential 1/4 inch so the board is playable! A major change to the design is to have the stream go under the Guild Store instead of around it. This gives me a better positioning for the bridge and allows me to carry the stream through to the next board. I wanted to have some stone walls on the ground floor, especially on the cell-block and the 'powder' store and for these to have stone floors. The rest of the building has timber frames and raised timber floors. As this is a mining town, and not a quarry, the stone available for building won't be dressed and is mainly slag waste. I had a roll of heavy crepe paper that I salvaged from my mum's craft room many years ago and this seemed a good opportunity to try it out. I did some test pices and like the effect. The paper was stuck on with PVA, coated with watered down PVA when it had dried, sprayed with Chaos Black, washed with Red Oxide acrylic paint and the dry-brushed with acrylic Neutral Grey. I did another test piece the same, but without spraying it black, and it had a nice weathered mossy/mildewed look. I think I will spray black the inside walls but use the weathered look on the outside. I have the basics of the ground floor cut out now, and did a bit more work on the beam engine, so hope to see some real progress tomorrow. Sorry about the poor quality of the pics - bad light and silly hour of the night. I will try and do better tomorrow.

Found one on UK ebay - finishes tomorrow so going to try for that. Maplins have them as well. But the one you found is a good price (although it has the smaller 1.5cm ceramic disc and the others have the more powerful 2cm disc). See what happens tomorrow...

Good points! Thank you Now just got to find one (at a reasonable price) and do the practical. Cheers