Best products from r/TerrainBuilding

I'm using a Gale Force 9 static grass blend. This might not be my exact blend but I think it is (they offer several color blends): https://www.amazon.com/Green-Static-Gale-Force-Nine/dp/B001N1A7EO

You can get a better deal if you get a huge tube like they sell at hobby/train stores but I went with the smaller amount because it was my first time doing this and I wasn't sure if it would work or if I'd like it.

I made my own applicator following this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSr2ZNOn4yc

The video quality isn't the best but I found this tutorial to be the best. It was short, to the point, and got me what I wanted. I built mine for about ~$10. I'll snap a picture of it later when I'm home. The one thing I did different was use alligator clips on my two wires. The solder didn't want to stick to my sifter but alligator have worked perfectly. She also has two more videos on using it that I would watch. Again they're short and to the point, but they clearly show how to use it and get good results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsjv17SDjVw & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8b32zzFZCI.

For glue I just use regular PVA cow glue. I brush it on where I want the grass, apply grass, and then flip my bases over to shake the grass I don't want on there off.

A few cheap items i always point people towards when it comes to building 40k terrain, especially orky stuff;

1. Aquarium Gravel filters, these are modular plastic trays which are used in the bottom of fishtanks to allow water to filter through but to stop gravel, they work really well for platforms, walls and walkways for 40k and they are super cheap, you can get like 10 of them for £5.https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01MFFRBA3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
2. Plaster Repair Filler, you can get a 2.5l tub (2.5l will last for years) for around £10 and it is really useful for spreading on terrain pieces you've built to blend pieces, fill gaps or add texture, some people even use it to base their miniatures since it is similar to Citadel texture paints, takes a while to dry though (overnight); https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001GUA9RM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
3. DIY kids straws, they are plastic tubes which you can scuff up a bit with sandpaper, prime and paint to look like industrial tubes and pipes https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073ZWZR9K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
4. Eva Foam Mats - probably one of the most common bits used by terrain builders, they can be cut up easily (with some good scissors) and with a hot glue gun or superglue can be made into all sorts of items, you can make walls, rubble, stones etc. etc. or even build entire buildings out of them, they are also really really cheap https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20Pcs-Eva-Foam-Mat-Soft-Floor-Tiles-Interlocking-Play-Kids-Baby-Mats-Gym-31X31cm/153498380743?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=453478461462&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
   
5. TTcombat's MDF terrain: TTcombat has the best value MDF terrain in my opinion, if you are going for a shanty town look, you will probably want old shipping containers, scaffolding etc. (their containers and scaffolding kits are both under £6

You're not crazy: Producing quality miniatures is a huge PITA. There's a reason professional models sell for thousands of dollars.

My wife worked on some blockbuster sci-fi movies, some stop motion films, and commercials as a model-maker. There's a lot to unpack in your post! It depends on your budget, resources, time, kind of shot, skillset, scale, desired realism, tools, etc. Some simplified options:

If you're just wondering what are the basic construction materials, good ol' basswood and foamcore and an X-acto knife with lots and lots of sharp replacement blades are the cheap workhorses. Sheet styrene and styrene rods and other shapes. Oh, and sanding blocks and sandpaper. So much sanding. If you are cutting lots of beams, stairs, and other thin pieces, the Chopper II is a big timesaver.

If you have access to a machine, lasercut acrylic is another common approach. Foamed PVC is another material that you can use similarly - draw your designs in CAD, print them out on paper, spraymount onto the foam and then cut out by hand.

Whenever possible, premade models or patterns are used to save time. My wife's old shop had a huge collection of model toys, hobby railroad parts, and patterned sheet styrene that they would raid for every project. The latter might be a big time saver for you (sculpting/etching bricks by hand suuuuuucks).

And yes, sculpting and casting. If you're just casting shallow details, Oyumaru/Blue Stuff is pretty handy, cheap, and non-toxic. Depending on your scale, casting from hobbyist molds might work.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Honestly if you've only played one game I wouldn't go too crazy on making stuff just yet until you're sure your group will regularly play. It's really disappointing when you put a lot of work into something but don't get to use it.

