"2.5D dungeons and the Jenga Connection..." Topic

I trust everyone is familiar with both the 2.5D Terrain System proffered by DM Scotty, as well as the Jenga wooden block game (wooden blocks are stacked, then players try to pull one out of the stack, without toppling the tower -- they lose, if they do!). Well, a few YT crafters have put forth the idea of painting the Jenga wooden blocks to look like Dungeon Wall Sections which can easily, and quickly, be arranged to create a 2.5D dungeon layout on any flat surface. I thought that it was Wyloch's Armory, but I can't find his video on the topic… You simply paint the wooden tiles, then arrange them as needed.

I found that Dollar Tree stores, within the USA, carry Jenga knock-off games, called Tumbling Towers, with both light and dark colored wooden pieces, for a fraction of the cost of an official Jenga game set. The downside, however, is that few of their stores actually carry them on their shelves! I could only order a block of 18 Tumbling Towers games off of the Dollar Tree web catalog: 72 pieces per game x 18 games = 1,296 wooden pieces! The cost, delivered, was just over $40. USD

Here is the best part: some of the games include roughly one-half of their wooden blocks as dark brown wood -- perfect, out of the box, to set up and use to map out wooden buildings in 2.5D -- no crafting/painting required! These dark wood tile pieces will work for any wooden buildings needed: taverns, farm houses, city dwellings, etc! Add in some 3D terrain pieces, such as tables and/or chairs, book shelves, whatever, and you have a fantastic layout for your combat scenarios where the Players can tactically interact with the terrain using their miniatures!

I plan to divide my 18 sets between myself, and my son who recently began running his own AD&D campaign games. We will share the cost to make it easier for both of us to get the uber-modular terrain pieces we both need/want for our respective games. I fully expect that 1,296 pieces will exceed either one of our needs for gaming -- 648 pieces should suffice (hoping that one half of the wooden pieces will be dark wood suitable for making wooden building layouts, for each one of us).

They are due to arrive tomorrow. I will update this thread as progress is made with them. I hope to put together, and photograph, some wooden building design examples immediately -- no painting required, no modifications required -- to demonstrate their usefulness! Cheers!

I've seen those in DT but never thought about making walls out of them. I'm looking forward to your pics.

I found the YT video that shows these in action -- he even uses the Tumbling Towers brand of pieces! My shipment has been delayed until Sunday… Grrr!

In the video, the fellow used a paint brush to manually paint the gray ovals onto a black base coat… With 600+ tiles to paint, I am thinking of making a chipboard template with ovals cut out -- lay this over the tiles, and spray paint the ovals in a different color. To be honest, I will likely make a very large chipboard template/mask, arrange more than a dozen wooden pieces pressed together, with the mask on top, then spray a lighter color on top. I need to mass produce these wooden tiles… I can't hand paint 600+ tiles! Ack!

I plan to experiment with them. I am a huge fan of Minwax Polyshades urethane stain, as brushing this onto them will dirty up the paint, leaving it varied in shades -- anything but uniform in appearance! Lots of ideas floating in my head, right now… Cheers!

That's pretty brilliant, actually. A trick I've learned (for something else) is to do the opposite of what he did— spray a light "stone" color as a base, and then do the "mortar" lines in a darker color with a suitably sized brush or ink/paint pen. You get sharper stone shapes that way, and can create more variety (cracks, etc.).

For stone, spray with fleck stone paint… ;-)

Thanks, both of you! I'm thinking a combo of both, maybe? Breaking out my, "Mad Scientists Club", kit… Experiments ahead! Cheers!

The Tumbling Tower games arrived today -- the pieces are smaller than Milton Bradley's Jenga Game pieces. Sadly, all 1,296 pieces are white wood. <Sigh!> I will need to stain a bunch for wooden buildings.

Here is a quick layout over a Chessex square map, to illustrate the concept of how they will be used.

Using each piece, individually, would be too cumbersome, too tedious, so I've decided to glue sets of two, and sets of three, pieces together, to form larger runs, to make assembling dungeon layouts faster and simpler.

