Raudulfr's Custom Terrain (update 8-25-2012)

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Dice Tower
Link to more images (http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?p=1663818#post1663818)
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower-jack/DiceTower-1.jpg

Mushrooms
See a step-by-step here. (http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?p=1038272#post1038272)
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/mushrooms/8_mushrooms.jpg

Dungeon Rock Outcrops
See a step-by-step here. (http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?p=1023328#post1023328)
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rock-outcrops/11_rock-outcrops.jpg


HOT LAVA
See a step-by-step here. (http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?p=901413#post901413)
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/lava/22_lava.jpg



Stone fences
See a step-by-step here. (http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?p=739164#post739164)
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/stone-fences/8_stone-fence.jpg



Temple Dice Tower
tutorial on page 23
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/tower_dice-tower/6_tower_dice-tower.JPG


Temple Ruins
tutorial on page 20
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/19_temple_ruins.jpg


Swamp trees and Desert Rocks
more pics on page 14

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/01.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/07.jpg


Urban Wall
(Step-by-step on page 13)

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/urban-wall/6_urban-wall.jpg


Custom Dice Tower
(Step-by-step on page 10)

Thanks to Imax for the plans!
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/27_dice-tower.jpg


Starting Zone Markers
(Step-by-step on page 9)

Most of the games I play are with three other people. We usually play 1v1v1v1 on large boards. We choose a starting zone based on a roll of the twenty sider. Highest roller picks first.

I thought it would be cool to have a marker to place in the start zone to mark your spot. Each stone has an initial carved into it. One for each of us and another for my son.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/16_startzone_markers.jpg

A Tale of Two Trees
(Step-by-step on page 6)

Following this tutorial (http://www.brushthralls.com/tree-templates.html), I made these:
My tutorial is here. (http://www.heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?p=392065#post392065)
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/15_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/24_trees.jpg


Quick project: Old Wall

This took me about 3 hours total time to make. I purchased some green flower foam from Michael's and this is the first thing I made with it. Mostly is was a trial to see how I liked working with the foam. I was fun! Enjoy :D

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/1_old-wall.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/2_old-wall.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/3_old-wall.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/4_old-wall.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/5_old-wall.JPG


Jandar Guard Tower
(step by step on page 3)

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/17_guard-tower.JPG

Marro bone stucture
(Step-by-step on page 2)

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/13b_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Dice Tower
A tutorial for the dice tower can be found here (http://heroscapers.com/community/showthread.php?p=146562&highlight=#159696)

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/7_round_dice_tower.jpg


Orc Archer Tower
Instructions and files for the tower can be found here (http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/orc-tower/orc-tower_instructions.html) if you want to build it.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/orc-tower/orc_tower_spike.jpg

Stone Bridges and LOS blockers

Inspired by Gidian's technique, I made these out of some packing foam that came in a box of something I bought. I cut the foam with a blade, coated them with a glue/mod podge/paint coating. The dark rocks started with a black base and then several lighter shades of dry brushing. The ice rocks had a base of blue and then several lighter shades up to white of dry brushing. It was a fun project that didn't take too long. I also used my lexan mat from Cavalier as a base for the photos.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/01_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/02_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/03_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/04_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/05_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/06_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/07_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/08_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/09_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/10_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/11_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/12_rocks.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/rocks/13_rocks.jpg

Misc items

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/10_fortress.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/11_fortress.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/12_fortress.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/castle1.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/castle2.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/columns_small.jpg

[super kyrie]

Cool stuff! :D

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks super kyrie!

[super kyrie]

I espesially like the dice tower. It has that ancient temple type building look. The lookout tower is cool too, along with the different colored rocks.
Great job shieldcrusher! :thumbsup:

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I espesially like the dice tower. It has that ancient temple type building look. The lookout tower is cool too, along with the different colored rocks.
Great job shieldcrusher! :thumbsup:

Thanks!

The dice tower is good for smaller rolls. Anything above 7 dice I roll on the table.

[super kyrie]

cool. Are you going to make some more custom stuff and post it here or is this the only stuff your gonna make??

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

cool. Are you going to make some more custom stuff and post it here or is this the only stuff your gonna make??

I'm working on a permanent glyph type structure for the cloners right now. And I don't think I'll stop making stuff . . . it's too much fun!

See my sig for other stuff.

[robopesant]

:) verry cool

[Hendal]

WOW!!!!!

Really awesome stuff. I am not a dice tower type of guy, but I really like the look of yours. Everything looks great, I love the ice bridge, seems doable for the average guy. The tower is really cool also, all good stuff coming out of Ohio, Gotta Love that.

Great posts, great Photo's.

I like the water pad under the one board?

The castle painted black looks really good also, the 2 color castle has a good look about it

Thanks

Hendal

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

WOW!!!!!

Really awesome stuff. I am not a dice tower type of guy, but I really like the look of yours. Everything looks great, I love the ice bridge, seems doable for the average guy. The tower is really cool also, all good stuff coming out of Ohio, Gotta Love that.

Great posts, great Photo's.

I like the water pad under the one board?

The castle painted black looks really good also, the 2 color castle has a good look about it

Thanks

Hendal

The black castle is my son's. He wanted an evil looking castle for Utgar, so we painted it black and dry brushed some grey for highlights. When it is used by itself, it looks really cool!

The water pad is a TeeKay Lexan mat. If you don't have one, get one!

Thanks Handal!

[Glitch]

Nice! I have painted my castle sort of like that but I did a light wash and forgot the wipe the excess off the peices so the paint came out splotchy.
So I did a darker wash and covered the mistakes up a bit, still doesn't look as good as yours though :D .

[HSisforcoolkids]

Your rock work is awesome and I have always been a fan of you orc tower and have looked at it often in admiration.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Your rock work is awesome and I have always been a fan of you orc tower and have looked at it often in admiration.

Thanks! So, have you made a tower yet? :D

[teekay]

Cool stuff, RS--especially the tower. Also the black wash just makes the castle set look better. :)

[Billtog]

I don't really have any original compliments to bestow on you, but suffice it to say that everything pictured so far is awesome. My favorite is the guard tower with the wooden ladder.

[Taelord]

Nice stuff. Thise rocks look amazing. And I like your albino Carr.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

My latest project is a Marro bone structure. Mostly it is for decoration, but I thought that it could also be used as a permanent glyph. If a Marro warrior is on the center hex, a bonus could be applied to the cloning ablility, or to the Hive Supremecy. Anyway . . . here is a tutorial.

I started by carving the bone shapes out of styro.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/01_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Then they got a good coating of a paint/glue/flour mixture. I wanted some of the texture of the styro to show through.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/02_marro_bone_structure.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/03_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Then I drilled some holes for screws in the bottom of a 7 hex tile.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/04_marro_bone_structure.jpg

I glued the bones to the screws. After they dried, I used some of the left over bits of styro to build up the base of the bones. I wanted it to look like the flesh around a tusk or horn.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/05_marro_bone_structure.jpg

The bases then got a good coat of the paint/glue/flour mixture.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/06_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Painted everything black.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/07_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Drybrushed the hex base and the bone bases.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/08_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Then I painted the bones with a solid brown undercoat.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/09_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Next, the bones got a drybrush coat of flesh. The bone bases got a drybrush of dark red. And the hex got a drybrush coat of flesh.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/10_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Then the bones for a light drybrush of cream.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/11_marro_bone_structure.jpg

Last I added a real light drybrush coat of white to the bones, a little bit of watered down yellow to the bone bases and a touch of brighter red to the parts that stuck out the most.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/12_marro_bone_structure.jpg

And here is the final piece on display with some Marro figures!
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/13_marro_bone_structure.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/bone/14_marro_bone_structure.jpg

[Cavalier]

:thumbsup: Very nice custom piece, Shieldcrusher, and a great tutorial.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks!

[robopesant]

Cool':)

[NecroBlade]

Awesomeness. Btw, August is the 8th month of the year. ;)

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Awesomeness. Btw, August is the 8th month of the year. ;)

Doh!

[redic_rogue_07]

looks great im gonna have to try this.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

looks great im gonna have to try this.

It wasn't too difficult. The hardest part was carving the bones. It only took two days, and maybe a total of 3 hours. I used a hair dryer inbetween coats of paint to speed things up a bit.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Nice stuff. Thise rocks look amazing. And I like your albino Carr.

Thanks!

Check out my custom figures. You can see a few more pics of the new Carr there. My favorite part is where I cut off his ponytail!

[Onacara]

What exactly is the paint/water/flour mixture?

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

What exactly is the paint/water/flour mixture?

Well, I'm too cheap to go out and buy plaster or something like that. So in order to make a thick paste to fill in the gaps in the styro, I used whatever I had on hand, and made a mixture of latex house paint, Aleene's Tacky glue and flour.

[Onacara]

What exactly is the paint/water/flour mixture?

Well, I'm too cheap to go out and buy plaster or something like that. So in order to make a thick paste to fill in the gaps in the styro, I used whatever I had on hand, and made a mixture of latex house paint, Aleene's Tacky glue and flour.


You are the MacGyver of custom terrain....hmmm think I need to go to the title advocacy thread....

I have been trying to perfect a similar combination using the scrap florists foam from my rock carvings, an old food processor, flour and water

[robopesant]

What exactly is the paint/water/flour mixture?

Well, I'm too cheap to go out and buy plaster or something like that. So in order to make a thick paste to fill in the gaps in the styro, I used whatever I had on hand, and made a mixture of latex house paint, Aleene's Tacky glue and flour.

