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Hello Peoples!

We have just launched our third kickstarter - TRAYUS STICKUS -



If you have a min - Please click on the Trayus Stickus logo image to jump over to it, have a look and see if you think its a good idea or an unnecessary idea

Its a really simple idea - but it works really well

Thanks for your input guys

Dave & Sal - WargamesBakery

Very clever! These mats look excellent for WHFB and other such games.

Can we get more info on the stickiness? Like, is all kinda crap going to build up on it or is it easily cleaned?

I imagine they are magnetized, not tacky like a post-it note, right?

Wow, what kind of wizardry is this?

I am kinda wondering how this works... it it some sort of glue layer on top of the plastic, sticky-back plastic style?

If so, will it leave sticky residue on the minis once they're removed?

Will it attract dust/dirt/hair/ flock in the same way as minis, eventually getting too dirty to use?

I like the idea, just unsure about the adhesive sticking to everything and getting everywhere.

I'm betting it's like those sticky pads for keys you put on the wall, or for holding phones in cars - not actually glue, but a gripping rubber sort of thing. Pretty nice though, especially with the print, that'd be very useful for dealing with hills and rough ground/obstacles in fantasy.

Yeah, interested to know how it actually works, if it's just sticky then I can imagine it's going to get pretty icky after a while as dust and grime builds up on it. If it's magnets, I could be interested (especially if it's strong enough that I can just leave the models on their movement trays during transportation).

I can't imagine it's not sticky since in the KS description it says (paraphrasing) "optional adhesive layer".

If it were some high-tech rubber with micro "hair" to achieve suction without glue - they make a bigger point about it.

You can read about it here if you are interested in the tech
http://nanolab.me.cmu.edu/projects/geckohair/

Will you have different colors (grey? brown?). I'd be all over these if they came in a dusky grey (I.e. rock). Brown (I.e. barren landscape) would also be popular.

Second edition is long past and the "goblin green" trim on the border you have above is rarely used

With another color option, I'd likely pledge for these


Edit: Oh, you do have grey, the logo is a link! I'll likely pledge later today, then

Edit 2: Hmm, so it's just a laminated plus sticky sheet, but no movement tray included... I'll have to think about it.

Trayus Stickus are flat - uber laminated super stick sheets - with nothing on the top of them sticky wise (they are super stick underneath them -between the tray and the sheet). They come with additional industrial quality sticky strips that you can choose to add to the top surface if you wish.

These are kits - so you do what you want with them, but we recommend adding the strips along the vertical lines and not the horizontal lines of the grids - as

1) this way the amount of 'stick' is perfect for grip (wobble the tray upside down - with no falling minis!!)
2) minis are easy to lift off the stick when they are removed as casualties!

The sticky strips are clear (they are very hard to spot on the photos).

We have developed this in this way because:

A) Solid sheets of top-layer stick make getting solid resin bases off almost impossible (too much surface area stuck to the stick)! They also make getting GW style plastic bases off almost impossible (still too much surface area stuck to the stick)

B) Magnets just DONT WORK WELL! they sound like a good idea but they end up reacting to each other , pulling / pushing ranks out of alignment and making playing games a real pain!



Our system enables players to use ANY miniature bases with their figures, creating units of ANY size and shape. Players can leave units ranked on their movement trays between games, on shelves and when being boxed to travel between home & games events (the stick is that good) That is what we do!



@ Scarletsquig - We have used them with resin bases & GW (and non GW) plastic bases - and we have never had any sticky residue on the minis or bases once they're removed .

@ RiTides - We are not producing plastic movement trays bud, as this then limits the sizes of units you can make! the point of this kit is that you can use anything from thick cardboard & laser-cut wooden rectangles to shop bought trays - and this kit will still make them look ace and function brilliantly!

If you want to try different stick layouts we also provide extra stick-strip lengths with each kit so you can try out things yourself.

If you end up with pet hair or other gubbins stuck on the strips, they can be scraped off and new strips put on - as the laminated grid is extra durable - meaning that these should last you pretty much forever.

Don't forget - even if you don't like the idea of the sticky strips (but to be honest - they are really good and our mates are all now using 'test samples' of them!) - a single kit makes fantastic looking smooth surfaces for loads and loads of your movement trays!



cheers guys
Dave

Ah, didn't notice the strips in the picture, you can definitely see them in the full size pics though:



...and that's quite a good idea there about putting them on top of the vertical lines to create 2 bars since it allows you to peel the minis off with a tilt while preventing other sorts of movement.

