Subject: 4.0 Materials
	4.1 Common Materials
		The following is a list of the more common terrain and scenery materials. There are many others, but hopefully the following will give you enough to get started. Where there are a number of similar materials (like flock or plaster) I refer to them by the following names in the FAQ:
		Aquarium Plants: Plastic ones, not the real ones unless you like slime and rot! Pick some with small leaves to make excellent jungle plants.
		Bits Box: Any box filled with all those left over bits from old models. The longer you make models, the better your bits box becomes. I also collect all sorts of interesting looking junk in my box. Old or broken kids toys are a great source.
		Brushes: Old ones that someone has let paint dry in (who, me?) can be cut up to make clumps of long grasses or reeds. Stiff broom bristles can be made into trees.
		Cardboard: Come in a vast range of thicknesses and textures. You can probably get offcuts of the thicker and textured varieties from picture framing stores. Don't forget your own supply from the recycling bin!
		Cardboard Tubes: Any you can find. The ones from the centre of toilet rolls are usually too thin, but there are many other sources including the now famous "Pringles" cans (yum!) Use the bigger ones to build towers and huts.
		Corrugated Cardboard: The coarse stuff may be used for making hills or buildings. Light bulbs are often protected with finer stuff which makes excellent corrugated metal sheets.
		Dirt: Get it anywhere, it's free! I usually dry it out first. If you live in North America then the dirt from a baseball diamond is perfect. Most other reald dirt will require seiving before you use it.
		Dirt Box: A box I keep my "dirt" in. This box is used when basing figures and texturing scenery. I have used real dirt, dried tea leaves, dried coffee grounds, ground scenery foam, sand, small gravel and so on. The aim is to have particles of different sizes as well as foliage pieces and "battlefield debris."
		Drinking Straws: Bendy ones are great. All can be used to make pipes, ducts and chimneys.
		Epoxy Putty: (Milliput, Green Stuff) Two-part epoxy putty available in modelling grades from some model shops, and in construction grades from many hardware stores. Most are green but some are white. Usually work by mixing equal part of two separate colours together and sets rock hard. As it is capable of withstanding the heat and pressure of vulcanized rubber mould making, this material is used to make the masters that most of our metal miniatures are made from.
		Epoxy Resin: Two-part liquids used to represent water. Very effective if you want to embed something or are modelling shallow water courses. Most will melt foam plastic though.
		Flock: The precursor to "static grass". Avalable in craft and woodworking stores. Flock is applied with a device giving the individual fibres a static charge which causes them to stand upright as they set in glue.
		FoamCore: Sheets of fine celled extruded polystyrene sandwiched between card. Usually white, but I often use black as it reduces spraying. Excellent for building walls (or Thunderhawk Gunships!)
		Form - It: Avaiable from craft stores. Not tried it but I hear it can be used to make scenery.
		Gravel: Fine gravel, aquarium gravel, kitty litter (unused!) Used to represent smaller rocks.
		Grass Powder: Used to be dyed sawdust but is now usually ground foam. Sometimes, wrongly, called "flock."
		Ground Foam: Precoloured ground foam rubber made by Woodland Scenics and available in a wide range of colours and mixes from most model shops. Used to represent turned soil, grass, coarse turf, weeds, leafs, ballast and talus (rocks at the base of cliffs.)
		Hardboard: A glue and wood sheet product. Stable and strong. Excellent for bases and could be used for walls. 1/4" (6mm) is good as it is thick enough to resist warping as glue dries on it.
		Lichen: Available from most model stores it is used to represent plants. Alternatively you can harvest your own from under evergreen trees, it seems that the acid from the trees encourages lichen growth. Fresh lichen will dry out and become brittle so it must be treated it with a solution of glycerine (1 part) and water (3 parts.) You can use commercial grade glycerine and you may want to add fabric dye to colour the lichen. After washing and picking through you collected material, add it to the pickling mix and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Let the lichen cool in the liquid then squeeze out the excess and dry. This process puts the glycerine into the cells of the moss depleting ta\hat in the solution, so if you intend to reuse the mix you will have to add more glycerine. Alternatively, dip them in varnish.
		Loofah: Sold as a skin scrubber for use in the bath you could also grow your own from seed. This dried plant is tough and makes excellent hedge or even fine branch structures for trees.
		Masonite: See hardboard.
		Plaster: (Plaster of Paris, Pollyfilla, Spackle, Drywall Compound, Texture Paint Hydrocal.) Adds texture and strength to foam terrain and is the basis of many model railway techniques. Hydrocal is most commonly used. Many modelers add dye or powdered paint to plaster before mixing to colour it so that glaring white doesn't show through the finish if scenery is damaged.
