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First of all, don't call me an idiot. I already know I am one thank you very much.



Well. To basically sum it up, I have been have been thinking about making an jungle board with actual flowing water for over a year now, and I just can't get it out of my head. So i'm gonna make one ;D

The reason I made this topic though, was to get some feedback or tips from you guys. As soon as I have all the materials (and time) I'll start making a blog.

But so far, any tips?

Thanks in advance ;D

(sorry for the crappy english, I was deciding on writing an awesome story but I forget I lack the english skill to do that)

No worries man, its my native tounge and I can barely type it.

I for one think it would be redicously cool if you did this and it worked.

The only advice that I can think to give you without any other details is:

-Make sure that its easy to drain.
-I'd recommend aquarium parts and peices.
-It might be worthwhile to make the river bed out of fiberglass so you dont get any leeks.

I'll definatly be watching this thread.

Its going to be impossible.Just impossible,its going to cost to much money and it wont be worth it.

Dont listen to Grambo, it will be awsome. I think he is just jealous.

Build the board so it has a natural slope- this'll make it easier for the water to flow.
Make sure the riverbed is constructed from waterproof materials; PVC is your friend, drainpipes etc.
Check out aquarium pumps to re-cycle the water.

Board building generally; sketch out a definite plan for your board. This gives you something to work towards, rather than a haphazard affair that results in a sub-standard board.
Try to give a sense of narrative to your board: is it an abandoned Imperial outpost, complete with radio towers, hab-blocks, and cleared vegetation? Is it a newly discovered temple, deep within the jungle, with arcane, overgrown ruins? Or is it even a jungle trail that crosses the riverbed, that could be the perfect spot for an ambush....

so, the flowing water part of this is going to be the EASIEST part of it all. All you need to do is slap down some hard, waterproof material in a U shape and paint it mud. After that, you can buy water pumps, and so long as you engineered your river properly it is easy to make a circuit whereby the water flows down across the board and drains into a bucket which has a tube that connects to the pump which spits it back out on the other side of the board.

No, the hard thing is going to be fabricating the 2.6 billion little plants that are going to have to cover everywhere. This is what actually makes me question this project. Not only is it going to take a lot of time, but you're got to remember that you still need to be able to play on the board, which means lots of level, open space - something which doesn't lend itself nicely to jungle.

I would love to see it. It's definitely something I've never heard before.
After the success of this one, you can start on a lava board with actual lava!

There are boards like this, just check out lego-land or places like that, it is obviously doable. Maybe you should check into landscaping for fountains and garden ponds? Start there and work you way down scale.

I for one think it would be redicously cool if you did this and it worked.

The only advice that I can think to give you without any other details is:

-Make sure that its easy to drain.
-I'd recommend aquarium parts and peices.
-It might be worthwhile to make the river bed out of fiberglass so you dont get any leeks.

I'll definatly be watching this thread.

The fiberglass would be pretty hard to pull of, but I'll try it (:

Its going to be impossible.Just impossible,its going to cost to much money and it wont be worth it.

In my eyes, nothing is impossible. That's why I started this hobby.

Check out aquarium pumps to re-cycle the water.

I was already thinking 'bout that. I guess it means a trip to my local pet store (:

is it an abandoned Imperial outpost, complete with radio towers, hab-blocks, and cleared vegetation? Is it a newly discovered temple, deep within the jungle, with arcane, overgrown ruins? Or is it even a jungle trail that crosses the riverbed, that could be the perfect spot for an ambush....

Well, to be honest, I'm very keen on building temples. I might even add some dead lizardman bodies with it (:

No, the hard thing is going to be fabricating the 2.6 billion little plants that are going to have to cover everywhere. This is what actually makes me question this project. Not only is it going to take a lot of time, but you're got to remember that you still need to be able to play on the board, which means lots of level, open space - something which doesn't lend itself nicely to jungle.

Well. I kinda explained it wrong I guess. It's not really a jungle, but it does have lots of trees. But it's not like there are 20 trees per inch (:

After the success of this one, you can start on a lava board with actual lava!

