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Hello! I'm in the process of building up a basic table to play on, decided that it's going to be rocky because grassy...yeesh, hobbytown wants $30 a sheet for some basic turf that'd look nice, I figure if I do rocky I can flock in bits of grass. As for a way to get a nice base stone color, I stumbled across a spray in my local Wal-Mart that's stone colored, as well as textured, with a little multicolor effect that as the can puts forth looks rather nice. Has anybody ever tried to use this? On hardboard? If not, and I end up going with it, I'll give results.

My buddy used some of this stuff for a board and it works great. He used the black stuff that looks like asphalt because he is making a city board. Now it hasnt gotten any play time on it so i dont know how it wears but i would imagine he will seal it for good measure.

From what I've heard (not personal experience) some of those textured paint sprays can be a real problem when it comes to keeping the nozzle clean and the pipe clear. I've had good results mixing sand with paint to get a textured finish.

I've used a Grey Stone effect paint (not for modelling) and it good stuff for the first few uses, but it clogs up after a while.

If you hit it with one or two bit hits it should be fine, but if you do it in small chunks you may find you self need a new can prematurely.

I have always had a problem with the textured spray paints dont even bother with em any more. They just jam up and you have to ruin all your other spray paint caps to get a result that isn't what you thought it would be . They last board i made was play sand and kitty litter mixed then spray painted with just a two different greys a white and black took some time but got the job done .

That stuff works wonders on buliding faces.

Just be sure to peep a few extra nozzles handy.

The Textured paint is a pretty big waste.

The idea of just throwing down some sand with a regular spray paint works probably the best.

If you want to get some textured paint, the Stone Textured spray works alot better than the regular textured stuff. Although it runs about $8-9 a can near me.

When you use the sand, will the paint actually make ti stick?

Agrinja wrote:When you use the sand, will the paint actually make ti stick?

That's what glue is for, not spray paint.

Oh right, dur!

If you're using sand, don't forget to top coat it with a slurry of pva, water and a surface-tension reliever of your choice (dishliquid works fine. One or two drops per cupful of slurry is plenty).

Why? Because not all of the sand will have been stuck down, and otherwise, you'll have a patchy look to it. The slurry will flow in and around each grain, and lock them all together, with the base, into a nice solid surface (it also slightly softens the sandpaper effect).

Paint over as normal.

i've got terrain boards (table sections) made in the late 80s using this method that are still going strong.

Sand and normal paint does make texture, but it isn't flecked white like this stuff. I like it.

For those that waste paint cos the lids are clogged - Remember to turn the can upside down and spray for a second or two, untill it pulls through just air at the end of the session. It's a basic principle of spraying that im surprised that more are not aware of.

You can also unclog the caps if neccessary by leaving them to soak in paint stripper (I use brutally efficient cellulose thinners for this), and poke the holes with a fine gauge wire to dislodge any lumps.

i used this stuff on all the cheap plastic terrain pieces that GW has been putting out of late (the craters and the battle terrain stuff). It really helps add the texture that will pick up paint when drybrushing after the fact.

I find two or three thin coats, then primer, worked best for me. If you do them in a big batch the nozzle never has time to dry out and clog.

On a side note, spray paint is essentially a light mixture of colored glue, so the paint will help the sand adhere. Although missing wood glue with water and putting a top coat is always a good idea.