Thanks everyone for joining me for this build. I really enjoyed the outcome for this one, although I had many moments of doubt throughout this. So don't be intimidated by the details or the size of this build, as it's really a lot easier to do than you might think. If you want to see more of this sort of thing, you can check out my original battlemat video here ruclips.net/video/E5W4FKqRbSs/видео.html
Nice one! The professional gaming mats are of a quality and detail I can't even come close to matching. But it's nice to have an option that works fine if you can't afford those, or if you're just wanting to make something cool.
Okay so I finally had a go at making my own. The method was easy to follow though making the colour was a nightmare. My warning to all is don't do what i did and improvise a colour adjustment with food colouring... it leeches onto your hands if it gets the smallest bit wet lol. Other than that, it looks great. Thanks Shawn, this will add so much to our games.
Wonderful! That's great that you got it done. Sorry to hear about your color problems, but thank you for sharing so I know about this for the future haha. Thanks so much for letting me know how the project turned out mate, glad you found the video helpful. Cheers man!
Only recently got started with 40k after always being interested. Excited to start throwing some terrain together, these videos have given me a lot of inspiration. Cheers brother, great work as usual.
This is definitely on my list to try, going to do more of an urban battlefield look but this video is going to be a massive help. Super clear, easy to follow and a fantastic outcome 👍
Thanks Josh. I have one more of these planned which will also be something a bit more urban, and large sized again, but I want to really plan it out to best fit my terrain on it before I start. Good luck with yours mate, and if you need any advice or help, just let me know. Cheers.
Thank you. This one was really a trial for me in a lot of ways, I haven't ever tried to paint something of that size, but I was quite happy with the outcome. I really want to do another couple, of larger size, but it's still a daunting project, all that canvas haha. I appreciate the comment. Take care and all the best.
Wow, I might actually like this one more than your first! Especially at the halfway point, it started developing a very Borderlands sort of vibe, would be perfect for something like This is Not a Test.
Hi, yeah it is great. I'll try it next week, after i collect the products here in Germany. Thanks for inspiration! Maybe i try to work with shades and biiiig drybrushes Thank you for your content mate! Stay healthy and look forward! Greetings from germany
I have been trying to figure out how to make a flexible mat that will not crack easily, and this fits the bill! I have an art background, and my thoughts were going to the painterly products I know, like gesso, and that would definitely not hold up or do the job, but caulking is PERFECT. Thanks for sharing!
Pretty kick ass mat there!!! It looks so good! The final air brush of the lava orange that kinda help highlight the cracks was very transformative. Just cant say enough about how inspired I am to do one of these now! Slainte!
Thanks. It really is a big transformation with each small detail added. That's why I encouraged people in the video to just stick with it, you might be just around the corner from taking the mat from ordinary to awesome. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Thanks very much. I'm starting to get a bit more confidence, particularly when it comes to just trying something new and having a go. I think a lot of these larger type projects can just seem way out of reach due to the scale, but once you break them down to their individual elements, you realise there isn't anything too complicated or difficult there. It's the sum of all those little elements that make the projects really work in the end, so you just have to jump in and chip away at it until it's done, and have a little faith that it will all come together eventually. Cheers for the comment mate.
Good luck mate. Mine are still holding up really well, so they seem to be a really worthwhile little project. Let me know how you go, or if you have any questions. Cheers.
It looks great! You captured the look of a desolate area and the colors look very realistic. Thanks for sharing this, I always learn from and enjoy watching your tutorials.
great battlemat, just a tiny note here: when you look at nature and you see cracked earth/mud for example, you will notice the driest part is toward the crack, and usually this means the less saturated one, so the darker tones should be the ones between the cracks I guess
Thanks for the comment, I'll definitely keep this in mind in the future, I'm always looking for tips to improve, especially painting tips. Cheers for the comment.
Thank you Greg. It really all came together in the end, and was not nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I appreciate the comment mate.
Thank you! Cheers! Starting with the base color close to what you're after in the end makes it a lot easier to get the final effect right. I found trying to paint green grass effects a little tricky on my first battlemat video, so feel free to jump into my discord to share your results or progress, I'd be really keen to see how you go with it. The link is in the video description mate. Best of luck.
I like your hobby commentary, and tutorials. I recommend you watch a few 'how to light a scene videos' on RUclips to bring up the quality of your introductions. A pair of inexpensive lamps will do wonders for your production value. Excellent battle mat ideas, thanks for sharing.
Thanks mate. I appreciate the feedback on the lighting, I'm working on upgrades as I go to improve quality. Next up is lighting, as it's one of things that is really difficult to make work without proper gear. Hopefully you'll see some improvements in the next few videos. I appreciate the comment and feedback mate.
Definitely going to have a good at this. You made it look easy as well as instilling confidence. I just happened by this channel and am now a subscriber. -John
Hey John. It is honestly one of the easiest projects on the channel, the difficult part is really just figuring out, and putting on the paint to make it look like you want. Good luck on the project, can't wait to see what you come up with. Take care. - Shawn.
"I don't have that much skill painting things like this" *looks at your DM screens* Yeah... you've got a ton more skill than you give yourself credit for :P. Another great video (I never thought to use water to thin down my mixture).
