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Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: Gothic Line on November 27, 2014, 03:12:21 PM
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Hello does anyone know of a good gaming mat producer out there?
Thanks in advance!
Gui
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If you are on a budget and seek a mat without bells and whistles. i.e. monocolor felt, then consider buying one from your local fabric department store. The Hotz mat I once had had a good color but it was not worth the 40 USD price tag, I could have bought three felt mats locally. There is always the option of spraypainting your mat for added variety, too. I can't speak for any of the fancier mats out there.
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This ones are wonderful: http://www.barrageminiatures.com/
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I'd advise buying billiard table baize - it's much better than felt. Unfortunately it's a lot more expensive too. Then spray it with rattle cans - mostly yellow - to give it the natural look. This is mine.
colour difference before and after
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qxkXYTzh19o/VAYD0TR5wnI/AAAAAAAAISU/TMKksvKB9HQ/s1600/IMG_8803.JPG)
and with some figures on it
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--WqFFuNbyMQ/U99JM9Z8C0I/AAAAAAAAIBI/SWSsxrCGlzM/s1600/IMG_8619.JPG)
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These are really nice rubber mats that are paintable http://www.zuzzy.com/
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I'd advise buying billiard table baize - it's much better than felt. Unfortunately it's a lot more expensive too. Then spray it with rattle cans - mostly yellow - to give it the natural look. This is mine.
colour difference before and after
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qxkXYTzh19o/VAYD0TR5wnI/AAAAAAAAISU/TMKksvKB9HQ/s1600/IMG_8803.JPG)
and with some figures on it
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--WqFFuNbyMQ/U99JM9Z8C0I/AAAAAAAAIBI/SWSsxrCGlzM/s1600/IMG_8619.JPG)
But I love this idea too! :D
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Thanks guys! The better solution might be a big old snooker cloth of felt,but I would really like to have some textures added.
Might be a good idea to keep them as low as possible like small grains of cork or rubber...
Another thing would be having a desert sand on one side and green on the other.
Cheers
Gui
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This ones are wonderful: http://www.barrageminiatures.com/
I can also recommend the ones from Barrage Miniatures. Expensive but worth it.
This is the only picture I could find of mine, not the best one unfortunately...
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/tomek917/imagejpg1_zpsf7ce97ef.jpg) (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/tomek917/media/imagejpg1_zpsf7ce97ef.jpg.html)
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These ones look nice too
http://cigarboxbattlestore.bigcartel.com/
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Tell us a bit more, do you care about quality or cost? Where are you at? US? Europe?
From my research so far and my purchases...
http://store.frontlinegaming.org/2gaming-mats
Frontline mats are thick, good grip to the table, the image on them is nice, water/spill proof and to me a good investment. I down two, the green and white winter one....they are very eye catching, easy to store. The cost is $100 US and I think about $10 shipping if I recall right...I know they got distributors in Europe. If you are in Europe I can suggest another company the overseas shipping was rough but the price and product quality was the same from my research.
http://www.deepcutstudio.com/category/mats-size-4-x6
Been looking next at Deep cut Studios (I am a mat hoe) (not really, I just run Bolt Action events so I want more mats for tables and looking for a cheaper price).
Roughly they are about $60 US, but if you order multiple you save on shipping which is huge to me if you are buying more than one at a go. They have several options that can work IMO.
Check out my blog dice of legends and you can see setups I have done with the two FAT Mats I own...
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Thanks guys I am in Portugal,Europe,I really like most of the ones I have seen my only concern about fur is my allergies!
About prices would like to invest in something smart and durable and easy to store...
Really would like to have bot a Desert and a Grassy one...
I have a huge dinner table so more or less the size of the big old Snooker table.
Thanks again!
Gui
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Deep Cut Studios may be the solution for you....price is right, durable, easy to store....buy one of each and store in the same tube.
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If you want to make your own, this video from Wargamer Consortium is a really good tutorial
http://youtu.be/WtRMoIZfPPg
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Thanks guys I am in Portugal,Europe,I really like most of the ones I have seen my only concern about fur is my allergies!
About prices would like to invest in something smart and durable and easy to store...
Really would like to have bot a Desert and a Grassy one...
I have a huge dinner table so more or less the size of the big old Snooker table.
Thanks again!
Gui
Talk with Alf from Barrage Miniatures. They are from Spain and have a desert warmat that is wonderful and the grassy one is FANTASTIC.
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So I am spoiled for choice guys! All options are good,the vinyl ones are also interesting as an option but I think they might feel a bit glossy given the Vinyl look...
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Not the best one? Pretty darn nice looking action shot if you ask me!
I can also recommend the ones from Barrage Miniatures. Expensive but worth it.
This is the only picture I could find of mine, not the best one unfortunately...
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c361/tomek917/imagejpg1_zpsf7ce97ef.jpg) (http://s31.photobucket.com/user/tomek917/media/imagejpg1_zpsf7ce97ef.jpg.html)
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Yes this option is one of the best but may cause an allergic reaction with all that fur!
The other 2 options are:
A Vinyl one (the down side being a glossy or rather absolutely flat look).
A Snooker cloth one (good but not as realistic).
I should be leaning more towards a Cloth one...I dont know...
Thanks again
Gui
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So I am spoiled for choice guys! All options are good,the vinyl ones are also interesting as an option but I think they might feel a bit glossy given the Vinyl look...
Watch the video, I thought the same thing. I plan to order several in about a month,
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Thanks Styx but which one?
