http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/56.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net Must be big. We play at a minimum, 3k points worth each and usually 4 of us on 1 table. So we need to be able to break up LOS otherwise the game doesn't really progress further than shooting each other from deployment.
Must be portable and easy to store. Its got to go into the back of my car so we can play at each other's homes. So I have x4 6" x 2" Tables to give me a total board of 8" x 6". This I can get in my car if I stack them (So they must Pack up Flat) and can be stored easy. This also means it needs detatchable legs. 16 in total, cause I need x4 per board!
Must be sturdy and 'bomb' proof! When you've £1000's worth of models on the table, you want it level and not subject to falling to peices and smashing your models everywhere.

Before I start, essential 'tools' need to be in place.
1. Beer / Cider.
2. A living room large enought for me to take over for a few days.
3. A Living room with a 1970's carpet that your girlfriend knows is going to be replaced when we decorate the room, and will allow and 'minor' damages to go without too much fuss.
4. Beer.
5. A Girlfriend who'll fetch the beer.
6. A good tool box.
7. BBQ with half a dead cow on it, and some beer.

Each photo is in order of what I described below. So... notes 1 = Photo 1. Simple. The plan was to build a ruined city. I wanted the terrain to fit in with the board, rather than just be plonked onto the board, and look like a ruined building that's sitting on a black / grey textured table. It also needed to pack flat, and I wanted to be able to move the terrin around, so creating a different look each game. So, I figured if I built a 'grid' on the board, the grids would be pavements surrounding a building, the buildings would then slot into the pavement frames. I decided to make up some buildings first, on 23cm x 42cm boards, to help me visualise this. I used 6mm MDF for the bases, so the pavement frame would have to be 6mm high as well. Here are the explanation of the pics's to help you go along.

1. The board. I've used 9mm 6" x 2" MDF sheets.
2. Under the board ! I've made a frame using 2x4 inch wood to build the frame. Each baton is screwed in every foot, and the middle sections in the middle and at the end. A total of 46 screws for 1 board. It ain't warping or going to break!
3. When screwing the batons on, its important to countersink the screw holes, to give a flat finish.
4. Here's the basic plan. Make a frame using 6mm deep, 35mm wide pine strip wood. The building has a base which will slot inside this frame.
5. One of my test buildings inside its frame.
6. PVA glue and a few nails fixes the pavements to the board.
7. Filler the joins in the pavements. These will be sanded later to give a smoot finish. Don't want any Imperial Citizens sueing the Administratum for tripping !
8. Here's 3 of my pavement frames, with 3 buildings, so you can get the idea. the rest of the board will be painted as road, and the other boards I'll move the frames around, to break up LOS so when joined, we don't have long streets to shoot down.
9. Roads. I've gone to Tesco's (a cheap UK sumpermarket for you people unfortunate enough not to live in the UK) and bought a load of 40grit sand paper. This, when painted makes excellent tarmac, and also will have a different texture to the pavements to break up the boards. It's glues with PVA and looks awful when drying, but once dry and painted, its great.
10. Craters. Three 'Doughnut' shaped cardboard cut outs on top of each other, stuck with PVA. Then, add some filler and voila ! Craters. I will be flocking these next (not done this yet - keep reading in future days!).
11. 1 Completed board ready to paint. Only 4 more to go!

I'll be updating this as I work on them, so check back if you're interesting in the progress. Any questions, I'll try to answer.

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333614.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333614.page GMT
Like the craters. Perhaps have craters of different sizes? Other things to break up the flat surface. Will you add debris/rocks/whatnot here and there to make the ground a little more uneven?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333644.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333644.page GMT
I also plan to make some baracades that can either extend from the buildings, or just put in the middle of the roads. I'll also have details like lamp posts & signs, which will have pins in the bottom, to fit into small holes on the pavements. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333659.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333659.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333671.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333671.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333787.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333787.page GMT
]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333879.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333879.page GMT
So I'll do a few buildings. I've done 4 already, I bought x2 Imperial cities.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333891.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333891.page GMT ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333896.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333896.page GMT maybe i wont sell up just yet cant wait to play on em c u soon]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333926.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333926.page GMT [/quote]

As it dries, the sandpaper flattens out. There maybe a few bumps, but this is a city that's been bombarded and wrecked !]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333931.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/333931.page GMT
Before I start, essential 'tools' need to be in place.
1. Beer / Cider.
2. A living room large enought for me to take over for a few days.
3. A Living room with a 1970's carpet that your girlfriend knows is going to be replaced when we decorate the room, and will allow and 'minor' damages to go without too much fuss.
4. Beer.
5. A Girlfriend who'll fetch the beer.
6. A good tool box.
7. BBQ with half a dead cow on it, and some beer.