Wow thats a great idea. (I especially like the cheap part.):)

[Taelord]

Love you're new terrain. Gonna fit in nicely with SotM.

[HSisforcoolkids]

Your newest piece is outstanding, and your tutorial is thorough and helpful.

[bad_calvin]

I like your stuff! Very nice! I wish I had time to get into building terrain again. It has been just crazy hectic. Thanks for sharing. The marrow bone structure looks kind of like mine I did a while back. I spaced them out a little more though to get 7 water tiles in the middle. Did you just mount them on one hex's, or did you just put them all together as one piece?

Keep the good stuff coming! Terrain a battlefield makes. :)

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I like your stuff! Very nice! I wish I had time to get into building terrain again. It has been just crazy hectic. Thanks for sharing. The marrow bone structure looks kind of like mine I did a while back. I spaced them out a little more though to get 7 water tiles in the middle. Did you just mount them on one hex's, or did you just put them all together as one piece?

Keep the good stuff coming! Terrain a battlefield makes. :)

Thanks!

I used a 7 hex tile for the base, so it is all one piece.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Latest addition: Jandar Guard Tower

I started a new project. This is going to be a Jandar Guard Tower. I'm making it so that it lines up with a nornal hex height so it can be intgrated into any map, or castle.

First, I cut out the shape of the hex pattern and made two. Then I drew the shapes of the flagstones, and cut them out.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/1_guard-tower.JPG

I glued them down as I cut them out, one at a time. I did this so I wouldn't lose my place.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/2_guard-tower.JPG

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/3_guard-tower.JPG

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/4_guard-tower.JPG

After they were all in place, I painted the entire surface black. Then drybrushed on gradually lighter shades of grey.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/5_guard-tower.JPG

Then I went back in and added in some different shades of brown and grey to mix it up a bit. And finally, I added a light brybrush of white.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/6_guard-tower.JPG

As you can see here, the tower height matches the castle wall with one more tile on top. Nice.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/7_guard-tower.JPG

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/8_guard-tower.JPG

I plan on leaving the battlements loose so I can use this piece in several configurations. But I might paint them to match. I still need to figure out how I am going to get a stone texture on the tower itself. I'd love to get my hands on some of that thin foam that Gidian uses here:
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/l021_gidian.jpg

Well, I found some foam sheets. They are only about 2mm thick so they can't be "carved" deep but for this project it should work well. I followed Gidian's friend Wolfgang's method on the Vampire castle.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/9_guard-tower.JPG

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/10_guard-tower.JPG

[redic_rogue_07]

great job, looks good.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks redic,

I didn't like the stonework I did on the last piece of foam, so I re-made it. This time there are no windows and it is all bricks. I'll get a photo up later. Then I have to get ready for the Speed Terain contest #6!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I made a new pattern for the tower. I didn't like the last one I made.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/11_guard-tower.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/12_guard-tower.JPG

Here, I glued and wrapped the foam around the cardboard tube.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/13_guard-tower.JPG

Then I cut a notch in the foam to fit around the top tile.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/14_guard-tower.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/15_guard-tower.JPG

Then I glued the tower to a 7-hex base. I also used some castle pieces as a jig so the top and bottom tile would line up. Applesauce anyone?

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/16_guard-tower.JPG

Then I painted it. First with a base of black paint/glue mixture to seal it. Then with lighter shades of warm grey. I tinted a few bricks with more brown. Then a drybrush of white to top it off.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/17_guard-tower.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/18_guard-tower.JPG

I'll post some pics of it on an actual board. Maybe attached to a castle . . .

[Will T]

Raudulfr the tower looks awesome. I think you should call it an AERIE.

aerie \EYE-ree\, noun:
1. The bird's nest built on a lofty place, such as a cliff or mountaintop.
2. A dwelling or stronghold located in a lofty place.

I have always imagined that the Kyrie would have strongholds without ground-level doors in order to the beasts out, and that they would be called aeries.

[Lotus]

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/guard_tower/16_guard-tower.JPG

The one true use of Apple Sauce jugs.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

The kids love the applesauce!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Raudulfr the tower looks awesome. I think you should call it an AERIE.

aerie \EYE-ree\, noun:
1. The bird's nest built on a lofty place, such as a cliff or mountaintop.
2. A dwelling or stronghold located in a lofty place.

I have always imagined that the Kyrie would have strongholds without ground-level doors in order to the beasts out, and that they would be called aeries.

Thanks Will!

Interesting. One of the reasons I didin't like my first layout on foam was because of the windows.

[Onacara]

Raudulfr the tower looks awesome. I think you should call it an AERIE.

aerie \EYE-ree\, noun:
1. The bird's nest built on a lofty place, such as a cliff or mountaintop.
2. A dwelling or stronghold located in a lofty place.

I have always imagined that the Kyrie would have strongholds without ground-level doors in order to the beasts out, and that they would be called aeries.

Thanks Will!

Interesting. One of the reasons I didin't like my first layout on foam was because of the windows.

Perhaps if you had used these in the windows and added a small light....sorry I am going on a tangent here

http://www.hirstarts.com/plans/stained.pdf

[ShogunOfEinar]

Excellent work! I'm in awe of your creativity :D

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Raudulfr the tower looks awesome. I think you should call it an AERIE.

aerie \EYE-ree\, noun:
1. The bird's nest built on a lofty place, such as a cliff or mountaintop.
2. A dwelling or stronghold located in a lofty place.

I have always imagined that the Kyrie would have strongholds without ground-level doors in order to the beasts out, and that they would be called aeries.

Thanks Will!

Interesting. One of the reasons I didin't like my first layout on foam was because of the windows.

Perhaps if you had used these in the windows and added a small light....sorry I am going on a tangent here

http://www.hirstarts.com/plans/stained.pdf

That's the thing. It started to look like something that wasn't "stong". I might revisit that design and incoporate the stained glass window look to a "interior" tower or a stand alone building or something.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Excellent work! I'm in awe of your creativity :D

Thanks Shogun! Heroscape has allowed my dormant artist to flourish.

[Taelord]

That tower is amazing. The only problem is that I don't want to give up two 7 hexers. Plus I can't draw skillfully enough to make the cobblestone. But good work. :up: :up:

[bluejester48]

EXCELLENT work!!!

[nerdyninja]

:toast:

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

That tower is amazing. The only problem is that I don't want to give up two 7 hexers. Plus I can't draw skillfully enough to make the cobblestone. But good work. :up: :up:

Our group has 4 sets of Volcaren Wasteland between us. So I sacrafice my set for these projects. We don't use lava boards often so . . .

[eric.dunfee]

Maybe I missed it, but I read through the tutorial a couple times and couldn't find where you got the cardboard tube from.

Oh and, awesome looking pieces!

I just got into heroscape, and hope to duplicate some of the awesome terrain and buildings I've seen on here. The customs really add a whole new dimension to the game.

[Onacara]

Maybe I missed it, but I read through the tutorial a couple times and couldn't find where you got the cardboard tube from.

Oh and, awesome looking pieces!

I just got into heroscape, and hope to duplicate some of the awesome terrain and buildings I've seen on here. The customs really add a whole new dimension to the game.


It looks like either a small oatmeal or snack cannister without the label.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Maybe I missed it, but I read through the tutorial a couple times and couldn't find where you got the cardboard tube from.

Oh and, awesome looking pieces!

I just got into heroscape, and hope to duplicate some of the awesome terrain and buildings I've seen on here. The customs really add a whole new dimension to the game.


It looks like either a small oatmeal or snack cannister without the label.

BING! BING! BING! We have a winner!

Yes, it was an oatmeal container. And the best part is, it fit the underside of a 7 hex tile perfectly. I've been saving that container for about 6 months waiting for the right project to pop into my head.

I save all kinds of stuff from around the house for Heroscape. I drive my wife nuts . . . "hey honey, check this out. I could make a _____ out of this for Heroscape!" [wife] :roll: [wife].

[redic_rogue_07]

Hay i know that look, my wife does that to.

[Hed_the_huge]

Nicely done!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Nicely done!

Hey Hed, thanks! Where ya been?

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Quick project: Old Wall
This took me about 3 hours total time to make. I purchased some green flower foam from Michael's and this is the first thing I made with it. Mostly is was a trial to see how I liked working with the foam. I was fun! Enjoy

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/1_old-wall.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/2_old-wall.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/3_old-wall.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/4_old-wall.JPG
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/5_old-wall.JPG

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

Quick project: Old Wall
This took me about 3 hours total time to make. I purchased some green flower foam from Michael's and this is the first thing I made with it. Mostly is was a trial to see how I liked working with the foam. I was fun! Enjoy

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/old-wall/1_old-wall.JPG


:shock:
You've got some skill, RS! The old wall looks fantastic! Even the hex spaces are nice and old-looking! How did you make them?
Nice work!
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h249/jonan_jello/emoticons/893applaud-thumb.gif

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

:shock:
You've got some skill, RS! The old wall looks fantastic! Even the hex spaces are nice and old-looking! How did you make them?
Nice work!
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h249/jonan_jello/emoticons/893applaud-thumb.gif

Thanks HEH!

The hex spaces are made with some sheet foam I found at Michael's. IT is about 1/16 of an inch thick. I cut out the shapes for the paving stones, carved out the cracks with a pencil and then glued them down. Simple! I found my inspiration from Gidian's site.