Thanks James. I surprise myself as much as anyone I think with these things. It's important to always have a go at something new, you never know how it might work out. I appreciate the comment mate.
Cracking build! After watching this one and the last you did I am now way more confident in my ability to actually make one of my own. I may still completely bollocks it up but I will do it more confidently! ;-) Cheers!
Haha, you'll be fine. If you're unsure of anything, just send me a message or jump in my discord channel, happy to help in anyway if I can mate. Thanks again for watching and commenting. Good luck!
Stencils would work well here. I considered it for this one, but as I was going for a large section of rock here, I really wanted to avoid any kind of repeating pattern, and I felt like random shapes with darker outlines was going to work out well enough. Thank you for watching and commenting mate.
Thanks so much. It was a bit back and forwards with how I felt about this one throughout the project, but it all worked out in the end. Thanks for watching and commenting mate, I really appreciate it.
Go for it mate. It's really quite a quick and easy project, and you can just paint it up to whatever theme you want. Good luck with it, and if you need any help or advice with the build, just let me know. Thank you for watching and commenting.
This is awesome i've been looking for something like this!!! Thanx for sharing!!! It would be nice if you can put the material list in the video description :)
Thanks so much mate. I have updated the video description and included links to the products I use to make the mat. These are all listed for Bunnings in Australia (Local national hardware store), although I'm sure you could find same or similar items elsewhere. I hope this helps. Thank you for the comment.
I like the mix with water here better than your 20x20 test mat. Are there any concerns about letting it dry above certain temps or very low humidity? I live in one of the dryest counties in the US (average humidity is 6%-8%) where June through September is 100+ degrees F.
Hey Anthony, you should have no issues with this drying, I honestly didn't notice a difference with the water, I did these in the Aussie summer, so it was hot and dry. I leave them overnight before moving them, although I'm not sure if that much time is really necessary. I hope this helps mate.
Cheers Ivan. I actually only grabbed this out of the cupboard yesterday and checked it out. It's still holding up really well after all this time. I put up a quick video if you want to see how it's doing after so long. Thanks mate, take care.
well it turned out really good I think ^^ those crevasses really sets some depth, same for the shadows on the stones< maybe with other colors and the same process it can turn into an interesting lava/volcanic terrain, I might try ^^" nice job ^^
What do you use, is it silicone? Or is it another type of silicone that can be diluted in water, when I see the link to the purchase site it is not clear to me
Hey there! Does it matter which way you roll these mats up? By this I mean texture on the outside or inside. Also, how do they hold up to cracking? When you're rolling and unrolling does the canvas hold up fine with the acrylic & sand mixture? Thank you! Keep up the awesome videos.
Hey Kevin, it doesn't matter which way you roll them, I have been rolling them with the texture on the inside, and haven't had any issues at all, no cracking or anything so far. For the larger mats, it might be best to roll it around something (like a postage tube or something), as the weight of it can cause it to sit flat, and could cause it to crease. In the short term they are holding up really well, time will tell if this holds up long term and whether or not the acrylic hardens. But 5-6 months on from my first mat and it's still perfectly fine. Thanks mate, I hope this helps in some way. Happy to answer any questions you have if you have a go at this.
@@RFDHobby perfect! Thank you for the prompt reply. We are moving cross country in a couple of months so once my wife and I are settled I am eager to give these mats a go. :)
Awesome job mate! Really nice finished look! But how does it do with rolling up at that thickness? When you say it hasn't cracked for you, are you storing it rolled? Would have been great to see a shot of the mat rolling up/stored away. Keen to hear how you store it. Thanks for the great video, with good helpful tips on how to do the details!
Thanks Roland. I store mine rolled up. I use a cardboard postage tube to roll the mat around, and I've had no issues with it at all. I can see rolling several up together being an easy way to store a couple of them. Thank you for watching and commenting mate. Let me know if you have any more questions.
@@RFDHobby Awesome! Cheers for answering. My pleasure seeing your work, it's a great battle mat. Your video tipped tge balance and inspired me to make a few of my own. Cheers mate!
I tried making an urban battle mat similar to the one you made in the previous video. As an alternative to sand I mixed sawdust in with the acrylic mix as I have plenty of sawdust and no sand. This resulted in a very uneven surface but it may be that I did not spread it properly. As I used cheap acrylic paint from Cheap as Chips the colour that I painted on needed several applications. Possibly the sawdust is soaking everything up but I thought I'd let you know that sawdust "works".
Oh great idea. I hadn't considered that. An uneven surface may not be such a bad thing either. The sawdust would suck up that paint a bit I imagine, but it sounds like you got this working. I might try it out also, as I generate a bit of sawdust myself as well, so it would be great to have a use for it. Thanks for letting me know. Glad it worked out for you!
You wouldn't happen to know the brand of the plastic scraper you're using? Tried to find it on the Bunnings website and I can't find it!! Many thanks for the videos!
The label is long gone off mine, and the brand doesn't appear on it anywhere else. I just had a good long look on the website as well and couldn't seem to find it, there are some other plastic joint knife products there, but not this particular one. I should be heading into Bunnings this week and I'll reply again once I find the brand for you mate. Sorry about that. I'll be in touch though.
