A guide to using bluefoam to make wargaming buildings & ruins
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- čas přidán 24. 08. 2015
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In this Back to Basics guide, we look at the various cutting and construction techniques you can use when using blue foam to make your wargaming buildings and ruins.
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I love that you didn't edit out all of the blade between the bits of balsa. It's just as valid to know what doesn't work.
Keep it real!
Yes you are your own worse critic as this build turned out great mate considering you were trying to video the processes!
So much to learn with some wonderful techniques Mel.
Thanks very much.
Al
+Al Wood I always am mate lol
Great video. Very inspiring! And just keep on saying "Yeah" 'cause it's just who you are and what you do (and also it's what makes your tutorials unique as well - it's like your "signature" if you know what I mean).
Nothing will ever get perfect (believe me I'm an artist and I always spot even the smalles errors in my work where no one else will) but that's what make it all so great. I very often find that even the smallest mistakes can turn out to be just the right thing to make it perfect over time. So keep on creating your tutorials and keep on being yourself. I just love it!
Cheers buddy!
Great video as always Mel.
I really love the back to basics videos; no matter how good we think we are, there is always something else to learn to help improve our hobby / craft.
Many thanks as always and keep up the good work.
+jjab99 I never stop learning matey, cheers :-D
Just found your channel. Thanks for your dedication. Fantastic teaching tool. Thank you.
Great tutorial! Impressive final product too, hope to see it painted!
+ShenanigansOKeefe Cheers, me too! ;-)
Well thinking of back to basics for beginners, I always use a none slip safety metal ruler with a wide finger grove running along the top middle section of it. With two none slip rubber seals fitted to the bottom of this type of ruler and the finger grove, means no fingers flying off the cutting table. Have fun . BB
Hammering nails on to a glass table :D :D :D I was also panicking twice when you were putting the walls together.
Thrills, spills and useful modelling info! You certainly know how to keep the audience on the edges of their seats...
I'm sure "Mrs Always Right" was pleased to see her mug in shot.
That's a cracking tower. Roll on the painting tutorial as I'm currently making up a modular terrain board and will need to get it painted up.
PS: Parapets are the walls around the tops of buildings.
+Euan Smith you know me mate ;-)
Just got a bit of decorating to do this week and then I'll be back in the saddle for some terrain building :-)
Great video Mel! I really like that beveling tool. Great idea! :)
+DrDeathmonger The simple ones always are the best mate :-)
Sweet job showing these blue foam building techniques.
+Arydis4 Cheers buddy
Mate, this is a great tutorial vid! I like having something to compare the techniques to, and the result is pretty damned good.
+Brad Davidson Thanks matey :-)
Mel: I actually LIKED that you included a portion of doing the cleanups, that you had at end of the video. We all have moments of mis-measurement, glue expand/contract, shifting and off plumb. Working off the cuff, then correcting, was very helpful.
+ironheadedDoF It's just how I do it mate, no point pretending I'm perfect. Glad it helped :-)
+TheTerrainTutor I'm loving all your videos. I've turned my hobby room into a terrain making room this past week. I'd listen and watch your videos while super glues were drying on plastic kits.
Some cracking ideas in this vid mate. Really liked the balsa strip and edge of the table angled cut idea with the hot cutter. Never thought of that before.
Damn fine looking piece. The buttresses finish it off nicely.
Like your angled sanding tool from 4Ground. We picked up a smaller one from "littlecars" a couple of years back, but can't easily get replacement paper for it, plus its more of a polishing rather than a sanding stick.
A bit hard on yourself at the end. Considering this is on camera and you are feeling the pressure of the lens whilst covering a lot of topics its a great piece.
+Squidgy Bidge Cheers buddy, I'm always my own worse critic lol
Underlayment for flooring, 3 millimeter minimal thickness, diy builders store, way cheaper, or roofmate. When using a longer metal ruler hammer a nail in and hook the hole in the ruler over it. Or use a s shaped hook. That's what the hole is for, not just for hanging in storage 😸 Just hold the other end of the ruler in place, or clamp it 👍, easy straight cut.
I see people talking in the comments about getting this in Home Depot in the States. Other than the thickness difference, I believe that the 'craft foam' is specifically made so that it is not toxic when you use a hot wire cutter on it. The insulation stuff that we can get at hardware stores, is toxic if heated.
interesting to know mate
hey mel! That's a cool looking 41st millennium lift!
Great vid mate!
+Francis Fogarty I'll go with that :-D
What an awesome material!
