Andrew Walters | 25 Feb 2017 3:38 p.m. PST |
So I'm relaxing with issue number 33 of Miniatures Wargaming from February 1986 (I'm behind in my reading) when I discover Ian Scott's article "Beer-mats in Wargames". He describes building everything from 20th century tramp freighters to ships of the line he constructed easily and cheaply from beermat in scales from 1:3000 to 1:750. If I'm thirty years later and on the far side of the planet what do I ask for at the craft store? |
John Armatys | 25 Feb 2017 3:50 p.m. PST |
You visit a pub and ask if you can have a few beer mats – they are thick card mats to put your drink on…. |
JimDuncanUK | 25 Feb 2017 3:56 p.m. PST |
Beermats, although cheap, are fairly poor building material. I'm sure Californian craft stores have plenty of alternatives. |
Extra Crispy | 25 Feb 2017 4:02 p.m. PST |
Ask for Matboard. But it is a paper product so can be tricky to work with. |
thorr666 | 25 Feb 2017 4:04 p.m. PST |
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firebase2012 | 25 Feb 2017 4:08 p.m. PST |
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GarrisonMiniatures | 25 Feb 2017 4:20 p.m. PST |
There is this bar game you can play with them. Place a beer mat on the table with the edge of the beer mat overhanging the table. Place your hand palm down under the overhanging beer mat and then quickly move your hand sharply upwards to flip the beer mat in the air. As the mat flips over you try and catch it with your hand. Once you succeed, try it with 2 beer mats one on top of the other. Then 3…4…5 I think my maximum was about 20 or 22 – I was much younger in those days. |
Hafen von Schlockenberg | 25 Feb 2017 6:16 p.m. PST |
With waaaay too much time on your hands. . . |
Mako11 | 25 Feb 2017 6:34 p.m. PST |
I suspect it is ordinary mat board, you can get for picture framing, and craft stores, like Michael's, etc.. A fancy name for cardboard of various thicknesses. |
ColCampbell | 25 Feb 2017 6:47 p.m. PST |
In Germany back in the 1970s and 1908s (when I was stationed there), the beer matts were a little more porous than standard matt board used in picture framing. That was so the moisture from either the condensation or spilled beer would be soaked up. Jim |
Bellbottom | 25 Feb 2017 6:58 p.m. PST |
The staple figure basing material of the 1960's and 70's. These days I use artists mounting board, or if, like me, you have a friendly picture framer nearby, ask him what he/she does with the bits he/she cuts out of the middle of their mounting board. I get a pack of 20 or 30 'middles' from mine for about £2.00 GBP Lasts for ages. |
jdginaz | 25 Feb 2017 11:32 p.m. PST |
"…then quickly move your hand sharply upwards to flip the beer mat in the air." Doesn't that spill your beer? |
Oberlindes Sol LIC | 25 Feb 2017 11:54 p.m. PST |
@GarrisonMiniatures: Don't you have to take a drink every time you succeed? |
freerangeegg | 26 Feb 2017 2:16 a.m. PST |
@col campbell And for some reason german bars like to keep a tab of your drinks on your beer mat, so never shred your beer mat in a german bar-they get very upset |