It has been a long while since I last blogged. Real Life has a way of derailing playing time. I've been gaming, just haven't been posting.

I'd bought a Skylanders: Trap Team portal for the kids, but it was a dud.  Since I'd only spent a couple of dollars on it used, I wasn't too upset.



Looking at it, I really liked the icy surface and immediately thought "I can use that". I decided I'd see how much terrain I could build with what would otherwise go in the trash.

I spent the time taking the portal apart (they're well-built!) and wound up with two components: The "icy" plastic surface and three hollow, open-sided rune-etched rocks.

Build #1: Pools

Your party quietly crept down the corridor, ears straining to hear the sounds of enemies or...anything. The passage opened to a vast room. In the center of the room was a pool, its liquid placid, but emitting a glow that illuminated the entire room.

I've long had a thought of creating pools from small picture frames. I didn't know if it would work or not (i.e., I didn't want players saying "Hey, that's a picture frame!").

1. Buy the frames.  I bought two, 2"x3" frames from Dollar Tree.
2. Cut out the surface. I used my rotary tool and cut out two 2"x3" rectangles to replace the glass in the frames. The plastic is thick, so I had to deburr the edges with a sharp blade and my rotary tool.
3. Create, print and cut out liquids. I chose two types of water, ice, lava, and swamp patterns to place inside the frames. These I resized in MS Word and then printed and cut out.
4. Texture/paint the pools' edges. Both pools needed to look like they were made of blocks, so I used either a sharp blade or my rotary tool to cut out the patterns I wanted. The first pool was made to look like gray stone. I used stone texture spray paint and then repainted it. The second pool was painted to look like white marble.

I am happy with the results. I think they are passable as small pools, and with the different liquid options, are very versatile.

Build #2: Way Markers

The path through the Dwarven tunnels was illuminated by large stone way points. The runes etched into the stones glowed with an inner light; illuminating your way through the catacombs.

1. Fill the Sides. Since the sides of these things were open, I cut out egg carton and used a hot glue gun to attach pieces to the markers. I made sure to feather the edges to maintain a cohesive stone look.
2. Buy the lights. Again, Dollar Tree to the rescue! I originally was going to use the larger tea lights that flicker, but didn't like the aesthetic. DT carries a second line of tea lights that are smaller in diameter and are LED. 
3. Alter the lights. I used egg carton to warp the sides of the lights, being careful not to glue the two halves together. The tops were already textured, so I didn't apply carton to them. I then used Sharpies to color the bulb covers orange, purple, or green.
4. Attach the pieces. I used Goop! glue and attached the markers to the bases.
5. Paint. I painted all three to look like gray stone. 

Build #3: Ice Walls

Final Takeaway

Good day all,

It has been a while (again).  Sorry about that.

I've taken it upon myself to get into 25-30mm BattleTech (i.e., 'BT') gaming (thanks for that, Scott Christian and the Arkansas crew).  Why the 5mm range in scale?  Truly, scales (especially in sci-fi) are a somewhat amorphous number, considering all the various toys available nowadays.  What one manufacturer calls 28mm is considered 30mm by someone else's reckoning.  But I digress...

To achieve this goal of mine, I have acquired over the years several Exo-Squad mechs, a couple ED-209s from the original RoboCop movie toy line, a first generation Transformer that can be used as a Phoenix Hawk LAM, as well as some of the Tyco MechWarrior toys based on the 90's cartoon series.  Not all of these scale with each other, but based properly, should work.  The ED-209s aren't really usable as "BT" mechs, unless someone can find me a light/medium mech that is visually similar (please do!).  Also, I have other gaming group members that have additional Exo-Squad and Tyco toys that I am lacking in my collection.




There's a wonderful article on the Myomer Dreams blog that deals with some of the toys I'm talking about.  The good fellows at Chicago Skirmish Wargames also know the game.  Peruse their sites.  They're full of awesomeness.

After thinking about it, I've got mechs from two different BT eras: early and post-Clan invasion.  I'll have to figure out what I want to do with them.  My AT-43 UNA and Red Blok forces will work as infantry from any BT era and the toy tanks and vehicles I've found at various times and locations will help with the combined arms aspect I am wanting to attain.

More to follow concerning where I go with this genre...

In my group's quest to complete an Axles and Alloys campaign (more on that later), I started thinking about how to make "towns" and "centers" of humanity (think Mad Max II's refinery).