Great tutorials, very Informative and Hugely Entertaining, Thanks
+Jim Hannard glad you liked them buddy :-)
if you are in the U.S. look for Dow board if you want the blue it comes in 4' by 8' sheets thickness vary. 25 ish dollars
Some great tips here Mel, thanks.
cheers mate
Thanks a lot! That was very helpful. You are a really a Artist! Greetings from Germany
Thanks buddy
This is sold in most builders merchants in Greece. It manufactured name is Febron. It comes in long lengths 2500 cm and different thicknesses. I tend to use 50cm for insulation.
A good place to find blue and pink foam is in construction skips / dumpsters. Big chunky panels for free!
Excellent video, learnt a lot :)
Some great tips in here Mel, thanks! But, I was wanting to see it painted!
It's making a comeback shortly mate ;-)
Sweet.
Great video!
Great video ...thanks!
Clever idea with nails into the wood, but you are a brave man hammering nails above a glass table. Lego idea is one I've done, but I would hot glue it into place.
+Squidgy Bidge I was cringing with every hit expecting a sudden shatter every time!
+TheRider2012 Me too!
+Squidgy Bidge That's nothing mate, I've done far worse than that lmao :-)
+TheTerrainTutor LOL. Haven't we all I suppose, still I flinched with every hit (largely because I know my own record and I would have "nailed it" into a thousand pieces).
I went for the 6mm foam sheets. So I do not have to mess about with beveling 10mm to get 5mm bevels. Just cut and glue two 6mm pieces together. Rewatching a lot of your videos Mel, going from cardstock terrain to scratch built foam terrain. So hoping to crack on with the build in the new year. Hope I got everything I need!
Also thanks for the advice regarding aquarium plants, been looking at various inks. Have a great Xmas and all the best for the New Year!
Hope the inks work well for you mate
@@TheTerrainTutor Thanks Mel. Regarding the design in depth, for adding detail. I am considering matchsticks, coffee stirers, popsicle sticks. As well as some resin pieces by Maelstrom Edge, and TTCombat.
Excellent as usual.
+Timothy Anderson Thanks mate
Just saw this, and a building like that will work great for Adeptus Titanicus-scaled games. And a LOT less expensive than GW's terrain.
Thank you very much.I've learned much from your vids :)
Glad you did bud
Great vid and nice tips, thx
+Brabo Painter Cheers buddy
Really digging your channel bro👽
+Brad Beining Glad you are, welcome aboard mate
It looks great!!!!
You just changed my game with the legos and balsa jigs. So easy I couldn't think of it lol
As always great vid,I must say that I really do prefer the tutorials that actually make something and not just techniques.
Any chance of doing a large project that we could build along at the same time so we end up with a finished item?such as helms deep or a castle of some sort?
Just an idea.
Love your stuff pal
+Richard Smith Cheers buddy, I might just do that castle idea mate ;-D
+TheTerrainTutor Please do! I'd love to see that.
Great result! :)
+DerMartexus no my best but thanks bud :-)
uk site that sells 6mm and 10mm is FloorHeatPro. they sell single sheets as well.
+ron peacock Good shout mate, cheers! www.floorheatpro.com/floor-insulation--insulation-boards-73-c.asp for anyone interested.
there were quick to deliver too, whats always a bonus.
loved this video
+grubgrub751 thanks :-)
You can get the same stuff at Lowes or Home Depot in the States. It's used primarily as insulation.
Google XPS foam
Thank you!! I'd been to local shops and none knew what it was. I googled that and got the name of the 'brand' of XPS they had locally!
Youre welcome :)
I try not to get too bothered by mistakes Mel, they're gonna happen. What does bother me is making a dozen mistakes in a row. (I used to do production machining) Love the Balsa/blade cutting tool. Gonna make one myself, only with one side taller than the other so I can have more of a handle. One thing I was wondering: You dont use a Rotary Cutter? Lock the wheel from spinning and the curved blade sings right thru foam. Mine will only cut 5/16th deep tho. Great vid, thanx!
+Bill D. in Iowa Cheers bud, I don't use a rotary cutter because I don't have one lol ;-)
Great practical video as always. We're in 2021 now of course and blue foam has been replaced by a grey version here in the UK. Its about 60% of the blue foams density so I'm wondering if you've had the chance to test it?
Hey Mel! Have you ever considered posting on Miniwargaming? Seems like it might be a great place to showcase your talent. Thanks for sharing with us all!
