Saturday 28 October 2017

Terrain Mat Sections plus 'Setting the Scene' Book Update.





First of all I would like to give you an update on my terrain book 'Setting the Scene'. Finally things are moving again as I have joined forces with Steve Lampon, www.eyefordesign.co.uk an art director, fellow wargamer and friend, who is doing a wonderful job on the graphic design and between us we have decided to self-publish the book.

 My input was finished a while ago and Steve has been beavering away and is now about 1/3 of the way through doing his bit. The book will be A4 and around 120 pages with step by step guides to building winter terrain.

Just to give me a rough idea of numbers for the first printing run, if you think you may be interested then just leave a small comment at the end of this post. Obviously there is no commitment with this, I just want to get a feel of the potential interest out there in the wargaming community.

Steve will be adding updates of his progress on the design, so watch this space.




                                             FLEXIBLE TERRAIN MAT SECTIONS.(picture heavy)

I have been wanting to make another terrain mat for a while and having recently seen pictures of Lev Vykopal's superb terrain mat with a track/road running through it, I wanted to do something similar.

The only trouble with building features into your mat is that it limits its versatility for game layout, so I decided to make a load of smaller terrain mat sections with features built into them so they could be placed on the table as and where, as you would with any other piece of terrain.

These mats would also be used for hills on my gaming table by simply placing a book or two underneath them but the mat would have to be thick and stiff enough for this to work effectively.

If the mat is too thin then the slopes of the hill can dip/droop and the edges curl up a little. To combat this I gave my mat two layers of builders caulk with 24hr drying time between each layer. Also there was several layers of white glue gone into the mat for the initial sand and PVA mix and then for each layer of flocking, followed by another soaking of PVA white glue to seal everything in.

This resulted in a mat that was stiff enough to bend into shape but still flexible. I also made a load of flexible road/track which again I gave a double layer of caulk to and this rectified the slight curling up of the edges that I have found with some of the previous items that I have made.

For me, a road or hedge line following the contours of a hill helps to give the table a more realistic look and with these mats, hopefully they will give me enough gaming versatility.

I ended up making eight mats of different sizes, the biggest being approx. 24x30 inches and I also made about 30 x feet of track/road. To get everything to match and blend in with my gaming table, I also had to re-flock the surface.

                                           The mats and roads - painted but pre-flocked.





                                                                  Post-flocked mats

                                                   The gaming table re-flocked.
       
                
             I have used a 20mm and a 28mm figure to show terrain is suitable for either scale.
                                                            Two scrubland mats.



                                                         Same mat used as a hill.


              I have made a couple of mats as a double field with hedgerow down the middle.


                                                                             As a hill.

                       Rocky ground mat. (not sure if I should add vegetation to this)
                                                                                As a hill

                                            
                                                       Y - Junction with fields.
                              20mm PSC and 28mm Warlord Games vehicles for scale.
                                                                     As a hill

                                                          Crossroads with fields.
                                                                            As a hill.

                                                                Bendy road with fields.
                                                                          As a hill.

                                              Roads. 20mm and 28mm vehicle for scale.

                                                                    Storage space.
Although these could probably be gently rolled up, I don't want to tempt fate and as I don't intend to transport them anywhere they will be stacked flat, one on top of the other, so very little storage space used.


                                             The mats placed on the table with joining roads.



                                            Buildings, walls and extras added to layout.





28mm figures and vehicles added to layout to give you an idea of scale and because I like doing this.





















































 

79 comments:

  1. These are brilliant Pat. Having seen Levs work firsthand as we are most fortunate to have him as a member at the NWS, there is no doubt that this is the way forward for terrain tables and flexible features which are versatile and look top notch. Your post here is full of so much inspirational terrain that I now need to set aside a glass of red and a good hour to look over them again. Thanks😉

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    1. Would one of you mind posting a link to some of Lev's pictures? I can't seem to find anything gaming related when I search his name. Thank You!

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    2. Hi Neal, I have sent Lev an email so he may get in touch with you re pictures. He shared his pictures with me through his dropbox but I don't know if this is open to the public domain.

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  2. What a pleasure to look at such beautiful and realistic pictures, awesome job on the terrain and photos Pat, congrats!

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  3. Really terrific Pat, of course I will be purchasing your book.

    John

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  4. These mats look great!
    Your book is a must buy. So you seem to have two customers now :D

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  5. I will certainly buy your book!

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  6. I will definitely be purchasing your book Pat! And your post is, as always, truly inspirational.

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  7. These look amazing! Perhaps I'm being dense, but what did you use to make these mats? Is it Latex? I'd love to make something similar for my forested areas

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    1. Builders/decorators flexible acrylic caulk.

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    2. Thank you, did you use the caulk to make the mat itself or just the roads? I can only seem to find it in a tube

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    3. The caulk comes in a tube and you spread it out onto a sheet of material. I used calico which is the material you line curtains with and is nice and cheap to buy.

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    4. Hi Pat. Excellent stuff. Very inspiring. How do you get your calico and caulking to stay flat on the edges? Especially when its acting as a hill? Have you tried canvas?

