So, you have been gaming for a while and never seem to have all the "stuff" you need for a decent battlefield. If you have ever wished you had a certain ship, fort, earthwork, bridge, etc., that was not available commercially, and you have some free time, then you need look no further than your garage or workshop. You can use some of those materials that have been lying around, aging, and put them to good use.

The four steps to success are:

• Design
• Model
• Replicate
• Finish

Once you have decided what you need, you can begin to DESIGN the piece. To do so, you will want to scan some sources such as books, web sites, magazines, manuals, etc., to find pictures of what you need. To design the item you will need to determine what scale you want to use (6mm, 15mm, etc.). If you are fortunate, you can find specifications for the item you want to model. If not, then sketch or otherwise copy the picture of the item. Find a tall man standing on (or next to) the item, or use another piece that you know the length. Assuming he is six feet tall, using the man's apparent height, you can measure from the picture dimensions of actual height, width, length from what you see in the pictures. Then, knowing the actual dimensions, you can scale them to whatever scale you chose (i.e., 15mm=6' man. so 30' item=75mm model).

Now that you have your design and size you can collect MODELING materials such as wood, styrofoam, plastic, clay, plaster of Paris, etc. It is important that the model have a smooth finish for the next step. With a razor knife, drill, glue gun, glue, etc. build your original model. Be sure that small protruding details are left off at this point. Also, do not paint your model. Allow the glue to dry, and once you are satisfied that the model is representative, you are then ready for the next step.

REPLICATION of your model will allow you to make several sturdy items for tough battlefield duty. Making the mold is the first and most time consuming step. Paint a thin coat of latex rubber (available at your hobby store from "Woodland Scenics" or others) onto your model and allow this mold compound to dry. Repeat this until you have built up at least a 5mm thickness of rubber on the model. Larger models will require more rubber thickness to maintain the dimensional integrity of the piece and you may wish to stiffen the mold by inserting wire in the rubber for wide flat spans.

After the first few layers you can pour the latex over the model and allow it to dry several hours. Once the mold is dry and cured to a light brown color, peel it off of your model (this can be destructive to the model). Your mold is now ready to cast some pieces using that old "Bondo" from your garage. You may also use epoxy glue or hot melt glue for smaller castings, but these materials are more expensive on a volume basis (and HM glue is tough to release from the mold). Before you do anything else, though, spray a thin layer of "Pam" or other release agent into the mold cavity. This is not absolutely necessary, but it helps the mold release from the casting.

Mix the catalyst into the Bondo resin thoroughly and quickly pour the material into the mold. A small nail may be used to poke around and make sure all mold surfaces are covered and to get out air pockets. If you didn't make enough Bondo, as long as all sides of the mold are covered it is not necessary to fill the mold up completely solid. Spread the Bondo up the unfilled sides with a popsicle stick as it hardens. Wear gloves and do this in a well ventilated area to remove the Styrene fumes. The cross-linking reaction is exo-thermic so the mold will get warm until the casting hardens. Once the mold cools, you may peel the mold away and remove the item from the mold. Your mold is now ready to make another piece.

FINISHING your item is the fun part. You may now sand, add small pieces by gluing, and paint, flock or further detail your new battlefield accouterment. I have made custom ships, railroad track & beds, fort components, buildings for my American Civil War, American War of Independence and French & Indian War use, and have found them very durable. Enjoy!

If you want to view a Frenceh & Indian War fort and some ACW ships made this way, check out my home site: www.geocities.com/swampbranch2/index.html

Fun With Chemistry: Part 2 Lichen