I didn't do a tutorial on this project because I was just playing around with the new foam. I had no intention on making anything, so I didn't even pull out the camera.

I have some ideas for future projects with foam, so I'll do tutorials on those.

[eric.dunfee]

Very cool!

Isn't that the foam for making custom potted plants? If I remember correctly, it can't take much abuse. Did you do anything to reinforce the strength of the foam first?

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Very cool!

Isn't that the foam for making custom potted plants? If I remember correctly, it can't take much abuse. Did you do anything to reinforce the strength of the foam first?

Yes. I soaked it with a glue/water mixture. I did this twice before I painted it. So there are four coats total: glue/water x2, paint (thick black base mixed with sand, then drybrushed), and then a coat of matte varnish.

If you press hard, it will give a bit. But then again, it is a ruined wall, and if it suffers a few bumbs a bruises, it probably won't show! :wink:

For future projects . . . I'm not sure what I can do short of what I did on this one for strength. So I think it will work. But time will tell . . .

[bluejester48]

Well whatever you do, if it looks like that again, it will be beautiful!

That wall is excellent! Keep up the great work.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Well whatever you do, if it looks like that again, it will be beautiful!

That wall is excellent! Keep up the great work.

Thanks! I really like making stuff.

[sodtiwaz]

Love the new wall!

Was the water/glue mix 50/50? Love green foam but I've been afraid to work with it since it's extremely easy to crush. Good to know a few layers of glue will harden it up.

How careful do you have to be with it? Can you just toss it in a drawer or does it need special storage?

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Love the new wall!

Thanks!

Was the water/glue mix 50/50? Love green foam but I've been afraid to work with it since it's extremely easy to crush. Good to know a few layers of glue will harden it up.

How careful do you have to be with it? Can you just toss it in a drawer or does it need special storage?

I mixed Aleene's Tacky glue with water until it was the consistency of heavy cream. Maybe 60 glue/ 40 water? And I really let is soak in, so much that is was oozing from the inside of the piece as it dried. The foam acts like a sponge. I actually held it upside down for a bit just to make sure it was more evenly distributed.

I wouldn't toss it in a drawer though. I do have the piece in a cardboard box with my other custom stuff. This is the first time I've worked with the green foam so I'm not sure how it will hold up long term. But so far it seems tough enough!

Do you think the blue house insulation type foam would be better than the flower foam? I just couldn't spend the $25 at Home Depot for the big 4x8 sheet, so I went with the green flower foam to save some scratch.

[GeneralBeaner]

It doesn't look like that bridge has any hex spaces on it... does it?

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

Very cool!

Isn't that the foam for making custom potted plants? If I remember correctly, it can't take much abuse. Did you do anything to reinforce the strength of the foam first?

Yes. I soaked it with a glue/water mixture. I did this twice before I painted it. So there are four coats total: glue/water x2, paint (thick black base mixed with sand, then drybrushed), and then a coat of matte varnish.

If you press hard, it will give a bit. But then again, it is a ruined wall, and if it suffers a few bumbs a bruises, it probably won't show! :wink:

For future projects . . . I'm not sure what I can do short of what I did on this one for strength. So I think it will work. But time will tell . . .

Such an interesting procedure! I never would have thought to soak them in glue/water mixture. I'd love to attempt this wall next summer.
Again, it's simply awesome.

[cycoduck]

Love the new wall!

Thanks!

Was the water/glue mix 50/50? Love green foam but I've been afraid to work with it since it's extremely easy to crush. Good to know a few layers of glue will harden it up.

How careful do you have to be with it? Can you just toss it in a drawer or does it need special storage?

I mixed Aleene's Tacky glue with water until it was the consistency of heavy cream. Maybe 60 glue/ 40 water? And I really let is soak in, so much that is was oozing from the inside of the piece as it dried. The foam acts like a sponge. I actually held it upside down for a bit just to make sure it was more evenly distributed.

I wouldn't toss it in a drawer though. I do have the piece in a cardboard box with my other custom stuff. This is the first time I've worked with the green foam so I'm not sure how it will hold up long term. But so far it seems tough enough!

Do you think the blue house insulation type foam would be better than the flower foam? I just couldn't spend the $25 at Home Depot for the big 4x8 sheet, so I went with the green flower foam to save some scratch.

Raudulf, go here (http://www.plastruct.com/Pages/SummerSale.lasso#FB) for some foam sheets (EPS - holds up well) at a very cheap price. I found that this foam holds up a lot better than the green foam over time.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

It doesn't look like that bridge has any hex spaces on it... does it?

No, not yet. I thought about drawing light pencil lines to show the hexes. But I also noticed that the planks spaces fall in line with the hex size. So I think I'll just darken the plank in-between the spaces.

Anyway the bridge is five hexes across, not counting the base hexes.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Raudulf, go here (http://www.plastruct.com/Pages/SummerSale.lasso#FB) for some foam sheets (EPS - holds up well) at a very cheap price. I found that this foam holds up a lot better than the green foam over time.

Thanks cycoduck, just what I was looking for!

[super kyrie]

The new old wall custom is amazing! I also like the jandar gaurd tower thing. All of your customs are great. I can't wait for more :D

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

The new old wall custom is amazing! I also like the jandar gaurd tower thing. All of your customs are great. I can't wait for more :D

Thank you!

I'm working on some quicksand tiles now. And maybe a desert scene.

[Onacara]

Another great piece Raud...I also like working with the green foam and have been trying to figure out exactly how to harden it up without losing the great texture the green planters foam has when it is carved. I do have a question for you regarding how you carved it...Did you use an exacto knife only? I tend to carve basic shapes with my utility knife and then work on details with a pen file set. It is less stressful on foam then a sharp knife and helps prent a too deep of a cut that can split the foam.

I sent Rev a set of boulders I made with the green foam and am awaiting a report back on how they held up during shipping. They were not treated with anything.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Another great piece Raud...I also like working with the green foam and have been trying to figure out exactly how to harden it up without losing the great texture the green planters foam has when it is carved. I do have a question for you regarding how you carved it...Did you use an exacto knife only? I tend to carve basic shapes with my utility knife and then work on details with a pen file set. It is less stressful on foam then a sharp knife and helps prent a too deep of a cut that can split the foam.

I sent Rev a set of boulders I made with the green foam and am awaiting a report back on how they held up during shipping. They were not treated with anything.

Thanks!

I used a box cutter to make the large sections cuts. Then I used a #2 pencil for the rest of the carving. These were my only tools.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I tried an experiment last night. I wanted a quicksand tile to go with the SoTM when it comes out. Now I just need to figure out some rules.

First I cut out a piece of foam-core to fit inside the tiles. I wanted it to be a half height tile. Then I peeled off one side of the foam-core. I dented it up a little and then smeared on the glue and covered with sand. This was just a test to see if I liked the quicksand so I only made these two pieces.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/quicksand/1_quicksand.jpg

My daughter donated an old push pin foam board to the customs cause. I like the texture and I'm trying to figure out how to use it. I thought it looked like wind-blown sand dunes, so I cut out a hex and tried it out. The best part is the foam is the same size as the original tiles.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/quicksand/2_quicksand.jpg

Started with a coat of brown.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/quicksand/3_quicksand.jpg

Here I painted with a watered down green to tint the brown a bit and show hex separators.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/quicksand/4_quicksand.jpg

Drybrush of flesh to highlight the sand.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/quicksand/5_quicksand.jpg

And then several coats of glossy clear coat to show it's 'wetness'
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/quicksand/6_quicksand.jpg

Any comments of thoughts?

[Bloodthorn]

Very interesting. I like the look of it, but I wonder about how to give it rules. Maybe a D20 roll to see if you can get out?

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Very interesting. I like the look of it, but I wonder about how to give it rules. Maybe a D20 roll to see if you can get out?

Yeah, like lava, at the end of the round, roll to see if you get out.

[eric.dunfee]

Dude! That quicksand is awesome!!!!

I'm constantly checking your thread for inspiration, and ALWAYS see great stuff!

Something I wanted to mention to you that I didn't get a chance to was possibly using resin to coat the foam with to give it rigidity. I'm not really sure of the process or materials... or even cost for that matter, but I'll include a link to a guy that uses it to make custom pc enclosures.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1164136

I know much of it is fiberglass, but I think on some of the pieces he's just using resin.. although I could be completely wrong.

[Gidian]

Coating foam with resin wouldn't work. At least not with the resin I know. The drying process of resin is a chemical process which produces heat and the the foam would melt. Additionally there are some materials in the resin, foam normally reacts on. So you shouldn't wonder if the foam you wanted to coat, looks like something undefinable in the end. ;)

Greetings from Germany

Gidian

[sodtiwaz]

Someone posted some quicksand rules a few weeks back but I just woke up so I'll leave the google searching to you guys with active braincells. I do however remember it was a d20 roll and had similar properties to water, i.e. when entering a quicksand space even from another quicksand space end your movement. I seem to recall it having 4 "levels" where you progressively got more and more screwed.

I'd personally simplify it to something like this.

1: Figure is destroyed
2-5: Figure rolls 1 defense dice per base hex size (or per 5 height?) vs a 1 skull attack.
6-10: End movement.
11-15: This tile counts as 2 moves end movement if that exceeds current movement points remaining.
16-20: Continue movement as normal.

flying creatures may ignore quicksand while moving however if they end their movement on a quicksand tile roll a d20.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I'd personally simplify it to something like this.