@@RFDHobby you sir are a dead set legend! I think I found some that would work, www.bunnings.com.au/kango-3-piece-taping-knife_p0098427 Going to give that a try! And thanks for the response!
Thanks mate. It's still holding up, I did a quick video on how this thing held up after the fire, it survived even the heat of that event and is still playable today. No cracking or anything, just a bit of curling on an edge that it was resting on for too long, but it was just the way I stored it.
I tried this and had a really bad time. the caulk wouldn't mix up at all and started to set as I spreading it. i realised it's because i bought silicone sealant and I needed to get acrylic! :/ another time I guess
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear this, it must have been awful. Silicone Sealant is a shit time even when trying to use it for it's intended purpose! Using acrylic sealant is a holiday compared to trying to do something like this with silicone. I hope you have another go and have a much better time of it mate. It's still a favorite of mine as far as quick and easy projects go. Cheers.
@@RFDHobby just so u know I tried a regular piece of canvas from spotlight and it worked well. I used it on a glass table, but didnt seem like there was any bleed through
Can you roll it up? Honestly when I read battlemat I expected you to roll it up at the end, why else go for a mat over let's say a playe or some insulation foam?
These roll up no worries. I have mine stored rolled around a postage tube and stored in the cupboard. They do have a bit of weight to them, so with the larger ones you probably want something to roll them around (such as a cardboard postage tube) so they don't crease over time while stored.
Love this mat and your tutorials generally - thanks. I was wondering why you decided against the isopropyl alcohol this time? I tried the mix you used for the road mat and found that to be the best formula I've come across (having made a number of these using various methods over the years).
Thanks Alan. Honestly, I was playing around with this mix for some miniature bases a few weeks back, and decided to experiment with that isopropyl/water element, I found very little difference with using water instead. So for this mat I thought I would give it a whirl. I can't really fault it at all, and I'm not sure I could tell any difference whatsoever in the process or end product. I'm not sure at all what the theoretical advantage of the isopropyl is over water, but I found this mix worked out just as well. Iso isn't cheap here, so it's a win not having to use it for the mat. I'll see if there's any long term difference, but it seems to be working perfectly so far. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how the isopropyl might be of benefit, I'm really curious to know if there's a reason people use it here.
@@RFDHobby Thanks for the reply, Shawn. I've spent a bit of time today trying to track down some information about thinning caulking compound, but found nothing. It seems diluted IPA can be used to thin acrylic paints, but that about all I could see. It looks like good old H2O is the way to go - cheaper for sure! I might go look at the terrain Tutor vids on various caulk techniques at some stage. I'll try water next time and see. In the past i didn't think the caulk and it was hard to get the finish you achieve. Cheers Alan
So here's what I really want to know - How are these holding up over time? Are they seeing heavy use? Are they prone to chipping/cracking/flaking? Are you actually storing them rolled up or flat? Do you think these will last months or years or decades?
Thanks for the comment. It's not seeing much use at all unfortunately. It hasn't shown any signs of chipping/cracking or flaking. I'm storing this one rolled up, and it' rolls out just fine. Some of the edges were 'bent' while in storage for a couple of months last time, and these didn't seem to be an issue when I rolled the mat back out. I can only guess as to how long it's really going to last, I'm fairly confident that even with heavy use this mat would be holding up well given how it looks and feels now. I'd give it some years of life in it yet. I hope this helps mate.
@@RFDHobby Yeah, it does. A lifespan of at least a couple of years sounds pretty good to me. Seems like a lot of work for something less durable than that though.
@@ColonelSandersLite You'd be surprised how quickly it comes together. Making the mat and spreading the mix out wouldn't be an hour of work, where the time is really spent is painting it up. I'm way too poor to buy mats too though, although I probably would if I could, and I'm not at all against buying a better quality if you can.
@@RFDHobby Yeah, I figured the painting would be the time consuming part for all but the most basic of mats. Though the lower price tag is certainly nice, I mostly just see a lot of appeal in the combination of customizability and storability. You can probably store a dozen or more of them rolled up in a simple PVC pipe. One for every occaission. As nice as they can be, those big sculpted game tables definitely can't do that.
It be cool if it wasn’t rocks or desert but like muddy cratered mounds and like trench’s on the other side so you can spread them out and make it look like a trench system that’s been bombed apart. Can be scattered terrain or lined up somewhat together to look like a trench line?
Absolutely, that's a great idea. I might do something like that in the future. I have one more of these mats planned, but it's a more urban setting. I might have try out this idea at some stage though. Thanks very much for watching and commenting mate.
@@RFDHobby yours welcome and I’m been working on an urban tabletop for awhile but I need to get like 3-4 of those imperial sector kits to finish the bulk of it.
RFD, checking in on you man! Also, I was interested in the sand battle mat, I've looked at a few on Urbanmatz, but I'm considering making my own, can't make up my mind you. Buy now or build later? Hope you're doing well mate. Peace out.