My group started with just a battle mat (1" grid mat for using dry erase makers). They're inexpensive and a great way to get everyone in the game.

Eventually I added model trees, scatter terrain pieces over the grid (think rock obstacles), and now I do pieces like this for big battles:

https://i.imgur.com/xPT0k6J.jpg

Also I bought these which are a great way to build dungeons with minimal investment:

Dungeon Tiles Master Set - The Dungeon: An Essential Dungeons & Dragons Accessory https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786955554/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ZtTQzbXCQC31C

I really like building terrain for my group, but it's best to do it if you know they will keep playing and appreciate it.

If you're just talking about liberally applying liquid to the top of the piece, you should be just fine. Folks do this regularly when staining or applying other treatments. If you're literally soaking the board in a bath, all bets are off.

Just keep a couple things in mind when choosing plywood:

• How many layers? The more layers the more stable. Nice baltic birch with 7+ layers is basically immune to warp. This is by far the most important consideration.
  
• Thickness. This is pretty intuitive. Thicker = stronger = less flex. I'd stick to 3/4" or more. 1/2" would probably be ok, but you're not gonna save enough to make it worth taking the risk.
  
• What grade is it? You can google for more info, but in a nutshell, the nice smooth stuff is going to be better than the rougher exterior/construction grade stuff.
  
  All that said, if you just get MDF it'll be cheaper than high-grade plywood and every bit as good. The main tradeoff is weather resistance and a bit more weight, neither of which are big concerns here. The weight is probably even a plus as it'll lend stability to things.
  
  With either option, you shouldn't need to do any bracing. You may, however, want to put a couple of runners or blocks on the underside so the board isn't prone to sliding around on top of the table. Sticking on a handful of those rubber disks that go under furniture legs would likely work just as well.

Sorry, I should have been more clear.

Generally I cut up the moss into really small flakes.

Then, for the moss, small stones and sand grit, I find what can work is to put some craft glue on the surface first. I use the Dollarama Craft Glue as it's less viscous than straight PVA, easy to spread, but not so runny that it's unmanageable.

I then use tweezers or simply sprinkle on the moss (or flock etc.) onto the craft glue. I let this sit for a few minutes to let it get tacky. At this point you can add stones, and move around the bits. I use a dental pick looking tool I got out of a sculpting kit to move around the bits.

It's at this time I use the spritzer. I looked them up online and officially they're makeup spray bottles. In Canada you can get them at Dollarama in the makeup section. Here's a link to something similar so you can see what I mean.

In the spritzer I have a heavily diluted PVA and water mix. I then gently spray down the flock (that's sitting in the craft glue) and shield any part of the model I don't want getting sprayed with the glue with a piece of cardboard.

I find that spraying it down really solidifies and locks down the flocking into the glue. You can then paint and use the model without the flocking constantly flaking off when the surface is touched.

I hope this helps. I'm trying to figure out my camera situation at the moment but I was thinking about making a small, comic book like, instruction for the process.

Have a great morning!

Okay, to kick things off, here's a handful of things I cannot work without.

• Plasticard - Thick plasticard is quite hard and tough, while thinner (1mm or less) is quite flexible. I primarily use it for terrain bases. It comes in various thicknesses and has many other uses.
  
  
• Foamcore - Foam/sponge like material sandwiched between 2 sheets of card. This is my stock material for buildings and ruins, buildings, bunkers, aegis defence lines, etc. Easy to work with, great results. One thing worth mentioning is that if you're gluing exposed foam, you should give it a coat of paint first, as superglue/polystyrene cement will melt it.
  
  
• Sand - I don't think a link is needed for this! I use both fine grain sandpit playing sand as well as coarse building sand (the latter usually contains small stones that are also useful). If money is tight and you're buying from a home depot, poking a few holes in the bags can get them reduced (just don't get caught!!). I paid £1.20 for 2 massive bags (c15kg's each).
  
  
• Glue - Lots and lots of glues. Superglue, Epoxy Resin, Poly.Cement, PVA, Gorilla Glue, Hot Glue Gun. You can never have enough glue.
  
  
• Wire - Various thicknesses. Usually copper, as it is sturdy but easily manipulated.
  
