Cloth with streams? - advice pls :)

[Silent Invader]

I have a jungle project on the go and was going to use my temperate terrain tiles but adding palm trees and 'jungley' lower level vegetation. (I seem to have suddenly accumulated a lot of palm trees: thank goodness for eBay!).

It's tempting to create a caulk, kitty litter and flock cloth with a myriad of tracks etc to which I can add the 'loose' jungle but a major sticking point is the integration of rivers. Can anyone point to 'realistic' textured cloths that incorporate rivers but can still be rolled?

Thanks 

[Daeothar]

How about using dark brown or olive colored gloss vinyl tablecloth, cut into shape, glued to your base-cloth? If you want to grit that up anyway, why not use the grit and paint to cover up the edges of the vinyl?

It's just as flexible as the cloth you're using, so it can be rolled up just as well, and integrated, it will always look better than laid out on top...

[Silent Invader]

Good idea! Hadn't thought of that   Thanks  

[dampfpanzerwagon]

Some years ago - I used strips of faded denim for streams. Never the best - but it did work.

Tony

[LeadAsbestos]

This is what we've been using for Junglegrave. A Hotz felt river (which looks like crap by itself ) on a Cigar Box mat, surrounded by my gaming partner's amazing jungle terrain. Put them all together and we've got a fine table.

[Silent Invader]

Thanks guys, that's really helpful (great image too  )

I'm actually looking at recreating the board from the Platoon board game, so it'll have 'fixed' tracks and rivers. 

[tin shed gamer]

As it appears there's to be a fair amount of open grass land. I'd be tempted to go the faux fur route. Adding rivers and tracks with a combination of vinyl cloth,and latex caulking.
In addition you can fluctuate the height of the fur to give the open areas more depth and texture. It also solves the problem of blending the Jungle base edges into the mat.

There was a while back a thread on jungle bases( can't for the life of me remember who's) where they'd added dried Italian mixed herbs as well as static grass and tufts to the bases which made an effective leaf litter( which is why I remember it).

I've been toying with a jungle setting myself.But for me its a very time consuming way to make my limited gaming surface even smaller. So I'm more of an observational two penneth than a got the tee shirt comment on this one.
Either way it'll be an interesting build to keep an eye on.

Mark.

[Silent Invader]

That, Mark, is an excellent idea!   

Its tempting to burn off the fibres where the forest will be as I'm accumulating plenty of jungle that will need a flat surface to sit on. Some shorter grass (perhaps even flock) near the right hand track to accommodate a village, etc.

Thanks.

[Elk101]

Elledan has some great stuff on the LAF and on his own site covering teddy bear fur gaming mats. You might be able to find some good tips.

[Silent Invader]

Elledan has some great stuff on the LAF and on his own site covering teddy bear fur gaming mats. You might be able to find some good tips.

Yes thanks Steve. Elladen's work is excellent.

[Elk101]

I've always fancied having a go at a full gaming mat using teddy bear fur. I'd assumed it would be a NW European setting but it could be ideal for Vietnam.

[Silent Invader]

I've got a piece to hand (left over from Belgium 1914) that's big enough to have a test with for a dining table 'skirmish' game using the layout above.  The long grass will add to the claustrophobia of the small gaming space, methinks.

Btw Steve, I've got some scale bamboo from China now, and it's cheap but effective. Long grass into bamboo could look good.

[Elk101]

I may have the same bamboo from a Chinese eBay seller! I've been slowly gathering stuff for this for years.

[Silent Invader]

Probably! Goes by the name 9amfree.

These are the sort of thing I'm working with - I've actually trimmed the bamboo as it comes in a pack of 100 pieces of various heights.

[tin shed gamer]

Bugger!
I wish id thought of using these .When I was filling the green house on my Ether flyer!