Lead Adventure Forum

Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: Cacique Caribe on 01 October 2020, 03:55:49 AM

Title: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 01 October 2020, 03:55:49 AM
My pirates will:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9593487@N07/albums/72157709365896792/with/48191210106/

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=118935.30

As you will see in the first link, the trunks were made using scrap bits of plastic branches, and two other methods: 1) trunks made of wire and greenstuff, and 2) using thin wire coated with liquid latex.

(http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48238310316_c57381cf7e_4k.jpg)

(http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48271903966_58493f9183_4k.jpg)

But the tops of the trees were done using this rubberized “horsehair” material:

https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/1-x-24-rubberized-hair-.htm

It takes paint exceptionally well.  Best if you tease it out throughly and leave more open spaces between branches.  I learned that a bit late, as I got to the flocking stage.

(http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48271909511_9f41cb42cf_4k.jpg)

(http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48238400917_e104471d5c_4k.jpg)

(http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48238311611_35fcc6dc48_k.jpg)

(http://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48238311211_a19971f468_4k.jpg)

I’m also working on several clusters of mangrove trees without bases, so as to give the impression that they are growing directly out of the water, or that it’s high tide.

Anyway, what are YOU guys using for mangroves?

Dan
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Wade Through The Mangroves?
Post by: FierceKitty on 01 October 2020, 04:27:53 AM
Versatile; just needs a few mudskippers to be a mangrove swamp, but could be the Elvish Accursed Forest as easily.
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Wade Through The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 01 October 2020, 07:24:34 AM
... just needs a few mudskippers to be a mangrove swamp ...

Good idea.  And loads of crabs too!  :)

Wasn’t there an old pirate movie in which prisoners were tied to a pole at the edge of the water, for crabs to carry out the execution?

Dan
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Roo on 01 October 2020, 07:40:26 AM
Lovely work
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 01 October 2020, 07:42:42 AM
Thank you!

I even ordered this 36” x 72” vinyl mat for the mangrove islands and cays that I plan to make:

https://matsbymars.com/collections/36-x-72-mats/products/mats-by-mars-sunny-caribbean-tabletop-wargaming-play-mat

Dan
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: carlos marighela on 01 October 2020, 07:48:42 AM
Nicely done! I used to live near the most southerly expanse of mangroves in the world and you have the colouration and variation of the leaves just right.
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: tomrommel1 on 01 October 2020, 10:55:10 AM
what a really nice terrain idea! Very well done :-*
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Digits on 01 October 2020, 11:06:52 AM
Those are beautiful fella.....going to borrow the idea myself.....very cool scenery.

How are you fixing to the base piece please?
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Grumpy Gnome on 01 October 2020, 12:03:56 PM
Brilliant work! And thumbs up to the idea of adding lots of crabs.
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Mindenbrush on 01 October 2020, 12:56:57 PM
Excellent job on constructing these 👍
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Hammers on 01 October 2020, 01:04:25 PM
Very nice looking!
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 01 October 2020, 03:04:00 PM
Those are beautiful fella.....going to borrow the idea myself.....very cool scenery.

How are you fixing to the base piece please?

Thanks so much!

I use expanded PVC sheets for my bases (3mm thick), though MDF could work also if you keep moisture to a minimum.  When the armatures are ready to go on the base I use either greenstuff or superglue to affix to the base. 

Then I apply a light coat of straight PVA to the base and dust it with fine tile grout.  After the grout sets hard like cement, I use diluted PVA (50/50) to “seal” the grout in place for good.  It wouldn’t hurt to also give all the trunks, branches and roots a thin coating of PVA with a brush before the painting stage.  Let that dry.  Paint, flock and spray varnish.

Dan
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: has.been on 01 October 2020, 03:13:30 PM
Like this, a lot. Well done.
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Bravo Six on 01 October 2020, 08:01:01 PM
Those turned out FANTASTIC!!
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: El Frantico on 02 October 2020, 12:22:47 AM
Fantastic! I’ve been tempted to try mangroves, but haven’t made the attempt yet. Here in South Florida we are surrounded by them and a tropical type table just never feels right without them :)
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 02 October 2020, 05:29:28 AM
Fantastic! I’ve been tempted to try mangroves, but haven’t made the attempt yet. Here in South Florida we are surrounded by them and a tropical type table just never feels right without them :)

My feeling exactly, Mike!  I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, always living within sight of mangroves.

Dan
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Oldben1 on 02 October 2020, 05:33:08 AM
I went to Cancun a few years ago and really enjoyed hiking in the mangroves.  Those look pretty authentic to me.  Great work!
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 02 October 2020, 05:45:54 AM
Ben

The mangroves in Cancún and Belize come with a whole other problem ... crocs!  A slightly bigger problem than crabs.  :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oUCa1Xfx6k

(https://i2.wp.com/bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/shirley_josh/!csm-cacu.gif)
https://markgelbart.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/the-lack-of-pleistocene-crocodylus-acutus-fossils-in-southeastern-north-america-and-its-climatic-implications/

Dan
PS.  The Battle Of Ramree Island (Burma) shows what getting stuck in croc infested mangroves can do to any military force.
https://www.amazon.com/Mangroves-John-L-Campbell-ebook/dp/B0088JOJMA/ref=nodl_
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: DoctorPete on 02 October 2020, 06:19:35 AM
I'm having a hard time visualizing the scale of these trees.  Are they scaled for 15mm or larger?  They are a damn fine representation of the real thing!
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 02 October 2020, 06:40:26 AM
Thanks DoctorPete!

There particular ones were made for 15mm but, with my fat fingers, it would have been much easier for me to make them for 28mm.  :)

Dan

Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 06 October 2020, 02:19:50 AM
I’ve just realized that Red Beard Baron’s tips for making vineyards might be a THIRD method for making the TOPS of mangrove trees:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n9JY2tD0Xo&t=9s

Dan
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: DoctorPete on 06 October 2020, 05:21:17 AM
Thanks for the video, Dan.  Now I have a much better idea how to do coastal flora for 15mm Sci Fi that can double as Amazon River terrain. (Something for my Tupi to move through.)  I have about 120 bush armatures from Noch (I think) so I should have enough to do a sizeable area. 
Title: Re: Do Your Pirates Dare Go Into The Mangroves?
Post by: Cacique Caribe on 08 October 2020, 03:20:37 AM
I have about 120 bush armatures from Noch (I think) so I should have enough to do a sizeable area.

Wow.  Now THAT’S how you do a project!  When you can, you might as well go big.  :)

Dan