Let me know what you guys think of these tip videos, would you like to see more? Dimensions for things I mentioned are below! Stacked foamcore block: 3" foamcore x2 (for two sides) 3" by 2 and 5/8" foamcore x2 (to fit between those larger sides, on the other sides) 2 and 5/8" by 2 and 5/8" foamcore square x16 (for the middle) chipboard wall: 3" by 2" main wall sides x2 1" by 1/2" bricks Numbered parts for inside chipboard wall: 1 - just under 1" by just under 1 and 1/2" 2 - just under 1/2" by just under 1 and 1/2" 3 - just under 1/4" by just under 1/8" Then a section was cut from the bottom of the pieces to fit a card tab slot for floors, exactly the same way as I show in the stable video :)
I was really craving these kind of videos. There are plenty of questions that arise in the middle of a build that you surely have the answer that would be a bit cumbersome on a build video but perfect on a tips one. (example: why my glue gun melts a third of a wall and yours makes perfect magnet holes ?) On a completely unrelated note, and hopefully useful for the community. This is the cheapest place to buy magnets I have found so far (at least in Spain), their service is fast and efficient, and you get high discounts with a very small number of units: www.aimangz.es/index.php?zona=3&id=26
The answer to your magnet question is the type of glue gun you use :) I show this more clearly in the hills video when my old glue gun died - the difference between a £5 glue gun and a £20 glue gun is INSANE. I would advise jumping to a surebonder mini, they're linked in my equipment list. The nozzle is very thin and perfectly fits 3mm magnets, better even than I show in this video (older tiles with my midrange gun) Thanks for the Spain link! I'll add it to the equipment list :)
I'd like to see more top style videos, but only if you have lots of good ideas for them. Don't feel like you need to push tonnes of them out, because your deep dives into one specific idea are really inspiring and entertaining. I think we all just enjoy seeing your system developing and how it adaps to overcome so many different challenges. Great video as always.
Another tip is dont be afraid to try stuff, i recently found a new way to make rocks that is easier for me and i think it looks better using just toilet paper, PVA glue and an actual rock
A tip I have for fellow Cardboard workers - Skewers (or toothpicks, but these won't be as stable) through the corrugations are super useful for connecting multiple pieces of a modular cardboard wall.
These tips are brilliant - and I don't even build tabletop wargaming stuff (shh, don't tell anyone but I don't play them either). I came looking for information on building dioramas for Barbie dolls and find you and a few others so informative and interesting that I've stuck around - and I've still to build any Barbie dioramas but I will ..... one of these days.
Oh man I love it when creators make vids highlighting cheap & "inferior" stuff. It's really useful especially if you're just starting out or you're making a play set you know you'll only use once or you plan to use with kids - I'm running a modified version of Mines of Phandalin for my daughter and her friends (all 7 to 12) and... imma be honest they don't need £80 of XPS spending on their props lol. Also
So, I have cheap $30 wire cutter - made for flower pot foam shaping. I, then, use Lego blocks to create jigs for straight measured cuts. A thick rubber band is used to lock the jigs in place.
Nice ideas! I have hoarded big boxes of trash like a crafting racoon. Most fun i've had crafting has been experimenting with lots of those different materials that i wouldnt normally use.
No problem man :) I'd rather you guys see why I use them more freely than some - I'm not loaded or anything I just figured out getting them at a good price 😅
You just gave me a great idea to save a ton of magnets and make this even more modular: instead of 8 magnets per tile, just use 8 steel nails, slightly recessed. Then add a magnet whenever you want to make a connection. That way you only need half the magnets and you don't even have to worry about north and south, so you can even flip the floor tiles and use the backside for a different texture.
Ngl dude, when the photo of your partner popped up on your phone as you said "less time wasted making mistakes" and you furrowed your brow, my mind hopped over to an alternative Coronation St style narrative for a sec before realising you were looking at the time, not her face.
i am exactly in the process of building my first full modular table (stuff is standing right beside me as i type this) and i was scratching my head about how to quickly and efficiently mark the tiles for magnet positioning - that jig is a goodsend! =D Thank you for your content, always makes me light up =D And yes, i guess a lot of people feel put off by the imagined pressure of using only high end brand modelling material when there are literally countless alternatives just waiting to be explored, from tin cans, to coffee-stirrers, the trusty ol' cereal box to packing materials of all kinds - what do they say about one mans trash? ;D thank you again and have a great week =)
Luke Towan got a great tutorial for building a hotwire cutter. It cost me around 10 bucks to build one and it does it's job really well. Ofc custom cutting jigs for the Proxxon are a nono for that sadly.
