| f u u f n f | 21 Oct 2009 3:29 p.m. PST |
Okay, so last night I got a 6'x6' piece of felt from Joann's for $5.00. Now I plan to do some flocking and want to make sure I understand this right after having read through a few ofthe related threads here. 1) brush down the felt with a lint roller to remove loose fibers and anything sticking to the felt.
2) spray down the mat, thick but not soaking, with a spray glue.
3) spread out a layer of the flock
4) let dry
5) repeat 2 & 3 another time or two.
6) after leaving to dry for a day or so, spray down the mat one last time to "seal in" the flock Does this sound right? Did I miss anything? |
| Jamesonsafari | 21 Oct 2009 3:57 p.m. PST |
I just use the felt. Enough flocking and bits of lichen come loose and stick to it over the years. |
| Grumpy Monkey | 21 Oct 2009 4:41 p.m. PST |
the last layer I would use a clear coat, not sure why I would seal with glue.. But like Jamesonsafari, I just use the felt |
| Alfrik | 21 Oct 2009 6:11 p.m. PST |
Here's how I used felt to make a game matt with flocking link and there you have it. |
| WarDepotDavid | 22 Oct 2009 4:38 a.m. PST |
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| blucher | 22 Oct 2009 5:55 a.m. PST |
flocking felt can look but id recommend just using spray paint to be honest. Much less hassel and can give really good results. |
| allthekingsmen | 22 Oct 2009 7:23 a.m. PST |
Yeah, I recommend spray paint versus flocking. The spray glue for flocking inevitably loses its grip and the flocking falls off. Or more annoying, every time a player leans on the table he needs to brush his hands. Look for those faux granite spray paints. They give a nice texture to a felt cloth, and are permanent. |
| f u u f n f | 22 Oct 2009 8:04 a.m. PST |
I am planning on a desert mat, so I don't really see spraying painting it as much of an option. Where I live here in the AZ desert (which is what the mat is suppose to be) much of it is just one big light tan "sand box" with sun bleached scrub growing all over. Pretty much one color through out broken only by grayish green plants scattered about.
Also the flock I plan to use is the same as that flocked on my mini's bases, this will help to blend them and look more natural.
A "sealing coat" should help reduce (but probably not totally eliminate) the rubbing off of the flock. |
| WarDepotDavid | 22 Oct 2009 2:28 p.m. PST |
Go for it. The problem I had with spray painting it was that it still left lots of strands of felt sticking up with get caught on your minis and annoy the crap out of you. If you can flatten it a little or push it down with a layer of glue and flock and then seal it, then it should be a lot better. Make sure you keep up all posted with some pics. David
wardepot.blogspot.com
6to20painting.blogspot.com |
| Alfrik | 23 Oct 2009 10:30 a.m. PST |
I'd overall suggest, what ever method you want to try, do that, use a small piece and apply, spray etc as you would for the whole piece, see if you like the results? Perhaps you will stumble over a new process the rest of us will drool over :) |
| jimborex | 23 Oct 2009 10:24 p.m. PST |
Consider using a normal house-painting brush to drybrush some variation into your felt mat if you can forgo the flocking. This method works quite well and can offer you a bit more control over where the color actually goes. It is a fume-free method you can use inside your home. I use lightly pressed masking tape to mark out roads, then drybrush areas of a light brown, other browns, clay red, yellows, etc in a very subdued palette on the tan felt. When the tape is pulled up, the roads are evident as dusty looking tracks. This is a great thing to do for non-desert maps, using greens and such. The drybushing gives a look of vegetation over dry ground. It's a bit difficult to imagine. While it commits you to a particular road network, you can get two maps for the price of one because the felt mat has two sides (at least the one I bought did). Jim |
| f u u f n f | 19 Mar 2010 1:32 p.m. PST |
Okay, I finally got around to doing this project…. I tell you, if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't. It would have been cheaper to just buy a mat then the cost of the supplies to make this one. You figure with shipping a felt mat would cost maybe around $50 USD or so.
Well between the felt ($3.00), Spray glue ($10.00 x 2 cans), Sealer ($5.00 x 2 cans), and Flock (pet shop fake sand $15.00 USD for a huge bag so I can flock mini's bases to match + some pinches of static grass $8.00 USD for a big tub) I spent close to $65-$70 including sales tax and what have you.
Though now that I have a better understanding of what I am doing, I could have saved a little cash (only needed 1 can of glue) and done it a little bit cheaper. But in the end I have a mat that I can say I made, which counts for something right? Right?
No… I should have just ordered one and saved me the trouble.
Live and learn :) |
| Cheomesh | 20 Mar 2010 2:18 a.m. PST |
I am much more impressed by the fact that you made it yourself rather than buying it. I think it looks fine. M. |
| Alfrik | 20 Mar 2010 8:21 a.m. PST |
If the look came out as you wanted it to be rather than trying to paint up a premade to look close to what you want, you are now in the Terrain Building Class :) Having a "Look" your after is not always available from premades. Plus the showing it off to your game friends, "built it meself in the winter of 09!" etc :) |
| f u u f n f | 20 Mar 2010 12:25 p.m. PST |
I will try to get some pics up somewhere, though I don't have a quality camera.
I will have to look into one of those online sites that let you post pics. |
| f u u f n f | 20 Mar 2010 1:00 p.m. PST |
Here are some rather poor pics link The pics were taken with a rather poor quality camera phone. |