1: Figure is destroyed
2-5: Figure rolls 1 defense dice per base hex size (or per 5 height?) vs a 1 skull attack.
6-10: End movement.
11-15: This tile counts as 2 moves end movement if that exceeds current movement points remaining.
16-20: Continue movement as normal.

flying creatures may ignore quicksand while moving however if they end their movement on a quicksand tile roll a d20.

That's a good start! I'd like it even simpler. How about this:

Movement ends when entering a quicksand tile, just like water. It will cost 2 movement points to get out, not including the one move up since quicksand is half-height. At the end of the round, all figures on quicksand tiles roll the D20.

1: Figure is destroyed

2-15: Figure receives one wound

16-20: Figure is safe

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

A Tale of Two Trees:

Following this tutorial (http://www.brushthralls.com/tree-templates.html), I made these:
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/15_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/24_trees.jpg

Here is a step-by-step:

First, I gathered some wire. The larger wire is 14 gauge indoor copper building wire that was left over after a home project. The smaller wire I've had in the garage for years. I have no idea how I acquired it.
I cut the 14 guage to length and clamped the root end with a pair of vise grips. Then I twisted the wire into the shape I wanted. After I had a basic shape I added the thinner wire. I used it to build up areas and to represent the taper of natural branches.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/01_trees.jpg

After all the wire was in place, I started to add masking tape. I built it up in several layers and tried to get a good shape. To make it easier to wrap around the smaller branches, I cut the tape into skinnier strips.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/02_trees.jpg

Here you can see the detail of the tape and wire.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/03_trees.jpg

All the tape is now on.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/04_trees.jpg

I then drilled a hole in the tile and screwed the tree in place for security.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/05_trees.jpg

Now comes the time consuming part. I wasn't happy just leaving the masking tape on the tree. So I covered the tree with Paperclay. I started with the root base.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/07_trees.jpg

After I added the Paperclay. I wanted some more roots. I cut some more 14 gauge wire and left the insulation of a few pieces to vary the size.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/06_trees.jpg

Detail
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/08_trees.jpg

After about 4 hours, I had the entire tree covered with Paperclay. To get the bark texture, I used a pencil.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/09_trees.jpg

Detail of the Paperclay.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/10_trees.jpg

Next, the entire structure got a coat of textured spray paint. I had some left over from another home project. The paint is Rust-oleum Fine Textured Finish Bronze.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/11_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/12_trees.jpg

The last painting step is the standard dry-brush technique. I wanted a dead look, so I went with warm greys, building up dark to light.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/13_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/14_trees.jpg

And then I added some moss. The moss is made from steel wool, glue, tiny foam fragments and parsley. I just shaped the steel wool, soaked it in glue and rolled it in the foam and parsley. After it dried, I painted it and glued it in place. And then coated the entire piece with matte varnish.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/15_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/16_trees.jpg

Tree two started in the same way as the first.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/17_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/18_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/19_trees.jpg

On the base of the smaller tree I added some sand and a small rock.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/20_trees.jpg

Drybrushing to bring out the details.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/21_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/22_trees.jpg

And then I added steel wool for the leaves. After it was shaped and in place I sprayed it with adhesive and sprinkled on the foam and parsley. I took two layers to get the solid coverage I wanted. A coat of matte varnish to protect the foam for the next coat of green spay paint. And then another couple of coats of matte varnish to seal the piece.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/23_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/24_trees.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/trees/25_trees.jpg

I'm very happy with how these turned out.

[elf326]

Some of those would look good mixed with Sotm. Great job! :D

[bad_calvin]

I have a few of these types of trees made up as well. They are nice because you can bulk them up for large trees, or keep them thin for smaller trees (like birch). I added this to the tutorial section as well.

[nonexistantnonexister]

Amazing doing this right after my mom gets home, and I finish homework :evil:

[bad_calvin]

Amazing doing this right after my mom gets home, and I finish homework :evil:

Well +rep to you for DOING your homework! Some of the youngn's around here leave me with no hope for the world.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Amazing doing this right after my mom gets home, and I finish homework :evil:

Don't forget to post some pics.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I added this to the tutorial section as well.

Awesome! Thanks BC.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Some of those would look good mixed with Sotm. Great job! :D

SotM was the reason for the dead tree.

[Onacara]

Raud....I was contemplating which of your tutorials to include in the first issue of Customs Patrol...but you easily made up my mind with this one...you continue to amaze me.

[Bloody the Marro Stinger]

:shock:
Just amazing. One question. Can units move through the two spaces in the first tree? I'm guessing no.
Great job! That is ridiculously good! :thumbsup:

[zanter]

WOW! The trees look great!

[NecroBlade]

I don't usually do this, but

:jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop:

[Renquist]

Freaking genius.

I've seen the trees with pva soaked paper rather than paper clay. Where can I get my hands on some paper clay exactly?

The steel wool I'd seen before, but thought it looked pretty poor. Who would have though to add foam and parsley.... crazy idea but wow did it work out.

Looks great RS.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

:shock:
Just amazing. One question. Can units move through the two spaces in the first tree? I'm guessing no.
Great job! That is ridiculously good! :thumbsup:

No, figures shouldn't move through any of the spaces. At least that's not how I inteded it.

Thanks for the kind words!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I don't usually do this, but

:jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop: :jawdrop:

You flatter me! Thanks Necro!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Raud....I was contemplating which of your tutorials to include in the first issue of Customs Patrol...but you easily made up my mind with this one...you continue to amaze me.

Thanks Onacara! If you need me to rewrite the text or anything, let me know. I could be more thorough if you think I need to.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Freaking genius.

I've seen the trees with pva soaked paper rather than paper clay. Where can I get my hands on some paper clay exactly?

The steel wool I'd seen before, but thought it looked pretty poor. Who would have though to add foam and parsley.... crazy idea but wow did it work out.

Looks great RS.

Paperclay can be found at Michaels. I used the usuall Sunday paper coupons to get a 50% discount :lol:!

[nonexistantnonexister]

Being a ten year-old, I had to scout around the house, so I had to improvise, the clay goes on tommorow.

I am also using alot of my own ideas, and drawings for design

http://www.heroscapers.com/oldgallery/albums/userpics/tree_2.jpg

Those godiva chocolates.......they're mine.

http://www.heroscapers.com/oldgallery/albums/userpics/tree3.jpg

You can walk under roots, OMFG :shock:

http://www.heroscapers.com/oldgallery/albums/userpics/tree4.jpg

MARROOOOOOOO

http://www.heroscapers.com/oldgallery/albums/userpics/tree5.jpg

I iz seez you side.


Clay goes o tommorow.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Being a ten year-old,

You can walk under roots, OMFG :shock:



10 years old! And you use OMFG? Yeah, I'm shocked.

[nonexistantnonexister]

Being a ten year-old,

You can walk under roots, OMFG :shock:



10 years old! And you use OMFG? Yeah, I'm shocked.

Its a joke, all the captions are :roll:

[eric.dunfee]

OMFGWTFBBQSAUCE!! or something like that...

I'm 28 so I can say that.

Again you continue to BLOW MY MIND!!!!

These are absolutely incredible!!! With the amount of time that it took to make those what are the odds you'll be making a bunch more of them? Feel like trading for a big stash of foam?

Couple things. On the dead one (and I really hate saying this because of how beautiful they turned out) If it was me, I'd clip alot of the super fine wire off. It doesn't really seem to fit in with tree. Also, with as well as the foliage turned out on the living tree, do you think you would make the wire frame as complex the second time around?

I'm glad to see these! I always look forward to seeing your customs, and what a truly creative person can come up with.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

OMFGWTFBBQSAUCE!! or something like that...

I'm 28 so I can say that.

Again you continue to BLOW MY MIND!!!!

These are absolutely incredible!!! With the amount of time that it took to make those what are the odds you'll be making a bunch more of them? Feel like trading for a big stash of foam?

Couple things. On the dead one (and I really hate saying this because of how beautiful they turned out) If it was me, I'd clip alot of the super fine wire off. It doesn't really seem to fit in with tree. Also, with as well as the foliage turned out on the living tree, do you think you would make the wire frame as complex the second time around?

I'm glad to see these! I always look forward to seeing your customs, and what a truly creative person can come up with.

Thanks Eric! On the dead tree, I thought about clipping some of wire tips. I guess I left them on to represent some smaller branches. Everything got a little thicker after the Paperclay went on.

On the live tree, I see what you mean about the wire frame. But it being the first tree I made one I didn't know what I was doing. I figured I needed something for the steel wool to stick to and the more the better!

The next trees will probably be smaller.

[nonexistantnonexister]

is mine ok so far??

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Being a ten year-old,

You can walk under roots, OMFG :shock:



10 years old! And you use OMFG? Yeah, I'm shocked.

Its a joke, all the captions are :roll:

So your parents would think it funny? I have an 11 year old son and if he typed that he would lose computer privileges.

[nonexistantnonexister]

heheh, ok I see what you mean, but I interpret it defferently, yet I understand your point of veiw.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[eric.dunfee]

Being a ten year-old,

You can walk under roots, OMFG :shock:



10 years old! And you use OMFG? Yeah, I'm shocked.

Its a joke, all the captions are :roll:

So your parents would think it funny? I have an 11 year old son and if he typed that he would lose computer privileges.

HAHA kids and parents on the forums. What a wonderful mix!

and uh.. nonex... er uh.. do you have a nickname? hehe. I think you're tree is lookin pretty darn good so far! I like that you can move some of the smaller units under the large roots.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I like that you can move some of the smaller units under the large roots.