Loved this! Also, in regards to knives. I got a great hack from Another RUclipsr ClayClaim (really great stuff if you’ve never seen some of his videos, definitely worth checking out) ANYWAY. He uses a Scalpel instead of an Xacto knife. Both WAY sharper (so the blades last longer) and Way Cheaper! (Medical grade, so they can’t really raise prices). I got a handle for like $12 and a 100 pack of blades for $5. Also, I cut my tiles in half horizontal(so 1/4” vs. 1/2” thick) you get twice as many that way too! A bit harder to do for the bigger sized tiles, but I made little step units.
some good tips here ( apart from magnets they're too fiddley for my fat fingers) I would add get a cheap dremel tool with plenty of sanders shapers cutters drill bits ( I hardly use my little had held hand hurting tool any more) for jobs like pinning these are a great tool for doing things quicker. I bought one of these last year after seeing one of our fellow crafters making such short work of jobs I used to struggle with. they aren't expensive and later on you can always get an expensive one and when the old one dies --- take it apart and use the body and internals for scifi builds. I'm a big user of Balsa now too it's a great versatile material yesterday I made a tiny lectern complete with tiny book and candle all from balsa yesterday and gave it a stone look with sand grey paint and modge podge I'm very proud of it as it really looks cool. oh and always check out your local pound shop there's a ton of stuff ( such as wire brush sets you can use) I'm moving into pulp era building now as I've been building Fantasy and sci fi for such a long time I want to do something for myself that is challenging and Pulp and Victoriana are kind of my thing
This may have already been said before but as for premade terrain like trees, rocks and foliage - try looking in pet shops for fishtank decorations, they've often got great "plants" and rocks for cheap that can just be plopped down as-is or modified/painted to fit in with your terrain better.
Fantastic work as always. I took a break myself from the crafting world for a few months after being burned out but I'm coming back now and need to get caught up on all the RP Archive awesomeness ;)
As someone who has more time than money to dedicate to terrain building this video was so wonderful. I feel like every video focused on how to do things the cheapest possible way (which certainly has its merits)
Excellent video and excellent advice...and here I had thought that compounding three layers of dollar store foam core to approximate nominal 1/2” XPS (which is 5/8” from my supplier in the States) would eventually be MY contribution to the craft. This more philosophical content-the hard-won fruit of countless hours spent “in the archive,” no doubt-is right up your alley and a refreshing addition to your usual meticulous didactic crafting content. Well done! Keep it up! Thank you for your hard work.
Matt, I adore your videos! Apologies if this is a topic that you’ve already covered, but have you considered doing a video on crafting safety? It might not sound like the flashiest topic, but I know that it’s an incredibly intimidating subject for a lot of newer builders. From foam-melting fumes and paint VOCs to sharp knives and resin chemical burns, it can seem like it’s hard to know when one is properly protected, and I know it slowed my creative flow down for months when I first got started making things. I never wanted to endanger my own health or the health of the people I lived with, so I was just in a sort of perpetual PPE-prep traffic jam for months… hell, I still havent broken out the 3D resin printer yet for this reason O-O An overview on things like which mask filters to use and which glue has fumes to watch out for might help people be safe and eliminate wasted time and money! Cheers and thanks for all you do! I hope that your channel continues to grow :D
Tip for blades from Evil Ted cosplay, Kershaw Ultra-Tek Blade Sharpener, that plus an Olfa Knife equals a nearly infinite blade. I've changed mine once in the years since I got it, and thats because I snapped the blade while doing drywall repairs.
If you really want speed, try bulk casting. Make just one floor tile, and make a silicone mold of it. Then you quickly make a set of castings in quick set plaster. You then make a new silicone mold of the set and use it to batch produce cast resin copies of the floor tiles. This could work really well for all the cube bits you did for the module stairs. If they really have to be foam there are pourable foams you can get instead of resin. I think smooth-on makes it.
