Battle Boards and Scatter Terrain
Battle Boards and Scatter Terrain
I changed things up a bit when constructing the second river board, as I had problems with the glycerin infused lichen reacting with the Realistic Water. I still applied the flock before pouring the acrylic, but waited till the river had cured before adding the rest of the ‘garnish’.
I got a few more pictures of the process this go around. Here’s one of the bits of blister pack plastic I used to dam up the ends of the river. I sealed it up with the glue gun and a transparent glue stick. The glue all but disappears when you pour acrylic around it.
I stuck the plastic on by gluing it on the outside, and then sealing it on the inside.
Outside view
The board after four pours of Realistic Water. I had to crack a third bottle of the stuff. I saw some clear school glue the other day that was cheap as chips (the same stuff I used to eat as a kid), and apparently it dries clear as well. It's on my list of alternative water options to try. I painted fish on the second layer once again, using gun metal and a pearlescent highlight. They look better than my previous efforts on the other board.
Garnish and Water Effects added. It's in the process of clearing... finicky stuff. If I was better with a glue gun I would try making waves with it next time. Also, I would submerge untreated lichen into the bank. Some drops of acrylic hit the island, but I covered them with flock.
Update on the first board: the Water Effects has almost cleared entirely, and the customer is very happy with how the board turned out... even the murky bits from the glycerin. I've never had a mistake called "mysterious" before, but I'll take that save.I learned a lot from these boards: use Water Effects sparingly, and do multiple layers to build it up, just as you would with Realistic Water. Make sure to use clean lichen if you’re going to submerge it in the water.
These boards warped ever so slightly when the acrylic cured, despite having been weighted down on all four corners. Not sure what the solution is. In the past I’ve straightened things out by painting the bottom of the board afterward. Then, as the paint dries it pulls the board flat again. I may give it a try.
I’m on to the flat boards next. They should go fairly quickly. I may sculpt remnants of a walk, or building foundations into the foam, but I’ll keep the features small enough so they can be covered with a hill.
Good to hear that the water effects is clearing ok and the client is happy!
Thanks @Robert . It just took a LONG TIME, but it looks a lot better now. As I said, the rest should go quickly. They’re all built. They just need plasticard edges, paint, and flock.
I may go with Warsteiner for the next set of boards. 🙂