Actually it was mostly saw and sand! But it worked...
Once set the material is fairly easy to work with. The outer skin is crusty , whilst the inner surface still retains a slight spongy quality.
So after a bit of work, we are back to this...
I had to be little careful during trimming so I didn't cut the ends off the uprights, just still visible poking up through the surface.
OK next job will be to clad the sides of the board in more MDF, for rigidity and strength and then skim coat the whole top surface in polyfilla. After that sand flat and smooth and, well... I still want a cobblestone pattern over the whole board... and am still leaning towards etching a pattern in with the dremel... it will probably take an age, but should look good in the end...
Cobblestones
I haven't found a cost effective way of covering the board in a suitable pattern. Several suppliers do cobble patterns in pre-made pieces or molds to make yourself... but these cost the earth in pre-made pieces to cover this size of board, or the rubber latex mold making material and then casting material will all add up and probably end up taking just as long to cast it all and fit it all together...
So I think the dremel will be the cost effective way to go... time will be the only factor...
Smoke
On the smoke making front I have run into a slight problem - getting the dry-ice. BOC in Wellington sell it, but thats 50kms away, and they are only open Mon-Fri , the same days I work. When I am free to go down at the weekend to get it, they're closed... what a pain! Shame I can't just nip down to the local store and grab a pack when I need it... curses! Plus even if you can get it, its time sensitive stuff due to storage conditions... it literally goes off. You cant keep it in the domestic freezer either as it could knacker the thermostat... it seems really a buy and use immediately type thing, which is tricky with the supply situation here...
I looked at another way... CO2 fire extinguishers can be used to make dry-ice; just wrap a pillow case tightly round the nozzle and set it off, the pillow case catches the dry-ice formed coming out the end. But CO2 extinguishers are not cheaply or locally available either...
So I am now exploring smoke machines... these things seem to run on 'fog juice' which seems to be a mix of distilled water and glycerin, both of which I can get from the pharmacy. Heat this mix up and it gives off smoke vapours... I'll have to have a play about and see what I come up with...
I have also made a start tonight drawing out plans for the corner pub/tavern... Just need cutting the bits out of the MDF sheet now and start putting it together...
[UPDATE - Millsy suggested split peas for cobblestones so I went to grocery store to have a look. I thought the split peas were too big, but did find some red lentil that looked a smaller better size - I'll have a play with these]
Sad stream bottles are another source of CO2. I do home brewing and have looked at them for a kegging system. Happy to buy dry ice for you during the week for you to pick up in the weekend if you let me know how best to store it. Interested in seeing the cobblestones develop too as this is something I have been considering for some time.
ReplyDeleteSad = soda
DeleteHmmm OK Interesting... I used to do homebrewing too, long time back... yeah had a screw in type valve on top of cylinder... wondering how you could release it manually into the pillow case...?
DeleteThe Dry Ice is from BOC on Seaview ~NZ$7 per 1 kg bag. You need to store it in a chilly bin, but even then it would degrade over time ... based on 20kg in a poly bin, it loses about 300g per hour at normal RTP... thanks for the offer anyway, will have a think...
I think, once I get games table sorted - I'll have to invite you guys up on a Saturday for a game, and get Paul and Brett round too... perhaps you could get a load on a Friday in a chilly bin and hope enough of it is left by the time you get here on the Saturday!
DeleteCheck the local hardware stores, they usually have a brick pattern that could work for copplestone effect that I have seen people use on scenery.
ReplyDeleteI am presuming you are referring to some ind of vinyl/lino? If so, most of the patterns I have found, the 'cobble' size is too big to look right to my mind... thanks for the suggestion though.
DeleteIf you use a smoke machine (or "fogger") you will need to cool the fog so it lays on the table, otherwise it will disapate. Check out some Halloween forums for info on making a fog chiller. I'm an avid "home haunter" and use several of these every year.
ReplyDeleteYes, thanks for that I did note some of those on youtube when checking out the fog machine too. thats why I preferred the idea of dry-ice by itself, just sourcing this is the tricky but... even then the best chillers use dry-ice, so I am back to square one!
DeleteYou can use regular ice with excellent results, i've chilled fog for years that way with great results.
DeleteOK thanks for that. I'll give it a try :-)
DeleteStippled wallpaper when painted can give the effect of cobblestones. I've never tried it myself, but have read about it on the internet somewhere ....
ReplyDeleteFinding a roll that looks right is the tricky bit - I have trolled round the decoratorting stores before and never come across one I liked... :-(
DeleteI had hoped to find something when I did the pirate board some time ago, but was unsuccessful...
DeleteWhy just two pipes to let off the fog? What about a few more holes cunningly disguised as gratings in the gutters, from which the fog could be seen issuing at intervals?
ReplyDeleteI decided, that two entry points nearer centre of board should suffice, as it can generate from there and spill outwardwscovering board... at least thats what I hope!
DeleteFor brick work I like to use thin sheets of polystyrene that I simply draw on my patterns with a rounded pencil. Very cost effective and doesn't consume too much time. I recommend in your case gluing it down first with wood glue, then drawing your pattern and then put a very light layer of glue so you don't lose detail over the top to harden it some for the figures moving over it.
ReplyDeleteChristopher
Thanks for suggestion Chris - I have found sourcing the right type of thin poly sheet here a difficulty - I thought I had cracked it when I discovered the depron foam sheet but even that seemed to have a 'skin' on the surface that snagged and tore slightly while trying to do this; its what I made the walls from for the graveyard I did sometime ago...
DeleteAhh yes, try looking for the grey, blue or black coloured type as the white often has that thin skin over the top you mentioned.
DeleteChristopher
Very interesting project, Scott.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to see you solution for "foggy London".
Cheers
Stefan
I still think the dry-ice is best option, just getting is the tricky bit...
DeleteCan you make some cobblestones with thin plasticard and a some sort of punch... I will have to have a play. It could then be cast...I have seen it done with wallpaper., but as you say it's a challenge finding something suitably embossed.
ReplyDeleteI guess its a possibility - but you'd still have to buy the mold making latex, and casting material, then cast it all up and glue down to board.... money and time again...
ReplyDeleteDepending on your level of commitment (of which you seem to have plenty!) you can do cobbles with split peas. They have the advantage of being cheap, readily available and you can cut them to fit edges, etc. Once you've got them glued down you coat them with a thin PVA / filler mix and wipe off leaving the hump exposed. This simulates the dirt and grime filling the gaps and also bonds the whole lot together.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michael - I did see someone doing something like this with lentils of something similar... I subsequently raided the wifes pantry of herbs and spices but didnt find anything I liked the look of... I'll have to check the supermarket and see what the split peas are like...
DeleteSplit peas looked too big, but grabbed some red lentils instead!
DeleteLooking forward to see what you cook up ;-)
Delete