I glued two pieces together, end-to-end, using Titebond III Wood Glue, clamping them together and letting them dry. I hoped that the Wood Glue would hold them with great strength, however, the Glue was applied to the cross-grain ends: after a couple of hours, I tried to bend the joins, to test their strength, and three out of 36 pairs, broke. While that is a low number, I have decided to use E6000 Premium Glue (not E6000, rather, I suggest using E6000 Premium Glue, instead of the Wood Glue, going forward.

I visited my local Wal-Mart Superstore looking for textured spray paint… They have very little, compared to what was available 10+ years ago! I ended up buying a can of hammered silver metal, not gray. I plan to cover this with a dark brown urethane-stain, followed by matte clear coat. It dries with black veins within the silver. I sprayed around 10 sets of two glued sticks, as a test set.

I will paint another batch with Gray Craft Paint, and then I will figure out whether it is worth my time to do more than apply a dark brown urethane stain on them. These wooden tiles are small, and on the tabletop, at greater than arm's length, I question whether any pattern is worth the time investment.

Still plying my Mad Scientist's Club experiment kit… I will post some more photos, soon. Cheers!

Interesting. How likely are they to get knocked over if the table gets bumped?

I am becoming further intrigued by this idea. I'm looking forward to seeing what you produce.

Another thought I had is that the blocks could serve as a core for printed paper patterns glued around the blocks. (Perhaps with Mod-podge? Would need water-resistant inks, probably.)

How likely are they to get knocked over if the table gets bumped?

Not very likely. They are long, low, and square. If they fall/roll over, they will reveal the same color scheme.

On the other hand, if the table gets bumped hard, they will slide rather easily across my Chessex Mondo Mat (4.5' x 8.5'). Then again, my gaming table is 5.5' x 9.5 feet, solid Hickory, on a solid Hickory base… It will jiggle a little, but it will NOT move. On a more typical dining room table, you would need to hit your table pretty hard to shift them. As always, your experience may vary.

Another thought I had is that the blocks could serve as a core for printed paper patterns glued around the blocks. (Perhaps with Mod-podge? Would need water-resistant inks, probably.)

In the video I linked above, the person used cut-out ovals he glued to the wooden tiles. That is plausible.

If I owned a Laser Cutter, I would entertain that notion. I would certainly make a spray paint screen and give that idea a go as it would be relatively fast, easy, and efficient. Alas, I do not own a Laser Cutter.

Yes, I could color laser print my 2D dungeon floor PDF's and wrap them around these wooden tiles. The downsides: 1,296 individual tiles to wrap; literally 50+ color printed sheets with 90% toner coverage (I'd go through 2-3 sets of four, color toner cartridges at $100 USD+ each -- Magenta, Yellow, Cyan, and Black…) to cut and wrap around my wooden tiles (let's not forget that I would need to cut 5-10 pieces from each printed sheet, to cover the tiles with -- that's a whole lot of cutting!); the toner on the paper is typically more fragile than clear-coated paint, and I expect these will be stored and transported in a Tupperware(R)-like container, en masse in a jumble, just tossed in together. ;-)

The labor involved in wrapping each tile would likely result in my hands cramping up -- been there, done that, not looking to repeat that experience again. LOL!

Like I said, I am looking for the most efficient method possible.
I'm starting with the easiest (crudest), most efficient options to see if they will work. If not…

Cheers!

I just applied a second coat of the hammered silver spray paint to the two-piece glued sticks from the first set -- they're drying. I hand painted gray some other two-fer's. I need to give them a second coat as well.

Sadly, the wood grain is coming through more strongly than I would like. I could paint them with wood sealer, which might hide the obvious wood grain patterns -- maybe…

Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! Intense Labor ahead!

There is no valuable progress without struggle and sacrifice (aka, blood, sweat, and buckets of tears…). LOL! Cheers!

Photo Update!

