Terrain builder question: street furniture?

[Modhail]

Hi folks,

I need some advice/ideas. I'm planning to build some urban terrain, suitable for several eras.  I want to use this terrain for, amongst others, Steampowered fantasy (Iron Kingdoms), Victoriana, current day and near future/post-apocalyptic, all skirmish level games.

The problem occurs in street fixtures and furniture.... I'd like to add things like streetlights, roadsigns, streetnames and traffic lights (if appropriate to the era).
Because knowing the people I play with, they will be crashing their oxcarts/sportscars into them, or rip them out to use as weapons... 
Due to the whole "mult-era" thing, I can't fix them permanently to the terrain, I need to be able to swap them out.
I'm just a bit at a loss on how to place them on the table. Seeing that most of these things are rather tall and narrow, they are prone to toppling over without overly large bases...
How would you solve this? Embed magnets/metal in the sidewalks? Holes/slots in the sidewalk, clip them to it?
If you have any suggestions, or maybe examples to show, please let me know!

[Aaron]

My local game shop embedded sheet steel plates in their game boards and then magnetized their trees. It is very effective and once they had textured and painted the boards you had no idea the steel was under there. It should work just as well for street lights and the like.

[Cory]

Most of these are usually anchored to sidewalks anyway, so how about using Aaron's idea and making sidewalks out of steel plate like the tie  pllates from the hardware store?

[Modhail]

I think I just hit on a crazy idea that just might work... 
Because I already have my MDF bases cut, I was looking around for steel paper, to glue on top of the MDF.
One of the sites also listed "magnetic paint" (aka paint laced with enough ferrous powder to cause attraction with magnets).
Maybe I could paint my sidewalks with this stuff?
One of the local DIY's is listed as a stockist.
I think I'm going to have a look this weekend to see how expensive it is, and if they have it in stock....
If it isn't to dear, I'll run some field tests.

[Commander Vyper]

If I was starting my boards over again I've magnetise trees and traffic lights etc... using those little rare earth magnets, best bet as the pieces will 'snap' into place nicely.

The Commander

[Modhail]

Yup, that's what I'm aiming for as well: a sturdy way to attach those items, but making them easy to replace at the same time. Preferably without the visual "disturbance" of putting them on bases.
If the paint turns out a bust, I'll probably be falling back to magnetic sheeting or embedded rare earth magnets.
I'll show my results with the paint (unless they fail miserably.... Then I'll just initiate a cover-up.... )

[Aaron]

I don't know from personal experience, but I have been told the magnetic paint is not strong enough to hold things securely. Still probably worth a try if it isn't too expensive.

[Commander Vyper]

I don't know from personal experience, but I have been told the magnetic paint is not strong enough to hold things securely. Still probably worth a try if it isn't too expensive.

It won't work or do the finished table justice, do it right first time and put the effort in, rare earth magnets and metal, the only way to fly!

[Modhail]

Just got some more info about the average prices of that paint.... Forget about it.. The stuff would have to be pretty darn amazing to get anything near a reasonable price/effect ratio.

So, anyone know where to get a fair amournt of steel paper or similar metal sheeting for a reasonable price? (preferably within the EU, to keep the shipping cost in check...)

[Oliver]

If I recall correctly I think(dangerous I know) S&A scenics have it at £1.50 or £1.75 a sheet but cannot remember...

[Smokeyrone]

what are your sidewalks and terrain surface made out of? 

What about your furniture?  metal?  lead, plastic, wood?  What kind of base?

[Modhail]

The sidewalks are part of the baseboards of the buildings, so: MDF. Currently I have no plans for other terrain that needs swappable items tacked on...

Furniture will be stuff like traffic lights, street signs, maybe fire hydrants. Some bought, some homemade, so most likely a mixture of all that you mentioned and resin...

Bases are what I'm trying to (ideally) avoid or minimise. The bases for the mini's I use are a mixture of plastic slotta's and wood.

[HerbyF]

I don't know about the UK but around here the ceapest source for magnetic sheet is sign making suppliers. The best source for metal sheet is suppliers for heating & air conditioning contracters.

[Smokeyrone]

Yep.  Try tyo avoid buying a lot a magnetic sheet, in small sized units, from craft retailers, or it will get very expensive.

Know any real estate brokers?  They have access to  magnetic sign suppliers"  (they get those large car door advertising magnetic signs cheap)


If possible, try making roads (or a small manhole or drain or such, and sidewalks and such from magnets,  It can be scribed, cut, shaped, and painted easily.  (I make entire walls, mealie bags and biscuit box barricades out of carved magnets, so my Zulus and such can stand atop a barricade between turns as the rules indicate.  Stairs too.




 

[Modhail]

Hmm, I don't know any people in the industries you mentioned...    I'll have to get the stuff at "normal people price".

Carving magnets?