A quick Google search for pics of Mad Max II only shows three photos from the movie: a long shot of the entire refinery complex and then two stills of a gang member getting toasted by a flamethrower in front of the refinery's gate.  After studying the photos, I saw that I'd need to make tire stacks as walls for either side of the gate.  Another quick Google search of "How to make miniature tire stacks" utterly failed.  Another try, using "How to make HO scale tire stacks" yielded what I needed from a page on Trainweb.org.  Below is my tutorial on making these cool stacks.

Parts list:
Sharp blade (X-Acto, box knife, etc)
Cutting board
Rubber hose
Sandpaper
Hot glue
White glue
Cardboard/Mat board
wooden craft stick
Needlepoint grid
Paint and brushes
Toy car tires (optional)

I went to my local hardware store and bought two, one foot segments of flexible tubing of different diameters.  I wanted the tires to be of different sizes, so made sure to buy two different kinds of tubing.  Total cost was $1.25.

The tubes' surfaces were smooth, so I used sandpaper to roughen them so they'd take paint easier. I then cut the tubing into sections, making sure to vary my width to simulate different tires.


Note - Make sure that you lay the tubing flat, with the curved ends pointing down.  If you don't, you stand the risk of making irregularly shaped tires.  This can be useful for making leaning stacks, but they may look "off" to the discerning eye.

When that bit was completed, I then separated the pieces into four groups.  My reasoning was that if we are running two scenarios at the same time and they are both attacks on compounds, I'll need two sets of stacks.  I wanted the bigger tire stacks flanking the entrances, so made sure to use the larger pieces of hose first.  I threw in a few toy tires for effect.  Next, I cut the mat board (you can use cardboard) into 1" x 4" strips.  This proved longer than I needed, but the extra length provided me with a place to hold the pieces during construction.


The stacking process was simple:  Hot glue the pieces together.  I started by gluing the bases onto the mat board and then layered up from there.  I used my tallest vehicle (i.e, Motherload) as my gauge for the wall's height.  I figured that if the driver of the vehicle can't see over the wall, then it's tall enough.  When the larger sections were finished, I started on stacks using the smaller tires.  As you can see from the pictures, I used toy tires to "cap off" the stacks.



After all four walls were built, I used an old brush and applied white glue over the entire surface area to give the tires more texture and solidity.  I tried to use brush strokes that moved around the circumference of the tires so I could have "tread" when I painted them.

Allowing for drying time, I cut out some needlepoint grid (aka granny grid) to use as ladders.  I think the results look great!  I also cut small pieces of craft stick to use as platforms for the weapons that will eventually be on top of the stacks.  I glued all of these bits into place and again let the glue dry.

Next, it was time to primer the stacks with black paint and then drybrush gray onto the tires.  I used metallic gray on the ladder and platforms.  Orange and brown inks and Georgia Clay orange paint created both dust/dirt and rust stains on everything.



Voila!  Tire stacks!  Now, onto building the actual land the towns sit upon!  That's another tutorial...

If you happened to read my previous post, Tutorial: Floors and Rails, you may remember that I had several 2" toothpick ends (the sharp bits) left over from that project.  Even though I didn't have anything specific in mind when that occurred, I knew I could use them to create some additional tabletop terrain. 

I had the image of a cheval de frise (chevaux de frise is the plural form) in my mind, but I didn't know what they were called.  I called my friend Kenny, who almost immediately sent me a picture of what I was looking for.  A little web-fu and I had the name.

For those who are interested in the trivia tidbits and historical parts of wargaming, the cheval de frise was originally conceived to counter cavalry charges.  It was soon discovered that humans didn't like them, either.  They were used up to and during WWII, when barbed wire replaced them as an effective infantry barrier.  During the ACW, the South used chevaux de frise quite extensively, especially when compared to the Union.  For us, these can be used for fantasy, medieval, sci-fi (with barbed wire on top) and modern conflicts.  A truly multi-genre piece of terrain!

What you'll need:  Toothpick ends, a round or square craft stick (I used a square 1/4" x 36" stick from either Hobby Lobby or Michaels), white glue (I like Aleene's Tacky Glue), a drill (optional), a work area you can drill on (optional), string/twine (optional) and a sharp razor blade.

Step 1:  Cut the ends off your toothpicks.  Here is the brand I used.  You don't have to be that fancy, but you do need round toothpicks.


