[hobby] Desert table finished

Finished product

A look at the finished pieces over my custom desert mat. I highly recommend getting a wargame mat for home use, they really add depth to the game and are stunning to look at, great to play on and easy to store.

Initial block/modelling

Materials used: Styrofoam, Cardboard, Styrofoam cutter, hobby knife, extra strong white PVA glue.



Texturing

Materials used: Cat litter (fine and medium grit), sand/dirt, water and extra-strong white PVA glue.

Start by adding the medium grit cat litter to all the desired crevices.

Follow up with fine cat litter to add a coarse texture and blend the large ones in.

Then coat all the flat surfaces with glue and sprinkle sand/dirt over it.

Finish by coating all vertical and rock faces with a mix of sand/dirt and watered down PVA glue.

Sealing

I use a thick layer of wall sealing to cover the entire piece. This creates a strong, flexible bond and coat that should protect the piece from damage and allow you to spray paint the pieces with relative safety (always test on a small piece first!).


Painting

I painted it with an enamel spray paint first to really toughen up the structure and then applied a liberal coat of ivory with an airbrush application of sepia and some browns. I also darkened the recesses with vallejo black using my airbrush.




Final product

Even though it doesn't match the colors on my custom game mat, the game table is stunning! I plan to make some more pieces but I'll take a break from terrain for a while now!


I made a custom box to store everything. It's all PVA glue, corrugated cardboard and two velcro strips. I also used some silver tape for the middle divider. It's no rocket science, just make a center square support and run dividers between it and the walls, glue everything together. With some foam strips it should be safe to handle and tip over and around. Since it's all Styrofoam and cardboard, it's quite light despite the size.




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