Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: hubbabubba on September 19, 2018, 07:28:42 PM
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So, although I never seem to actually play any games anymore, I still like to make stuff so it can take up all the space in my little broom cupboard and gently gather dust.
I've long wanted a modular sci fi interior board, for sci fi shoot em up dungeon crawlesque schenanigans. I admired Denatus's boards and decided that that I just had to have something similar or my life would never be complete. You can see his boards here on his most excellent blog: https://stalker7.com/2015/05/23/sci-fi-interior-boards/
I've gone for a 3'x3' layout made up of 9 1' square tiles, with an optional 10th tile for added variation. One of the nice things about it is it can be expanded to 4x4 or even 6x4 should real insanity take hold.
Anyway, I roughed out the tiles on paper to play around with different lay outs
as can be seen here:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1895/30909122358_9df7f9477c_k.jpg)
The lay out was then transfered to the 3mm mdf boards, which were backed with a frame both to make them more sturdy, avoiding any warping from the painting process and also provide a surface area for the 7mm magnets that enable the boardds to lock together.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1876/42969254650_3a2a725e9e_k.jpg)
I scribed a 1" tile design into the mdf, and lifted a few tiles out with a chisel and replaced them with some fly screen.
My current thinking is to paint all the base boards prior to adding the walls as it seems to me that this will save a lot of time and faffing around. Hence the wall sections are currently masked off.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1880/30909124928_3b77ca99ae_k.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1897/44060660554_ae91c5c8c2_k.jpg)
Walls will be added with insulation foam, which I am in the process of adding detail to by scribing, layering card and adding the odd greebly.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1853/44780220801_87550e912a_k.jpg)
Any ideas/feedback/advice would be most welcome.
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interesting let the pictures come!
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That looks pretty neat!
I've been wanting to do something similar for 15mm scale troops, though I'd like to do the same for 25mm - 32mm ones as well.
I'm looking at takeout pizza boxes for this, as a cheap source of "rooms" or "hull sections" right now, and plan to go with thinner, paper, or cardboard walls inside. Cardstock would probably be best, so its a little more durable, but I can still print on them, to add in features, and details easily, for little cost.
I'm thinking about linking the box sections in some way, and think this should work out, since they can then be easily stacked, and stored too.
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Editing the post.
@Mako, also a great excuse to eat loads of pizza.
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Always nice to see magnets in use for terrain, I feel like many people don't know about the manifold ways they can be used to attach elements to each other or keep small terrain pieces in place :)
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Looks promising :)
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Great start. That is going to be fun to play with!
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I really like to see the rest of this project.
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Excellent stuff. I think this space crusade tile style is the way to do it. Your raised batons also offer the opportunity for depth, and possibly batteries...? :D
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This looks promising!
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Impressive start :o
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What about adding a lift or airlock door in the ground? As if there’s more levels underneath?
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Hmm. The lighting and the sunken sections are both fine ideas, but a little ambitious for where I'm at now. Perhaps for future sections.
I love the idea of the lift. It made me think immediately of the scene in Aliens when Ripley is escaping from the queen. I think that rather than incorporate it into a tile, I may build it as a separate piece that could be placed on the tiles like scatter terrain. Reason being, I can see it being a really useful objective in lots of different scenarios.
Anyhow, progress has been made. I decided to work on one tile as a test piece, before going into full production mode. here are the results.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1975/29988541567_2e735c6180_k.jpg)
This is a sample wall, post scribing/panelling etc with a base coat, shade, overspray.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1976/44012812255_636057b58d_k.jpg)
and on the tile that had had the same treatment.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1950/31052184778_abe1281460_k.jpg)
I then gave it all a couple of colour filters and added some detail. Still pending a final wash to some areas but what do you think.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1970/29992767697_b5a8ce7b77_k.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1942/43117243990_14198d3fdb_k.jpg)
It's fairly generic, which while it looses in character, means that as an advantage, it could be used in a wide variety of different genres, from sci fi to pulp, just by changing the scatter.
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That's incredibly effective, and probably deceptively simple. Really great looking results so far.
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Excellent - that is very effective. My only feeling (and bear in mind that this could be that things are getting flattened out a little bit by the photo/lighting), but could it do with some sharper/harsher delineation between panels? The generic nature of what you've got is perfect - makes it useful for all sorts of different gaming situations - but does that mean that it needs a little more cartoon "pop" than it would otherwise? Perhaps not - it's really tough to say, and I hasten to add that part of what makes it a tough one to call is that it looks so good already as it is! I'm also aware that with these things the law of diminishing returns can kick in after a certain point. The extra work needed might not be worth the effect it achieves. If the time/appearance balance is a good one as is, then I'd say it's perfect! I don't know if you plan to put numbering/markings on the walls, but that, of course, could contribute to the effect that I'm getting at. Really looking forward to more in any case - have always loved your gaming stuff.
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This first piece looks great, reminds me of olden days when I built my own Resident Evil 3D dungeon.
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Superb!
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That is looking Awesome!
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really nice painting and modeling
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Just great!
A nice resource is metal tape ( The shiny aluminum tape for A/C duct work). It can be scribed, impressed, embossed, as a panel or floor tile covering,, it's an easy way to cut door, port and recessed panel framing, and great for wrapping around pipes, wires and conduit for extra detail.
Also, paint it hash marked or solid yellow or red, then cut into strip and stick on walks or floors for superb looking striping.
How are you doing moving doors?
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I really like this. If I'd seen it before I started on my own similar terrain, I would likely have gone with your route instead.
Very nice.
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Thanks for the feed back.
@ Hawkeye.
I think I understand what you mean about defintion.