+paul0132 The miniwargaming guys have their own terrain guys, it's would feel right mate
When I was in my teens and really into warhammer, I used to steal bluefoam from construction sites and stuff, at least it was free and exciting.
+tappajavittu Ah the good old days :-)
lol.. did exactly the same xD
if the foam was in the trash then it was free for someone else to use.
Remember me and a friend building a walkway made out of popsicle sticks, but back in those days buying "only" the stick wasn't an option. Man, we ate crates upon crates of ice cream to finish that project!
Hahaha I used to do the same 😄
Great vídeos mate!!!! But is that a glass Table underneath? Lol
Great video again! I find your videos both informative and inspiring. Thanks!
Question: If I am creating a themed terrain set for a 4x6 foot table (warhammer fantasy and 40k), how many pieces generally and what mixture of terrain would you suggest?
As an example theme say, a primitive dark forest (beast men or Tau Kroot), how many grassy hills, rocky hills, ponds, area woods and monoliths or tall towers or carved stones would make a good, complete set? I am hoping for your expert opinion or maybe just a suggestion on how to get a good mixture of terrain pieces.
+Perkins Dearborn Cheer mate, you want about a third coverage for an average GW game so get a 2'x4' draw a load of circles, edge pieces and corn pieces from it and that your coverage sorted mate. With regards to what to build, I typically make a few of everything common and then a few special pieces mate
ahh xps. i have bad memory on this stuff.esp one that s 2"and thicker.Nice video :).
+ApocGuy Cheers bud
Your the greatest
exalent stuff
+james and his stuff Cheers bud
Working my way through your extensive video library, but haven't yet seen something on how to properly paint this kind of blue foam. Have you done a video that shows how to paint this kind of model? I've heard (frequently) that spray paint will erode the foam, so I'm curious to know how you prep foam for paint... or do you just start painting with acrylic? Great videos!
Just avoid sprays and paint with acrylic/house paint mate
One should be able to find that stuff in bulk for 'cheap' at every construction material supplier. the guys you'd turn to if you where to build a complete house or the likes, not just a tiny carport or garge. That stuff is also used a building insulation (therefore the harsher climate you live in, the bigger variety and the easier to find)...
I have a problem cutting the edges to come out a perfect 90 degrees with the surface. Any suggestions. I enjoy your very detailed how to do.
Thanks for the help.
You can get special foam cutters for straight and bevelled cuts mate, check foamworks
Super vid, cheers for that. A quick question though: Does craft foam warp? The reason I'm asking is that my foamcore buildings have warped with time (I suspect I should have inserted supports into the walls after cutting the windows out) and I need to rebuild some of them.
+Cirkux I've never had any problems with it warping to be honest mate
I bought some blue foam from a construction store, kinda like Home Depot, and the foam I got is very soft. The sheets of it I got were a fine size, but it’s so soft that the rock texturing I try to put into it “heals”. I’m still able to get some decent texture but it’s not as “stiff” as the pink foam I had before. Any pointers?
Terraintutor: measure, create jig, different tools, etc...
Bardscraft: *eyeballs foam cuts with kitchen knife*
anyone know where i can get it in south australia
Brave man hammering nails in on a glass table ;-)
Put masking tape under the ruler to make it grippy. No pins required 👍
Anyone have a source for this in Australia? Only ever seen 30mm insulation board at Bunnings. Would love something 10mm thick.
Mel, I bought a pet lizard piece of cork bark. It's brand new. Should I wash it before I cut it up for rock faces? I know about the dust mask. when I cut it.
Anything else?
Ray
Yessir. I probably watch them daily ;). I have MS so isn't a whole lot I can do. hen it cools I will. Thanks for the response.
Mel thank you , I like your style, esp when you show how not to do things, and what the results will be. I am into 1: 35 scale and have found your dioramas tutorial a real help . Would it be ok to just use cheap sheet, say 50mm as I wanted to cover it in a layer air drying clay and then use pva / dry wall adhesive/ soil to create the surface? .Oh and I am a left hander as well. lol Thanks John
+tomrace16 It should be fine mate, especially for a diorama piece
+tomrace16 ThanksMel.
there is this stuff called "pink stuff" and you can get it from Home Depot for cheap in the States.
+Diante X Similar stuff mate
cool are you going to a video where you finish it. Also how would you do a dome. I'm working on a star wars scene. It's Luke's home.