  
• Gause - Really cool stuff. Great for fences and windows, etc.
  
  
• Cocktail Sticks - Useful for using as fence posts, rebar's, etc.
  
  Then I hoard everything else. Bottles, cans, tins, chain, spare screws, bolts, springs, etc. Unused parts from sprues. You can search on ebay for "40k bits" and buy boxes of unused spare parts for relatively cheap which can really add some detail to your models and terrain.
  
  And that's my tuppence!

Going to a pet store or model train store will get you a lot of cheap terrain that looks reasonably good. If you have some coin to throw around, I may recommend a nicer tree set, like this one

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JXW7OK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've bought a couple packs of those before, and they look frankly fantastic.

My forest boards usually have a mix of nice/expensive trees and cheaper trees to fill up the board. Remember to get some line-of-sight blocking hills and cliffs to, and it's always nice to have a building or two.

For basing I'd recommend styrene sheets. They're cheap, easy to cut (I just use common scissors) and work well with regular model superglue.

Thanks!

1. The tiles are 1/2 inch MDF board. Homedepot has 2x4 foot boards that work great for about $8 (cad)
   
   
2. The MDF is very rigid it wont warp unless you really try to make it happen lol.
   
   
3. The white blocks are from a kids model building set. It was 5.99 at my local hobby store. They are tiny plaster bricks! I'll see if I can find a link for it on amazon. And update my response.
   Edit: https://www.amazon.ca/Teifoc-Small-House-Brick-Construction/dp/B003ZK6BVY
   
   I totally recommend trying this is my 3rd attempt at making a table and I'm really happy with how its turning out.

hey op, one thing I can definitely suggest is losing the external lego-like attachers on the walls and placing small holes for some magnets there instead (e.g. 8$ for 50 pieces). I think itll look better than the protrusions and make all the walls much more easier to manage.

Also much easier than trying to re-print the entire wall in case you break it and will decrease the print time as well.

Otherwise looks very good. the windowed wall definitely looks like a starship destroyer panel!

The brand I use is EasyCast, a two part one-to-one clear resin. Not the worlds best quality, but for effects like these it's perfectly fine. A 16-ounce set costs about $16.86 on Amazon right now.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000GBT8V0/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1456844322&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=clear+resin

Just a cheap one I found in a craft store. I think this is the one: amazon.com/dp/B005JECY0Q. I'd say the number of crystals I got was best case, so you'd probably be better off buying rocks off wish.com or whatnot. I got it for the kids, this was just a bonus after the fact.

​

I buy this stuff: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K2Q73UW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I really like it because I can cut it with a craft knife or strong scissors, unlike MDF. Its just easier to work with and a little bit lighter.

You can find it on Amazon! I used the black paint to prime/base coat a huge set of xps foam dungeon tiles. Worked like a charm.

Also, wire brushes do matter. I used the little thin wire coppery ones often seen in youtube videos and got poor results. However, when I used a super thick wire brush on my giant paint scraper it really worked. I was very surprised. Try a thicker wire brush if you can. Mine looks like the below, it's huge and clumsy but still works well.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Purdy-140910200-14-inch/dp/B008BOWVHC/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=wire+brush+paint+scraper&qid=1550674545&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Also if you want reaaaal thin wood you may even buy wood veneer sheets (online is easy, hard to find in most stores, Home Depot didn't sell) , this is thin stuff you could cut with a razor and could probably attach to a substructure like chipboard (the back of a legal paper pad) for sturdiness.

https://www.amazon.com/Sauers-Walnut-Veneer-7-Piece/dp/B01B7BTWI6/ref=sr_1_29?crid=2EEUV2F42Y1QN&keywords=wood+veneer+sheet&qid=1573370847&sprefix=wood+ve%2Caps%2C206&sr=8-29

I just had to share this spit-take worthy thing I just got in. Here's an amazon link, I think it is a must have for everyone:)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z3TVRLX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can buy spray paints that are water based so that they do not eat foam. I often use these for spraying both normal styrofoam and XPS foam.

Something like this will work too: https://www.amazon.com/Liquitex-Professional-Spray-Paint-Carbon/dp/B008LUIUXU?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_3