If you want to play tabletop games (mostly aimed apon D&D) get talespire, a vertual sandbox for 3D map creations and gives the user a vibe of actually playing with real life figures, etc. Sure... It's not completely the same as playing irl... but its pretty cool. Ps: this is not a sponsor... I just thought it resembled your channel's topic and wanted to spread the word.
If you know an electrician or having any cabling outside then you may have access to excess from armoured cables which is a good size for pinning wire and usually long enough from cuttings to make armatures
@@RPArchiveOfficial yeah when they lay out they generally strip out the excess I ended up with 50+ that were a ft long each. So lots of possibilities with them
Amazing video as usual, it was nice to see some different (and cheaper) ways to get similar results, thanks! Quick question, your regular stone regular tiles lend themselves to combat easily due to the grid on them. What would be your method of keeping track of movement etc on your tiles that don't have this? Such as your grassland or kobold tunnel tiles? I don't want to ruin the look of the pieces by having lines all over them, but not sure what else to do. I guess it would be the good old measuring tape technique? For the kobold tunnels I thought I might put indented lines on the undersided section that you've painted black to allow for some tracking that way,
Honestly just use a tape measure, though the kobold tunnel idea is interesting. The d&d community could really learn something from wargamers when it comes to measuring, the grid is just not needed with a built in game referee, in my view :)
If you want a grid, you can use dots rather than lines. I'd recommend using the dot as the place you set the figure, but it doesn't work as well with creatures on a 2x2 base or 4x4 base. If you find that a problem, use the dots to mark the corners of the squares. If you choose the dot color carefully, the dots aren't bad at all. As a long-time miniatures gamer, I can say that direct measurement works pretty well, but it does result in some ambiguities at times.
Just a fyi for anyone that lives near construction they throw away TONS of xps foam. There is a new condo going up about a mile from me and there are always huge pieces of xps thrown out. And yes in the US we call it spackle 😂
Hi! Much appreciation for your work, that's increadible! Have a question tho. Where and why (i mean why not on all possible places) you put magnets on all your tile types? I think its interesting for those who wanna start creating terrain in such "modular" style :)
The why is pretty straightforward - it makes connecting a breeze and lets you have easy to store modular tiles that can be assembled however you want, as buildings or dungeons depending on what you need... As for where, I start using magnets in the magnetic building system video about a year ago, and update the system in the cavern video, cottage video and a few others. The building videos in general are worth watching in the playlist, it contains all the stuff that works together :)
How would you swap out magnets for tabs or something when connecting something to a tile vertically. Like your trees you made or other things like it? Also yes we call it spackle
I would like to create a jig of my own for the magnet placement but I’m having trouble grasping where to put the nails, especially on the wall tiles. Any advice?
For the thin side magnets, and the front pair, you want to make one that works for floor tiles and just use that (so a 3"x1/2" space, with a nail a half inch from each side, and 1/4" from the long edge :) There's free 3d printable Stls for this though, even if you can't print you can open the file in a free program like chitubox and look to see what it should look like :)
It depends how sure you are and what you want to do at the start. If you're not sure about it you can start with a knife and some thin (half inch) xps, and make an altar, tomb/sarcophagus or a ruined wall, something simple to get a feel for it and if you want to do more. But if you want to make modular tiles that fit well together, I'd heavily advise the proxxon specifically, as it has temperature control for low temp accurate cuts. I'd also recommend either the shifting lands guide or making your own (I've linked a video on it in the equipment list) to replace the stock proxxon guide as it is a bit wobbly and rubbish. But it's a tool that lasts forever and will save you money on replacement knife blades sooner than you think - not to mention an INSANE amount of time :)
I'm thinking of adding that to the index post on my Patreon, but until then there's the equipment list - it's just not filtered for 'getting started' materials 😂
Let me know what you guys think of these tip videos, would you like to see more?
Dimensions for things I mentioned are below!
Stacked foamcore block:
3" foamcore x2 (for two sides)
3" by 2 and 5/8" foamcore x2 (to fit between those larger sides, on the other sides)
2 and 5/8" by 2 and 5/8" foamcore square x16 (for the middle)
chipboard wall:
3" by 2" main wall sides x2
1" by 1/2" bricks
Numbered parts for inside chipboard wall:
1 - just under 1" by just under 1 and 1/2"
2 - just under 1/2" by just under 1 and 1/2"
3 - just under 1/4" by just under 1/8"
Then a section was cut from the bottom of the pieces to fit a card tab slot for floors, exactly the same way as I show in the stable video :)
I was really craving these kind of videos. There are plenty of questions that arise in the middle of a build that you surely have the answer that would be a bit cumbersome on a build video but perfect on a tips one. (example: why my glue gun melts a third of a wall and yours makes perfect magnet holes ?)