Thanks for the message Tyler, it's been a tough few months, but I'm doing my best to get out of the funk I'm in. As for your battle mat, after building a few, I'm always going to say build it man! It might sound like a bit of a project, but if you've got a bit of flat concrete (garage for example) that you can take over for about 6 hours (overnight is ideal), you can knock this thing out in a day for under $40AU and have a few materials left over to make more. Painting for table ready can be as simple as you like, and you can always still work on it over time to add details. It takes about 45mins to measure, cut, layout, mix and apply everything, the rest of time is just waiting for it to be dry enough to cut out and move. If you're doing it in the daytime with decent temperatures, it should only take a few hours. If you can easily get materials for it, it's a really quick project. But I guess you have to also WANT to build a mat, or at least need a cheap option. I haven't used a bought mat, but they look way better than I can paint, and I assume they're fairly hardy, so if you have the money, or lack time or space, buying might be the better option. Building it is really satisfying though!! Let me know what you do mate.
I have few that I'm hoping the terrain helps a bit. 40k, AoS, Walking Dead All Out War, Star Wars Legion, and even some dnd stuff I'd like to build for some future game. But at the moment, I'm building way more than I'm playing. I really enjoy it though, and not everything I'm building has a place...yet.
Sure can. I have this one rolled around a poster tube in the cupboard at the moment. No problems with cracking or anything so far. It's quite flexible.
I haven't yet, I'm pretty sure it would be fine. Might get a little messy if you're rolling the mat up unless the flock is well stuck on there though. Worth a shot.
It rolls up fine. Probably best to roll it around a cardboard postage tube or something similar as it has a bit of weight to it, and I haven't been brave enough to test what happens if I crease it. But rolling is fine.
Thank you so much for the comment. I've actually just posted about it here... ruclips.net/user/postUgyuBSdKSjqKjic8zD94AaABCQ Let me know if you have any other questions mate. Cheers.
Thanks, and fair enough. Unfortunately, buying one is not an option for me, so this is how I get there. I appreciate the comment though mate, and thanks for watching.
Thanks everyone for joining me for this build. I really enjoyed the outcome for this one, although I had many moments of doubt throughout this. So don't be intimidated by the details or the size of this build, as it's really a lot easier to do than you might think. If you want to see more of this sort of thing, you can check out my original battlemat video here ruclips.net/video/E5W4FKqRbSs/видео.html
Awesome work. Love your insight. Its very empowering. (Subscribe = check / Notifications = check )
@@ManlyPHall-ce8dc Thanks mate. I really appreciate it.
Saving this one in my watch later to come back to many times. Great build Shawn, knocking it out of the park once again.
Thanks Nate.
Great video! I like the direction you took your mat. Thanks for the shout out!
No worries mate. Thank you!
I got myself a gaming mat from Warzone Studio, and it's awesome. It's made of rubber, similar to a mouse pad, and it's double-sided. I love it.
Nice one! The professional gaming mats are of a quality and detail I can't even come close to matching. But it's nice to have an option that works fine if you can't afford those, or if you're just wanting to make something cool.
Okay so I finally had a go at making my own. The method was easy to follow though making the colour was a nightmare. My warning to all is don't do what i did and improvise a colour adjustment with food colouring... it leeches onto your hands if it gets the smallest bit wet lol.
Other than that, it looks great. Thanks Shawn, this will add so much to our games.
Wonderful! That's great that you got it done. Sorry to hear about your color problems, but thank you for sharing so I know about this for the future haha. Thanks so much for letting me know how the project turned out mate, glad you found the video helpful. Cheers man!
Only recently got started with 40k after always being interested. Excited to start throwing some terrain together, these videos have given me a lot of inspiration. Cheers brother, great work as usual.
Thanks G. Plenty more to come. I appreciate the comment, and good luck with your terrain and 40k mate.
Sorry to hear ! Hope you recover soon my friend ! Praying for you
Thanks Richard. I'm home now and hopefully on the mend.
This will be really helpful for building my Blood Bowl pitch, thanks for making this!!
No worries Mike. One of these will be perfect for a blood bowl pitch!
This is definitely on my list to try, going to do more of an urban battlefield look but this video is going to be a massive help. Super clear, easy to follow and a fantastic outcome 👍
Thanks Josh. I have one more of these planned which will also be something a bit more urban, and large sized again, but I want to really plan it out to best fit my terrain on it before I start. Good luck with yours mate, and if you need any advice or help, just let me know. Cheers.
I'm trying this on orange felt, just bypassing the whole sand and filler stage. great tutorial
Oh nice, let me know how it goes, I'd be really keen to know how it works out for you.
looks so cool! amazing that it's so accessable! great job man! :D
Thanks so much!
Wow you really elevated this concept here.
Thank you. This one was really a trial for me in a lot of ways, I haven't ever tried to paint something of that size, but I was quite happy with the outcome. I really want to do another couple, of larger size, but it's still a daunting project, all that canvas haha. I appreciate the comment. Take care and all the best.
Looks awesome well done and thankyou. I’m going to have a go myself.
Thank you. Good luck with your build, let me know if you have any questions.
Wow, I might actually like this one more than your first! Especially at the halfway point, it started developing a very Borderlands sort of vibe, would be perfect for something like This is Not a Test.
Thanks mate. Yeah this one really came together quite well towards the end. I can't wait to try another one now that I'm a bit more confident.
Hi, yeah it is great. I'll try it next week, after i collect the products here in Germany. Thanks for inspiration! Maybe i try to work with shades and biiiig drybrushes
Thank you for your content mate!
