Badlands Set II

A new set of Badlands has ben posted to my miniatures site, check it out for more pics:
GO TO THE BADLANDS PAGE

The CHASM: END CAPS

The CHASM: Cliff Walls

The Chasm set is designed to be group of modular pieces that can form a single cliff face or a deep gorge. These two pieces are the wall sections. The front side of the walls has a beveled base, and the back surface has also been given detail in case the players need it.

These pieces would be particularly exciting with a river below and a rope bridge crossing the span... or a giant tree trunk for Kong to toss down.

the CHASM: Cave Entrance

Part one of several blog entries on the CHASM project from November, 2009.

Making ROCK

Back In November 2009 I made a very large batch of rocky terrain features, including a chasm, some cave pieces and badlands. Due to the cold weather setting in and the large volume of pieces required for these projects, I opted to avoid using my hot wire cutting tools, as the fumes are difficult to exhaust from my basement studio. The Cave pieces were developed by reusing scraps of foam from previous projects, which gives them a nice random appearance and allowed me to clear out some scrap from the supply yard.
A few observations on gluing EPS foam: I used wood glue to adhere the layers of foam used to make the chasm, with toothpicks to reinforce and hold them together. I had to weigh these pieces down in a large stack with a stump, and even after drying for several days, the wood glue was still damp or wet in places. I have since switched to using two or three hot glue guns for large pieces, which necessitates working quickly. There are other options, such as Liquid Nails, but I have found hot glue to give the best and quickest results so far, and it is less toxic.
Another observation about EPS foam is that is not perfectly formed, or perhaps becomes warped during storage and transport. What that results in is the surfaces of two flat sides not being flush when pressed together. In the future I am looking in to finding a good source for larger, thicker blocks of EPS to make the cliffs and chasms with, so that layering will not be necessary. Any excessive gaps were filled with a vinyl spackle.
During the sculpting the foam I experimented with some new tools and techniques as a result of opting against the hot wire cutters. The chasm pieces were textured using a power drill, by running the side of a flat bore bit along the face of the cliff. The bore bits can also work for drilling or digging deep recesses with great results. Other tools used to create contour and shape were a metal sculpting rasp and a wire brush, in addition to the usual box cutters, sheet rock saws and bread knives.
PROPANE!! A propane torch was the final element in forming the rock pieces. The rough shapes required a bit of smoothing, to add a weathered, eroded look and melt off some of the debris and lighter scraps still clinging to them. I took the pieces outside and very lightly ran a propane torch over the surfaces to slightly melt and shrink the foam a bit. I used EXTREME CAUTION to avoid creating or breathing the vapor and fumes. If you are careful enough, the foam will not be burned, and very little hazardous fumes will be created. I used a filter mask in any case, and the wind was also helping to clear fumes away during this process. I would NEVER advise using the propane torch for this method indoors.
The painting process was a big production. I set up some large tables by the grill and base coated everything in a couple of days with Interior matte latex paint. This is durable and very economical, and the best solution for large quantities of terrain features.

Bocage

Here are some pics of 15mm scale Bocage (French Hedgerows in Normandy) recently finished on commission. There are 35 pieces of Bocage in this first set. I will be making additional pieces soon with the ground at a higher level, as I feel these were just a bit on the low side. All of the fences are scratch built from bass wood. I used a low temp glue gun to attach the tree foliage, and a normal glue gun for the hedges.

These are a variation on the bocage tutorial from the D-Day Flames of War supplement. I modified the design by making them a bit wider and rounding off the ends instead of doing a straight cut (90 degree). I felt this would allow them to blend with the table better, and also discovered that corners, t-sections and such are really not necessary; with a rounded end you can but these up against each other with ease. Just make sure the hedge material comes all the way to the end of each piece.

We played a quick game of "Song of Drums and Shakos” by Ganesha Games using 15mm Napoleonics on this table and had a great time!

You may notice a few other scenic items here: vineyards, a villa, and some extra trees, a couple of fields and swamp pieces; these were made by various other terrain artists. Great looking table methinks!

Modular Riverbanks

These Riverbank sections are designed to allow players a flexible system for creating either a wide variety of layouts. Each section is made of EPS foam mounted on MDF and painted with interior matte latex paints. I have illustrated just a few of the possible layouts using these pieces, and included a 28mm scale fantasy ruin (in progress) for scale.

The panels beneath the riverbanks are 2'x4' water and grass boards.

Modular Wargaming Hills

These hills are designed for maximum battlefield efficiency! Each hill is made to last, mounted on beveled MDF bases, completely textured with sand and light gravel, painted in three shades of latex matte interior paint and flocked with some green stuff.

The hills were cut from pink polystyrene using a jigsaw set at an approximate 30 degree angle, beveled mdf bases ate at 45 degrees. The hills are attached to the mdf via hot glue; I used two hot glue guns simultaneously and you have to work quickly before the glue cools.

The sand and gravel texture is applied by brushing out wood glue then sprinkling the sand over the hills. A roller was used to apply the first shade of dark brown then two lighter shades were dry brushed over the base coat. The flock is applied in the same manner as the sand; glue then sprinkle flock.

A note on angle and texture: I kept the edges of the hills at a fairly sharp angle, as a gaming compromise. Low angle / gradually sloping hills look great, but are nearly impossible to balance miniatures on. I also kept large rocks and pebbles out of my texture so that hills would lay flat on each other when stacked.

Terrain philosophy: I always balance game play with aesthetic value in my terrain pieces. What makes for a great diorama does not always make for a playable piece of terrain that minis can be placed on. I also go for durability as this stuff gets a lot of use and tends to be clunked around during transport and set up.

Water Table Finished

I have just completed work on a two panel water table. Here are the details on how they were made:

The basic table sections are constructed with 2'x4' masonite, braced on a frame made of 1"x2" boards. They are heald together during game with two c clamps.

These table sections were recycled; that is to say the original surface was done as a grassland board, textured with cat liter. I own 5 of these panels and don't often have a need for a 10' long table so I decided to scrape two of them down with a rasp to refurbish them as water tables. The original texture of the tables was reinforced with a thin layer of fine sand, primed with gesso, given a thick coat of black latex, then the final waves were painted using matte latex interior paints. After the colors were finished, the table was then sealed with Minwax acrylic gloss varnish.

The Goblin Caves

Deep beneath the Dwarven mines lurk all manner of strange beasts, and woe to the foolhardy miner who wanders off alone.

Here are a couple pics from the cave set I just finished, modular scatter terrain for underground battling.

Badlands Complete

The Badlands scenery set for Wild West battles is complete. I developed a new technique for creating natural stone and rock formations using a sheet rock knife, bread knife, box cutter sculpting rasp and propane torch. Behold the results here: a table full of inhospitable scenery for your gunfighters and Gorkamorka / post apocalyptic mayhem.

Coming next: Caves and Chasms.

Badlands WIP

In the works: Badlands desert terrain set for the Wild West and anywhere else you'd find inhospitable arid rock formations...

This stuff is made of EPS foam, glued in layers with wood glue, shaped with bread knives and sculpting tools, then lightly shrunk with a propane torch. Paint comes next.