On a completely unrelated note, and hopefully useful for the community. This is the cheapest place to buy magnets I have found so far (at least in Spain), their service is fast and efficient, and you get high discounts with a very small number of units: www.aimangz.es/index.php?zona=3&id=26
The answer to your magnet question is the type of glue gun you use :)
I show this more clearly in the hills video when my old glue gun died - the difference between a £5 glue gun and a £20 glue gun is INSANE. I would advise jumping to a surebonder mini, they're linked in my equipment list. The nozzle is very thin and perfectly fits 3mm magnets, better even than I show in this video (older tiles with my midrange gun)
Thanks for the Spain link! I'll add it to the equipment list :)
I'd like to see more top style videos, but only if you have lots of good ideas for them.
Don't feel like you need to push tonnes of them out, because your deep dives into one specific idea are really inspiring and entertaining.
I think we all just enjoy seeing your system developing and how it adaps to overcome so many different challenges.
Great video as always.
I have never hoped for a craft you tuber to succeed more than you buddy. Keep it up.
Well it's massively appreciated Mark :)
Could not agree more.
Thanks Ant, it means a lot :)
You deserve far more subs, your production quality is amazing!
Thank you Aidan! Seriously its nice when people notice the effort :)
Speaking for the Americans, you were correct in calling it spackle...
As always, amazing content! Keep it up!
Haha! Glad to know I got it right 😅
@@RPArchiveOfficial We'll also call it 'drywall mud', or just 'mud' if the context is obvious. :)
That's interesting, given that mud (well, daub) historically was used on walls... Wonder if its a reference or just because it's gunky 😅
What do other people call it?
Wall filler, or 'polyfilla' which is just a popular brand name :)
Another tip is dont be afraid to try stuff, i recently found a new way to make rocks that is easier for me and i think it looks better using just toilet paper, PVA glue and an actual rock
I don't build tabletop stuff (short of choosing the 28mm size for "teh luls") but I still find myself watching every single one of your videos!
Rockin
Thanks man :)
A tip I have for fellow Cardboard workers - Skewers (or toothpicks, but these won't be as stable) through the corrugations are super useful for connecting multiple pieces of a modular cardboard wall.
Thank you! I love using cardboard from packaging boxes & such to make thinner interior walls and this is going to be really useful.
To be honest, I really like your videos. The video quality is great and the sound of your voice is relaxing ^^. Great video again
Thanks man! 😅
Once again I am blown away by the content and production value
Thanks man! Always appreciate it when people notice the effort 😅
These tips are brilliant - and I don't even build tabletop wargaming stuff (shh, don't tell anyone but I don't play them either). I came looking for information on building dioramas for Barbie dolls and find you and a few others so informative and interesting that I've stuck around - and I've still to build any Barbie dioramas but I will ..... one of these days.
Hey, as long as its enjoyable to you guys I don't mind why you watch :)
You’re a good guy. Caring more about the viewer than the financial end game. That’s awesome
Oh man I love it when creators make vids highlighting cheap & "inferior" stuff. It's really useful especially if you're just starting out or you're making a play set you know you'll only use once or you plan to use with kids - I'm running a modified version of Mines of Phandalin for my daughter and her friends (all 7 to 12) and... imma be honest they don't need £80 of XPS spending on their props lol.
Also
You are an absolute treasure. Great building and info again.
So, I have cheap $30 wire cutter - made for flower pot foam shaping. I, then, use Lego blocks to create jigs for straight measured cuts. A thick rubber band is used to lock the jigs in place.
Lego is a solid idea if you have some :)
Nice ideas! I have hoarded big boxes of trash like a crafting racoon. Most fun i've had crafting has been experimenting with lots of those different materials that i wouldnt normally use.
Yeah, I love when something from my trash pi-I mean materials shelf comes in useful 😅
Thanks for looking out for us with the magnet deals dude!