[/quote]

This project looks like it's going to be awesome. Great start Secret Squig.

It's also nice to see that you've go your priorities in order ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334139.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334139.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334170.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334170.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334202.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334202.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334256.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334256.page GMT
New carpet for the living room V's Forgeworld Reaver Titan.

If you think that ones bad, I'll try and dig the pic of the Bedroom one before we chucked it, imagine the yellow, but electric blue!

The board has been designed to be unfriendly to Super Heavy Tanks. They can fit on the roads, but take up the road and some of the pavement. This is supposed to be an enclosed city, not an open battlefield. I've built 11 out of the 14 Buildings I need so I'll post some pics on them. I've flocked the crater's tonight, so they need to dry and harden for a few days I've been working on a few barracades which can just be placed around the board on the road sections. Here's a Pic.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334307.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334307.page GMT
Can we see some pics with all your building so far on the table? I'd like to see how packed the buildings will be when you finish.

good luck!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334885.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334885.page GMT
I like the layout so far. I was thinking of something similar, only usinga table top that was pretty much a box, so I could put foam terrain sections into it. Perhaps a little too ambitious though; so far your idea accomplishes much the same things, but much faster.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334911.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/334911.page GMT

1. Table now painted with some Black Masonary Paint and dusted with some white Spray.
2. Pavements sprayed with this stuff. Its a textured stone finish. This seperates the pavements from the road giving them a different look and feel. All the building bases will be sprayed with this stuff, so they fit in with the pavements....
3. Like so ...
4. I decided in order to put an extra level of realisim, I've painted a yellow line around the pavements. Also added a crossing which looks cheesy, but as I add more of them and more road markings, they should fit in rather well.
5. Here we have all 4 boards made, but at different painting stages. This gives you an idea of the total size (6 ft x 8 ft) and placement of buildings. The LOS is broken up well, but with the two end tables being as they are, there's still plenty of deployment room.

I've also ordered (my many many thanks to Kid Koyto! or I would have never had seen them) four of the raised walkways from the 'Flying Tricycle' web site. These are approximately 4ft long and 6" high. I'm looking to form some sort of snake going through the board and using them as a Mag Rail system. Need to get them and have a look first. Also had 2 tragic events...... 1. Run out of PVA. 2. (Far more important!) Run out of Beer. Girlfriend off to ASDA tonight to get me another pack of Strongbow Cider.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335659.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335659.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335683.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335683.page GMT got it all over my DC's somehow...

Sweet board, love the idea

I need more Buildings for mine, all i've got are some barricades, a bunker and those FW Roads (straffed ones too )

Bah, we've only got Fosters here.. it tastes like Kangaroo Piss :( Keep up the excellent work! ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335689.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335689.page GMT
I'm going to move your blog over to the appropriate forum (P & M Blogs).

On Topic though:

Looks really great. I was a bit hesitant about the amount of space between each building at first but seeing the paint down and everything, the roads actually look very well sized. Maybe some models on everything could give a bit better sense of scale.

The painted road markings are something I highly suggest to anyone making a cityfight board. They really add a lot of character and life to otherwise boring sections of board. A quick drive around town and you can see there are a ton more markings than you would have thought on the ground.

Some other things you could add:
No parking
Gas Markings
Stop lines
Turn only lanes

Great job so far.
]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335726.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335726.page GMT

So far I've painted up 24 lamposts from the GW Building sprues, got knows how many ammo crates, drums, boxes etc etc. I'll be doing some signposts and stuff. Toying with the idea of painting some parking bays. I think it will come to life when I get the raised walkways and convert them to a ruined Mag Line. Got to find some sort of futuristic train or something.

P.S. What does the 'P&M' stand for in P&M Blogs ?

PPS. Girlfriend returned with 18 cans of Strongbow Cider ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335757.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335757.page GMT
ps. P&M stands for Painting & Modeling ^_-.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335814.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/335814.page GMT
I like the inset board idea. I'm doing a modular setup for my CoD table. I'll have 1' x 1' squares that my terrain will be based on. I think on some of those squares I might do some inserts that I can fit smaller terrain pieces into. I figure these smaller pieces could also function as regular throw terrain to use on a generic board.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/336004.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/336004.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/336567.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/336567.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/340054.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/340054.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/340539.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/340539.page GMT
PPS. Girlfriend returned with 18 cans of Strongbow Cider [/quote]

++PLUS++ A well trained girlfriend!

--MINUS-- The aftermath of checking your build angles while sober ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/340742.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/340742.page GMT
Somke warnings though.

1. 8'x6' has partical problems, regarding reach, this is copounded horribly when you have tall terrain and expensive models such as the forgweowrld Reaver on its way. That model is not only especially expensive, but is also horribly top heavy, I saw it totter after the gentlest nudge of its cabinet.

