Floor tiles- the wargamers miracle freind.

[Last Hussar]

Self adhesive vinyl floor tiles are becoming one of my gaming 'swiss army knives' - I'm finding so much you can do with them, and the cheap ones are £2.50 for 6 30cm square ones (QD had packs for £1.50- but I don't know how good the glue is compared to B&Q budget ones).  Sometimes people throw them away- they only needed 38, but had to buy 42- so you can get them free.  The secret is to use the adhesive side.

They add weight to paper to make counters that won't blow around, and if you save top down pictures (such as those at junior general) as 6x4 jpegs you can get them photo printed to stick them on to make flat wargame figures, you can make them into casino style plaques, or landscape tiles for "Catan" type games, or even whole game boards.  You just take your printout etc and stick on the 'bottom'.  They are A4 high, so will take a sheet of paper (with a little left over).  I intend to try sticking green paper to them, lots of PVA then flock for terrain tiles (ideal for the gridded Peter Pig games like PBI) they are already cut to 1 foot squares.  If I get the promised wargames room then they will become roads and rivers!

Cutting a cm wide strip off the 'spare' on a tile with paper on I made a useful painting stick.  The glue holds a 10mm figure firmly enough to be spray undercoated, and although the painted bits are obviously no longer sticky (!) the spots where the men are retain their 'grab' for repeated removals and resticks while you paint (and incidently, for the next unit after to be sprayed!). Infact enough stick remained on the bases of the men that the don't fall over as easily when you stand them on a tray- I carried 30 unbased men 25 feet on a chipboard off cut, and none of them fell over.

They are waterproof, don't fray, warp or seperate into layers when painted, and can be (relatively) easily cut with scissors or, my personal choice, a card guillotine, or a Stanley knife.

My latest experiment is with basing.  My initial thoughts were skepticsm (due to bendiness), but I am a 'research wargamer' and if I knew what I was doing it wouldn't be research! 

A 40mm square base is capable of dealing with 2x2 formation of 25mm Napoleonics quite happily - Even holding by the merest point of the corner there was no bend (I was more likely to drop it due to physics of levers).

The big advantage is they are the thinest bases I have ever made, only 1mm- vital with 10mm. Not only do they not add to the height, but the flock covers the edge much of the time, and if it doesn't the edge is black - not obviously unpainted card or MDF.

Also its easy to unbase. My normal technice is to pva the base, and superglue the bottom of the figure- Superglue reacts with water (which is why your fingers stick, and the vase doesn't), and PVA is sticky water!  After positioning the figures I put in the flock (hence whole base PVA).

When I realised I wanted to have two command stands per unit, it was easy to snap the base in two, then use my snippers to remove the tile bit by bit- while the bond is stong in normal circumstance, the PVA doesn't penetrate like it does wood or card, so the figures were easy to remove- though you end up with lots of little bits of tile.

[Sandinista]

Interesting idea, surely they are thicker than 1mm? Have you tried building up to make hills, double/triple layered?

[Last Hussar]

No- 1mm

Hills are an interesing idea - lot of work, and need to try and keep sape consistent.

[tzen67]

Hi Last Hussar,
                         When using these tiles for terrain have you experienced any warping yet?
Thanks,
Andy

[The_Shootist]

Ah the early 80's wargames terrain friend is back.....will the green baize cloth draped over books make a come back also.

[Last Hussar]

I've not tried terrain yet.  Once I get the promised WarRoom I'm going to have a go.  Initial plan is to make 24 or so plain green, then some with rivers/roads etc in.  This will mean they don't stand proud

http://lasthussar.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/4-french-face-the-austrians.jpg

Sunjester's terrain is nice, but it does make 10mm look like trench warfare!

[Dickie255]

I've been converted! I bought some floor tiles at the local pound shop at 4 tiles for a £1 (well anymore and it wouldn't be a pound shop). The tiles are thin (1mm) but sturdy and so easy to cut to whatever size or shape you need them. Much easier and accurate than cutting card. I wish I had used them before now. I've used them to base my figures and I'm going to make some movement trays. As they are so cheap I can create different trays for each unit such as closed formation (column/line) or skirmishing. I'm not too sure of their adhesive qualities and have been using glue when using them as bases but they seem to retain their enough of their tackiness to utilize as movement trays without having a border to withhold the figures.

Anyway a good tip and thanks for the suggestion 

[Captain Verbeek]

Converted, the fact that they do not warp is outstanding and plenty of adhesive quality for sand, I still glue down ballast, but works perfectally for the Sudan.  Thank you for the information.

[Leon]

mutter...mutter...but we sell bases...mutter..mutter...

      

[Dickie255]

  I have to say in defence of "shop bought" bases they present a better uniform quality when needed in quanity. As I base my figures indvidually on 10mm x 10mm bases (weird?) and as my eyes are old, there is a bit of variabilty in the sizes, especially after cutting 50 bases or so (and a few cut fingers). Its especially not a job to do after you've been to the pub!

On another note, my pre VAT figures arrived yesterday and they are wonderful! The Brit. Imp. cavarly from the WW1 Mid. East range are especially nice and which I would recommend for any use during the colonial period.

[DaveH]

I'm definitely giving this a try for terrain tiles and as I have a convenient pound shop that sells them at least there isn'ta big outlay if I decide that they don't suit.

[Leon]

when needed in quanity. As I base my figures indvidually on 10mm x 10mm bases

That must take some time!  I could do 10x10's for you if you needed them.  I've no idea how many to a pack, but it'd be at least 30 I'd have thought.

[Last Hussar]

I don't rely on the tiles glue, partly due to the way I flock/base.  I have used the tile glue when using as a spraying stick - it holds figures on, but releases easily, plus remains sticky enough to keep putting the figures back during painting. I put green paper on them before cutting them up (quicker than painting bare bases).  I then smother in PVA (I've recently taken to mixing green acrylic paint into the PVA - a squirt from those cheap 500ml tubes from "The Works" -Into a small pot containing some PVA -NOT the 500ml pot I keep it in).  Then a dab of super glue on the base of the figure, before placing . Superglue is activated by water - when gluing metal I breathe on one surface, glue the other - this why your fingers stick but the vase doesn't!

I then immediatly plough the base through the scatter material - I think it's sticking better since adding the paint, wonder if it helps or its just coincidence - then leave 24 hours before knocking off the excess and varnishing (which is more about stiffening and sticking the flock than protecting the figures!).

Leon, to be fair, I did post originally before you started doing bases.  If I buy more figure will you forgive me?

I did have some cheap tiles, but they were too bendy.  I might investigate the new pound shop.

[Leon]

Leon, to be fair, I did post originally before you started doing bases.

I'm only messing, if people can get decent bases for free, then that's better than buying them.  I should cut some tiles myself and sell them...  

...will you forgive me?

Maybe...!  Have you noticed this thread yet?  http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=2105.0

[Dickie255]

Hi Leon

Thanks for the offer of the 10 x 10 bases I might just take you up on that when I next order something. 30 bases per pack will be great. Cheers!