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Made in gb
Tough-as-Nails Ork Boy




UK

(Feel like I'm spamming! 4 threads in 1 week!)


Ok,

My gameboard that I am working on is 6 2x2 tiles.
I want to reinforce the edges of each tile, but they still have to butt up against each other! So It idly needs to be no more than 1mm thick. I'm thinking possibly using insulation tape, gaffa tape or duct tape. Any thoughts? Possibly some card or something?

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Made in us
Gargantuan Gargant





Binghamton, NY

Tapes would work, but they'll primarily protect against abrasion, which isn't too much of a worry. Compression, however, definitely is (foam board edges always seem to get crunched and chipped, but rarely scuffed to a problematic degree). To protect against that, you need something stiffer than tape.

What's the profile of the boards like? If they're largely flat, wood battens would be easy enough to trim out of shim stock, thin plywood/veneer, etc. Styrene is a bit easier to work, though, so I'd recommend it, instead, for more complex shapes. Just lay the boards on their edges, trace the profile, cut, attach, and trim/sand flush.

If the boards are still unfinished, you can afford to use slightly thicker material (MDF, for example), cut roughly to shape, and built over with filler/basing material until the edges are nice and flush. Since all of the boards will be edged with the same stuff, you won't run into any fit issue (who cares if your table ends up 3/8" large in each direction, once assembled?).

The Dreadnote wrote:But the Emperor already has a shrine, in the form of your local Games Workshop. You honour him by sacrificing your money to the plastic effigies of his warriors. In time, your devotion will be rewarded with the gift of having even more effigies to worship.
 
   
Made in gb
Tough-as-Nails Ork Boy




UK

Thats not a bad shout, I've started painting them sadly so it would mean either doing a very good touch up job (fat chance) or restarting! :(

Its the chipping I'm worried about.

The boards are about 1/2" thick and the foam is about 2" but its only in the corners (to make a hill).

I might try get some Hard plasti-card and cut it to size?

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Made in us
Brigadier General






Chicago

Have you considered a few layers of PVA painted on? It can be quite protective, especially if painted on unpainted edges first before painting.

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Made in us
Infiltrating Prowler





Portland, OR

You can use superglue. Get the brushable super glue.


   
Made in jp
[MOD]
Anti-piracy Officer






Somewhere in south-central England.

I think plasticard would do the trick as long as you cement it on securely. I do not know what kind of cement to use. I would guess Araldite or Gorilla Glue. Check if they dissolve the foam.

PVA glue might work too, as recommended above. Maybe put on a layer mixed with fine sand to give it more physical presence.

I'm writing a load of fiction. My latest story starts here... This is the index of all the stories...

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Made in us
Gargantuan Gargant





Binghamton, NY

Unless a CA is specifically formulated to be safe for foam, which the vast majority aren't, superglues are a recipe for disaster - you'll just melt the edges of your boards. Along with Kilkrazy's suggestions for attaching styrene, I would also recommend either hot glue (low temp - styrene has enough flex that you can "roll" it on, attaching short sections before the glue has a chance to cool) or an oft-ignored but terribly useful adhesive - rubber cement.

Yes, it smells and yes, it's a bit thick and stringy. I'd never recommend it for detail tasks, but it's actually great stuff for lamination work like this. Thin coat on the foam, let it dry. Thin coat on the styrene (already cut to shape), attach while still wet. This "middle ground" (as opposed to a fully wet or fully dry mount) attachment method is quite robust, while still affording you the ability to tweak the position slightly before it sets. I've been using a LOT of rubber cement, lately, for totally unrelated projects, and am coming to appreciate it more and more with each use.

The Dreadnote wrote:But the Emperor already has a shrine, in the form of your local Games Workshop. You honour him by sacrificing your money to the plastic effigies of his warriors. In time, your devotion will be rewarded with the gift of having even more effigies to worship.
 
   
Made in us
Brigadier General






Chicago

I have to agree with oadie. Even if it doesn't melt the edges, superglue is a very hard and brittle substance and is quite susceptible to cracking from impacts. And when it does crack, it will cause further damage to the foam it is connected too.

For lamination, rubber cement is a good option, but I recommend Contact cement. It's basically the same thing with less rubbery-ness and it's quite a bit cheaper. Functions the same way, put it on let it dry and attach. I used to use rubber cement for attaching foam miniature trays to EVA bases, but I switched to Contact cement for the reasons above.

Chicago Skirmish Wargames club. Join us for some friendly, casual gaming in the Windy City.
http://chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/


My Project Log, mostly revolving around custom "Toybashed" terrain.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/651712.page

Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad!
https://chicagovalleyrailroad.blogspot.com 
   
Made in gb
Tough-as-Nails Ork Boy




UK

Thanks for the replies, I decided to investigate the plasticard method (didnt see the last couple of posts) and turns out Hobbycraft dont stock the stuff any more!

Means it would have to be an internet purchase... hmmmm

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Made in us
Gargantuan Gargant





Binghamton, NY

"Modeling" plasticard isn't the only way. Stateside, at least, it's pretty easy to find styrene signage - "for sale" signs, and the like, can be bought at home improvement stores, Walmart, etc. They aren't the same HIPS sold to modelers, but they're much cheaper and still reasonably effective (less stiff and less stringently measured for thickness, but still pretty resistant to abrasion and can be welded with plastic cement).

The Dreadnote wrote:But the Emperor already has a shrine, in the form of your local Games Workshop. You honour him by sacrificing your money to the plastic effigies of his warriors. In time, your devotion will be rewarded with the gift of having even more effigies to worship.
 
   
 
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