Somehow here in Kent we went into lockdown at Tier 1 and emerged into Tier 3 the highest level of restrictions so I'm not entirely how sure how effective the latest lockdown has been? But it is what it is and we now see light at the end of the tunnel at least. Meantime I have plenty to keep me busy.
My wife decided to put the Christmas tree up early this year, as it seems are many people around here. Result is that my painting desk has been moved out to the porch to accommodate it so I have a temporary station on the dining table. Trouble is that I like to paint with the TV and the fire on, especially during these cold months, so it's knocked output for a while. However, I do have a small mountain of MDF newly arrived from ERM to keep me busy, including loads of specially cut road and river sections that will require texturing/painting and varnishing. In addition I have another four hills cut from foamboard slices with MDF top and bases that will bring my total hills to fourteen. I think the printed tops work well this time round and the overall look is much better than the smaller 75mm hills. So far so good, I have three pieces of 4' x 2' thin ply to lay over the table which is then covered with a green felt cloth then the printed mat. I can now fit 3 or 4 small buildings into a town hex and still get the larger units in there.
I have however made one significant 'U' turn since in that I decided that the sabot bases with the rear labels did not work for me, (after two weeks spent working on them!). So I removed all of the bases leaving the sabots mostly undamaged, which makes everything far more flexible. My plan now is to place a printed label on the underside of every base for C&C but they can still be used for smaller DBN games too. Talk about a waste of time but you don't know until you try these things.
Hello old chap,
ReplyDeleteI like those MDF road/river sections - can you tell what size they are please? I need to organise something similar for my 4” hexed mat.
Many thanks in advance,
DC
Hi David and thanks for the comment :)
DeleteI decided after much pre planning and thinking to go with a 5" (125mm) hex in order to fit terrain items and bigger units into them. The printed hill tops are an idea I pinched from your good self and I'm very pleased I did! Tony Barr cut my road/river sections to order, 40mm width to allow me to texture 5mm each edge to break up the straight flat sides. I am awash with MDF here but it's most theraputic doing all this stuff. Tony is now going to cut some 'T' sections for me.
All the best,
Lee.
I really like the larger hexes. It reminds me of a very old issue of Practical Wargamer magazine, there was an article by Clive Lane who was doing 15mm Napoleonics on a 5” hex grid. Quite a revolutionary article at the time and something of an eye-opener to this early boardgamer. What goes around - comes around :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Norm. Whilst I started out trying to keep everything as small space as possible it was a bit fiddly in the 3" hex and I think the 5" offers more scope. I don't recall that article but would like to see it, I know that Old John has copies of most of the old magazines so I'll ask him :)
DeleteYup. I find that sometimes, all the theorishing and postulating in the world can't beat actually trying something.
ReplyDeleteGreat look btw.
Many thanks Ross, I owe much of the early inspiration to yourself and Norm :) My wife stood shaking her head in disbelief as I worked through removing the sabot bases, but then us wargamers just have to get it right don't we!
DeleteYou can plan all you want but you still need to do it to prove it! Lovely looking table!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
That table is looking good Lee. I really like the way the buildings and windmill add lightness and colour to the darker canvas of the table, as the figures will do.
ReplyDeleteRegards, James