No problem man :) I'd rather you guys see why I use them more freely than some - I'm not loaded or anything I just figured out getting them at a good price 😅
You just gave me a great idea to save a ton of magnets and make this even more modular: instead of 8 magnets per tile, just use 8 steel nails, slightly recessed. Then add a magnet whenever you want to make a connection. That way you only need half the magnets and you don't even have to worry about north and south, so you can even flip the floor tiles and use the backside for a different texture.
I've tried this, constantly removing the magnets is a pain in the ass, but if you prefer that to save money, by all means use it! :)
Ngl dude, when the photo of your partner popped up on your phone as you said "less time wasted making mistakes" and you furrowed your brow, my mind hopped over to an alternative Coronation St style narrative for a sec before realising you were looking at the time, not her face.
Yeah, ngl I regret that bit, did not think it through 😅
@@RPArchiveOfficial Don't worry, I think you flew under most people's radar - my lips are sealed!
Great tips as always. I really enjoyed the jig idea for placing the magnets.
Speeds it up SO MUCH. 😅
This is quickly becoming a favorite hobby channel! You have inspired me to get more serious into the hobby!
Awesome! Let me know if you have any questions :)
i am exactly in the process of building my first full modular table (stuff is standing right beside me as i type this) and i was scratching my head about how to quickly and efficiently mark the tiles for magnet positioning - that jig is a goodsend! =D Thank you for your content, always makes me light up =D And yes, i guess a lot of people feel put off by the imagined pressure of using only high end brand modelling material when there are literally countless alternatives just waiting to be explored, from tin cans, to coffee-stirrers, the trusty ol' cereal box to packing materials of all kinds - what do they say about one mans trash? ;D thank you again and have a great week =)
Hey Lars, glad it was helpful! Definitely agree, have a nice week yourself! :)
"Cheap magnet alternatives" are ATTRACTIVE! Bahaha, I'll see myself out.. #pompomshake
Well played sir 😅
Luke Towan got a great tutorial for building a hotwire cutter.
It cost me around 10 bucks to build one and it does it's job really well.
Ofc custom cutting jigs for the Proxxon are a nono for that sadly.
Great way to save some money :)
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
You have always good ideas to show us. I realise you have a huge amount of subscribers and this is a golden award for your job.
Loved this! Also, in regards to knives. I got a great hack from Another RUclipsr ClayClaim (really great stuff if you’ve never seen some of his videos, definitely worth checking out) ANYWAY. He uses a Scalpel instead of an Xacto knife. Both WAY sharper (so the blades last longer) and Way Cheaper! (Medical grade, so they can’t really raise prices). I got a handle for like $12 and a 100 pack of blades for $5. Also, I cut my tiles in half horizontal(so 1/4” vs. 1/2” thick) you get twice as many that way too! A bit harder to do for the bigger sized tiles, but I made little step units.
Weirdly enough I used to use a scalpel back when I did warhammer as a kid, they are really good 😅
Great video! Thanks to you I'm starting to add magnets to my work :) And seeing how balsa wood is cut I wanna replace this coffe sticks asap ;)
Haha! I knew people would be more convinced if they saw the difference 😅
some good tips here ( apart from magnets they're too fiddley for my fat fingers) I would add get a cheap dremel tool with plenty of sanders shapers cutters drill bits ( I hardly use my little had held hand hurting tool any more) for jobs like pinning these are a great tool for doing things quicker.
I bought one of these last year after seeing one of our fellow crafters making such short work of jobs I used to struggle with. they aren't expensive and later on you can always get an expensive one and when the old one dies --- take it apart and use the body and internals for scifi builds.
I'm a big user of Balsa now too it's a great versatile material yesterday I made a tiny lectern complete with tiny book and candle all from balsa yesterday and gave it a stone look with sand grey paint and modge podge I'm very proud of it as it really looks cool. oh and always check out your local pound shop there's a ton of stuff ( such as wire brush sets you can use) I'm moving into pulp era building now as I've been building Fantasy and sci fi for such a long time I want to do something for myself that is challenging and Pulp and Victoriana are kind of my thing
Sounds awesome man :) yeah a rotary tool is great, I inherited one from my dad a few years ago now, it's so useful!
This is some mind blowing information. Thank you so so much!
