| TacticalPainter01 | 25 Sep 2021 4:16 a.m. PST |
I've been working on a Sudan project for the colonial period and have finally taken the plunge to make my own terrain mat. Not quite as daunting as I imagined and I'm very happy with the end result and so I thought I'd document the progress and what I've learned for others in a blog post you can find here Making a desert terrain mat
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John Leahy  | 25 Sep 2021 6:09 a.m. PST |
Great tutorial! Where did you get the tree bark? How long do you think it took to make? 
Thanks John |
GamesPoet  | 25 Sep 2021 8:15 a.m. PST |
I agree, great explanation, and congrats! |
| Oberlindes Sol LIC | 25 Sep 2021 8:34 a.m. PST |
Thanks. Inspiring tutorial! |
| BigfootLover | 25 Sep 2021 10:26 a.m. PST |
Outstanding! How do you store the finished mat? Can it be folded or rolled up? |
| TacticalPainter01 | 25 Sep 2021 4:08 p.m. PST |
Great tutorial! Where did you get the tree bark? How long do you think it took to make?
Thanks. The pine bark came from a garden centre, it's popular with orchid growers and comes in a variety of sizes. The mat took longer because I repainted it but you can spread the caulk and sand quickly (one hour?). Caulk dries in about 2 hours but I left it to dry for 24hrs. Then it's just a matter of painting. |
| TacticalPainter01 | 25 Sep 2021 4:12 p.m. PST |
Outstanding! How do you store the finished mat? Can it be folded or rolled up? It's not something you want to fold as it will put creases in it, but it rolls easily. The suggestion is you roll it around a cardboard tube or PVC piece of plumbing pipe (alternatively roll and store inside a wider piece of pipe, although you want to roll it loosely, not too tightly). |
| CeruLucifus | 26 Sep 2021 1:38 p.m. PST |
Great looking mat and thanks for the longer blog post. |
| TacticalPainter01 | 27 Sep 2021 2:40 p.m. PST |
As I mentioned in the blog post, I wasn't totally happy with the rather uninspired grey colour that I painted the rocks for the scatter terrain so I've given them a repaint in tones similar to the colour palette for the mat. I think these look much better.
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| Rev Zoom | 28 Sep 2021 8:21 a.m. PST |
Here is a great way to make a roller for game matts – go to a pool place and get a long foam floater tube – If I recall, they are about 6 feet. Then go to Loews or wherever and get a length of 3/4" PVC pipe. The pipe fits snugly right in the foam tube and makes a great roller for a game matt. The foam prevents the matt from sliding up and off the PVC pipe as happens when only that is used. |