I find that magnets do work, it's just an expensive and awkward solution, no manufacturer currently makes the holy grail of bases with magnet hole + steel movement tray insert + mdf movement trays with magnet holes in them + steel-lined carry case, and the DIY approach is somewhat time-consuming. It's something I've looked into but never found the will to bother with.

I'll have a think about these, they might do quite nicely for my KoW army for now since I really want to get going with that mammoth task and these might save some time (olus if they do wear out, I can always replace them later, but they should hold up quite well for KoW since you're not constantly taking minis off the tray.

There is however, as always*, the same dealbreaker that every single mat company on the entire planet also has -

A giant logo in the corner ruining the 3 squares it is in, and pretty much the entire row/column it's attached to since you can't avoid including at least part of it if you're making large regiment trays.

This is priced as if it's a premium quality product. Deliver premium product quality to match please!

You even admit yourself in the kickstarter that the 3 squares with the logo in are useless since it's listed as having 93 squares to use for trays rather than 96.

Why not just ditch the logo, give us those extra three squares and create a higher-quality product for everyone? All it takes is a single button click in photoshop to hide that logo layer and you make your backers and potential backers instantly happier.

*I swear, if I even see one wargaming Kickstarter this year that doesn't lovingly and painstakingly create a wonderfully rendered realistic surface before slapping a logo over the top of it I'll choke on my cheerios. :p

Ah, I had assumed the logo was just on the graphics, but you're right, in the graphic where they show the sheets cut up, the logo takes up 3 of the spaces!

That makes no sense because people are Supposed to cut these out, so the logo will just get thrown away . Definitely something you guys should address!

If you did change that, I'd consider these... but I think I'm just too tapped out at the moment, and I have to look into things further to decide how I make my actual movement trays before deciding on this or magnets. Do you have a recommended plastic movement tray company you use these with?

Any plans for a snow sticker?

Is there any real difference between this product and clear double sided tape?

Can you buy only the sticky stripes? The pictures look pretty bland and boring. Once is just a picture of some sand, variant is sand with some bits in it.

I could probably throw something together myself and print on my computer to use as the base.

 MadCowCrazy wrote:
Is there any real difference between this product and clear double sided tape?

Can you buy only the sticky stripes? The pictures look pretty bland and boring. Once is just a picture of some sand, variant is sand with some bits in it.

I could probably throw something together myself and print on my computer to use as the base.

sorry bud - have you been on the kickstarter to see for yourself? you cant really be suggesting that this design (made using our Shattered Sanctuary BASIUS Basing Pad) is bland or boring can you buddy?

at the end of the day it would be silly of us not to offer really basic options as well as detailed scenic options - as some people will want them.

the difference between the strips and double sided tape is the strength of the sticky element and the clearness of the tape (once it has no backing paper on it). double tape is much less transparent - this stuff is more like the stuff that you join mobile phone screens to phones with.

about your other comment - its not possible to get this quality, lamination depth and stickiness without using industrial machinery - which is why we are doing our kickstarter - theres no point in using an 'ok' product if you can use a really good product!

we have not thought about offering the strips themselves separately yet - but its a good idea that we will introduce once they are for sale on our website

I like the idea, but personally I'd trust magnets before I trust sticky stuff. I've found a 4mmx1mm magnet with a thin plasticard spacer to bring the magnet in contact with the steel movement tray (can't remember exact thickness off the top of my head) is strong enough to hold down plastic and resin infantry and you don't get any noticeable interference between the magnets on different bases. Once the models are on a sheet metal movement tray, you don't have to worry about interference even for very large magnets (which I'm using for larger models like cavalry).

For me, the purpose of this would be transportation, which means I need to trust it enough as it sits on the floor of my car as I drive.

You guys really want to get rid of the three/by extension entire row of squares that are wasted/lost due to the logo placement. I'd suggest an inexpensive sticker with your logo on the packaging to replace it. Or putting the logo on the reverse/underside of the printed ground.

You did fail to address the dust/dirt/cat hair issue.

Outside of a hermetically sealed environment - these are real issues to be dealt with. If the strips get dirty, can they be cleaned. If not, how much do the replacement strips cost?

Another issue when dealing with clears is how they age? Are the laminate and adhesive tapes UV stable and otherwise resistant to yellowing over time. If not, how long can users expect to see them remain clear?

How resistant to scratching is the laminate? Will it become scuffed and scratched in a month or two? Is the core material moisture resistant? When you cut laminated stock - it often becomes an issue in high humidity areas where the core absorbs moisture and causes the laminate to delaminate.