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TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY EUROS?! (plus shipping, and any applicable taxes and duties)
Holy bejesus!
I'm not saying there's no value to labour, but for that much money I could buy a good airbrush, compressor, a cheap electric trimmer, and a big sheet of fun fur.
Making a fur terrain mat is not secret laser rocket science, it just requires some expensive equipment to do properly.
I made an acrylic caulk and sand mat on canvas for a total aggregate cost of maybe $50.
Two tutorials which will serve you very very well:
1) Acrylic caulk mats: part 1 - http://mallencreations.blogspot.ca/2013/06/new-gaming-mat-part-i.html?m=1 part 2 - http://mallencreations.blogspot.ca/2013/06/gaming-mat-part-ii.html?m=1
2) Fur mats: http://www.elladan.de/065%20Tutorial%20Furmat/065.htm
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I agree with Mr Framson. Acrylic caulk and a canvas dropcloth makes an excellent mat. And you can make amazing textures in the caulk.
Personally, I didn't use sand or flock on mine. A little sponge painting and you have any base terrain you can imagine just by varying the color palette. $20 for a 9'x12' canvas dropcloth, 2 tubes of caulk at $4 each, and a few bottles of craft paint and you end up with a mat that rivals one you'd pay much more for.
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Thanks Styx but which one?
http://www.deepcutstudio.com/faqs
There is a second video that is linked on the page....not seen it yet....
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Because of allergies I might be better of with vinyl ones...
I have 2 questions what material are they made of ? is it simple vinyl the one people use in publicity in cars shop windows etc?
Do they use 2 layers,like vinyl plus a cloth underneath?
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I don't know yet. I am about to order mine but watch the video and perhaps email the company with questions. To me it looks like quality material, not crap....I do plan to do a review when I order and get mine, but it may not be until January until I can do so.
From what I have read in reviews and those that own them nobody has had any complaints.
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If you go with painted teddy bear fur, don't buy the cheaper fur. The cheaper stuff matts up more after paint, the paint has trouble getting to base of "grass" and also clogs up the clippers when you try to hair cut some paths or roads.
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Thanks a lot guys!
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I have one of the deep cut mats and am not sure how to answer your question: it looks to me like smooth vinyl on one side and something else on the bottom. There is a logo on the playing side which is a tad annoying, but it's small. I roll mine up poster style and if I let it sit with some books on it for an hour it goes flat again. I also got it cut to a custom size which was nice as it fits my dining room table perfectly. My only complaint would be that the 2d photographic desert texture doesn't blend as well as an actual textured mat would, but it still pretty convincing. The company is reliable even though they are a bit far afield being in Romania or some such. They also do custom images for mats--I had them make me one for WW2 air gaming based off a high res aerial photo of England.
The barrage mats look gorgeous and I would pay for one if I thought it would last 20 years. I had a bad experience, however, with a high end mat from terrain-mats (http://www.terrainmat.com/) as the mat only lasted about 5 years before it began shedding and cracking like crazy, which was unexpected. He claims they are better now, but I am still warey.
Good luck!
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Thanks a lot axabrax! Must have some gaming mats as soon as possible!
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Just a FYI, saw in one of my news feeds for gaming that Deep Cut Studios now offers not only the vynial but cloth material now......very excited by this...sounds like that may be your solution there.
Also this was in the news, a double bonus, a discount!
To celebrate this until December 14th all gaming mats are available with a -10% discount with a code ‘gimmecloth’ at our webshop checkout window. Grab yourself a part of upcoming holiday joy and get ready for the next year’s gaming pleasure!
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qyyiFbkLuTY/VIcvYwbjLoI/AAAAAAAAn5Y/gHWv8Fzy9lc/s1600/10805636_917736198238599_7229690152443421661_n.jpg)
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Did anyone order the new cloth maps already? Or perhaps is anyone in the possession of two different ones and can do comparison - PVC vs cloth? Thanx!
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I have 5.....1 PVC and 4 Cloth...I love them all.
http://diceoflegends.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-progressive-day.html
http://diceoflegends.blogspot.com/2015/01/deepcut-studio-mats-arrive.html
I will be doing a full review soon....these are just excited teaser posts.
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Nice! I am very interested in the Wasteland map. Have you thought about doing a short video? Often pictures tend to look too much different but videos are more "real" and offer a better understanding.
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hi, did you try mato- war from thehobbyden.com, might be what you are looking for, we use them at our club all the time
brian
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Nice! I am very interested in the Wasteland map. Have you thought about doing a short video? Often pictures tend to look too much different but videos are more "real" and offer a better understanding.
I will see what I can do....the Camera can do video but is rather old....the phone I have is newer and may work better...
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hi, did you try mato- war from thehobbyden.com, might be what you are looking for, we use them at our club all the time
brian
A good company to file away also....the only thing I don't like is the desert and the beige mats well they look grey to me not beige and desert color.
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I have the green mat o war, it's great. High marks.
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A good company to file away also....the only thing I don't like is the desert and the beige mats well they look grey to me not beige and desert color.
yes, the desert matt can do with some spray paint of yellow, beige and grey for a more realistic look, the grass matt
has a few shades of green, brown etc so looks just like a summer static grass look
brian
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So we have cloth mats from Deepcut. Anyone around with good comparison shots with PVC versions side by side?
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Another review (in good quality) on YouTube showed up today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqGog9k5ZEA
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Next online YouTube review - Deepcut Studio CLOTH mat:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUYPrLthy9c