Yeah, I like that too. Good work so far!

Just back off the camera a bit when you take your pictures. If you can, use the zoom function and fill the frame with zooming in on your subject instead of moving the camera closer.

[HSisforcoolkids]

Your two trees are outstanding. Great work as always Shieldcrusher.

[Ted]

The trees are awesome I will have to give them a try.

[brunakor]

Wire. That's the first thing I need to remember when I go to wal-mart next time. Your trees rock. One of the best customs! :D

[brunakor]

The wall is cool. All old and destroyed! Shows that there was recently a raiding party and it brought down one of the campsites for Ullar! Ullar swears revenge! Awesome work RS! :D

[eric.dunfee]

CURSE YOU!!!!

I noticed Raudulfr's post had been bumped to the top, and was hoping for new terrain to drool over :(

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

CURSE YOU!!!!

I noticed Raudulfr's post had been bumped to the top, and was hoping for new terrain to drool over :(

I repainted DWK 9K to go with the Zettian Guards I repainted. Check my Custom Units.

I'm also working on some rune stones . . .

[NecroBlade]

That's a good start! I'd like it even simpler. How about this:

Movement ends when entering a quicksand tile, just like water. It will cost 2 movement points to get out, not including the one move up since quicksand is half-height. At the end of the round, all figures on quicksand tiles roll the D20.

1: Figure is destroyed

2-15: Figure receives one wound

16-20: Figure is safeI like these rules for Quicksand. One thing I think should be changed, though, is movement. What if you rolled before taking a turn with the figure instead of at the end of the round? Instead of taking 2 Move to exit, how about this?

1: Figure is destroyed.
2-15: Figure receives 1 wound and may not move this turn.
16-20: Figure is safe and may exit.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

That's a good start! I'd like it even simpler. How about this:

Movement ends when entering a quicksand tile, just like water. It will cost 2 movement points to get out, not including the one move up since quicksand is half-height. At the end of the round, all figures on quicksand tiles roll the D20.

1: Figure is destroyed

2-15: Figure receives one wound

16-20: Figure is safe
I like these rules for Quicksand. One thing I think should be changed, though, is movement. What if you rolled before taking a turn with the figure instead of at the end of the round? Instead of taking 2 Move to exit, how about this?

1: Figure is destroyed.
2-15: Figure receives 1 wound and may not move this turn.
16-20: Figure is safe and may exit.

Perfect! I'm going to make a card with this house rule on it.

Thanks for polishing this up Necro! :toast:

[D-Know]

Fantastic looking trees, Shieldcrusher, and bonus points for resourcefulness. I thought the parsley was a strange addition though. Does it discolour or get scummy over time?

[Ikari]

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/columns_small.jpg

Did you make these or did you buy them and if so where did you buy them from?
by the way, your customs are very nice, I like your trees very realistic.

[zanter]

the black castle looks great! but it clashes horribly with the norm.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Fantastic looking trees, Shieldcrusher, and bonus points for resourcefulness. I thought the parsley was a strange addition though. Does it discolour or get scummy over time?

Thanks! Well the tree is only a couple of weeks old so I'm not sure. But I'd guess it will be non issue. There isn't that much parsley and it is coated with spray glue, spray paint and matte varnish.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/columns_small.jpg

Did you make these or did you buy them and if so where did you buy them from?
by the way, your customs are very nice, I like your trees very realistic.

Thanks!

Standard cake supports. You can purchase them at Michael's, or any other supply store, I'm sure. There are several tutorials on this site and several more on the, internets, somewhere.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

the black castle looks great! but it clashes horribly with the norm.

I agree. The only reason they are together in these pics is because I wanted a big structure and had to use them.

Technically the black castle is my son's. My two sets are only washed.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Starting Zone Markers

Most of the games I play are with three other people. We usually play 1v1v1v1 on large boards. We choose a starting zone based on a roll of the twenty sider. Highest roller picks first.

I thought it would be cool to have a marker to place in the start zone to mark your spot. Each stone has an initial carved into it. One for each of us and another for my son.

First I marked out where to cut the foam.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/01_startzone_markers.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/02_startzone_markers.jpg

Then I cut it out the rough shape.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/03_startzone_markers.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/04_startzone_markers.jpg

In this step I smoothed out the foam with a pencil. The foam is like really soft wood. So shaping it was easy. You can see where it sticks to the pencil.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/05_startzone_markers.jpg

First one done!
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/06_startzone_markers.jpg

Second one done!
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/07_startzone_markers.jpg

This image shows my orginal sketch. I usually draw out what I'm going to make before I make it.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/08_startzone_markers.jpg

Here you can see all five markers are finished. I also carved in each initial. After all the carving was finished, I glued the foam to the based I made out of Paperclay. And then they received several coats of watered down Mod Podge to add strength.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/09_startzone_markers.jpg

Here you can see the bottom of the base. It is the same as the bases of the trees from RttFF.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/10_startzone_markers.jpg

And a close up for detail.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/11_startzone_markers.jpg

The next step was a coat of textured spray paint.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/12_startzone_markers.jpg

I wanted to make it look like the glyphs were glowing, so I started with white.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/13_startzone_markers.jpg

Then I built up the color in three, progressively more opaque, coats.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/14_startzone_markers.jpg

After two drybrush coats of highlights.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/15_startzone_markers.jpg

And on the board!
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/16_startzone_markers.jpg

[JakeAndy]

Great idea!

[robopesant]

Sweet.

[zanter]

Amazing! What foam do you use? i might want to crank some out.

[g1shark]

I want to play Eternal Darkness now. :(

Amazing customs btw.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Amazing! What foam do you use? i might want to crank some out.

Forists foam. The kind you stick in vases to hold the flowers in place. I purchased it at Michael's.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I want to play Eternal Darkness now. :(

Amazing customs btw.

Thanks!

What is Eternal Darkness?

[redic_rogue_07]

how about a tutorial for the base?

[Mooseman]

From the "paperclay" topic
OK. After three tries I found out the easiest way to make bases with Paperclay.

Form the base and press a Glyph into the bottom.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/paperclay-base/01_base.jpg

Shape around the Glyph and let dry. I put mine in the toaster oven @ 180 degrees for about an hour.

After it cools, the Glyph will pop right out.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/paperclay-base/02_base.jpg

Fits perfect!

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/paperclay-base/03_base.jpg

All I have to do now is sand the edges a bit to take off some of the "roundness".

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks Moose!

[eric.dunfee]

WOOOT an update!

Those look sweet!

[redic_rogue_07]

sweet thanks. now i can stop using all my single hex for my customs.

[Taelord]

Those re really cool Radulf.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

sweet thanks. now i can stop using all my single hex for my customs.

That was my motivation!

[corndog990]

WOW nice job dude thats probably the best custom terrain ive ever seen

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

And on the board!
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/startzone_markers/16_startzone_markers.jpg

Holy - !
I think they're simply...amazing.
Those're smokin' cool!

[NecroBlade]

Could use a bit more of a "chiseled" look, but I would love to have those on the board. :up:

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

Could use a bit more of a "chiseled" look, but I would love to have those on the board. :up:
I was going to mention how I like the organic-smooth, or windswept (or river polished) look to them.
They're pleasant to me.
Or no longer rough in nature, they've been 'warped' by the runes' influence.

[NecroBlade]

Could use a bit more of a "chiseled" look, but I would love to have those on the board. :up:
I was going to mention how I like the organic-smooth, or windswept (or river polished) look to them.
They're pleasant to me.
Or no longer rough in nature, they've been 'warped' by the runes' influence.I like it, too, but on a hex-based board it looks a little jarring to me.

[S1R_ART0R1US]

I think your customs are great!! I'm going to have to try to make those bone structures. Making customs is really great, especially when you only have one person to play with :(

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Could use a bit more of a "chiseled" look, but I would love to have those on the board. :up:
I was going to mention how I like the organic-smooth, or windswept (or river polished) look to them.
They're pleasant to me.
Or no longer rough in nature, they've been 'warped' by the runes' influence.I like it, too, but on a hex-based board it looks a little jarring to me.

Ever since I saw Gidian's tutorial on rock formations, I've wanted to make some. I really like the "chiseled" look.
But for these I wanted a weathered look. Like the stones are really old. Or maybe carved and shaped in an ancient time.

[Shadow_in_Darkness]

That's pretty cool. The old tree would look nice in a swampy battlefield, sticking out from the middle of a swamp water lake or something, to give it a Florida bayou type of thing. Have you tried willow trees yet?
I also like those stone markers. I could see them being use them as some power-up, like a Glyph alternative.
Keep up the great work!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

That's pretty cool. The old tree would look nice in a swampy battlefield, sticking out from the middle of a swamp water lake or something, to give it a Florida bayou type of thing. Have you tried willow trees yet?
I also like those stone markers. I could see them being use them as some power-up, like a Glyph alternative.
Keep up the great work!

Thanks!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Custom Dice Tower

Thanks to Imax for the plans!