How thick is the finished sheet? Is it sturdy enough to be a tray on it's own - you say the lamination is so thick that you need industrial machinery to produce them...that must be pretty thick (I can laminate 1 mm lenticular sheets on my desktop laminator). No reason for a tray if the card is thick and stiff enough.

How sticky are they? You mention shaking them upside down and not falling off. What about all metal cavalry pieces. Have a video you can show to demonstrate its effectiveness?

I like the idea. Not sure about the execution.

Can't get behind the name though, sorry.

Of course, if I ever find myself playing Fantasy (or buying Orks for some reason), I'd probably get some.

Sean, We would not expect the strips to get dirty - as they would typically either be covered by mini bases (figures placed on the tray) or by the backing seal (that the strips come attached to - as these can be put back on the strips after play, if you are in the habit of storing trays separately from your units, tho personally I keep my units on my trays when they are on my shelves, traveling to games and during games - the only time my little chaps are not on my trays is when they die in the field (as it were )

if they do get dirty then they can be replaced with new strips. we don't know how much these would be separately yet as this idea was only suggested by a clever member here today, but they would not be very expensive as they are not the major cost in the development of these kits.

we have used our first trays now for over 2 months, and have not had any wear on them at all scratch/scuff wise or fade wise. we do not live in a particularly high humidity area (UK) - but we would expect that people in such areas would treat them appropriately, just as they would do any other laminated sticker products that they own. As for being UV stable - they are not designed for playing in direct sunlight, they are indoor products! if you intend to use them outdoors for gaming in the garden on a regular basis id probably store them indoors to keep them mint as long as possible. for those that use them indoors - id say yep - they will retain their colour well - ours have - they still look mint after 2 months of gaming (ahem) i mean stringent testing

they are stickers, not card sheets - they would need to be stuck to some sort of tray - card, plastic, resin, whatever it is that you like to use normally.

yep upside down is fine for metal foot units griping to them - i have no solid metal cavalry to test your requirement, but metal men on plastic horses are fine upside down, so at the very least id expect that solid metal horses & men would be fine being jiggled about in a car boot or foot well during transit, and also fine on slopes


thanks lots
Dave




Automatically Appended Next Post:
and also - the Plaguelands kit has been unlocked as we just hit our goal - thanks guys!

Heres an upside down pic - to show our sticky Vs. the heaviest minis that we own (vintage termies), held way off our table

New Kits Unlocked - Gridless

 Azazelx wrote:
You guys really want to get rid of the three/by extension entire row of squares that are wasted/lost due to the logo placement. I'd suggest an inexpensive sticker with your logo on the packaging to replace it. Or putting the logo on the reverse/underside of the printed ground.

Any plans to address this concern (first asked about 5 days ago by ScarletSquig, and then by myself), or just planning to keep declining to acknowledge it?

Hi Azazelx, Its not really a case of ignoring you bud - just been uber busy - The product must have the brand and design name on the front as its going to go to various whole sellers (possibly) and various shops (likely) and they will need to be able to see what the item is called when they handle it

if it doesn't have the design name on then it causes all sorts of problems.

putting a sticker on a bag assumes that there will be a bag - we have not decided this yet so we cant say yes to that.

the truth is that the logo was always going to be on the top of the sticker - and we decided in the end to ADD more squares to the sticker by making the logo less thin & wide and more chunky (ie square grid shaped) - this gets you guys more sticker squares than we were initially going to be able to offer per kit.

so its a really good thing in the end!

Couldn't you put the logo on the backing paper instead?

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about with the logo. Your models will be sat on top of it anyway. So for the most part you won't even see it :S

In all honestly, it'd be really dumb of you to not put these into some sort of packaging.

Those wholesalers you're referring to are also going to want a barcode and SKU on it. With this sort of product you usually see the item(s) placed in a nearly to size plastic sleeve, and then a folded & stapled header tag with the company name, barcode, sku, and a little slot for a hook to hold it for display.

Our latest kit is now ready - as chosen by the most backers - Mystic Pools AKA Mud Ponds

Cyporean is completely correct. No packaging at all also means they will get knocked about and damaged in transit, while in game stores, and also the sticky peel over the grid will get pulled up.

Angelofvengeance - if the logo doesn't mean anything, then surely neither do the pretty images printed underneath, and they may as well all just be grey or green, or whatever? Which kind of negates the whole sales pitch...

Indeed. I don't really see the need (and don't personally need them at all, as I put multiple figures on a single large base), but one thing I don't get is the 'anti-boring' claim.