It's a test piece now, for the domes, you can buy polystyrene half spheres on ebay mate ;-)
Do you perfer bluefoam or foamboard for making buildings and ruins? Or would you use them for different types or sizes of buildings, etc?
+relic Blue foam for big/simple ruins/castles/fortifications, foamboard for more intricate building designs mate
Which is better for the base of terrains/dioramas? This stuff or MDF/plywood?
Epvc, there's a vid in the terrain lab playlist mate
Echoing Mel: Where would you get this in the states? Home Depot and lowes only have sheets of much thicker foam. (For insulation)
DukensteinA1 My Home Depot has 2x2 sheets of 1 inch
irishmarine3
Only issue is that an inch is 2.5 times thicker then what he's using. That 10mm foam is perfect :/
+chaoticflanagan Thats more than on cm thick.
47:56 -- Where can I find one of those red file tools?
I have noticed that there's different colours and sizes of extruded polystyrene. On eBay I just learned that the company that makes it have discontinued the blue? I'm pretty much out of my depth with this...which would be best for a 1:6th diorama and is it always really expensive...I couldn't find any mention of the blocks of pink unless it was huge ones for building trade? I will remember that it was here I asked in case you do reply (I will check back in a week or so).
checkout www.bluefoam.co.uk mate
what is the company name and the supply in the uk you said in the video?
the company and the supply have an web site
the blue foam is different bands from the pink foam in north american
blue foam is at Lowe's pink foam is at Home Depot in the USA and Canada
+Charles Lewis Hindleys [Blue foam/Foamboard]
:-)
I have got some of the textured rolling pins from GreenStuffWorld and they print excellently into foam board core. Unfortunately every sheet of foam board I have bought refuses to peel, and I have stopped taking the paper off with a knife since I got myself a nice, bone deep gash across my palm (damned thing bled for three days!).
So I got some of that blue stuff you're using in this video, but I don't like it. It takes the pin print well enough, but it is a very rough texture and makes dry brushing it rubbish. So I need something with a smoother texture, but I am struggling to find anything.
Oh nasty mate, hope you're ok. On the foam, give it a sand with a fine grit paint mate
TheTerrainTutor Yeah, it was middle of last year when it happened. It healed really quickly once it stopped bleeding.
I posted my comment about two minutes before you started sanding the foam in your video! I had tried sanding it before but still wasn't overly happy with the result. What kind of surface does pink foam have? Is it smoother and will it take a print from the GreenStuffWorld rolling pins?
For buildings that have walls that need detail, I am currently using air drying clay on cork. They actually look nice, but it would be simpler if I could just use foam.
It's actually worse than bluefoam mate
Ah, that's a shame. I'll just have to stick with using clay.
I like the result I get with clay, but it's a slow and messy job. I don't make stuff for gaming, so at least I don't have to worry about its durability.
Anyone know where to get this foam in perth Australia been looking around cant seem to find
Bunnings sell thicker sheets of it, but I haven't seen these thin sheets before.
How does this blue foam compare to foamcore with regard to strength and ease of use?
+Stephen Cromwell Probably on par, it's just better for thicker walls as it's available in thicker versions than foamboard but foamboard is better at 5mm because the card backing makes it stronger mate
Left handed? Wanna join the left handed revolution with me :P
Only kidding... or am I...
Great video like usual!
+The Beachman I am left handed
+The Beachman We are in an exclusive club comprising of most of the worlds most infamous mass murderers ;-)
cant find foamboard anyware , loads of polystyrene but not found high density foamboard, any recommendations?
www.hindleys.com/index.php/catalogsearch/result/?q=foam
I got some pinkish foam from Home Depot would that work too?
+Kaminoan Productions How thick is it?
wish we could get that stuff in aus
+Sam Phillips You can. Viv over at RubbishInRubbishOut uses insulation foam in some vids. Check his channel out and I'm sure he can tell you where he sources his.
An electric knife with straight edges and not serrated will also allow for foam to be cut. The knife only needs to be mounted in a vertical angle to work correctly. Also, your audio levels were going up and down during filming.
Wicks have now stopped selling the Pink foam and I cant seam to be able to get it anywhere else. Is the blue a good alternative to it?
+Colin Richardson Hindleys [Blue foam/Foamboard]
+TheTerrainTutor I'll take that as a yes. Thank you for you the reply and please keep up the great work with the videos. I've only been watching for the past week and I've already learned a lot of things I had no idea about.
Where can you buy it online?
which colors are you using to paint big stuff?
