*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 12:56:56 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Recent

Author Topic: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?  (Read 1958 times)

Offline cram

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 943
Title says it really!
I'm looking to make dirt track roads and rivers that are as low as possible, no raised edges, so that they blend in with the ground their laying on, not sit raised on top of it. To have them very flexible so as to be able to run down/over hills would be an added bonus.

Anybody managed to achieve this, or have some ideas as to maybe go about it?

Thanks.

Offline FifteensAway

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4602
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2019, 01:43:55 AM »
Step one, secure a piece of glass thick enough to withstand the following - and use caution, please.

Step two, secure a supply of DAP acrylic caulk in the available color of your choice (probably clear for water effects).  Don't even think about using silicon caulk - you will regret it.

Step three, secure a roller for spreading out the caulk as thin as you like.

Step four, place tape margins on the underside of the glass to control width.

Step five, secure a good quality box knife with extra blades (always use sharp blades) - and, again, use caution, please.

Step six, roll out the caulk as thin as you dare (it can go pretty thin).  Clean roller as you go.

Step seven, allow to dry for a bit.

Step eight, cut as needed to achieve the desired piece.

Step nine, carefully peel up the piece or pieces and set aside to allow to really get very dry.

Step ten, spray paint with a flat color, both sides (prevents stickiness in the future) and allow to dry.

Step eleven, paint the terrain pieces as desired, add flocking and other bits as desired, allow to dry.

Step twelve, play with your new terrain in a game.

There you have it, a twelve step program with not a drink in sight! 

By the way, the reason for the glass is to provide a nice, smooth, even bottom to the pieces.  It will take a bit of practice and you will probably "ruin" a few pieces before you get the hang of it.

Final step, pay the bill I'm about to send you - where is that I send it again?!   lol

Offline ColonelMutumbu

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 55
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2019, 03:04:57 AM »
Have you done this with anything other than glass? curious if something like a piece of stainless steel or a tile would work?
lead count 2022: bought 227 painted :227
score: 0

Offline FifteensAway

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4602
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2019, 04:58:33 AM »
I'm sure many surfaces will work but the glass gives you the see through benefit for the boundaries - and it cleans up pretty easy, not sure if other surfaces will clean up as well.  Try it out and let us know, perhaps?

Offline SteveBurt

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1283
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2019, 11:57:51 AM »
Felt! I have both dirt roads and asphalt made from strips of felt many years ago. The dirt ones are mid brown felt with bits of green and darker brown painted on, the asphalt ones are grey. They cling to static grass terrain boards, and go over hills.

Offline Hu Rhu

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • *
  • Posts: 3408
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2019, 04:57:53 PM »
Try using caulk on fabrics which once dry will both roll up and within reasonable angles will lay flat on hills etc.  There are plenty of tutorials available about caulk mats.

Offline has.been

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 8229
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2019, 05:47:54 PM »
Just bought the Dirt road & River from Deep Cut Studio, happy with them.

Offline sundayhero

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2452
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2019, 06:45:49 PM »
I made some in the past (in fact I made a LOT of flexible roads for customers). I'm using a base of linen cloth, with some acrylic calk on it, wich I texture with diferent sands, flock, etc...

Once dry, it stays flat on the table, but is still flexible enough to follow an hill etc...

Offline Schogun

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 946

Offline Munindk

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 642
  • Denmark
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2019, 12:01:52 PM »
Here's a youtube video on how to make rivers much in the style of homemade caulk mats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIG5lMytswM

I havent tried it myself, but only due to lack of time, as I think it looks fairly easy.

Offline snitcythedog

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • *
  • Posts: 2198
    • Snitchys blog
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2019, 06:33:23 PM »
On the non flexible side I commissioned a river from one of the MDF manufactures.  It fit the bill and was not as expensive you might think.  Banks and base to match.
http://snitchythedog.blogspot.com/2019/09/started-straights.html
Not flexible but it worked.
A bottle of scotch and two aspirin a day will greatly reduce your awareness of heart disease.
"Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference"... Mark Twain
http://snitchythedog.blogspot.com

Offline gweirda

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 175
    • Brawlfactory
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2019, 07:15:36 PM »
No intent to hijack, but...

Has anyone tried using DIY weed-blocker cloth as a base?

I've used it for bocage bases (with an insulation foam ridge) and have been happy - the holes in the fabric made for a good bond (imo) to the 'above ground' stuff.  I was wondering if I could use the leftover stock (lots and lots!) with a schmeared caulk to build some roads.

Offline cram

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 943
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2019, 07:46:07 PM »
Great advice from everyone thanks!  The flexible river on the youtube video looks interesting, as do his roads on his other videos. He has some issues with his stuff curling on the edges, maybe something other than canvas should be used!

Offline bluewillow

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2280
  • Bluewillow- Matthew Williamson
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2019, 07:34:21 AM »
I use plumbers rubber weather strip up to 15cm wide cut to size then added sand with coloured silicone gauking, then painted to suit Terrain or clear for water.  Only comes in 25m rolls though and is expensive

Cheers
Matt

Offline SteveBurt

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1283
Re: any advice on making flat and preferably flexible roads and rivers?
« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2019, 11:05:21 AM »
Roads need to be flexible, but surely not rivers. They won't be flowing over hills