I would not go beyond 5' for the smaller dimension. 8'x4' is a traditional wargames table size, 6'x4' traditional GW tablesize. 8'x or 7' long tables add enough space witrhout extra width. I am planning 8'x4'4". traditonal board length with a widththat allows a little room at the back of a deplotyment area to ensure space for big stuff.

2. unless you are '40k all the way' You might want to keep obviously 40K Imperium references, and obvious technology to some of the model plug ins, and off the roads completely. This way your battlefield could representing defending an Imperial planet from the forces of the 13th Dark Crusade one week, defending industrial suburbs of Caspia against Menite incursion the next, and freeing Stalingrad from the fascist invaders the week afterwards.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/340758.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/340758.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341332.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341332.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341378.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341378.page GMT
Reach really isn't a problem. Myself and friends are all big butch blokes over 6tf tall (with the exeption of Mr Macrea - 2 stone wet through you see ), and we play on this size table all the time. I've a couple of Warhounds and I wouldn't use them on this board, their too vunerable to troops creeping through buildings and then springing out a CCW'ing to death the Titan. The board is designed to be unfriendly to Super Heavies. Normally, there is four of us deploying, so we need a big board. If there's only 2 of us, we'll drop one board and have a 6x6 board.

[quote=Orlanth]I would not go beyond 5' for the smaller dimension. 8'x4' is a traditional wargames table size, 6'x4' traditional GW tablesize. 8'x or 7' long tables add enough space witrhout extra width. I am planning 8'x4'4". traditonal board length with a widththat allows a little room at the back of a deplotyment area to ensure space for big stuff.[/quote]

I thought about the deployment issue as well. I've designed a couple of the building templates to have very little on them in terms of terrain, a pile of rubble here, a small wall there. That way, I can put these next to peoples deployment area's, in order to give them more space to put their troops out.

I've now completed 3 boards, got 1 left to paint. Painting the yellow markings takes ages and isn't the most interesting thing to do, so you whistle, girlfriend brings beer, and before you know it, you can't paint lines very straight! Most of the buildings are now completed and I've finished off some baracades.

The Raised walkways I plan to glue together with some wood glue, but most of the visible wood will be covered. The main walkway bit at the top will be covered in Square textured plasticard to look like Aluminium Step Plate and I will have 2 tracks running down the middle for the Mag Train. I'll also cover the supports in some card and add tons of rivets to give it some texture. The bottom section I'll probably not use, in favour of using some brass pins on the supports that just plug into the boards.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341628.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341628.page GMT I've now completed 3 boards, got 1 left to paint. Painting the yellow markings takes ages and isn't the most interesting thing to do, so you whistle, girlfriend brings beer, and before you know it, you can't paint lines very straight! Most of the buildings are now completed and I've finished off some baracades.
[/quote]

Thought I had mentioned something about this....


[quote=Orlanth]

--MINUS-- The aftermath of checking your build angles while sober [/quote]]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341631.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341631.page GMT Apoc games).

We have even tried a 6X10 for a huge tank battle.

Reaching into a 8X6 isn't that hard. Reaching into the middle of the 6X10 - that was a stretch (no pun intended). You can get away with an 8X6... just don't ever put Revenant titans near the edges. [b]Ever[/b]. Can't stress that enough.

BYE]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341710.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341710.page GMT
Once all that's done, I'll look at the raised walkways, and finally, the 16 legs I'll need for the tables !

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341845.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341845.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341960.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341960.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341967.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/341967.page GMT
Damn I need to get on with finishing my buildings...*grumble grumble*]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/342124.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/342124.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/344457.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/344457.page GMT Reaching into a 8X6 isn't that hard. Reaching into the middle of the 6X10 - that was a stretch (no pun intended). You can get away with an 8X6... just don't ever put Revenant titans near the edges. [b]Ever[/b]. Can't stress that enough.
[/quote]

Hmm. I was going for 8'x4', however I am now considering 5' wide boards thanks to this thread.

6'x5' is just a warhammer board with an extra 6" deployment, and would be by far the more convenient. 7' wide boards would add the extra 6" in all directions. I am even now tempted by 8'x5', as large as I will go. Full sized wargaming board with 114" diagonals makes most Apocalypse weapons have meaningful ranges.

Two comments

I will be building a single board with a rim. The play surface would be the 'inside'. The Rim should secure minis near the board edge, Revenant titans excepting, and should buffer the board when not in use.

The board will hang on the wall with the play surface facing the wall. The 'underside will be covered with brown faux suede slightly darker than the 'light coffee' coloured walls in my sitting room. Thuis the wargaming table will, when not in use, resemble modern art.

Sneaky eh.

Had the idea two years ago when I first moved into my flat, am still putting it off. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/344676.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/214790/344676.page GMT