Stay healthy and look forward!
Greetings from germany
I have been trying to figure out how to make a flexible mat that will not crack easily, and this fits the bill! I have an art background, and my thoughts were going to the painterly products I know, like gesso, and that would definitely not hold up or do the job, but caulking is PERFECT. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful! These are still holding up great too, I store them rolled up around a tube without any issues. Thanks for watching.
Pretty kick ass mat there!!! It looks so good! The final air brush of the lava orange that kinda help highlight the cracks was very transformative. Just cant say enough about how inspired I am to do one of these now! Slainte!
Thanks. It really is a big transformation with each small detail added. That's why I encouraged people in the video to just stick with it, you might be just around the corner from taking the mat from ordinary to awesome. Thank you for watching and commenting.
This is epic. You really are too dismissive of your talent. Awesome work. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🙌🏻
Thanks very much. I'm starting to get a bit more confidence, particularly when it comes to just trying something new and having a go. I think a lot of these larger type projects can just seem way out of reach due to the scale, but once you break them down to their individual elements, you realise there isn't anything too complicated or difficult there. It's the sum of all those little elements that make the projects really work in the end, so you just have to jump in and chip away at it until it's done, and have a little faith that it will all come together eventually. Cheers for the comment mate.
I'm trying it this weekend. thanks
Good luck mate. Mine are still holding up really well, so they seem to be a really worthwhile little project. Let me know how you go, or if you have any questions. Cheers.
It looks great! You captured the look of a desolate area and the colors look very realistic. Thanks for sharing this, I always learn from and enjoy watching your tutorials.
Thanks John. It's my pleasure mate.
All in stock at my local, think it might be time for a trip to Bunnings tomorrow at lunch time.
Awesome. Good luck with the build, if you need any advice or help, let me know. Thanks for the comment mate.
Fantastic. Off to Bunnings while the other half watches Menopause Murders 😆
Haha, good luck man
great battlemat, just a tiny note here: when you look at nature and you see cracked earth/mud for example, you will notice the driest part is toward the crack, and usually this means the less saturated one, so the darker tones should be the ones between the cracks I guess
Thanks for the comment, I'll definitely keep this in mind in the future, I'm always looking for tips to improve, especially painting tips. Cheers for the comment.
Brilliant, weekends project sorted👍
Thanks mate. Good luck with the build!
This is one neat battle mat, nice design , I really like the rock look and the colour is nice definitely Rocky and post apocalyptic style look.
Thank you Greg. It really all came together in the end, and was not nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I appreciate the comment mate.
I am super impressed with everything you release! I will be giving this a try very soon! Have a wonderful weekend.
Thanks so much. Really appreciate you watching and commenting, and I'm glad you like the videos. Have a great weekend too mate.
Looks fantastic! Been wanting to try making my own battle mat for ages... This might be the video to finally to the scales 😮❤️
Thanks Richard. You really should have a go at this, honestly, you'll be surprised at how easy it is to make these.
Fantastic job and an excellent tutorial. Thanks very much mate. Keep smashing them out 😃👍🏼
Thanks mate. Glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate you watching and commenting. Cheers.
Nicely done. I may have to try this idea but using green as the base colour to make my own grassland battlefield. Great stuff :D
Thank you! Cheers! Starting with the base color close to what you're after in the end makes it a lot easier to get the final effect right. I found trying to paint green grass effects a little tricky on my first battlemat video, so feel free to jump into my discord to share your results or progress, I'd be really keen to see how you go with it. The link is in the video description mate. Best of luck.
Great job !
Thank you!
Very cool! Definitely going to be trying your method with the paint and markers. Love that.
Thanks Art! It's a great way to get those details on there. I appreciate the comment mate.
Seem overhelming? Yes, but so do all works of art! ;) Nicely done mate! :)
Thanks mate!
Really interesting concept/execution/finished mat. I like it a lot. Congrats.
Thanks Peter!
That is really cool!
Thank you mate.
Looks useful from badlands to Barsoom; thanks for the tips
No problem mate. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Great video mate 🤩
Thanks very much
I like your hobby commentary, and tutorials. I recommend you watch a few 'how to light a scene videos' on RUclips to bring up the quality of your introductions. A pair of inexpensive lamps will do wonders for your production value. Excellent battle mat ideas, thanks for sharing.
Thanks mate. I appreciate the feedback on the lighting, I'm working on upgrades as I go to improve quality. Next up is lighting, as it's one of things that is really difficult to make work without proper gear. Hopefully you'll see some improvements in the next few videos. I appreciate the comment and feedback mate.
Definitely going to have a good at this. You made it look easy as well as instilling confidence. I just happened by this channel and am now a subscriber.
-John
Hey John. It is honestly one of the easiest projects on the channel, the difficult part is really just figuring out, and putting on the paint to make it look like you want. Good luck on the project, can't wait to see what you come up with. Take care. - Shawn.
Super Cool!
Thanks mate! Glad you like it and thank you for the comment.
"I don't have that much skill painting things like this"
*looks at your DM screens*
Yeah... you've got a ton more skill than you give yourself credit for :P. Another great video (I never thought to use water to thin down my mixture).