The toothpick in this picture still has its head on it, but a quick snick from a razor blade cures that!



Here's where you can choose one of two ways of creating a cheval de frise.  I'll mark them "a" and "b".  The "a" options will feature drilling.  The "b" options will not. 

Step 2a:  Starting 1/4" in from the edge, mark a drill hole in the center of the wood every 1/2".  Flip one side and repeat the process, but alternate the marks so that you have a mark every 1/4".  A 4" piece will have 15 "shafts" when it's all finished.  Obviously, a round dowel rod will be very hard to drill in this manner unless you have a clamp of some sort when drilling.



Step 2b:  Mark the wood as in 2a.  Instead of dots, make straight lines to use as guides when gluing on the 'shafts'.

Step 3a:  Drill straight through the wood at your dots.  Be sure the drill bit matches the diameter of the toothpick!  Too large a hole and the toothpick will fall through.  Too small and the toothpick won't make it through the hole.  Slot the toothpicks through the holes on both sides, making sure they're even and at the length you want.  Put a dab of glue on the bottom side of the shaft/crosspiece junctions (i.e., the 'dull', not pointy side), as it won't be seen on the table.  Let dry.

Step 3b:  Smear glue along the marks on one side of the wood.  Set your toothpicks in place, making sure they're even and at the length you want.  Let that side dry, then repeat the process on the second side.  You may have to hang the piece off the table to accommodate this part, as your completed row will get in the way.  Again, let it dry.  If you want to look really authentic, you can simulate the 'shafts' being tied to the crosspiece by looping and gluing twine/string around the junction of each shaft.

Step 4:  Depending on how you want your pieces to look, you can paint, stain, weather, etc the wood to suit your needs.  My pictures feature 'raw' wood versions, as I haven't decided how I want them to look.  Blacken the ends to make them appear like they were fire-hardened?  Paint them in a gray-brown to show they've been around a while?  Leave them in the 'nude' to indicate they are new works?  Oh, the possibilities!

Voila!  Chevaux de frise!  Be careful!  These suckers are SHARP!!!



As always, I hope this tutorial helps you create an awesome table! 

It has been a little while since I posted anything, so I thought I'd get back into the swing of things with a tutorial.

There are many times when I've found the need for a wooden floor.  Ship decking, regular flooring, a second story in a model building...the need does arise.  Along with this need, I occasionally have to make accompanying railing.  After all, you don't want your miniatures to fall off when the ship, second floor, etc are moved!  Also, I like railings to add a touch of realism to the terrain.  A wargaming win-win in my book.

If you've followed this blog (instead of chancing upon this page), then you may remember the western shootout set in a trading post/lodge.  I wanted to finish that piece, so I inked it, built a couple of walls to create rooms and added a second floor.

It wasn't until I finished that project that I thought about blogging the creation of floors and rails for the second floor.  Blame it either on me being on Spring Break and thus mentally relaxed, or the fact that I'm also confined with my two darling, but really rather distracting children.  Or don't.  Whatever.  I digress.

What you'll need: a sharp razor blade, a mechanical or sharp regular pencil, balsa wood that is large enough to use as your desired floor, toothpicks, craft sticks, hand drill, a ruler (preferably clear), thin cardboard or matte board large enough to go under the balsa wood as reinforcement, white glue (I use Aleene's Tacky Glue), scissors, paints, stains, etc of your choice, self-healing cutting board or comparable surface.

Step 1:  Figure out the dimensions of the floor you'll be creating.  If your balsa wood isn't wide enough, keep in mind that you can put pieces side-by-side as long as you keep the wood grain heading the same direction.  Mark and cut with the wood grain.  Remember to use your self-healing cutting mat, or at least cut on a surface you don't mind scarring!  Your razor blade is merciless...wood, flesh, mat...it'll cut 'em all!

Step 2:  Take your ruler and mechanical pencil.  Again, look at the direction the wood grain is going.  When you etch the balsa wood, you'll want to go with the grain, not against.  As you can see in the following picture, my ruler is clear acrylic with measurement lines, which makes lining up my etches a piece of cake.  If your ruler isn't as functional, I've found 1/4" to be the ideal width for 28mm 'wooden boards'.  The reason for using a mechanical pencil is simple: The lead easily scores the balsa wood, but not so deeply that it cuts it entirely apart.  It also leaves a nice dark line that instantly gives your floor some depth.