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/27_dice-tower.jpg

Step-by-step

First, I built an Imax dice tower. I have another one I built at 100% and I always thought it was a bit big. So this one I made at 75% of the orginal size. You can see where I lined the inside with foam to deaden the sound of the dice. And in front of the tower is the layout for the roof.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/01_dice-tower.jpg

Folding the roof piece around the tower.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/02_dice-tower.jpg

Roof base in place.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/03_dice-tower.jpg

I then added some trim to the top. I used wood because I had it, and because it will hold up to lots of use and wear.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/04_dice-tower.jpg

I also added some wood trim to the tower down the sides and around the front opening. I also started to sketch out the stone work that will be drawn into the foam surrounding the tower.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/05_dice-tower.jpg

Close up of the wood trim.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/06_dice-tower.jpg

Close up of the foam around the outside.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/07_dice-tower.jpg

I used a pencil to "carve" the shape of the stones. I also added a cap to the top edge of the dice tray.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/08_dice-tower.jpg

Here you can see the roof tiles and corner caps.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/09_dice-tower.jpg

I did a test to see how they lined up and trimmed the sides before gluing down.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/10_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/11_dice-tower.jpg

Gluing down the roof tiles and the corner caps.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/12_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/13_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/14_dice-tower.jpg

Next is the second top trim piece. I cut a 45 degree angle on a small piece of dowel and glued it place.


http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/16_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/17_dice-tower.jpg

Here you can see the foam sheets that will go on the sides of the tower.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/18_dice-tower.jpg

Here you can see the raised window edge. I glued them down before I glued the sides on.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/19_dice-tower.jpg

Applying the glue. (thanks to my 7 year old daughter!)

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/20_dice-tower.jpg

Progress so far.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/21_dice-tower.jpg

I then drew in the stones on the inside walls, and the floor slabs.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/22_dice-tower.jpg

I didn't like how the window looked so I cut out the foam and added a small piece of wood for a window sill. I also added the cross beams.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/23_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/24_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/25_dice-tower.jpg

Here you can see my new tower next to a orginal sized Imax tower (my first) and my round tower.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/26_dice-tower.jpg

And the finished product after a paint job. The entire tower was base coated with brown textured paint. I love the way it adds just a bit of texture that helps add to the realism.
The roof was painted with a dark red and drybrushed with light red and then bone white. The rest of the tower I painted the surface without getting too much paint in the crevices. After all the stones were painted I gave it a wash with a muxture of 5 parts water/5 parts Future and 1 part black paint. I let that sink into the crevices and it also slightly darkened all the stones. Then they got a drybrushing of bone white.

I still need to find some stained glass to put in the windows. I haven't decided what to do yet.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/27_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/28_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/29_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/30_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/31_dice-tower.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/dice-tower/32_dice-tower.jpg

[InfinityMax]

Raudulfr, that is simply the most amazing mod I've seen of one of my towers. I wish I had thought of that foam thing. So simple, yet it never even crossed my mind.

I hope you're not too upset, but I intend to use that idea the next time someone orders a custom tower. That foam thing is brilliant.

I cannot stop raving about this dice tower! It's amazing!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Raudulfr, that is simply the most amazing mod I've seen of one of my towers. I wish I had thought of that foam thing. So simple, yet it never even crossed my mind.

I hope you're not too upset, but I intend to use that idea the next time someone orders a custom tower. That foam thing is brilliant.

I cannot stop raving about this dice tower! It's amazing!

Thanks man!

Please feel free to use any idea I have. I'm all about the sharing!

[LilNewbie]

Simply awesome! Thanks for posting the pics and the tutorial!!

Newb.

[lonewolf]

I don't really use dice towers....but I would use that dice tower.....incredible!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I don't really use dice towers....but I would use that dice tower.....incredible!

Thanks!

I love using dice towers. But I'm the only one in our group that does. My son thinks that the towers jinx his rolls :roll:

[brickman1444]

That looks great, Raudulfr! For stained glass you could melt some hard candy.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

That looks great, Raudulfr! For stained glass you could melt some hard candy.

That could work. I thought about just printing out a "stained glass window" and gluing it in the opening. Since there isn't any light coming from behind.

[Ugly-Caco]

Cool mod on the dice tower shieldcrusher! :thumbsup:

How many dice towers do you have?

[Onacara]

Absolutely amazing Raud...I was wanting to use the foam technique since you made the guard tower but after seeing this I definitely have to.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Cool mod on the dice tower shieldcrusher! :thumbsup:

How many dice towers do you have?

Thanks!

I have the three you see in this tutorial. I've been using the round one but I never used foam on the inside so it is a little loud. This new one quiet. I'm putting on layers of matte finish right now.

[Leif Kicker]

Love the Tower! Great brushing too.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Absolutely amazing Raud...I was wanting to use the foam technique since you made the guard tower but after seeing this I definitely have to.

It's dead easy. Just sketch out what you want and then dig the pencil in. I did it in several passes starting with light pressure and then pressing down harder in several more passes. The only downside I found is how time consuming it is. Kinda slow goin'. Especially if you have a lot of small detail.

[Malechi]

Very nice! I worked with foamcore for over a decade in a framing warehouse and never saw anyone ever try that! But, damm, my hand hurts just thinking of going over and over the same lines ...

[Kahrma]

:shock: Absolutely amazing work. Anything I can say is an understatment. Looks fabulous, and I'll bet the dice sneak through that thing like church mice with all that foam!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Very nice! I worked with foamcore for over a decade in a framing warehouse and never saw anyone ever try that! But, damm, my hand hurts just thinking of going over and over the same lines ...

Yep, I had to take lots of breaks when carving in those lines. I won't be making anything that detailed for a while!

[Ormus]

I have always wanted to make a dice tower and have never really thought it through methodologically, but I am defenitely going to now.
Fantastic Shieldcrusher!!!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I have always wanted to make a dice tower and have never really thought it through methodologically, but I am defenitely going to now.
Fantastic Shieldcrusher!!!

Do it man! The core is easy with Imax's template. But don't make the mistake I made using cardboard, use foamcore or wood.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

:shock: Absolutely amazing work. Anything I can say is an understatment. Looks fabulous, and I'll bet the dice sneak through that thing like church mice with all that foam!

Thanks!

[Drizzi]

on your things carved from foamare they hard or delacate cuz i wanna make sum.

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

:jawdrop:

Seriously...I'm speechless.
Amazing is all I can say!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

on your things carved from foamare they hard or delacate cuz i wanna make sum.

Check out the step-by-step. There you will find your answers.

[Squitter The Spider]

Holy crap freaking excellent dude! :shock:

[keglo]

First, I love your stuff. I would really like to try this sometime.

Second, What is a dice tower? What is it's purpose? <<<<<noob

[Grungebob]

First, I love your stuff. I would really like to try this sometime.

Second, What is a dice tower? What is it's purpose? <<<<<noob

First off, excellent work Raudulfr Shieldcrusher!! Top notch for sure!

OK Keglo, a dice tower is a device (usually home made) that lets you drop dice in the top, and as they tumble down through the insides of the tower they randomize nicely, and roll out into a tray at the bottom of the tower, that keeps the dice from rolling all over the table and yet allows easy viewing.... Whew!! Anyway, they are a very popular Heroscape accessory due to the enormous amount of dice rolling this game entails.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

First, I love your stuff. I would really like to try this sometime.

Second, What is a dice tower? What is it's purpose? <<<<<noob

First off, excellent work Raudulfr Shieldcrusher!! Top notch for sure!

OK Keglo, a dice tower is a device (usually home made) that lets you drop dice in the top, and as they tumble down through the insides of the tower they randomize nicely, and roll out into a tray at the bottom of the tower, that keeps the dice from rolling all over the table and yet allows easy viewing.... Whew!! Anyway, they are a very popular Heroscape accessory due to the enormous amount of dice rolling this game entails.

Thanks Gbob!

On another note, you MUST seek out a shaman to put some good mojo on the dice tower. This is an essential part of any dice tower construction.

[keglo]

OK Keglo, a dice tower is a device (usually home made) that lets you drop dice in the top, and as they tumble down through the insides of the tower they randomize nicely, and roll out into a tray at the bottom of the tower, that keeps the dice from rolling all over the table and yet allows easy viewing.... Whew!! Anyway, they are a very popular Heroscape accessory due to the enormous amount of dice rolling this game entails.

Thank you for the answer Grunge. Too bad I suck so much at making things. I don't suppose that there are any official dice towers out there?


On another note, you MUST seek out a shaman to put some good mojo on the dice tower. This is an essential part of any dice tower construction.

That figures. Our shaman was chased out of the village by an angry, superstitious mob. There's not a shaman within 180 miles of me. :cry:

[Grungebob]

OK Keglo, a dice tower is a device (usually home made) that lets you drop dice in the top, and as they tumble down through the insides of the tower they randomize nicely, and roll out into a tray at the bottom of the tower, that keeps the dice from rolling all over the table and yet allows easy viewing.... Whew!! Anyway, they are a very popular Heroscape accessory due to the enormous amount of dice rolling this game entails.

Thank you for the answer Grunge. Too bad I suck so much at making things. I don't suppose that there are any official dice towers out there?


On another note, you MUST seek out a shaman to put some good mojo on the dice tower. This is an essential part of any dice tower construction.

That figures. Our shaman was chased out of the village by an angry, superstitious mob. There's not a shaman within 180 miles of me. :cry:This shaman makes the best towers in the biz:

http://www.vixentorgames.com/

[Brandon]

I love the dice tower. I might make a dice tower and some buildings and was wondering what thickness of foam core you used to cover that tower.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I love the dice tower. I might make a dice tower and some buildings and was wondering what thickness of foam core you used to cover that tower.

It's not foam core, it's 1/8" sheet foam. You can find it at Michael's and places like that. It is soft and pliable.

