Making my own dungeon tiles [Updated with heavy images]

[Donpimpom]

I'm working on my own dungeon tiles, is not a masterclass, but I think telling you my experience could help you if you are thinking in a similar project.
Since a long time I’m looking for a small set of dungeon tiles. The main goal is to use them for:
-pulp Egypt games
-Arabian fantasy games (D&D Al-Qadim like)
I wanted something looking like sandstone tiles, dusty but without pushing too hard in the Egyptian style. Specific style details will added later, using scenery items when setting the board (columns, statues etc)

My first choice was to build my own mould and cast the tiles following many of the samples here on the forum.
Sadly my poor criteria choosing the silicone turned into the worse mould ever seen.  
I casted it a few times using Sculptamold and got half a dozen tiles of awful quality and very bulky.


The feedback after the first batch of castings was really bad, casting is boring, takes more time than it looks like (professional casters you have my respect!) and the tiles were really far from what I expected, but during the casting process I realized the Sulptamold is a product with really interesting properties.

So I decided to change the plan. As I had the real fun modelling the original tile for the mould, I decided to model all the tiles, yes one by one, as I said I dont need a vast production, and in that way every tile will look different.
I found Sulptamold was not suitable for this new approach, so I picked a new product, modelling clay Das, available in white or brown, its air-hardening, it has less definition than Sculpy but don’t needs baking, and its much cheaper (1Kg pack 6€).

That’s what I got after a couple of evenings modelling.


The tile photo allows you to see the detail defitinition of the Das clay, I think is good enough for that project, as you can appreciate the job don’t requires top-level skills modelling. As modelling tools I used a roller to laminate the clay,  toothpick and a modeling lancet to sculpt, and a hair-metal brush for textures.

I left the tiles driyng, a few hours to hard, but several days to be 100% dried. I would say after a few hours, despite it looks dry, if you wet the piece you can soft it and work again with it, like traditional clay, but I didn’t tried it.

On the meantime, since I only modelled rooms with the Das clay I decided to get back the sculptamold tiles, I sawed and sanded them to build a few corridors for my dungeon.


and now for something completely different
As I previously said I think sculptamold has a lot of possibilities, is good for casting but when half dry it can also be modelled in basic shapes but keeping nice texture. I decided to try a test building some dirt tunnel corridors and room tiles.
I mixed sculptamold, and as he gets their “porridge” look I simply throw it over a surface in the shape of the desired corridors and rooms (previously I tested sculptamold don’t adheres to that plastic surface).

After 30-40 minutes, when it’s hard, I bended the plastic surface to make the pieces “pop” from it, its important the timing, too soon the piece will be too soft and will crack, if too late the posibilities of adherence increase and then it will crack too.

Once removed I let them dry, it took a few days to completely dry.
When dried I cut some cardboard bases to give the sculptamold a bit more of resistance, glued, addedd Vallejo Pumice coarse paste, and ready to go to the painter.

[6milPhil]

That's looking really good, looking forward to seeing them painted.

... casting is boring...

Easy now, or you'll stand accused of being castist. 

[sundayhero]

So I decided to change the plan. As I had the real fun modelling the original tile for the mould, I decided to model all the tiles, yes one by one, as I said I dont need a vast production, and in that way every tile will look different.

That's a good attitude. You don't give up and find a better way for you 


I also made a big 3d dungeon tiles set, I can say that it's long and boring. But 1000 times less boring than grass flocking 4 big boxes of heroscape tiles 

[Donpimpom]

Omg! i hate flocking, I suppose thats why I plan most of my games in desert boards  
6milPhil au contraire! after this short experience with casting, I will never dare to criticize the smallest bubble in a casted piece again

The square ones are almost painted, but the "tunnel" tiles will take a bit more of time, i made a couple of photps while setting the test board of the .45 adventure scenary I plan to play with that scenery.
Sorry about the quality of the photos, they where for personal purposes, when I'm done I will take new ones nicely lighted

[Vonkluge]

Dang nice job and the results look great! Don't beat yourself up so bad, we all start somewhere and learn from others, expanding on their original ideas. Your set up has inspired me to get back and work more on my Desert setup...  I like the transition from outside to inside (underground) simple but effective and changeable. Don't know if you have thought of this or not but to add suspense to your adventure take a picture of the underground section, print it, or draw it on paper. Mark it out with all your traps, NPCs, characters, ect... then pick it up and only lay down the section just to their front or what the can "see" by torch light! You can also give partial copies to players who might have found, stole, or bought it earlier, this map might even be wrong! Lots of good Pulp stuff there!

Building, mold making and casting are almost a hobby in itself and is one learned through research, with lots of trial and error. I have done quite a bit and still get frustrated but when it turns out and you have stuff no one else does and people are enjoying your game telling you "well done" its quite a nice feeling. These are a few pieces I built, molded, cast, redid, ect. The Sphinx is quite big about 10 inches high and a foot long.

You need one of these....

I first cast a mold off a perfect smooth new looking piece bought from a nick knack shop, I cast a duplicate in casting plaster then re-carved it as "old" doing all the cracks, exposed brick, chips, ect....aged it with a sand blaster! I put 1000 years of blowing desert sand on it in about 10 minutes. I then made a second mold of the aged piece. After I cast that a few time I used one of those to make the other head off version.





www.HistoricalHobbies.com/

[beefcake]

Very nice. Das looks pretty good. I may get me some of that to work with.

[section 8]

Very cool! thanks for sharing.

[beefcake]

My order of das arrived yesterday.  

[The_Wisecrack]

very nice. used to use a similar technique for brick walls. need to grab some more white clay.

[Donpimpom]

As promised, some shots of the tiles finally painted. Despite my cheap camera is again not helping to bump my reputation as painter.
If loading images takes long you can see the pictures also on my blog
http://my28mm.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/desert-dungeon-tiles/


the painted tunels look like this

and thats a sample display of all together

I'm happy with the final look of the removable tile, I can pick out the central part to place inside any
kind of devilish invention, first are a spicke and snakes pit, but i will make more according game needs.



All in all I'm quite happy with the work with the Das clay, I think i will use it to build more stuff,
i'm thinking on some adobe houses, it should be like making tiles and glueing them together :-D
As last note, please a moment of silence for the memory of this miniature (from the arab range of Mega)
which after the photo session was varnished with a corrupted Vallejo spray varnish. 

You can see how the poor guy is looking now, the statues and the stone golem where also varnished
on the same pack but I succeed to remove most of the varnish

[uti long smile]

These are great. I do love the colours in those tiles - cracking PJ.

[The_Wisecrack]

the tunnel idea is awesome, perhaps some torches on sticks and lighting source? to add effect? because they're a tad beige. the tiles looks amazing as well.

[Elk101]

It looks great to me. I have all these ideas about casting my own stuff but I'm always put off by what seems to be involved. I'm always impressed by those that do.

[dampfpanzerwagon]

I've been using DAS modelling clay for years. A great product.

I like what you have done with rough passages. Very good.

Tony

[Donpimpom]

Glad you like it!
I love the idea of the torches on the passages, I have a bag of furniture and scenics from Mega waiting to be painted for this project.
The main concept is simply changing the scenic details the tiles can work for egyptian tombs, cultist undergrounds, arabian fantasy or even retro scifi (flash gordon or barsoom style).
 So, the tunnels (someday) will work over a green mat as the transitable areas of a planet Mongo poisonous swamp or similar.
New pieces made in same style only need to be painted in reds to work as lava river.