Once you've gone across the floor, your piece should look something like this:


As you can see, the tops of these little guys are perfect for spindles.  Since I'm not wanting the entire toothpick, I cut off the top 1/2", making sure that I keep the shafts for future projects.  Waste not, want not, right?


When you've cut a goodly amount of these bad boys (30ish), it's time to move on.

Step 4:  I have a handy hand drill.  It's a little expensive, but very useful.  Its use today is to pre-drill holes in the balsa wood so I can anchor my spindles.  Knowing that balsa wood splits easily, I try to drill far enough from the edge that it isn't an issue.  I drilled about every 1/2", all the way through the balsa.  I'll be honest and say that I eyeballed distances.  When push comes to shove, the effect is what I'm wanting.  Most gamers won't criticize if you're off by a smidgeon.  


I dry fit the spindles to make sure the holes work, then I put a dab of Aleene's in each hole.  Put the spindles back into the holes, making sure that they are the same height.  If you don't, then your railing isn't going to lay right.  Let 'em dry.  Aleene's turns clear when dry, so it's easy to tell when the piece is ready for the next step.

Step 5:  Railings.  I have an assortment of craft sticks on hand.  I think the ones I used for this project were actually stir sticks from Starbucks or some similar coffee joint.  I cut off the ends with scissors, then using my razor blade and mat, cut them lengthwise in half.


You can see that the cut piece isn't perfectly straight.  That's fine for my lodge project, as they're for a log cabin and not a modern home.  Otherwise, please pay attention to your craft sticks' straightness and if there are any knots in the wood.  Knots can be a pain to work around!

Cut the 'railtops' to the desired length.  Place a dollop of glue to the top of each spindle and place the railtop in the desired position.  Let dry.

Step 6:  Cut the thin cardboard or matte board out in a shape that is slightly smaller than the surface area of the balsa wood.  You want to make sure the piece is small enough be on the inside of your drilled holes, but still large enough to effectively strengthen the balsa.  I learned this the hard way.  I attached my cardboard before drilling, shaped big enough that the holes were messy.  The result? The undersides of my lofts are ugly and caused me some fit issues when I was done.

Step 7:  Paint, varnish, stain, ink wash as you see fit.  You're done!  Here is how one of my second-story lofts turned out.  Note the patterning of the board ends.  If you didn't understand what I meant in Step 2, the pics may help!



I hope you get something out of this tutorial.  Happy building!

If anyone wants to know how to make cheap, easy fuel tanks or a depot, here's my take on it.

I started with three Crystal Light containers and a CD spindle.  Research showed these types of containers are typically white.  Very white, if well maintained.  I decided early on that mine would be weathered and rusty.

For railings and ladders, I went with my trusty Granny grating (cross-stitch mesh).  It's easily used in this capacity, as well as for grated floors.  I cut out railings and ladders to fit and then hot/PVC glued them to the structures.



Here is the CD spindle with grating for an extra wide ladder and a railing.  That's an Old Glory pirate for scale purposes.  I used hot glue to pin the railing into place and then reinforced it with Aleene's Tacky Glue (absolutely my favorite white glue).


Here are the silos, again with ladders, railings and a pirate.


After that dries, I primed the whole collection with flat black spray paint.  When that dried, I over coated it with flat white spray paint to form a mottled gray.  I was sorely tempted to leave them that color, as they wouldn't stand out too much on a battlefield, yet they would look presentable.  I decided to try to whiten them further.


Here are the silos after a couple more coats of flat white spray paint.


How to weather them?  In my mind, I see rust as orange and brown.  I used orange ink first, which was a mistake.  Too bright!  I dampened that hue down quite a bit with brown ink, but it was still too bright. 

One trick I learned was to apply a semi-heavy layer in an area and then 'pull down' with my finger to create the impression of a liquid flowing and then drying out, leaving a stain on the white surface.  Thank you Bob Ross. 


I then hit the heaviest orange areas with brown paint.  This did help, but it's still pretty orange.  I consider this fuel tank to be corroding and not given maintenance.


Having learned my lesson with the fuel tank, the silos received a different treatment.  I forewent the orange altogether and stuck with brown ink.  To me, they look like they are dirty, but not quite to the really rusting stage.


A quick gloss coat of sealant later and there you have them.  A quick, easy and cheap set of fuel tank terrain.

Enjoy!