One of the problems I encountered on the test tile was that the fibers on the mdf, which were produced after the scribing & wire brushing, were picked up and accentuated by the various different airbrushed layers.
To try and counteract that, I've given the rest of the tiles a couple of coats of magic wash with black/raw umber. I hope that this will firstly keep the fibres glued down and secondly increase the definition in the scribed detail, ultimately making he appearence less fuzzy and sharper.
@Smokeyrone
Metal tape looks like an excellent medium. I'd never heard of it. Gonna have to get some and have a play around with it.
The door question is a good one. At present my solution is as pictured. Door ways are cut to fit the 60mm or 90mm gaps that are present at many locations on the tiles. At present I'm cutting them to fit two types of doors from Antenocity's Workshop that I already have painted and based.
The pros of this is that they can be dropped into place in many different positions allowing maximum flexibilty. In addition the resin doors can simlply be removed to indicate that the door has been opened during play.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1973/44987055071_575751b1a0_k.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1931/44268083734_e185e6c180_k.jpg)
The cons are that the doorways are very fragile and light wieght as they are cut from foam and that as a result, placing them and removing the doors is very fiddly.
Possible solutions are to either glue the doorways in place or make them out of another material. It seems to me that glueing them in place will reduce the flexibility of the boards so I may look at building them out of plasticard, wood, or even building a couple of masters and casting them.
I guess I could always just build a coulple of masters that are actually 60mm/90 mm in width and cast them. Hmmmm.
Anyway, in the mean time, I've cut all the walls from the foam, so I couldn't resist tacking them on to the tiles to get a feel for what it will look like when finished. Pretty stoked with the results of my efforts so far and looking forward to cracking on.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1925/30051223877_031f5c6f55_k.jpg)
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1971/44938373232_b99589ef3f_k.jpg)
Next up, detailling the walls.
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Oh wow this is looking great!
One day I am going to work up the courager and stamina to build something similar for myself. So I am taking notes and stealing ideas.
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Super project! Love how it’s coming together!
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This is a great project - thanks for sharing! :-*
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Photos from a while back, They show the boards post detailing with cereal card etc, and the final solutution to the doors, which after being cut from foam were reinforced with a layer of card on both sides to make them more rigid and durable.
The boards are then shown with a couple of layeres of thin primer.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4812/44334793850_da6246e1c6_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4894/44334795460_058fdf39f8_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/32280499528_634829aa6f_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/45239691665_db611a57db_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4874/45239667625_6e66aa969c_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/31212376177_c341efccb1_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/44334779960_060d79635e_z.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4807/46151757351_04b389bebd_z.jpg)
Progress has been slow as I've been working across all of the boards at once in order to preserve uniformity. It'a been a bit of a slog and as I've been resisting the temptation to get involved with anything else till this project is finished, I haven't painted any figs since the end of August.
Still, things have progressed and I can now see the light at the end if the tunnel. Since these pics, the boards have had all of their final layers of colour and a wash. They now just need a layer of dryubrushing and detail painting.
more pics soon, (ish).
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Looking very good! It makes sense to work across all the boards to make them cohesive, but it takes a lot of discipline (especially if it means no miniature painting in the meantime!). Looking forward to seeing it all done - it'll definitely be worth the work!
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Great thread! Good work.
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Update, slow progress...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/46284702891_f1c3350fcd_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/45561147014_7ff282d2c3_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4840/45371976705_181371416d_k.jpg)
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Update, slow progress...
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4915/46284702891_f1c3350fcd_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4843/45561147014_7ff282d2c3_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4840/45371976705_181371416d_k.jpg)
Slow maybe, but impressive, definitely!
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Good stuff! Great to see you are progressing with this project- keep it up!
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Dude... those are absolutely great.
If I had a do-over, I'd definitely swipe that 'panel detailing on the walls' idea. I tend to blunder my way through a prototype, figuring out how to make it, only to realize when it's finished what I coulda, shoulda, woulda done better. Oh well. You're doing an outstanding job and I'm very much looking forward to the finished product. (In-game shots too!)
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Thanks for the feed back :)
My original intention was to finish the tiles off with a black/raw umber wash to add definition and harmonize colours between the different boards.
However, due to a combination of uncertainty over how much difference it will make, and generally not being bothered to do any more to the tiles, for now I'm calling them done.
Took some photos with some of my old sci scatter.
See what you think.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4819/46751289971_f50f56034c_k.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7893/45835854995_843f784f96_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4878/31809646047_9e0aac8b7e_k.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7887/46698446642_90055d6867_k.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7834/46751302161_1e35ac8d8d_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4832/31809638937_ec113a1c03_k.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7807/32875892888_45f4925da7_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/39785913483_72eff32ec6_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4912/46026330364_0c43121f36_k.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4889/39785904093_ff38d5d376_k.jpg)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7864/31809628367_aaa344f49e_k.jpg)
Just got a set of Mantic doors to paint up, then maybe some of their scifi scatter. ::)
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(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4828/39785913483_72eff32ec6_k.jpg)
Great work that. I really pays off that you have done something to the tops of the walls as well in stead of just leaving them black.
Oh and that toilet is really what you could call a fortress of solitude! :D The walls there could withstand even the most hardy cabbage based diet. ;D
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Brill 8)
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Thanks chaps
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Absolutely awesome. I love it!! :-*
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That's very very nice.
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Damn you man! Now I have to make one! As if I needed more projects!:) I mean too say Awesome and really inspiring!:)
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Thanks gents
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Most excellent, dude. 8)
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That looks awesome.
I would glue some hidden steel washers to the walls to let me magnetically attach some different maps/boards/signs to the walls.
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All of those tiles turned out Great!
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Wow, I really like that concrete look!
Dan