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Hey all, I'm trying to find some dark gray slate to base my Tyranids to contrast my white scheme. The slate that comes with the Citadel basing kit seems perfect, but it's quite expensive and I don't think I really need the resin details that come with it (which I feel is what's really driving up that cost). I've had no luck finding places to buy slate in the city, and if I can avoid having to break up bigger pieces it'd be ideal. Does anyone know any US based sites that sell pre-broken slate, possibly in medium and smaller pieces?

Thanks in advance!

Ebay ^^ just try a search for Basing Slate

Foxfyre wrote:
Ebay ^^ just try a search for Basing Slate

Everything I've found on Ebay is from overseas as well though, if possible I'd like to find something US based so I'm not spending the majority of the cost on shipping.

You could try resin detail bases like these -
http://www.shop.microartstudio.com/shale-bases-round-25mm-p-51.html

Otherwise you may have luck searching for roofing slate.

Try crushed slate sold for use in fish tanks.

Garden centres also sell crushed slate but generally in huge sacks.

Go to a garden center.
In the UK it's possible to pick up a 20kg bag of slate chips for around £3. If the chips are too big then put them into an old sock or pillowcase and smash with a hammer.

In craft stores they sometimes sell slate panels to paint on. These can be sawed or broken down to size for basing.

I got lucky a few years back and got a bunch for free when a local barn burned down. It had a slate roof.

Plaster of Paris. Mix some up and spread it into a plastic lid. Let it cure and pop it out. Break it into pieces, sand, and apply to your base as desired.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Litre-Pine-Orchid-Bark-Chips-Substrate-1L-Spiders-Mantis-Repiltes-/221225369246?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&var=&hash=item791b098967

You should be able to find this, or something similar, on ebay in the states, or at most pet stores that sell reptiles and such.

It's dirt cheap, and 1litre is probably enough to do at least 2 armies. Needs a good sieving on arrival though to filter out the majority of dust.

It's also lighter than slate, so could be good if weight issues are relevant

Do you not use natural slate in the US for roofing?
If so just pick up a damaged slate from a site, wrap it in a towel & hit it with a hammer a few times (with out the towel you risk being hit by flakes of slates which can easily cut you, especially the eyes).

 bubber wrote:
Do you not use natural slate in the US for roofing?
If so just pick up a damaged slate from a site, wrap it in a towel & hit it with a hammer a few times (with out the towel you risk being hit by flakes of slates which can easily cut you, especially the eyes).

Just found some scrap roofing slate on Craig's list, how hard is it to break apart? If I were to use a hammer on a cutting board with it wrapped in an old towel, would it damage the cutting board?

A wooden cutting board?

Do it outside on the pavement.

Slate is fairly frangible but it's still a rock.

It shouldn't but I'd suggest you do it outside on a paving stone or similar (wrapped in a towel ofc or you'll get shale shrapnel ^^)

Excellent, thank you both!

I've found a lot of slate around construction sites: specifically new residential areas. There's a lot of stuff that flakes off or gets broken or whatever that's too small to use, so, really it'll just get crushed into the clay as work continues. If you ask nicely they'll probably let you swipe a bucket worth of the junk they can't use.

I literally drive to Pennsylvania, get out of the car, and pick up slate off the side of the road. It's jagged but perfect for my CSMs. Are you sure there aren't any natural resources around for you to plunder?

 techsoldaten wrote:
I literally drive to Pennsylvania, get out of the car, and pick up slate off the side of the road. It's jagged but perfect for my CSMs. Are you sure there aren't any natural resources around for you to plunder?

this is also a good method, except, there may be rules that apply to plundering like this that may or may not be viewed upon lightly. Always check if you can do this. Most of the places I can go happen to be national park.

You can also buy it very cheaply at pet shops that sell aquarium supplies, usually. Dedicated fish places usually sell a big box of it by the pound.

I got a few nice broken slate tiles from B&Q for free :p. I offered to pay for them but the manager said i could have them free of charge heh.

After putting them in a bag and smashing with a hammer i had a nice tub ready for basing minis .

I just nick small pieces of slate from my parent's garden path.

Luckily for me, the front yard is covered in slate chippings, each approx the size of a cavalry / bike figure, I take a small handful, place them into a plastic bag (actually a few bags) and proceed to smash them with a hammer (against some harder rock or metal etc - capuchin monkeys can figure out the hammer/anvil thing hehe so youve got no excuses )

I can appreciate that you may well not have a buttload of slate rocks on the yard, but someone near you might.. they might let you (or not see you hehehe ) pick up a small handful.
Or perhaps even find a place that might sell this kind of thing and try for a sample.

 techsoldaten wrote:
I literally drive to Pennsylvania, get out of the car, and pick up slate off the side of the road. It's jagged but perfect for my CSMs. Are you sure there aren't any natural resources around for you to plunder?

I live in downtown Boston, and haven't had any luck anywhere I've looked. Not many yards to plunder from when everything is apartments. And the aquarium shops I've checked haven't had any either. Looks like my best bet is to get this roofing slate and take my chances breaking the bigger slabs.

Thanks everyone whose given suggestions so far!

It's also occasionally seen in large plantpots and planters.
Go to a nice restaurant and offset your bill with a cheeky handful.
That'll be more than enough to do an army.

 Alex Kolodotschko wrote:
It's also occasionally seen in large plantpots and planters.
Go to a nice restaurant and offset your bill with a cheeky handful.
That'll be more than enough to do an army.

I love this suggestion so much, I'm a bit sad that I won't be doing it. Just picked up two huge boxes of leftover slate some woman on Craigslist had from her landscaping business, should be enough for a massive massive army or two. I'll post pics of the finished result once I actually get some on bases.

Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions, especially the one to look for roofing slate, because that's what led me to the craigslist ad in the first place! Honorable mention to Alex Kolodotschko for putting the image of walking out of a fancy restaurant with two pockets full of stone in my head.

 Alex Kolodotschko wrote:
It's also occasionally seen in large plantpots and planters.
Go to a nice restaurant and offset your bill with a cheeky handful.
That'll be more than enough to do an army.

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