Thanks James. I surprise myself as much as anyone I think with these things. It's important to always have a go at something new, you never know how it might work out. I appreciate the comment mate.
Dude you are doing great
Thank you so much 😀 I really appreciate the comment mate.
Cracking build! After watching this one and the last you did I am now way more confident in my ability to actually make one of my own. I may still completely bollocks it up but I will do it more confidently! ;-) Cheers!
Haha, you'll be fine. If you're unsure of anything, just send me a message or jump in my discord channel, happy to help in anyway if I can mate. Thanks again for watching and commenting. Good luck!
I would probably cut a stencil or three for airbrushing those rock shapes.
Stencils would work well here. I considered it for this one, but as I was going for a large section of rock here, I really wanted to avoid any kind of repeating pattern, and I felt like random shapes with darker outlines was going to work out well enough. Thank you for watching and commenting mate.
Absolutely amazing paint job on the mat!
Thanks so much. It was a bit back and forwards with how I felt about this one throughout the project, but it all worked out in the end. Thanks for watching and commenting mate, I really appreciate it.
It looks excellent! Solid work sir.
Thanks Karl.
Enjoying the videos. 🙂👍
Thanks Nathan. I appreciate the comment mate.
Really great result! Nice painting job.
Thank you very much, and thanks for taking the time to watch and comment mate.
That looks fantastic, great work!
Thank you Mike. I'm really pleased with the outcome on this one too. I appreciate the comment mate.
Awesome mat! I Def wanna make this one
Go for it mate. It's really quite a quick and easy project, and you can just paint it up to whatever theme you want. Good luck with it, and if you need any help or advice with the build, just let me know. Thank you for watching and commenting.
This is awesome i've been looking for something like this!!! Thanx for sharing!!!
It would be nice if you can put the material list in the video description :)
Thanks so much mate. I have updated the video description and included links to the products I use to make the mat. These are all listed for Bunnings in Australia (Local national hardware store), although I'm sure you could find same or similar items elsewhere. I hope this helps. Thank you for the comment.
Impressive looks store bought
Thanks so much.
It turned out great!
Thanks. I'm really happy with this one too.
wow this looks great!
Thank you mate!
Amazing
Thanks mate, glad you like it!
I like the mix with water here better than your 20x20 test mat. Are there any concerns about letting it dry above certain temps or very low humidity? I live in one of the dryest counties in the US (average humidity is 6%-8%) where June through September is 100+ degrees F.
Hey Anthony, you should have no issues with this drying, I honestly didn't notice a difference with the water, I did these in the Aussie summer, so it was hot and dry. I leave them overnight before moving them, although I'm not sure if that much time is really necessary. I hope this helps mate.
Love this thing! How did it end up aging? Is it still flexible? Anything flaking off?
It lasts extremely well. I had it unrolled about 2 months ago and it was fine. Still was still as flexible as when I made it.
this is great! is the end product flexible enough to be rolled/folded for travel? thanks for this great tutorial!
Cheers Ivan. I actually only grabbed this out of the cupboard yesterday and checked it out. It's still holding up really well after all this time. I put up a quick video if you want to see how it's doing after so long. Thanks mate, take care.
Cool
Cheers
Very good.
I wondered if it would be possible to add the original layer a little thinner and then make another mat on the reverse side?
well it turned out really good I think ^^
those crevasses really sets some depth, same for the shadows on the stones<
maybe with other colors and the same process it can turn into an interesting lava/volcanic terrain, I might try ^^"
nice job ^^
Thanks. I really encourage you to have a go, I'm sure there's a ton of different ways to change this up to suit your needs. Best of luck with it.
@@RFDHobby thanks ^
What do you use, is it silicone? Or is it another type of silicone that can be diluted in water, when I see the link to the purchase site it is not clear to me
Hey there! Does it matter which way you roll these mats up? By this I mean texture on the outside or inside. Also, how do they hold up to cracking? When you're rolling and unrolling does the canvas hold up fine with the acrylic & sand mixture? Thank you! Keep up the awesome videos.
Hey Kevin, it doesn't matter which way you roll them, I have been rolling them with the texture on the inside, and haven't had any issues at all, no cracking or anything so far. For the larger mats, it might be best to roll it around something (like a postage tube or something), as the weight of it can cause it to sit flat, and could cause it to crease. In the short term they are holding up really well, time will tell if this holds up long term and whether or not the acrylic hardens. But 5-6 months on from my first mat and it's still perfectly fine. Thanks mate, I hope this helps in some way. Happy to answer any questions you have if you have a go at this.
@@RFDHobby perfect! Thank you for the prompt reply. We are moving cross country in a couple of months so once my wife and I are settled I am eager to give these mats a go. :)
Awesome job mate! Really nice finished look!
But how does it do with rolling up at that thickness? When you say it hasn't cracked for you, are you storing it rolled?
Would have been great to see a shot of the mat rolling up/stored away. Keen to hear how you store it.
Thanks for the great video, with good helpful tips on how to do the details!
Thanks Roland. I store mine rolled up. I use a cardboard postage tube to roll the mat around, and I've had no issues with it at all. I can see rolling several up together being an easy way to store a couple of them. Thank you for watching and commenting mate. Let me know if you have any more questions.