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    5. Wow! two and a half years later. Hi and thanks. Two layers of caulk gives a much better finish than one layer and helps to prevent curling on the edges. Any curling that you do get, just bend the roads/mat the other way as it is stiff enough to stay in place.
      Canvas would work, my most recent mats I have used a decorators/builders plastic back dust sheet which is very cheap to buy and does the job.

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  8. Fab photos as always, looking forward to the book.

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  9. It´s the combination of the colours...it all Looks soooo lovely!!

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  10. Superb photos Pat!! Looking forward to your book!

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  11. Look forward to seeing your book

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  12. Put me down for that book of yours! I‘m moving house sometime next year and will then finally have a dedicated gaming room with enough space for a gaming table. Your book should come in handy then!
    Excellent work on the terrain mats. Really like the flexibility and versatility of these. Your scenic shots are terrific as ever and I love to come back here time and again to take it all in.

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  13. Stunning as always Pat!! I'm really looking forward to getting my grubby fingers on your book when I can!

    Christopher

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  14. Absolutely fantastic. Looking forward to the book!

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  15. Delurking to register definite interest. It all looks fantastic.

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  16. Beautiful results Pat! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  17. This is the sort of thing that I can only marvel at. Briliant work!

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  18. Love it. I'd say it was the next best thing to sand. Every technique has profs and dips but your stuff always looks stunning. Nice one.

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  19. Beautiful! Put me down for a copy of your book as well.

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  20. Bazoinga! Beautiful work as always Pat. You can sign me up for your book for sure!!

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  21. I will buy a copy of the book when it is ready.

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  22. Very nice work Pat,always inspirational, I have been experimenting with modular terrain pieces with teddy bear fur and using heavy canvas to simulate different terrain.
    cheers John

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  23. Your terrain is an inspiration, so I am definately interested in your book as well.

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  24. Another inspirational post and I would certainly be interested in the book too.

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  25. Absolutely amazing. Just wow! Yes I will definitely be getting that book of yours! I am in Australia so hopefully postage wont be more than the book. We need a guide on how to make these mats!

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  26. Definitely interested in the book ..... and then the subsequent one on summer terrain :)

    Richard

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  27. Great work on the mattes pat also interested in the book.

    Willie

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  28. Lovely terrain as always , of course I'd like a copy of your book!
    Best Iain

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  29. Put me down for that book of yours too! The photos and your terrain look phantastic, as one almost expect it from you now ;-)

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  30. Pat, are you kidding me! I would love to get one of your books. And when a summer one comes out, I'm down for a copy of that one too!

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  31. I would buy if available in PDF. Postage to expensive for hard copy.

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  32. Your work is awe inspiring mate....terrain and figures are both excellent

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  33. If I could learn to do a fraction of what you can I would jump to it. I would grab this book.

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  34. Ill buy the book. Greets from the netherlands.

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  35. Yep. I would be interested in the book. Great looking terrain!!

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  36. Excellent work Pat. The mats work a treat.

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  37. Fantastic terrain (yet again!) and I would also be keen on getting a copy of the book

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  38. Fantastic terrain, figures, and photos -- as usual!

    Please count me in for a copy of your Winter terrain-building book, Pat.

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  39. Your work is an inspiration! I’m very interested by the book you are working on. Please take the time and expense necessary over getting the production values top notch (editing, layout to page, proofreading) as I have no doubt that your content will merit a quality book.

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  40. Thanks chaps for your comments and feedback with the book.

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  42. Fantastic terrain. Put me down for a book too.

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  43. Very nice. Keen to see your book so I'll definitely take one!

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  44. I'm planning on purchasing your book. It's the least I can do for the inspiration your work has given me.

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  45. Thanks chaps.
    Click on Steve Lampon's link at the top of this post for the latest update with my book. Not long now.

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  46. Even though I've done a lot of my winter terrain already I'd be interested in buying your book. Any possiblity of an electronic version, digitally watermarked?

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  47. Looks terrific, and likely to be interested in a terrain book.

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  48. Count me in definitely be interested in buying a copy!

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  49. Definitely interested in the book

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  50. Been waiting for this book for a while with baited breath Pat!

    Fantastic post!

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  51. I am interested in a copy, have you considered selling it as a pdf?

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  53. Put me down for two actually. I showed the post to a coworker and he wants one too.

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  54. I definitely want one. I thought I'd already put it here

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    1. Hi Geoff, you have already put your name down on the dedicated page, which you access from the top right hand side of this the main page. Not a problem though, as I am keeping an eye on both pages.
      Pat.

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  55. I would like to purchase a copy (shipment to USA).

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  56. I’m interested in getting a copy too

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  57. Late to the game as usual. Yes, I'd like a copy of the book too please Pat.

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  58. Looking forward to it. I'll definitelly be getting one.

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  59. It is absolutely brilliant and most realistic.

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  60. Have just had a really enjoyable tour of your blog (referral came via Lead Adventure Forum) - now following.

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  61. Thanks chaps.
    Welcome aboard Norm.
    Pat.

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