Depends on what I building but I mainly use house paints
I can only ever find 50mm thick pink foam or 5mm thick green (hardwood flooring underlay) at my local DIY sheds. Is the blue a bit softer than the Pink. I'll take a look at Panel Systems. Are they good value compared to the eBay rip off prices.
+Squidgy Bidge The blues a lot harder that the pink and the green is harder still mate
+TheTerrainTutor You can get the green if you look for hardwood underfloor / underlay, but only in 5mm thickness. Its quite flimsy though at that thickness. Other thicknesses as you know already are really difficult to come across in the green. Homebase have often had it on offer.
*****
Panel systems does green in a variety of thickness's mate
+TheTerrainTutor Cool.
Mel, how would you do sci-fi desert terrain?
In what sense mate?
Good question haha! I was thinking along the lines of Egyptian but sci-fi
Dude where did you get the pink foam? It seems that you can only get it in/from America, and I can only find the blue foam over here!!
+OmegaHalo It's a UK manufacturer called space board eco mate
Awesome stuff i'll look into it! Yeah I'm in the UK too and i literally can't find it anywhere! Do you still get it from them because it says on their site that they're discontinued. So do you get it from their site, or from wickes?
OmegaHalo
www.hindleys.com/index.php/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=desc&limit=all&order=relevance&q=foam
+TheTerrainTutor Awesome thanks for the link, but I'm looking for the pink extruded styrene rather than the blue styrofoam, because i need it for a huge board to work landscaping on (what terranscapes does), rather than making scenery pieces and buildings!
Did a search for it here in the Netherlands, and was rather hard to find.Hornbach sells it, so does www.aduis.nl. Didn't find it in any of the other diy- shops.
+Roberto Boertje Thanks for the link mate
Roberto Boertje Hornbach has it in 10mm? What is it called? Can't find it in Germany
why dont you draw the blueprint on the board and cut ?
I've got it in my head mate
Wants to build with this. Wher Did you buy it?
Panel Systems Ltd
When I was in the sign trade we called that a rebate a bevel was at 45 just saying is all.
Smoothfoam in the US
I love that tower is si much batman ish like style.
+Adrian Kramarzyk I was aiming for gothic but I'll take gotham ;-D
+TheTerrainTutor aint thats same? gotham has gothic or more correct neogothic feel.
Adrian Kramarzyk
yeah, I suppose it is, not really into gotham/batman, more a scifi guy lol
This may be useful for those that cannot source it locally.
www.pureadhesion.co.uk/jackodur-xps-insulation-boards-1200-x-600-x-10mm.html
Matthias Kellermann Unfortunately no luck in Germany. It seems that there is no 10mm XPS
None of the stores in the US carry that thickness of that kind of foam.
Wow started off crap but the end result hey nice
+118warhammer I thought the other way around but hey ho, as long as you've learned something, I'm happy :-)
Where can buy bluefoam from at a reasonable cost?
bluefoam.co.uk
Thanks!
@@TheTerrainTutor
Are you no longer using Panel Systems then?
well lest not PINK why dont thay who mack the fome mack war gaming fome in gray or matalic? mack life eazay .
+redgreen09 Because it's not war gaming foam.. It is home insulation foam. They make it in pink and blue because they denote different R values per inch of thickness. I would hate to buy foam from any war gaming company. Can you imagine how expensive it would be?
+Frank B yes i know that but thay can mack enny color thay like the gray color will save a step in macking terrain and if say drop the pece and the pink will not show thew andi don" t like pink
+redgreen09 You can use the grey stuff but it's a form of rubber not polystyrene, so handles differently mate
Anyone else feel like hammering nails on a glass desk might not be the best idea ever?
+Gavin Millar That's nothing compared to the other stuff I've done on it ;-)
+TheTerrainTutor That's what she said!
About her table... Ok, I'll stop
Gavin Millar I was totally waiting for the nail to go through the board and the glass to fragment.
Did this ever get painted?
Unreal, Mel you know to much for your own good. Just kidding, Great job....
It's scary how much I do know mate ;-)
If your paying for something called "Craft Foam" I guarantee you are overpaying. That's just rigid foam insulation. Go to the hardware store and you can buy it supercheap in giant sheets of varying thicknesses.
Not in the UK mate
Interesting video, but the presenter needs to stop saying "ya" at the end of every sentence.
This becomes very irritating after a while and makes people want to switch off.
uk site that sells 6mm and 10mm is FloorHeatPro. they sell single sheets as well.
+ron peacock I'll check it out mate