Great! Glad I could help man, I wasn't sure how useful it would be 😅
8:09 I mean, she doesn't really look like a mistake to me, Matt
She is most definitely not a mistake - probably the best thing that ever happened to me :)
Her, no. Missing your date with her because you were too cheap to replace your blades and cannot get a clean cut? Ouch.
This may have already been said before but as for premade terrain like trees, rocks and foliage - try looking in pet shops for fishtank decorations, they've often got great "plants" and rocks for cheap that can just be plopped down as-is or modified/painted to fit in with your terrain better.
Fantastic work as always. I took a break myself from the crafting world for a few months after being burned out but I'm coming back now and need to get caught up on all the RP Archive awesomeness ;)
Thanks Rob! Hope you like all the new stuff 😅
@@RPArchiveOfficial So far it's all awesome... Working my way from your newest uploads and working backwards :D
As someone who has more time than money to dedicate to terrain building this video was so wonderful. I feel like every video focused on how to do things the cheapest possible way (which certainly has its merits)
Having reread this comment a few times, I feel like you meant to say 'more money than time'? Given the end of the comment 😅
This guy is a genius and deserves a job at a pro mini studio - like WETA Workshops or 'Eavy Metal
High praise man! 😁
yes, spackle! Great tips!
Excellent video and excellent advice...and here I had thought that compounding three layers of dollar store foam core to approximate nominal 1/2” XPS (which is 5/8” from my supplier in the States) would eventually be MY contribution to the craft. This more philosophical content-the hard-won fruit of countless hours spent “in the archive,” no doubt-is right up your alley and a refreshing addition to your usual meticulous didactic crafting content. Well done! Keep it up! Thank you for your hard work.
Thank you man! It's been building up so I'm glad it seems so useful to people 😅
8:09 "and less time wasted making mistakes" lmao
Thanks Matt.
Matt, I adore your videos! Apologies if this is a topic that you’ve already covered, but have you considered doing a video on crafting safety? It might not sound like the flashiest topic, but I know that it’s an incredibly intimidating subject for a lot of newer builders. From foam-melting fumes and paint VOCs to sharp knives and resin chemical burns, it can seem like it’s hard to know when one is properly protected, and I know it slowed my creative flow down for months when I first got started making things. I never wanted to endanger my own health or the health of the people I lived with, so I was just in a sort of perpetual PPE-prep traffic jam for months… hell, I still havent broken out the 3D resin printer yet for this reason O-O
An overview on things like which mask filters to use and which glue has fumes to watch out for might help people be safe and eliminate wasted time and money! Cheers and thanks for all you do! I hope that your channel continues to grow :D
That's honestly something I'm thinking of doing, I just need to figure a few things out on how I want to do it :)
Tip for blades from Evil Ted cosplay, Kershaw Ultra-Tek Blade Sharpener, that plus an Olfa Knife equals a nearly infinite blade. I've changed mine once in the years since I got it, and thats because I snapped the blade while doing drywall repairs.
Huh, I'll look into it :)
If you really want speed, try bulk casting. Make just one floor tile, and make a silicone mold of it. Then you quickly make a set of castings in quick set plaster. You then make a new silicone mold of the set and use it to batch produce cast resin copies of the floor tiles. This could work really well for all the cube bits you did for the module stairs.
If they really have to be foam there are pourable foams you can get instead of resin. I think smooth-on makes it.
It would need to be foam, the question I would have is if it still behaves the same, not all foam is the same in what you can do with it :)
6:55 petition to rename this segment of the video as "Getting Jig-gy With It"
If you want to play tabletop games (mostly aimed apon D&D) get talespire, a vertual sandbox for 3D map creations and gives the user a vibe of actually playing with real life figures, etc.
Sure... It's not completely the same as playing irl... but its pretty cool.
Ps: this is not a sponsor... I just thought it resembled your channel's topic and wanted to spread the word.
If you know an electrician or having any cabling outside then you may have access to excess from armoured cables which is a good size for pinning wire and usually long enough from cuttings to make armatures
Interesting...
@@RPArchiveOfficial yeah when they lay out they generally strip out the excess I ended up with 50+ that were a ft long each. So lots of possibilities with them
Nice!
Another fab video. Thanks. I cannot find the link to the nails in your description list.
Amazing video as usual, it was nice to see some different (and cheaper) ways to get similar results, thanks!