Dude, that's soooooo last week! (:

You might be able to rig up the pumping device from one of those fountains you see in stores (like the bowls that pour water into another and then into another). Just get some piping and you're ready to get started. i would try to make the water shallow so your Carnifex won't take a swim.

Things to keep in mind: leaks (they will happen, everywhere...), water-soluble adhesives, and evaporation.

Account for these, and your real-water table will be off to a good start.

As far as constructing the water-cycle, I recommend taking a trip to an aquarium store (as opposed to a regular pet shop). They will have a much wider selection, and generally a more knowledgeable staff to consult.

Okay, first things first. Your smiley are backwards. This irritates me.

Second: sounds like a very ambitious idea, but if you can pull it off, it will be really, really awesome. You should check out stuff like the German Miniature Wonderland:
http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/anlage/multimedia/foto/galerie/uebersicht/

CadianXV also has a very good point with making it a slope. And you should probably get someone to help you with that. Don't try to do it alone.

Hey, can I put regular painted minis in cold water without damaging the paintjpb?

Are the paints water based? If you're using GW or Vallejo or Privateer products, then the answer is yes, they are. This means that they are DESIGNED to dissolve into water. A little splish-splash on a spray-sealed model here and there won't do anything if you dry it off fast enough, but I would be highly loathe to actually dunk any part of my minis in a river and let them sit there for a full turn.

In the very least, think of the mold...

I like this idea but the simpe fact is at some point it will go wrong it wont last long and making an actual river look like a river is almost impoible but good luck any how

How big is this river that you're imagining? A small waterfall would be pretty easy to achieve with one of the more "natural" looking desktop fountains. Getting something even 3" wide and 1" deep to flow constantly requires a much greater volume of water than your standard fishtank or miniature fountain pump can handle. You may need to look into something beefier (and therefore bigger, heavier, and louder), like a high-volume, low-pressure pump for a sculptural fountain.

For the riverbed, I think you'll want keep it relatively shallow and textured, so you really see the water flowing. A few rocks poking above water level will ripple the surface, stressing the fact that this is real, flowing water. Regular old rocks, sand, and gravel will be your friend here. Instead of PVA glue, use plumber's caulk to attach everything, as well as seal up the bed. While still wet, it can be sculpted and textured, to a degree. Latex house paint will be more water-resistant than craft acrylics, but I'd give even that a healthy dose of gloss varnish (added bonus: extending the gloss a bit above the water line enhances splash protection, as well as giving everything that would hypothetically be wet a nice, glossy sheen).

Don't forget to stock you lakes and rivers with Goldfish and minnows.

Seriously, a good idea. Make sure that your resevoir has enough capacity to fill the rivers while the pump is on and to not over flow when turned off. Think about making it easy to change and refill the water in the resevoir.

Have you thought of making this an island/beach for the armies to assault onto. This would allow for one side of the board to act as part of the resevoir.

Just an idea

You will regret the flowing water the first time one of your painted minis lands in the river.

Eric

This will be really hard to pull off. Like really hard. You'd need to seal and waterproof the path the water runs on, and dry it off to make sure it doesn't mildew. If you were to actually do this, it would probably be a good idea to put a glass or clear plastic overlay over the water so models wouldn't fall in it. They probably wouldn't be damaged by a little water, but still. I think I've seen that done before but I might be imagining it.

Ailaros wrote:Are the paints water based? If you're using GW or Vallejo or Privateer products, then the answer is yes, they are. This means that they are DESIGNED to dissolve into water. A little splish-splash on a spray-sealed model here and there won't do anything if you dry it off fast enough, but I would be highly loathe to actually dunk any part of my minis in a river and let them sit there for a full turn.

Acrylics are not water soluble. Once it sets, it's set.

You know what, screw the talks, I'm gonna try it out right now. ^^


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Just put an old plastic and metal mini a cup of cold water. I'll tell you more tomorrow.