		Plastic Card: Polystyrene is most common but you may find acrylic and other plastics. More expensive than cardboard, but more versatile and stronger. Polystyrene is best glued with liquid rather than tube glue. Other plastics usually require special adhesives. Model Railroad stores sell a wide range of textured plastic cards at different scales for brick, stone, corrugated metal etc.
		Plastic Packaging and Bottles: Many kids toys now come packaged on card and held in place by clear thermoplastic. This stuff frequently has interesting shapes. I usually prime the back/inside with black paint before I assemble something. It's also worth supporting the plastic (meat trays again!) to give the piece greater strength. I have seen some impressive Eldar/Elf structures. I myself have made some very effective Necromunda scenery from this material.
		Plastic Sprue: The stuff that your plastic models come attached to that most people throw away. When heated gently over a candle and pulled will make rods which can then be used as cable or sliced to represent rivets.
		"Plastruct": A manufacturer of a wide variety of miniature structural components. Available from good model stores.
		Polystyrene Foam: (Styrofoam SM, Foamular 250, etc...) This is manna from heavon for terrain/scenerybuilding. At its simplest level, I use foam plastic meat trays to build all manner of flat slab structures from Ork buildings to SM firebases (it's cheaper than Foamcore.) At its most complex, I have used the packing foam around consumer electronics to make fortresses, strongholds, aircraft hangers, and power plants. The only caveat is to protect the foam before you apply any solvent based paint unless you want that "thermonuclear meltdown" look. so you need to protect it with a layer of white glue or plaster. Alternatively, spray with latex paint instead. Some people use the extruded foam without the beads (used in the construction industry as better quality insulation than "beadboard") for a better texture. Construction sites often have leftover material or offcuts. Don't forget to ask first, it's usually free for the taking.
		Pot Scouring Pads: Available flat and twisted into pads (avoid the ones impregnated with soap!) Makes all manner of foliage clumps.
		Sand: From very fine to coarse and available from beaches everywhere. A very useful texturing material usually mixed with white glue and paint to represent leaves, grass, stucco and dirt.
		Static Grass: Available in a wide range of lengths and colours, these rayon fibres are applied to a preglued surface with a device giving the individual fibres a static charge causing them to stand upright as they set. Can be very realistic. Some people just glue it on by hand while others apply the static charge using an inflated rubber balloon (I'll leave it to your imagination!)
		String: A wide variety of thicknesses and coarseness. Sisal string can be pulled apart and used as long grasses. Others can be used to model rope and can be stiffened with white glue or cyanoacrylate.
		Varnish: Solvent based and acrylic. The acrylic type isn't as tough but won't dissolve foam plastics.
		Wire: Used to represent pipes and cables and can be twisted into trunks and branches to make trees. Florists wire is coated green or brown which may save some time.
		Wood: Balsa wood is an old standby but any wood can be used. Run a wire brush along the grain to open it up and add texture before using it will make drybrushing a breeze.
	4.2 Glues
		Caulking: I find latex and modified latex is best. Holds virtually anything together yet remains flexible enough to avoid breakage. Dries reasonably quickly and can be painted.
		Cyanoacrylate: (CA, Super or Crazy glue, Zap-a-Gap) Please note that one of the original uses of this material was to glue human skin and tissue together in place of sutures. This stuff will glue you to virtually anything so be careful! Cyanoacrylate adhesives (superglue) are easily soluble in pure acetone (lacquer thinner and some nail varnish removers contain acetone.) Warm soapy water and a spoon can also be used to pry apart your fingers if needed. This glue sets fast, generating chemical "heat", with a strong bond.
		Epoxy: Two part glues available in different setting times.
		Hot Glue Gun An electric (usually plug-in) gun that melts sticks of glue. Comes in different sizes, strengths and colours, most of which set up very quickly. As the glue is melted by heating, avoid using on meltable materials.
		Polystyrene Cement: Available in tubes or as a liquid. Polystyrene parts are melted and welded together. Use liquid on sheet materials.
		PVA: (Polyvinyl Acrylate - white glue, carpenter's glue) Soak fabrics and string in it to make them stiff. Dilute and spray to set flock and ground foam foliage. Paint onto expanded foam before spraying. Good all purpose glue.
	4.3 Paints
		Drybrushing: Terrain builders most valued technique. dip brush in paint then wipe almost all of it off before lightly dragging it over your scenery. I usually brush from the top down to recreate the effects of light.

Back to Grey Knight's Home Page

This page is hosted by Get your own Free Home Page