Test Table v2.0

Now that I've pretty much finished off the first "test tabIe" I was working on, I can now learn from my mistakes a bit and try something new. in particular, I'm really trying to nail down a technique for making marshy ponds and for creating swampy water. I also want to start working on some of the stone tiles and adding vegetation.

I started with a hunk of foam (for those who are curious, I did not take this from the bag that has the spider in it. I still haven't gone into that bag since I made the post):


Next, I used a T-square and ball-point-pen to etch out tiles, each .5" apart. The tutorial here suggests I use a blade to cut the tile grooves instead of the pen, but that just seemed like so much trouble.

I also marked out two ponds. I will use Games Workshop Water Effects in one and Woodland Scenics Water Effects in the other. Whichever one is better, that'll be what I use on the full-size table.

Note the rock I have hanging around. That's there for rubbing on the foam to give it a rougher, more organic look. It really works!


Here's a close-up of the tile surface. I would love to accurately create an effect which replicates aged water damage on these tiles but, seeing as I don't actually know what the looks like in real life, I'll have to do without.


Two ponds, dug out with an Xacto blade. This really isn't the best way to dig the ponds out, believe me; the ponds end up way too deep and you end up wasting Water Effects solution there (not to mention that deep ponds take longer to cure, and I'm impatient enough as it is). Anyhow, live and learn.


Speaking of impatience, I like to point a fan at the glued sand to dry it as quickly as possible.

As I did with the first "test" table, I coated the relevant areas with white glue and heaped on the sand. I then used watered-down glue over the sand to seal it in. You'll notice how the sand is of different hues. I have no idea why this is except that they come from two different GW sand tubs. BTW, GW sand is the best. If I could use it on the entire table, I would in a heartbeat... but I'm too busy spending all my extra money on overpriced Water Effects to afford any overpriced Modeling Sand.


Here's a good head-on of the test piece as it currently is at the time of this writing:


...and a close-up:


Now that there's nothing to do except wait for this thing to dry, I think I'll go have a nap.