[Brandon]

I love the dice tower. I might make a dice tower and some buildings and was wondering what thickness of foam core you used to cover that tower.

It's not foam core, it's 1/8" sheet foam. You can find it at Michael's and places like that. It is soft and pliable.

I will pick some up. Thanks.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I love the dice tower. I might make a dice tower and some buildings and was wondering what thickness of foam core you used to cover that tower.

It's not foam core, it's 1/8" sheet foam. You can find it at Michael's and places like that. It is soft and pliable.

I will pick some up. Thanks.

Post pics when you build. Good luck and welcome to the site!

[Brandon]

I was thinking about stain glass windows for you dice tower and was wondering if it would work to paint a design on acetate using paint that would allow light to shine through and backing it with foil to reflect light.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I was thinking about stain glass windows for you dice tower and was wondering if it would work to paint a design on acetate using paint that would allow light to shine through and backing it with foil to reflect light.

That is a good idea! Do they make clear acetate that can be printed on an inkjet?

[Onacara]

I was thinking about stain glass windows for you dice tower and was wondering if it would work to paint a design on acetate using paint that would allow light to shine through and backing it with foil to reflect light.

That is a good idea! Do they make clear acetate that can be printed on an inkjet?

Yes they do...they are usually labeled as Overhead Projector Slides

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I was thinking about stain glass windows for you dice tower and was wondering if it would work to paint a design on acetate using paint that would allow light to shine through and backing it with foil to reflect light.

That is a good idea! Do they make clear acetate that can be printed on an inkjet?

Yes they do...they are usually labeled as Overhead Projector Slides

Yes! Next trip is to Office Max. Thanks Onacara.

Now I just need to come up with something to put in the windows.

[lonewolf]

Now I just need to come up with something to put in the windows.

How about this?

http://bunkstrutts.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/300px-mrt-stained-glass.jpg

I pity the FOOL who messes with my dice tower!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Nice!

Maybe I could make removable windows that change depending on the game I'm going to play.

[Utgar's little fiend]

If you gave it a different paint job, that would be a great lava-altar type thingy.

[Just_a_Bill]

Unbelievably awesome. You inspire me to want to try this myself.

Maybe I missed this, but do you use varnish or something to give it a crispy outer shell? I'm just wondering if repeated handling/bumping/etc. is going to add new, unwanted "detail" to your painstaking foam work!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Unbelievably awesome. You inspire me to want to try this myself.

Maybe I missed this, but do you use varnish or something to give it a crispy outer shell? I'm just wondering if repeated handling/bumping/etc. is going to add new, unwanted "detail" to your painstaking foam work!

Thanks!

I think I used 8 coats of varnish on the dice tower. I also purposely used wood on the top where the most action takes place. It should hold up well over time.

[Brandon]

I picked up the 1/8" sheet foam you used on the tower and put my stone pattern into it. I was wondering if rebound of the lines over time is an issue and if it is what you did to prevent it.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I picked up the 1/8" sheet foam you used on the tower and put my stone pattern into it. I was wondering if rebound of the lines over time is an issue and if it is what you did to prevent it.

Nothing I've done on foam has rebounded yet. I really dig in with the pencil. A couple of times I went through the foam. Plus the paint will seal the foam.

Let's see some pics of what you are working on!

[Grishnakh]

I'm not sure how I missed this. What a great looking tower Raudulfr! Dynamite job, one of the best ones I've ever seen.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I'm not sure how I missed this. What a great looking tower Raudulfr! Dynamite job, one of the best ones I've ever seen.

Thank you sir!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Urban Wall

Started with cut up foam. After I cut it into chunks, I tossed them around a bit to round off the edges.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/urban-wall/1_urban-wall.jpg

Construction of the wall was easy. I just glued the bricks together.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/urban-wall/2_urban-wall.jpg

Next I made a ladder. The ladder is made with a dowel rod and electric wire. I measured the ladder rungs against the standard ladders from the castle set. I made a stopper on my drill for the holes that the wire will set into. This prevented me from drilling in too far.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/urban-wall/3_urban-wall.jpg

Here you can see how the ladder went together. I stripped the insulation off the wire so I could glue it into the dowel rod.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/urban-wall/4_urban-wall.jpg

The top of the wall is 6 high.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/urban-wall/5_urban-wall.jpg

I also added a small wall the the top, and damaged the surface. Painted it up and it's good to go. On this side you can also see I painted the metal ladder to look like it was rusting.
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/urban-wall/6_urban-wall.jpg

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/urban-wall/7_urban-wall.jpg

[Onacara]

The ladders are awesome...I am definitely stealing this method...Awesome as usual Raud!!!

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

You're rad, Raud!
I'm going to attempt a wall sometime!
Thanks for showing how.

[chief]

:up: :up:

[thaddeus p whirl]

Hey, I love all of your stuff!! It's really cool and inspiring!!

About your new wall post--Does spraypaint melt foam like that? If so, what kind of paint did you use on it?

[keglo]

Very cool!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Hey, I love all of your stuff!! It's really cool and inspiring!!

About your new wall post--Does spraypaint melt foam like that? If so, what kind of paint did you use on it?

Thanks everbody!

I used the soft flower foam for this project. (Mostly because I have a bunch left and I want to use it up so I can buy some pink stuff.) So I gave it a good soak with watered down Mod Podge. I did that 4 times to help strengthen it. Then I spray painted it with some Krylon H2O paint. So there was no chance of the foam melting. All the texture you see is created by me.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

The ladders are awesome...I am definitely stealing this method...Awesome as usual Raud!!!

Thanks man!

I think this technique would work well for a standard style ladder as well. Just don't bend the wire.

[nyys]

Awesome as usual.

I've never used wire for ladders so I don't know if my suggestion is easier, but another item that works is plastic chain that you can get at home depot. Just cut one in half and glue, though I'm not sure if it would stick to the dowel, I think sinking the wire is your best bet.

Here's a pic of what I mean, the building in the lower left, the ladder is plastic chain links.

http://www.nyys.us/40K/HYSTERIA07/Ork07.JPG

[dracothehalfdragon]

First, I love your stuff. I would really like to try this sometime.

Second, What is a dice tower? What is it's purpose? <<<<<noob

First off, excellent work Raudulfr Shieldcrusher!! Top notch for sure!

OK Keglo, a dice tower is a device (usually home made) that lets you drop dice in the top, and as they tumble down through the insides of the tower they randomize nicely, and roll out into a tray at the bottom of the tower, that keeps the dice from rolling all over the table and yet allows easy viewing.... Whew!! Anyway, they are a very popular Heroscape accessory due to the enormous amount of dice rolling this game entails.

Thanks Gbob!

On another note, you MUST seek out a shaman to put some good mojo on the dice tower. This is an essential part of any dice tower construction. i am a reasonable shaman, never lost a roll

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Swamp trees/bushes and Desert Rocks

Following the Grishnakh's and Gidian's tutorials I made some trees, bushes and rocks. Simple straight forward stuff. I just thought it looked cool on a map, so I thought I'd share.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/01.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/02.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/03.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/04.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/05.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/06.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/07.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/08.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/09.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/10.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/11.jpg

[robopesant]

Cool. :D

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

Whoah. Nice jungle foliage and desert rocks!
The white tree in the center of that map is very nice too.

[nyys]

Nicely done with the desert. I'm taking the lazy route and waiting on my trees to come in the mail.

[bad_calvin]

They look great man. To bad you didn't have a sphinx to throw in there. :)

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

They look great man. To bad you didn't have a sphinx to throw in there. :)

I'm working on a small pyramid right now. I figure I can work out the kinks for a larger, playable Mayan/Aztec ruin.

[keglo]

Swamp trees/bushes and Desert Rocks

Following the Grishnakh's and Gidian's tutorials I made some trees, bushes and rocks. Simple straight forward stuff. I just thought it looked cool on a map, so I thought I'd share.

Awesome stuff. I can honestly say that I like those trees better then the official jungle trees that I have seen. I need to make a trip to Michaels.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Swamp trees/bushes and Desert Rocks

Following the Grishnakh's and Gidian's tutorials I made some trees, bushes and rocks. Simple straight forward stuff. I just thought it looked cool on a map, so I thought I'd share.

Awesome stuff. I can honestly say that I like those trees better then the official jungle trees that I have seen. I need to make a trip to Michaels.

Thanks! I kinda like 'em better too. But then again I'm biased!

The part I like the best is, they were cheap and easy to make. Obviously having Grishnakh's tutorial and supply list made it much easier. This is NOT a difficult project to do. Plus, I still have a bunch of stuff left over to make something else.

[eric.dunfee]

Awesome as usual! I always look forward to the days when I see you've got an update!

Any chance of getting some larger pics of those trees??? I'd love to check out the detail, but they're pretty small.

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Awesome as usual! I always look forward to the days when I see you've got an update!

Any chance of getting some larger pics of those trees??? I'd love to check out the detail, but they're pretty small.

I made the images larger. You may need to refresh to see the changes.

[keglo]

So, where can you get this foam form to make those awesome rocks?

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

So, where can you get this foam form to make those awesome rocks?

I'm still trying to get rid of the green florists foam that I picked up and Michaels and Joanne fabrics on sale. So I have a bunch. As soon as I get rid of it, I'm gettin' me some pink insulation foam.

If you look at any of my tutorials (like the Urban wall), you will see they were made with the green foam. I just didn't make a tutorial for these items because there are already tutorials for them elsewhere.