@@RFDHobby Awesome! Cheers for answering. My pleasure seeing your work, it's a great battle mat. Your video tipped tge balance and inspired me to make a few of my own. Cheers mate!
Another great battle mat done 🇦🇺👍🏻
oh, haha, you found it! Thanks Chris, I hope the mat works out for you mate.
I tried making an urban battle mat similar to the one you made in the previous video. As an alternative to sand I mixed sawdust in with the acrylic mix as I have plenty of sawdust and no sand. This resulted in a very uneven surface but it may be that I did not spread it properly. As I used cheap acrylic paint from Cheap as Chips the colour that I painted on needed several applications. Possibly the sawdust is soaking everything up but I thought I'd let you know that sawdust "works".
Oh great idea. I hadn't considered that. An uneven surface may not be such a bad thing either. The sawdust would suck up that paint a bit I imagine, but it sounds like you got this working. I might try it out also, as I generate a bit of sawdust myself as well, so it would be great to have a use for it. Thanks for letting me know. Glad it worked out for you!
You wouldn't happen to know the brand of the plastic scraper you're using? Tried to find it on the Bunnings website and I can't find it!! Many thanks for the videos!
The label is long gone off mine, and the brand doesn't appear on it anywhere else. I just had a good long look on the website as well and couldn't seem to find it, there are some other plastic joint knife products there, but not this particular one. I should be heading into Bunnings this week and I'll reply again once I find the brand for you mate. Sorry about that. I'll be in touch though.
@@RFDHobby you sir are a dead set legend! I think I found some that would work, www.bunnings.com.au/kango-3-piece-taping-knife_p0098427
Going to give that a try!
And thanks for the response!
NOICE
'ken amazing mate
Cheers mate. Glad you like it!
Can you roll this up when you aren’t using it? Or does that crack the paint?
Awesome paint job! 3 years later, how does it hold up? Is there any risk for cracks if you roll it up?
Thanks mate. It's still holding up, I did a quick video on how this thing held up after the fire, it survived even the heat of that event and is still playable today. No cracking or anything, just a bit of curling on an edge that it was resting on for too long, but it was just the way I stored it.
@@RFDHobby Wow! Thats impressive! Sorry to hear about the fire though
I tried this and had a really bad time. the caulk wouldn't mix up at all and started to set as I spreading it. i realised it's because i bought silicone sealant and I needed to get acrylic! :/ another time I guess
Oh man, I'm sorry to hear this, it must have been awful. Silicone Sealant is a shit time even when trying to use it for it's intended purpose! Using acrylic sealant is a holiday compared to trying to do something like this with silicone. I hope you have another go and have a much better time of it mate. It's still a favorite of mine as far as quick and easy projects go. Cheers.
I am giving this process a go. Did you use a plastic backed canvas for this mat too?
Hi Jase, sorry for the late reply, just trying to catch up. I do use plastic backed canvases for these battlemats.
@@RFDHobby just so u know I tried a regular piece of canvas from spotlight and it worked well. I used it on a glass table, but didnt seem like there was any bleed through
Thanks for the tutorial. How do you store this battle mat? Rolled/folded/flat?
Thanks for watching. I have this stored in the cupboard rolled up around an old cardboard poster tube.
@@RFDHobby thanks for the response.
Can you roll it up? Honestly when I read battlemat I expected you to roll it up at the end, why else go for a mat over let's say a playe or some insulation foam?
These roll up no worries. I have mine stored rolled around a postage tube and stored in the cupboard. They do have a bit of weight to them, so with the larger ones you probably want something to roll them around (such as a cardboard postage tube) so they don't crease over time while stored.
Love this mat and your tutorials generally - thanks. I was wondering why you decided against the isopropyl alcohol this time? I tried the mix you used for the road mat and found that to be the best formula I've come across (having made a number of these using various methods over the years).
Thanks Alan. Honestly, I was playing around with this mix for some miniature bases a few weeks back, and decided to experiment with that isopropyl/water element, I found very little difference with using water instead. So for this mat I thought I would give it a whirl. I can't really fault it at all, and I'm not sure I could tell any difference whatsoever in the process or end product. I'm not sure at all what the theoretical advantage of the isopropyl is over water, but I found this mix worked out just as well. Iso isn't cheap here, so it's a win not having to use it for the mat. I'll see if there's any long term difference, but it seems to be working perfectly so far. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how the isopropyl might be of benefit, I'm really curious to know if there's a reason people use it here.
@@RFDHobby Thanks for the reply, Shawn. I've spent a bit of time today trying to track down some information about thinning caulking compound, but found nothing. It seems diluted IPA can be used to thin acrylic paints, but that about all I could see. It looks like good old H2O is the way to go - cheaper for sure! I might go look at the terrain Tutor vids on various caulk techniques at some stage. I'll try water next time and see. In the past i didn't think the caulk and it was hard to get the finish you achieve. Cheers Alan
So here's what I really want to know -
How are these holding up over time? Are they seeing heavy use? Are they prone to chipping/cracking/flaking? Are you actually storing them rolled up or flat? Do you think these will last months or years or decades?