Quick question, your regular stone regular tiles lend themselves to combat easily due to the grid on them. What would be your method of keeping track of movement etc on your tiles that don't have this? Such as your grassland or kobold tunnel tiles? I don't want to ruin the look of the pieces by having lines all over them, but not sure what else to do. I guess it would be the good old measuring tape technique?
For the kobold tunnels I thought I might put indented lines on the undersided section that you've painted black to allow for some tracking that way,
Honestly just use a tape measure, though the kobold tunnel idea is interesting.
The d&d community could really learn something from wargamers when it comes to measuring, the grid is just not needed with a built in game referee, in my view :)
If you want a grid, you can use dots rather than lines. I'd recommend using the dot as the place you set the figure, but it doesn't work as well with creatures on a 2x2 base or 4x4 base. If you find that a problem, use the dots to mark the corners of the squares. If you choose the dot color carefully, the dots aren't bad at all.
As a long-time miniatures gamer, I can say that direct measurement works pretty well, but it does result in some ambiguities at times.
Good solution. Ambiguity perhaps, but in an rpg theresa built in referee, so that doesn't matter really :)
Come back. You have the best designs on youtube.
I'm still here :) just working on a patreon bonus catching up with Stls for patrons for a little while
Just a fyi for anyone that lives near construction they throw away TONS of xps foam. There is a new condo going up about a mile from me and there are always huge pieces of xps thrown out.
And yes in the US we call it spackle 😂
Hi! Much appreciation for your work, that's increadible! Have a question tho.
Where and why (i mean why not on all possible places) you put magnets on all your tile types? I think its interesting for those who wanna start creating terrain in such "modular" style :)
The why is pretty straightforward - it makes connecting a breeze and lets you have easy to store modular tiles that can be assembled however you want, as buildings or dungeons depending on what you need...
As for where, I start using magnets in the magnetic building system video about a year ago, and update the system in the cavern video, cottage video and a few others. The building videos in general are worth watching in the playlist, it contains all the stuff that works together :)
Yes the common name for it is spackle.
Could you do a single magnet in the middle rather than 2 on each side?
101st like!
Sparkle is correct
👍
How would you swap out magnets for tabs or something when connecting something to a tile vertically. Like your trees you made or other things like it? Also yes we call it spackle
Things like trees need a bit more support, I mention a potential method in the pinned comment on that video, though I haven't fully tested that one :)
I would like to create a jig of my own for the magnet placement but I’m having trouble grasping where to put the nails, especially on the wall tiles. Any advice?
For the thin side magnets, and the front pair, you want to make one that works for floor tiles and just use that (so a 3"x1/2" space, with a nail a half inch from each side, and 1/4" from the long edge :)
There's free 3d printable Stls for this though, even if you can't print you can open the file in a free program like chitubox and look to see what it should look like :)
Why do you make your floor panels 3x3 instead of 4x4? Is there an advantage to 3x3?
Primarily initially to be compatible with bmc tiles, let people convert more easily :)
It is 5:49 am and I have no plans on using this information. But oh well
I want to start going into terrain building, do I as a starter really need the 100 euro proxxon or is it double with knife and ruler?
It depends how sure you are and what you want to do at the start. If you're not sure about it you can start with a knife and some thin (half inch) xps, and make an altar, tomb/sarcophagus or a ruined wall, something simple to get a feel for it and if you want to do more.
But if you want to make modular tiles that fit well together, I'd heavily advise the proxxon specifically, as it has temperature control for low temp accurate cuts.
I'd also recommend either the shifting lands guide or making your own (I've linked a video on it in the equipment list) to replace the stock proxxon guide as it is a bit wobbly and rubbish.
But it's a tool that lasts forever and will save you money on replacement knife blades sooner than you think - not to mention an INSANE amount of time :)
Hey, I'm looking to get into this and I was wondering if anyone had a starting list that would give me all the essentials.
I'm thinking of adding that to the index post on my Patreon, but until then there's the equipment list - it's just not filtered for 'getting started' materials 😂
The spectrum of money and no time to time and no money runs from dwarven forge to the rubbish bin.
An 8. ft thing of XPS is only like, $25. That’s easily an entire modular set.
I picked up a 3 pack of small wire brushes at the Dollar Tree
8:00 sooo that girl was a mistake?
Far from it, she's the best thing that ever happened to me :) The time, is what I was referencing...probably should have thought that through...😅