Terrain Base Material

[ZeroTwentythree]

I have a few terrain projects I would like to work on. I'd like to do a stone paved road on a slightly raised earth base, some rivers, and some bogs/marshes.

My normal basing material of choice is hardboard. The dense, brown stuff. It doesn't seem to warp and is quite affordable. But it makes a mess, the dust is really nasty, and requires quite a bit of work with a jigsaw, file, and sandpaper.

What alternatives do other people like? Ideally I would like something inexpensive, easy to work with, doesn't warp, minimal mess/toxicity, and easy to get. But everything I can think of has some sort of problem... plywood, foamcore, acrylic/plastic, etc. Am I missing something? Should I just go ahead an deal with the negative characteristics of the hardboard and be glad that the end product, at least, looks & works great?

Doesn't have to be the same product for all projects. I'm thinking about trying a test section of road using a double layer of foamcore, in spite of my longstanding frustration with the material. But I wouldn't even consider it for a river or marsh.

[FramFramson]

I'm making a go of using flexible vinyl linoleum tile sheet for some road bed right now. It's thin stuff, and durable. Once you have texture stuff on top, the weight keeps it flat (though there are also rigid linoleum tiles).

[Silent Invader]

Caulking (aka mastic) can make nice looking dirt tracks

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=23907.0

[OSHIROmodels]

I'd go for the hardboard, the pro's outweigh the con's 

cheers

James

[jmilesr01]

I use matt board (a heavy paper used in framing) covered in flexible latex caulk

They quick and cheap to make and can conform to terrain. 







http://lairoftheubergeek.blogspot.com/2015/07/sectional-terrain-basic-roads.html

[mxconnell]

I use 1/8" plywood available in the wood section of craft stores and hobby shops. I try to pick up a sheet suing a 40 or 50% off coupon from Michaels. Also 1/8" "lite ply" when I can get it (light weight version of playwood for R/C planes).

One trick is to seal both sides of the wood at the same time. This reduces warping. I get wood sealer in the craft pain section of the craft store. Once sealed, the ply is very tolerant of whatever you put on it.

Martin

[ZeroTwentythree]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like I might just stick with the hardboard/MDF. I think I was just holding out hope that someone had some wonder-material that I hadn't heard of before.

FramFramson, I did look at the linoleum a bit, but I wasn't certain it was what I was looking for. Has it worked well for you? I was also looking at vinyl/rubber wall base and vinyl laminate "fake wood" plank flooring in the same aisles of the hardware store.

To clarify/explain a bit about the type or roads I'm looking to make at the moment, think of something more like an ancient Roman road. Slightly raised, paved with stones. But I will definitely keep the latex method in mind for dirt roads in the future! I've also seen that used for plowed fields, which I may need to try out too. RIght after I build some sort of storage for all of my terrain plans. 

[FramFramson]

My project's not done yet, so I'm not sure. Looks good so far though.

One idea I want to try for cobbled roads is leather, but that could get expensive! 

[Connectamabob]

I'm thinking caulk on cloth. For raised Roman style roads, lay the caulk on really thick, like a solid "belt" of rubber 5mm or more deep (depends on mini scale, I suppose), and smooth/shape/blend with a wet finger.

I'm thinking cloth rather than board because it'll be ductile. I feel like something that can be draped over hills and dips would have more utility than something rigid. But the whole thing would have to have enough weight so it doesn't get shifted as people move their models. A thick layer of rubber (like for an elevated roman road) might solve that. But also a cloth that's coarse or abrasive might be "grippy" depending on the tabletop material.

[ZeroTwentythree]

I'm giving the acrylic some further consideration for use in making a river. My thought is to create some slightly textured river sections as described for roads, then when the initial shape sets up, add the banks on either side using the same acrylic material, but mixed with a bit of sand & other texture material. Once that's set up, paint it all, then add numerous thick layers of gloss acrylic varnish/gel on the water portion.

Warping is still my concern. Does the acrylic shrink? I have never worked with it, I'm thinking that it's usually best to use as few different materials as possible, to avoid warping due to different thermal/moisture expansion rates or shrinkage.

Thanks again for the input everybody!

[6mmfan]

I use caulk (acrylic) for 99% of my basing and I dont find it shrinks. Its meant to be a gap filler so would have thought shrinkage would not make it a good gap filler 

I'm not sure where you live, but you can get coloured caulk, or it is easy to mix paint in with the white caulk to get the colour you want

[frogimus]

Acrylic caulk on heavy canvas (painters drop cloth) works great as both a base mat and as modular features.

[Emir of Askaristan]

Lemax - the people who does the Christmas ornaments - make a vinyl road about 3" wide with what they call "pebble" finish. I think this would be exactly what you're looking for .