The War Board table...

[cliff button]

i've started to build a gaming table in the garage. it will be 6 feet x 8 ft. i'm still mulling over some of the details, but i'll post some photos soon.

[cliff button]

o.k. the table is built and I've decided some of the details. the surface consists of six panels, each 2'x4', and these are able to be removed. the process of developing the terrain has begun. in the book "tank vs. tank", there is a section which describes the battle of kamenewo between the soviets and the Germans and i wanted the terrain to somewhat resemble that battlefield.

here is a view of panel 1 in the papier-mache state;


here is a view of panel 3 (with 1/72 scale tank) before papier-mache;


here is a view of panel 3 after papier-mache;


here is a view of panel 2 ready for papier-mache;


here is a look at my papier-mache formula;


that is it for now, back to work!!

[cliff button]

got some more work done.

here is a photo of panel 2 done with papier-mache and panels 4 and 5 blocked up and ready;



here are panels 4 and 5 done with papier-mache. note the gaps at the seams. i'm going to want to minimize those...



to help minimize the panel seams, i've put non-stick paper between the first 3 panels and filled gaps. i've also laid out the shore area of the river bed for one side;



here is one of the seams in the process of drying completely before sanding;



back to work!

[cliff button]

well, i got all the seams matched and while waiting for it all to dry i've done some other work on the scenery front.

here is a photo of a test panel i've done to experiment with ground cover for the terrain.



line 1 is the control, with underlying paint.
line 2 is mind crafts brown ground cover mixed with recycled tea.
line 3 is woodland scenics dark brown ballast.
line 4 is recycled tea.
line 5 is mind crafts brown ground cover alone.
line 6 is mind crafts green ground cover mixed with woodland scenics fine turf weeds.
line 7 is mind crafts green ground cover alone.
line 8 is woodland scenics fine turf green grass.
line 9 is woodland scenics fine turf weeds.

conclusions? the underlying green paint is too bright. each of the ground cover examples has advantages and disadvantages. i'll probably use these combinations to cover most of the terrain.

[cliff button]

here is a bit more craft progress while waiting for the seam work to set up well enough to sand.

here are some rock outcroppings made with "Delight" air dry clay and a woodland scenics rubber mold (#C1230).



this clay sets well in a rubber mold, holds texture nicely, and is very light. also in view are some cover texture samples. the three seen are crushed shell, craft sand, and woodland scenics fine buff talus. i like the talus best.

this next photo shows reed tufts i'll use for the riverbed area made from woodland scenics light green field grass and hot glue. i made 130 of them!


back to work...

[Pouncing Tiger]

Hi Cliff,

Your table sections look great so far. Man what a lot of work.

I thought I'd attach a pic of my 4 x 8 table. It's in a bit of chaos right now as I set up for a new scenario, but the pic shows my own little add-on — four dice-rolling trays along the sides.

4 x 8 is a little restrictive at times and I've contemplated building some bolt-on 1 x 2 or 1 x 3 extensions so I can add space for certain scenarios. Your 8 x 6 layout should be nice and roomy.

Attachments:

[cliff button]

current progress has continued apace. the seams are better matched and all the panels have been primed.



right now we are in the paint and decor phase. more to come…

[cliff button]

ok.... we are about half way through the cover phase and did a tree/structure plot. (groan, so many trees) it looked pretty good so far so we played a quick game... i lost. (groan again).



next we continue the cover efforts and set the bridge components into the river bed.



back to work again.

[cliff button]

well we have progressed rather far on the south side of the table. we have the panels covered and trees added. started adding bushes and undergrowth to panel 1.



here is a view of the south half over all so far.



saving the river for last. i am thinking about putting a brown wash on the river edges to tone them down.

a cold snap is on the way so i should get busy, getting to the detail parts now.

[Pouncing Tiger]

WOW,Cliff! Awesome job. It's turning out really nice.

[cliff button]

almost all of the lanscape is done now, except for touch-ups, and now it is time to start the river. i'm not sure exactly what material i'll use, but i'm leaning toward low tech and inexpensive. painting the riverbed will be interesting...



...as you can see, it is getting difficult to fit the whole table into one photo. i can't wait to finish and start straightening up the garage. one calm sunny day i'm going to set it up in the yard and get some really good photos...

[cliff button]

the river area has turned out more challenging than thought, but i think i am muddling through it better than your average rookie! so, after 3 or 4 coats of paint/base and 7 coats of PVA, we have started the super gloss coats of polyester resin to the river areas of the panels. though this formulation dries "tack-free", there can be striations on the surface from the wax which makes it happen. this can interrupt a perfect water/resin surface. these striations can be polished away…



we will be further detailing the river areas between the next few layers of resin.

[alloydog]

That is excellent! But how many packets of f*gs did you have get through!

--Edit--
By "f*gs", I meant cigarettes. But I notice the board's "naughty filter" doesn't approve...

[cliff button]

good question... i didn't really count, but i smoke about 1/2 a pack per day and am cutting down even more from that. i understand the filter thing about "F*gs". our very first customer (Hans, from Norway) spoke the king's english well and while on assignment (offshore oil rig) said "let's go have a f*g" after a meal. this comment raised some eyebrows around the dining table so i had to explain to him that a different choice of words might be better around the states.

[alloydog]

Any more photos of the finished table?