[keglo]

So, where can you get this foam form to make those awesome rocks?

I'm still trying to get rid of the green florists foam that I picked up and Michaels and Joanne fabrics on sale. So I have a bunch. As soon as I get rid of it, I'm gettin' me some pink insulation foam.

If you look at any of my tutorials (like the Urban wall), you will see they were made with the green foam. I just didn't make a tutorial for these items because there are already tutorials for them elsewhere.

Sweet. That have that stuff all over the place. Do you not like working with it? Is that why your are switching? Where do you get the pink foam? Am I getting annoying yet? :D

[Grungebob]

Awesome terrain as usual RS!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

I like the green foam because it is VERY easy to work with. It is soft and isn't bound together. For example, you can draw on it with a pencil. But this is also it's weakness, it's fragile. So in order to strengthen it, I soak it with watered down Mod Podge. This adds time and effort and cost.

So I will probably use the pink insulation foam for some things and the green florists foam for others, depending on the need.

Any more questions, Keglo??? :wink:




Thanks GB!

[Grishnakh]

Swamp trees/bushes and Desert Rocks

Following the Grishnakh's and Gidian's tutorials I made some trees, bushes and rocks. Simple straight forward stuff. I just thought it looked cool on a map, so I thought I'd share.
I'm glad this worked out for you. Personally I think they look better than what Hasbro is putting out and much cheaper as well. I wanted to mention that I really like the tall ground plant you made using the fern leaves. I didn't think of that but it is a natural progression of the tree technique. Very creative! Good show Mr. Shieldcrusher!

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/03.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/swamp-desert/05.jpg

[keglo]

Any more questions, Keglo??? :wink:




Oh, you can be sure of that. Like what the heck is Mod Podge....No, never mind! I shall Google it. Thank you for the information. :D

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks Grish! I still have a bunch of leaves and about 5 feet of Natural Wire left over. I could make more trees, but I'm not sure if I need them, I already made 12! Thats what lead me to make the ground plants on a double hex tile with the trees.

Oh and one more thing, I like how you tried to make your trees a certian height and then made a template to keep them somewhat uniform. I followed that for the first 4 trees and then I started to make them different sizes for variety. I really like how the whole set looks together.

[Bach]

:drool: I love everything... and it makes me want to make some (if that makes sense)

I especially love the Babylonian-looking dice tower...

Keep it up, and thanks for the tutorials!

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

:drool: I love everything... and it makes me want to make some (if that makes sense)

I especially love the Babylonian-looking dice tower...

Keep it up, and thanks for the tutorials!

Thanks! I'll try to keep it up as long as I can! :wink:

[robbdaman]

Thanks! I'll try to keep it up as long as I can! :wink:

Do or do not. There is no try. :P

R~

[elf326]

Great new terrain! :D

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Just got back from Home Depot. They had damaged pieces of pink insulation foam discounted! I picked up a 16"x8'x1.5" and a 16"x8'x2" piece for $8.

Look for discounts people. You can save money.

[Ugly-Caco]

I saw your post in "Bah who needs to wait for..." thread. That's a sweet swamp jungle set up Shieldcrusher! Those bushes and trees look awesome, especially the dead tree in the middle.

The desert oasis set up is equally awesome too. I love how you made the map and those rocks. :thumbsup:

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks Caco!

[scottishlad5]

everytime I see your work, I freak out and get super inspired! keep it up!

[Onacara]

Thanks Grish! I still have a bunch of leaves and about 5 feet of Natural Wire left over. I could make more trees, but I'm not sure if I need them, I already made 12! Thats what lead me to make the ground plants on a double hex tile with the trees.




You could always make some for your favorite Scaper from Poughkeepsie NY :wink:

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks Grish! I still have a bunch of leaves and about 5 feet of Natural Wire left over. I could make more trees, but I'm not sure if I need them, I already made 12! Thats what lead me to make the ground plants on a double hex tile with the trees.




You could always make some for your favorite Scaper from Poughkeepsie NY :wink:

If I ever get those figures to paint, some might fall into the box for the return trip . . .

[Onacara]

Thanks Grish! I still have a bunch of leaves and about 5 feet of Natural Wire left over. I could make more trees, but I'm not sure if I need them, I already made 12! Thats what lead me to make the ground plants on a double hex tile with the trees.




You could always make some for your favorite Scaper from Poughkeepsie NY :wink:

If I ever get those figures to paint, some might fall into the box for the return trip . . .




:shock:


Gotta go grab an empty box...some paper...tape...and some stamps.

:unsure:

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Hey Onacara,

I think your PM inbox may be full. Can you check it?

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Temple Ruins

This is my first project with my new hot wire foam cutter. I'm sure this could be done with a knife.

First I measured out a piece of cardboard for the bottom of the temple. This is for the hot wire cutter to slide against. Kind of like a jig. The top edge guide is a longer piece of cardboard so I don't mess up the corners. I started by placing the cutter along the top guide and then cut through the foam past the edge. I made guides for each layer.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/01_temple_ruins.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/02_temple_ruins.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/03_temple_ruins.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/04_temple_ruins.jpg

I roughed up the foam and glued it together.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/05_temple_ruins.jpg

The first temple I made as a guide looks a little different than final versions. I used a #2 pencil to carve the cracks into the foam.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/06_temple_ruins.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/07_temple_ruins.jpg

I didi the same thing for the pillars. I cut out cardboard guides and used them to direct the cutter.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/08_temple_ruins.jpg

Stacks of pillar foam. They look like pink marshmallows.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/09_temple_ruins.jpg

The next step was to rough up the foam to make it more distressed. I used lava rock from my landscaping which worked wonderfully. Thanks to GrungeBob for the idea!

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/10_temple_ruins.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/12_temple_ruins.jpg
http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/13_temple_ruins.jpg

And the last step is to paint them up. First the got a coat of black Krylon H2O spray paint. Then a coat of a warm grey that was drybrushed heavy.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/14_temple_ruins.jpg

And a coat of ivory drybrushed on somewhat heavy.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/15_temple_ruins.jpg

And the final temples.

http://www.rodriguezphotography.com/dwf/temple_ruins/16_temple_ruins.jpg

As soon as I get a chance I will build a jungle board with lots of trees. Think Indiana Jones . . .

[keglo]

Wow! Very nicely done, as usual. They look awesome Raud! I still have not found any of that pink foam. I looked all over Lowes. Anyway, awesome job. :thumbsup:

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks Keglo!

I'm surprised you didn't see the foam at Lowes.

[ortimus]

No offense, but as I look at your pillars, I can't stop thinking about s'mores... They look like marshmallows for sure.

[Ormus]

Mmmmmmm...marshmallow pillars...

No seriously, Sheildcrusher you never cease to amaze...

[keglo]

Thanks Keglo!

I'm surprised you didn't see the foam at Lowes.

Nope. I seen long sheets of thick blue foam board, but no pink.

[Cavalier]

Thanks Keglo!

I'm surprised you didn't see the foam at Lowes.

Nope. I seen long sheets of thick blue foam board, but no pink.
I'm pretty sure that the pink and blue are basically the same thing.

[Ormus]

Thanks Keglo!

I'm surprised you didn't see the foam at Lowes.

Nope. I seen long sheets of thick blue foam board, but no pink.
I'm pretty sure that the pink and blue are basically the same thing.

If you are using them for their true intended purpose of insulation, they are different...For miniature crafting purposes, they are identical...

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Thanks Ormus!

Keglo, buy the blue foam. You won't regret it.

[keglo]

Thanks Ormus!

Keglo, buy the blue foam. You won't regret it.

Thanks for the info guys. Sorry for the hijack Raud. :oops:

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

No harm, no foul keglo ;)

[Doc_Savage]

Those temples will look great when you get them in the jungle...

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Welcome to the jungle!

I just saw a commercial for the new Indiana Jones movie. If I could up and move to Hollywood, I'd love to work on model sets. How cool would that be!

[Will T]

Those temples look great Raudulfr. They make me want to attempt some stone walls. Would you recommend some sort of varnish to protect them?

[Raudulfr Shieldcrusher]

Yep, I clear coat everything I make. I use Krylon Matte Acrylic clear coating.

[Yodaking]

Welcome to the jungle!

I just saw a commercial for the new Indiana Jones movie. If I could up and move to Hollywood, I'd love to work on model sets. How cool would that be!

I've had that same thought before.

Very cool temples, I may have to do something similar as I own a foam cutter. Just need to pick up some foam.

[Onacara]

Your invitation to come visit is becoming more and more appealing Raud....awesome work as usual my friend.


Oh BTW you should be receiving a package today or Monday :wink:

[eric.dunfee]

I'm sure it is probably different in other parts of the country, but where I live (southeastern washington) Lowe's carries the blue foam, and Home Depot carries the pink foam. But yeah, from the little eperience I have with the blue, I'd wager it would work just like the pink stuff.

[Skeletor]

you could easily sell those temple pieces and make some bucks

And they wouldn't weigh much to ship them

Hook up with Sandra from housemouse

I'd buy some

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

JUst browsed the first post again.
Oof that's some amazing work, Raudulfr.
Truly amazing.

[Onion Knight]

Those look fantastic Raud! I've been experimenting with the green flower foam because of your other awesome ruins. I can't wait to try this. Is there another way to cut that pink foam if I don't have a hot wire? I've never worked with that stuff.
Great job!