Starting a Hex Board: First pieces done!

[Sangennaru]

Ok geometry guys, new task:

Since the board is for flying ships, i will have to make a hole exactely in the center of each hexagon.

SO: the very cool shape shown by mr.Dewbakuk is not working, because the hole will be on the edge. Another hexagonal modular shape exists? =)

thanks again, sorry for my change of plans, but actually this version is much better for the aesthetic outcome!

[Brandlin]

I think you are wrong. The shape dewbakuk drew has a central hexagon so the hole would be in the middle of it.

Any layout where the number of small hexagons across the diameter of the large hexagon is odd will have a central hexagon.

Any layout where the number of small hexagons across the diameter of the large hexagon is even will have a junction of three hexagons at the centre.

[Dewbakuk]

I think he means every hexagon requires a hole.

In which case, you can't use solid hexagons as your 'area' piece. You will always have 'halves' at the edges. The only way around that is to cut those halves away and interlock your tile pieces as shown in the Heroscape terrain earlier. The more hexs you have within a hex, the more difficult that interlocking becomes.

[Sangennaru]

probably i expressed myself bad: central hexagon or not is the same.

My point is that i have to make a hole in the middle of each small tile (to joint the flying stands), and a half-cutted hexagon will be a problem! for the center of the big hexagon is fine, my concern is for the edges: there are half-cutted hexagons, and it means that the hole should be on the very edge - half per big hexagon, which is not good.

EDIT: Yes, so there are no solutions for that? awww, that is a problem! =(

[Dewbakuk]

Afraid so. The only shape you can put in that will fill every part of the hex and maintain a uniform size is a triangle.

[gnomehome]

Maybe this might help you to generate some printouts you can cut up to experiment with:

http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/hexagonal/

[Sangennaru]

hum. i'l sort something out of it. thanks Dewbakuk for the advices and thanks gnome for the link, is very useful for many purposes! =)

cheers,
Jack

[Sangennaru]

Yeah, seems that with central holes i can only make square shapes. It is ok, but the rotational simmetry is worse, makes me have only 2 configurations! =(

[FramFramson]

Maybe stick to hexes, just increase the border just enough in size to allow centre holes?

[zizi666]

It would probably look funny on a table, but maybe you could cut out half a circle from the border of your half-hex to glue a tube in.
you could then stick the flying stand in the tube.
BTW : if you intend to use foam for your tiles, I'd advise you to glue tubes in the center holes anyway, for strength. I'm guessing otherwise your stands will suffer from Pisa tower syndrome 

[haydn]

If interested in casting your own, have you checked out this mould:
http://keeblerstudios.com/?product=hex-mold-plain

[Sangennaru]

It would probably look funny on a table, but maybe you could cut out half a circle from the border of your half-hex to glue a tube in.
you could then stick the flying stand in the tube.
BTW : if you intend to use foam for your tiles, I'd advise you to glue tubes in the center holes anyway, for strength. I'm guessing otherwise your stands will suffer from Pisa tower syndrome  

Yeah, tubes were of course already on plan. The stands are made of 1mm (or less?) brass rods, and the tube will be exactely fitting it. luckly, the standars sizes allow that.

For the border: i was thiking also about the half tube. but this way i cannot join together some of the hexagons. hum, that's a hard job indeed. =)

@haydn: a 1x1,5m in resin cast pieces would cost me too much, i'm afraid. =) but all the rest of the table will be filled by resin scenery i have sculpted and casted! =)

[zizi666]

For the border: i was thiking also about the half tube. but this way i cannot join together some of the hexagons. hum, that's a hard job indeed. =)

Well, you could create some with half tube spacing but no tube attached that would fit the ones with a tube. Ofcourse you wouldn't have any other use for them.

If your terrain is smaller than the table you place it upon, you could glue tubes to a metal plate and use those whenever you have to place a miniature in one of the outer half-hexes. (you'd just have to cut out the half-tube without glueing anything in place)
That way you could still put 2 halves together over one such support.

[Sangennaru]

hum, what do you mean exactely? i can't understand your plan (for my english, i thing)


alternatively, i can make the holes a little distant from the edges. This way, there will be 2 holes in the border hexes, and only one could be used. I don't like it conceptually, but pratically it is the best solution.

[Comsquare]

Hei Jack,

played a little with the "Heroscape" gametiles around today.
What about this:



40cm from corner to corner