Here are two photos of a simple dungeon layout, of the hammered silver metal painted, Tumbling Towers game pieces: Angle 1 and Angle 2.

But… But… What do the wooden pieces look like close up?

Well, Virginia, here you go!

This is not the end, by a long, country mile, Virginia. I need to finish the hammered silver metal coating (they have some bare wood showing, still), and then I need to apply some dark brown urethane stain, followed by a matte clear coat. I will also matte clear coat the hammered silver, to see if that is sufficient, without the urethane-stain application. At this point, the hammered silver texture looks pretty good to me, especially at normal gaming distances on the tabletop!

Hallelujah, BABY!

If that is sufficient, the Labor Hours/Effort/Costs will remain quite low, and quite achievable.

I also need to finish up the craft paint gray tiles, which are feeling rather neglected of late… Poor craft painted tiles! LOL! Cheers!

For my Mod-podge idea, I was thinking for special bricks only. Like a special wall or ceremonial chamber. Decoupaging all of them I agree would be a trial.

Plus, one could just print onto peel-and-stick sticker/label paper (sold at office and craft stores). That would cut down the headache (and hand cramps).

Any way, just thoughts. Please continue to share!

I build 2.75D buildings by cladding chipboard with color laser printouts. I initially used full-sheet label paper: print, cut, peel-n-stick, finish, and put it onto the tabletop: bridge, Siege Towers, castle walls and towers, buildings, etc. I've seen too many examples of label paper glue drying out and separating, after a few years.

I switched to using PVA Glue -- the archive standard version (remains tacky, and truly flexible and non-brittle, for months/years, dries truly clear), rather than typical White Glue (weak, brittle, and it dries to a white film, form of PVA Glue, often acidic). The archive quality PVA Glue is used for binding books, so I know it will last for decades.

Hoping to make more painting progress on the wooden pieces, but it might have to wait until tomorrow. Got a contractor working on the house today, don't want to bother him with me spraying paint nearby. Cheers!

Finally got back to it -- life, holiday, family matters to attend to, etc…

I finished assembling another 144 pieces (two Tumbling Towers sets) into two-piece wall sections. Waiting for the E6000 Premium Glue to fully cure before I paint these pieces.

I finished applying a 2nd coating of hammered silver metal spray paint to another set -- had sides which were bare, or barely coated. Waiting for these to dry fully, even after I baked them at 200 F to speed cure them…

I applied Minwax Polyshades Antique Walnut urethane stain to a sample of 2-piece block wall sections which were fully painted with the hammered silver textured paint. These are currently in the countertop oven/dedicated slow cooker, curing at 200 F for the next half-hour, or so.

Once these are fully cured, I will put them on top of my Chessex Mondo Mat, to form a dungeon layout of 2.5D walls forming hallways and rooms, with some 28mm figures, and I will shoot some photos to post here.

I will still need to matte clear coat them, to finish them, but I like to show my progress. It goes back to my Grade School tests:

"You must show your work to get full credit!"

It still haunts me… Cheers!

So… Here are two photos of the stained hammered silver painted wooden tiles: Photo1 and Photo2.

And the verdict is __________________.

A) Hell, NO!

B) Hell, YEAH!!!

C) Waiting for the other option(s)…

ROFL!

My answer (remember to show your work…), is: B) Hell, Yeah! At arm's length (and further) during game play, it will more than suffice. Even the hammered silver texture is difficult to see.

The, 'other option', is spray/brush painting them gray with craft paint, dark staining/dark washing them, followed by a matte clear coat. These hammered silver texture painted tiles will also need a matte clear coat -- will happen tomorrow.

Go ahead and vote, if you like. LOL! It won't influence my decision at all.

I will share the options with my Son to choose from, when I have all of them completely done. He will do a side-by-side comparison, simultaneously, such that the first example shown, will not overtly influence his decision.

I can go either way with them. Both options are almost equal in labor and time, or close enough that it won't matter. Cheers!

