Gale Force Nine 'concrete rubble' alternative?

[Vladimir]

I am currently constructing a 2'x2' gaming board and am trying to recreat a 'dried river bed' effect using Gale Force Nine's 'Concrete Rubble Mix'. So far I've covered about two inches of board and used three pots! Hence, anyone know where I can get a load of very small concrete rubble dirt cheap in the UK?

Just thought I'd ask!

[Grimmnar]

I am currently constructing a 2'x2' gaming board and am trying to recreate a 'dried river bed' effect using Gale Force Nine's 'Concrete Rubble Mix'. So far I've covered about two inches of board and used three pots! Hence, anyone know where I can get a load of very small concrete rubble dirt cheap in the UK?

Just thought I'd ask!

Any construction sites busy near by where you are? I mean concrete pieces smashed up are nice. Cinderblocks is another nice source. That is off the top of my head. Now i haven't seen the stuff first hand so i don't really know what it looks like, smells like, and feels. Anyone else? :-)

Grimm

[Wirelizard]

GF9 Concrete Rubble.

Why not just do what GF9 do - pour a thin sheet of plaster out, let it harden, then smash it up? You too could sell twenty cents worth of plaster (and a few seconds with a hammer) for $3.99! 

One of the tougher plasters - Hydrostone, Hydrocal, dental plaster, etc - would probably give a better result (and is almost certainly what GF9 themselves use) but even plain old Plaster of Paris would work.

Somewhere in one of my boxes'o'stuff I actually have a bag of random plaster cast bits, ready for the day I need rubble material again in a scenery project. No need to spend $3.99 for a tiny little jar of the stuff!

[Dewbakuk]

Yep, they use Hydrocal (I believe) which they pour into a sheet and smash into small pieces. I use a "stonecast" powder for my plaster casting, much easier to get hold of in the UK and almost as strong.

Cast yourself a big sheet of it and smash to size.

[Hammers]

By the way, Gale Force Nine, aren't they getting away with day light robbery? Everywhere I look their products are much more expensive and no better than other brands, even GW.

[Glitzer]

By the way, Gale Force Nine, aren't they getting away with day light robbery? Everywhere I look their products are much more expensive and no better than other brands, even GW.

I assume that's a problem with licensed products, GW doesn't have to license their own markers, GF9 has to. And when the sales show you there are people out there paying mighty dollars for you specialised products, why not charge the same amount for the unspeciallised products? After all GF9 produces many things you don't really need when you can operate a pair of scissors. They are gaming luxury goods. Either you want to use them or you don't. But I havn't seen their modelling products yet, I still use the Noch and Busch model railway stuff.

[Hammers]

By the way, Gale Force Nine, aren't they getting away with day light robbery? Everywhere I look their products are much more expensive and no better than other brands, even GW.

I assume that's a problem with licensed products, GW doesn't have to license their own markers, GF9 has to. And when the sales show you there are people out there paying mighty dollars for you specialised products, why not charge the same amount for the unspeciallised products? After all GF9 produces many things you don't really need when you can operate a pair of scissors. They are gaming luxury goods. Either you want to use them or you don't. But I havn't seen their modelling products yet, I still use the Noch and Busch model railway stuff.

That's my point. I don't want them because they charge €25 for a pin vice I can get for €10 elsewhere. I fail to see what's luxury about them and I hope someone can tell me what it is since I am generally willing to pay a little more for a quality product.

[Vanvlak]

Easy and cheap solution. Go to a pet shop, buy a bag of cat litter of the Fullers' earth type - this is not a brand, mind you, but a type of cat litter which is grey and shaped like broken down concrete rubble - see? 
It's perfect, and you can get a huge sack which lasts a lifetime.
Useful if you have cats, too....

[Glitzer]

the GF9 Pin vice costs 15$ from Paizo, looks reasonable to me, maybe it simply doesn't make sense to import it to sweden. Same's true over here in germany for Reapers p65 line. Teh minis cost about the same as the ordinary Reaper minis. Simply no use in importing cheaper minis when importing itself is the really cost-intensive step.

The concrete rubble by GF9 looks OK to me, but I really wouldn't buy it, as my family has about 10 meters of workbench in the basement. But if you are not in the fortunate position of having enough room to mess around with lots of plaster, plaster-dust and hammers, why not buy it?

For the riverbed: I'd continue with what I've begun with. You will recognise every change in material will be noticable so there are basically two options: Continue with GF9's concret rubble, or organising your own rubble and removing the GF9 rubble. Try adding PVA glue and a tiny drop of dish washer to dentists plaster. Should produce some nice durable material for rubble breaking.

[Modhail]

And at the risk of stating the obvious:
Mix in some black paint when you make the plaster. It will give a grey colour to it once dry.
That way, if you do get some chipping and wear over time, it won't be as noticeable...

[Dewbakuk]

Vladimir - Any chance you can take a pic of what you've done so far? I like the idea and would be interested in seeing the effect.

You've actually got me wondering If I can cast a 4'x4'  sheet and crack it right to make a baked desert/mud flat effect....

[Vanvlak]

Fullers' earth pic:


and link to one supplier:
http://www.valupets.com/pets/cats-litter-assorted/pettex-fullers-earth-cat-litter-18kg__30l/20138.html

[Dewbakuk]

Probably useful as rubble but I suspect he's going for this kind of effect.

[Burgundavia]

For the dried mud effect, why not get some air-drying clay and then desicate it? I haven't tried it, but a low temp oven or food dryer would likely cause it to crack wonderfully.

[rob_the_robgoblin]

What about cat litter?

I have seen the large stuff used really well for this sort of thing.

Sounds funny, but seriously. Far cheaper.