Thanks for the comment. It's not seeing much use at all unfortunately. It hasn't shown any signs of chipping/cracking or flaking. I'm storing this one rolled up, and it' rolls out just fine. Some of the edges were 'bent' while in storage for a couple of months last time, and these didn't seem to be an issue when I rolled the mat back out. I can only guess as to how long it's really going to last, I'm fairly confident that even with heavy use this mat would be holding up well given how it looks and feels now. I'd give it some years of life in it yet.
I hope this helps mate.
@@RFDHobby Yeah, it does. A lifespan of at least a couple of years sounds pretty good to me. Seems like a lot of work for something less durable than that though.
@@ColonelSandersLite You'd be surprised how quickly it comes together. Making the mat and spreading the mix out wouldn't be an hour of work, where the time is really spent is painting it up. I'm way too poor to buy mats too though, although I probably would if I could, and I'm not at all against buying a better quality if you can.
@@RFDHobby Yeah, I figured the painting would be the time consuming part for all but the most basic of mats. Though the lower price tag is certainly nice, I mostly just see a lot of appeal in the combination of customizability and storability.
You can probably store a dozen or more of them rolled up in a simple PVC pipe. One for every occaission. As nice as they can be, those big sculpted game tables definitely can't do that.
It be cool if it wasn’t rocks or desert but like muddy cratered mounds and like trench’s on the other side so you can spread them out and make it look like a trench system that’s been bombed apart. Can be scattered terrain or lined up somewhat together to look like a trench line?
Absolutely, that's a great idea. I might do something like that in the future. I have one more of these mats planned, but it's a more urban setting. I might have try out this idea at some stage though. Thanks very much for watching and commenting mate.
@@RFDHobby yours welcome and I’m been working on an urban tabletop for awhile but I need to get like 3-4 of those imperial sector kits to finish the bulk of it.
@@exteriorcobra1575 sounds awesome. Those kits are really cool, I'm sure it'll look and play fantastic when it's done. Good luck with it mate.
@@RFDHobby thanks you!
RFD, checking in on you man! Also, I was interested in the sand battle mat, I've looked at a few on Urbanmatz, but I'm considering making my own, can't make up my mind you. Buy now or build later? Hope you're doing well mate. Peace out.
Thanks for the message Tyler, it's been a tough few months, but I'm doing my best to get out of the funk I'm in. As for your battle mat, after building a few, I'm always going to say build it man! It might sound like a bit of a project, but if you've got a bit of flat concrete (garage for example) that you can take over for about 6 hours (overnight is ideal), you can knock this thing out in a day for under $40AU and have a few materials left over to make more. Painting for table ready can be as simple as you like, and you can always still work on it over time to add details.
It takes about 45mins to measure, cut, layout, mix and apply everything, the rest of time is just waiting for it to be dry enough to cut out and move. If you're doing it in the daytime with decent temperatures, it should only take a few hours. If you can easily get materials for it, it's a really quick project. But I guess you have to also WANT to build a mat, or at least need a cheap option. I haven't used a bought mat, but they look way better than I can paint, and I assume they're fairly hardy, so if you have the money, or lack time or space, buying might be the better option. Building it is really satisfying though!! Let me know what you do mate.
What game(s) are you using this terrain for ?
I have few that I'm hoping the terrain helps a bit. 40k, AoS, Walking Dead All Out War, Star Wars Legion, and even some dnd stuff I'd like to build for some future game. But at the moment, I'm building way more than I'm playing. I really enjoy it though, and not everything I'm building has a place...yet.
Can you roll the mat for transport and storage?
Sure can. I have this one rolled around a poster tube in the cupboard at the moment. No problems with cracking or anything so far. It's quite flexible.
I love that end product, how did that last you make hold up, any cracking in your base texture on the canvas?
Hey Evan. No cracking at all mate. Still holding up really well so far.
With a mat like this, after it is fully done and set, can it be rolled up say like a poster or does it need to remain flat?
I roll the larger ones up for storage, I've found having a postage tube or something rigid inside when you roll it up helps to prevent any creasing.
@@RFDHobby thanks!
have you tried using flock?
I haven't yet, I'm pretty sure it would be fine. Might get a little messy if you're rolling the mat up unless the flock is well stuck on there though. Worth a shot.
@@RFDHobby going to try it out this weekend. Great vids btw. Glad I found you.
@@sayloth Thanks mate. Good luck with the build, let me know if you run into any trouble or need any advice or help.
does it roll up ok??
It rolls up fine. Probably best to roll it around a cardboard postage tube or something similar as it has a bit of weight to it, and I haven't been brave enough to test what happens if I crease it. But rolling is fine.
How does it look after a year?
Thank you so much for the comment. I've actually just posted about it here...
ruclips.net/user/postUgyuBSdKSjqKjic8zD94AaABCQ
Let me know if you have any other questions mate. Cheers.
Great job, but I would rather buy one.
Hi
Thanks, and fair enough. Unfortunately, buying one is not an option for me, so this is how I get there. I appreciate the comment though mate, and thanks for watching.
Can't play legion with Anakin on that mat. It's too coarse and sandy.
Are you suggesting I need one that's more soft and smooth, just for Anakin?
@@RFDHobby hahahaha yep
but but.. the grid... WHERE IS THE GRID!!!
haha, yeah, you can easily add a grid over the top of the paint with a pencil and ruler. :)