Update:

I started out using a throw-away school paint brush to apply the urethane stain, but I realized it was w-a-y, too, s-l-o-w… So. I decided not to re-invent the wheel -- I took an old cotton rag, dipped it into the urethane-stain mixture, and I rubbed it onto the surfaces of the wooden two-fer's, holding it between my thumb and middle-finger, of my gloved hand. I did start off using a paper towel, but it tore apart very quickly, creating tiny paper tufts which stuck to the wooden two-fer's, so I quickly switched to the cotton rag.

The rag technique allowed me to apply the urethane-stain thickly with sufficient coverage; I was then immediately able to wipe away the excess with the same applicator rag, before setting it down to dry. I did, of course, bake-dry the majority of them in my dedicated Slow Cooker Oven, 200 F, for 20-30 minutes.

Here is a shot of all types, end-to-end, including bare wood (top), urethane-stained wood (2nd down from top), gray craft painted (3rd from top), and the hammered metallic silver (bottom) to allow you to judge them one against another, to see how the paint + stain looks, before the matte clear coat is applied. I will matte coat them, then I will build out some dungeon rooms on my Chessex Mondo Mat, with 28mm figures, so you can properly judge each prototype, but that is a project for tomorrow… Cheers!

Update #2:

Here are some comparison photos of the different layouts:

bare wood;

stained wood sans matte clear coat;

and the stained, matte clear coated, hammered silver blocks.

I tried to mimic the same layout with each of the types of blocks, employing the same figures, as much as possible. I have a limited number of each type, so the layouts are not identical -- sorry.

My thoughts? I prefer the stained, hammered silver blocks, over the other examples and prototypes currently ready for evaluation.

I took a can of satin gray spray paint to another set of blocks, to do one more prototype proof of concept set of blocks, before I make a final decision. The effort required to brush on craft paint to sets of blocks is just too slow. I have 12-14 more sets of blocks to glue, paint, and stain, just for the dungeon sets. I will likely do two complete sets in stained wood, for city buildings, one set for me, a second set for my Son -- assuming he likes them and that he would enjoy using them in his games.

I plan to take a set of both to his next game, middle of July, so that he can try them at the gaming table. That will be the proof of the pudding, as they say, for him, and for me.

I am not interested in anything realistic looking. I just want something close enough for the viewers' minds to see it as an acceptable representation. It does not need to be, "Great," rather, it just needs to be, "Good enough." Your table, your preferences rule -- just like they do at my table! LOL! Cheers!

Update #3:

Sorry for the delays, but my life got crazy.

Here are some updated photo's of my sample pieces: top down view of a dungeon layout, using hammered silver painted wooden blocks, from a distance -- showing how many I have ready for the tabletop game, this Saturday; an angled view -- note that the hammered silver texture is nearly invisible on all sides… Here is an image of the prototypes of blocks: stained wood (top left, hammered silver, top center), gray + stain (top right) and a single block, with hammered silver texture paint (bottom).

To be honest, I like the hammered silver texture paint the best, so far. The stained wooden blocks are GEtGW (Good Enough to Game With) quality, simple, fast, easy to mass produce (here is how many sets I have left to open, paint, and deploy…).

And now for something completely different…

I've been toying with the idea of getting a stone texture print in PDF, from Crooked Staff Publishing (see image below). My thought is that I could print these on my Color Laser Printer, and apply Wood/PVA Glue, wrapping each piece in the paper, for texturing. I believe I will need to cover the print side with clear vinyl shelf liner to avoid rubbing the toner off, over time -- I plan on literally dumping these into a plastic tub, for storage.

This would allow for assembly line mass production techniques to expedite their assembly (print the pages; cover the pages with vinyl shelf liner on the print side only; cut to size; apply glue and wrap; wash/rinse/repeat…). This texture would be very visible, pleasing to the eye, and durable (with the vinyl shelf liner covering!).

I feel another prototype is coming to the forefront… Stay tuned, Craft Fans! More updates incoming -- Same Craft Channel, Same Craft Time!

Ohhh, Nooo…

Cheers!