MasterSlowPoke wrote:

Ailaros wrote:Are the paints water based? If you're using GW or Vallejo or Privateer products, then the answer is yes, they are. This means that they are DESIGNED to dissolve into water. A little splish-splash on a spray-sealed model here and there won't do anything if you dry it off fast enough, but I would be highly loathe to actually dunk any part of my minis in a river and let them sit there for a full turn.

Acrylics are not water soluble. Once it sets, it's set.

Quoted for fact. Anyone who's ever tried to strip minis can tell you this.

Sounds like a worthwhile endevor, if for no other reason than just because I agree with what someone else said...make sure you have some rocks and such glued to the "riverbed" that break the surface of the water or sit just below it. This will give you a far more realistic and interesting look to the river as the water flows over these obstacles. Also you may want to look into chemicals for use in pools to cut on the mildew and such.

I'd carve the river out of a table, and put something water resistant in it, though that would be my approach.

Maybe a water reservoir under the table so you dont end up with your water dissapearing in a week or so.

You could put some see through stuff over the river ( so you can see the water, but can't touch it) this way evaporation wouldn't be that big a problem and it won't get dirty as fast, though i'd go for an under the table reservoir that's easy to take off and refill.

You could just get a metre of the canvas they put in pond's btw if you need water proof material. Shouldn't be to expensive. Intratuin should have it. for like 10 bucks a m2.

To me this doesn't sound difficult at all!
1. Buying and rigging up a pump - Easy.
2. Carving the shape of the river - Obviously easy.
3. Waterproofing the bottom - Easy. You can buy silicone sealants in aquarium shops and hardware stores. I think if you just gave the bed a coating of that you'd be fine. You can also texture that stuff so you might be able to add to the illusion of a torrent of water.

Ailaros wrote:Are the paints water based? If you're using GW or Vallejo or Privateer products, then the answer is yes, they are. This means that they are DESIGNED to dissolve into water. A little splish-splash on a spray-sealed model here and there won't do anything if you dry it off fast enough, but I would be highly loathe to actually dunk any part of my minis in a river and let them sit there for a full turn.

In the very least, think of the mold...

Of course they won't come off. If stripping models were that easy, we wouldn't see a thousand posts per year asking what to use. I often dunk uncoated models in my water dish and use a brush to remove dust. Waterpaints are designed to dissolve in water, not acrylics. If that were the case, acrylics wouldn't come with lids.

If you use inks, you may have problems. But not paint.

Good lord, the quality of creative thought on this board is painful. Someone wants to push the boundaries and people can't wait to crap all over the idea.

Cool idea in any case. Another option would be use the clear resin water to sculpt the flowing water and add texture, then run a very thin layer of real water over top to add the movement. You'll require less flowing water, and be able to add ripples and eddies.

Good luck, and post pics when you can!

This is doable, but tricky. We have a double table put together permanatly and there is a running river between them. The water recycles to keep it moving. It leaked for along time untill we got them patched up.

repost

vleermie wrote:

The fiberglass would be pretty hard to pull of, but I'll try it (:

Nahhh, I do fibreglassing all the time at university. It's basically just like paper mache but the paper is a type of plastic matting and the PVA is a two part resin.

Cut the matting into strips. Mix up a bit of resin. Gloop the resin onto the matting with a cheap brush (like.. house painting.. not miniature painting. That would be ridiculous..) and then slap the matting down and work more resin into it with your brush..

get yourself a few decent layers and it'll be strong as anything and completely watertight.

I'm sure you could find better tutorials for it online if you googled it.

Yea it is truly amazing how quick people on people's ideas.

I highly recommend designing it to go to a lake/beach area so you can have a resevoir for the water. I saw some self setting modeling clay/epoxy stuff at hobby lobby. The final product looked like a dark dried mud and should be waterproof. If you use that or something like it as a bed to your river and resevoir it will give a more natural look and if you embed some rocks in it the surface of the running water will get broken and add to the effect. To mask where the fountain is pumping the water out you could design it to look like an underground spring pumping out water and feeding the river. I agree with the others that aquarium equipment should work out the best.