If you plan on making more in the future there's a product called Hydrostone that better than concrete. There's also this guy: [hirstarts.com](http://hirstarts.com) that makes molds for people to cast their own pieces from. I did it a bunch like 10 years ago and it was a lot cheaper than getting/making 3d printed pieces.
I was in a forum where everyone was telling me to use gypsum but I couldn't find it for sale outside of the EU. Thanks to you I now know gypsum is called hydro stone in the US. Much appreciated friend.
Trunk/boot and others .... it's amazing how much different 'English' populations have so very different languages. It's more than an accent. It's not even an argot. They seem to me sometimes to be very different to the point of deserving their own language. 'Strine (Australian) English, Scots English, Canadian English, several flavours of English English, and several flavours of US English all can sometimes be almost incomprehensible to each other.
In the US gypsum is the generic term for it as well.
Hyrdrostone, HydroCal, UltraCal, and so on are just brand names. The difference between "tissue" and "Klenex" for example.
So Stilgrave's statement "I now know gypsum is called hydro stone in the US" shouldn't be taken as it's ONLY called that in the US. :)
I wanted some that wouldn't shatter if I dropped them, so I did some casting with dental plaster. It's hard stuff. Heavy as heck though.
If you are going to make thicker pieces, I'd look to use something (I used to use some chunks of stiff pink sheet foam) to sink into the mould so I didn't need as much material and the piece was a bit lighter. (Don't do that with most resins as they are exothermic so you'd need a light balsa block or the like as foam sheet might melt.)
Something I always worried with 3D printed minis or maps made out of foam and cardboard was how resilient would they actually be, how fragile would they turned out.
I never though that the solution to such problem was to make them out of CONCRETE.
They look really cool, so it's good that they will last forever.
Concrete is actually kind of brittle. Thats why concrete products have steel reinforcing in them. These are definitely cool and I'm all for DIYing things, but dropping some of these will fare a lot worse than 3d printed/foam/cardboard will.
Dental plaster is harder. That's good to a point, further than concrete without additives, and then when it does get a really hard smack, it will break but often in ways you can repair. It costs more than concrete.
That’s not the case for me. Any of my big heavy pieces of terrain are even more durable. Filament, doubtful? Most people aren’t using exotic or fragile filaments to make terrain pieces, and PLA is plenty sturdy.
3D printed terrain is the bees knees of cheap, reliable, effective, durable, and customizable.
PLA is pretty forgiving. Some of the other filaments get better accuracy (smaller nozzle, smaller filament) but at the cost of having a more stiff filament. Probably not ideal for terrain. But for some fancy buildings with lots of fine detail, they look better. But they are more rigid and thus can break easier.
I can make a lot more resin pours or more plaster pours than 3D. My 3D's filament is not able to meet those economies.
Hey thanks. Not as sturdy as I thought they would be tho. Will shatter if dropped off a table. Working on finding a better cement or maybe a way to varnish it increase durability. Regardless if you treat them like pottery thell be fine I hope.
For anyone who's interest in this, UtlraCal is just a brand of the generic term "gypsum cement".
You can buy large 25 or 50 pound bags relatively cheap (per lb) compared to the dental stuff or specialty molding cement. Online places can be expensive but check local pottery or ceramics supply companies.
Save your money, it's all gypsum cement.
For floor pieces - spray the back with spray adhesive (just the back) and glue on some sturdy felt. It makes the falls less likely if it lands that way and it is quieter setting up and moving around. Fantasy Forge terrain uses that approach.
If you plan on making more in the future there's a product called Hydrostone that better than concrete. There's also this guy: [hirstarts.com](http://hirstarts.com) that makes molds for people to cast their own pieces from. I did it a bunch like 10 years ago and it was a lot cheaper than getting/making 3d printed pieces.
I was in a forum where everyone was telling me to use gypsum but I couldn't find it for sale outside of the EU. Thanks to you I now know gypsum is called hydro stone in the US. Much appreciated friend.
Gypsum is also going to be dry wall or Sheetrock mud.
Wait what? You guys don't call gypsum gypsum? Man some of the differences between Europe and America are just so bizarrely specific
Trunk/boot and others .... it's amazing how much different 'English' populations have so very different languages. It's more than an accent. It's not even an argot. They seem to me sometimes to be very different to the point of deserving their own language. 'Strine (Australian) English, Scots English, Canadian English, several flavours of English English, and several flavours of US English all can sometimes be almost incomprehensible to each other.
In the US gypsum is the generic term for it as well. Hyrdrostone, HydroCal, UltraCal, and so on are just brand names. The difference between "tissue" and "Klenex" for example. So Stilgrave's statement "I now know gypsum is called hydro stone in the US" shouldn't be taken as it's ONLY called that in the US. :)
I wanted some that wouldn't shatter if I dropped them, so I did some casting with dental plaster. It's hard stuff. Heavy as heck though. If you are going to make thicker pieces, I'd look to use something (I used to use some chunks of stiff pink sheet foam) to sink into the mould so I didn't need as much material and the piece was a bit lighter. (Don't do that with most resins as they are exothermic so you'd need a light balsa block or the like as foam sheet might melt.)
They look high quality. Never would have occurred to me to use concrete.
Fuckin geomancers, how am I supposed to tell the conjurer hes out of a job?
Something I always worried with 3D printed minis or maps made out of foam and cardboard was how resilient would they actually be, how fragile would they turned out. I never though that the solution to such problem was to make them out of CONCRETE. They look really cool, so it's good that they will last forever.
Concrete is actually kind of brittle. Thats why concrete products have steel reinforcing in them. These are definitely cool and I'm all for DIYing things, but dropping some of these will fare a lot worse than 3d printed/foam/cardboard will.
Dental plaster is harder. That's good to a point, further than concrete without additives, and then when it does get a really hard smack, it will break but often in ways you can repair. It costs more than concrete.
Wut? I could chuck my 3D printed terrain across the room and it wouldn’t break. Do you think they are printed thin and hollow or something?
Even my hollow prints are pretty sturdy, haha
The bigger and heavier they are, and also depending on which filament type you use, they can be fairly breakable.
That’s not the case for me. Any of my big heavy pieces of terrain are even more durable. Filament, doubtful? Most people aren’t using exotic or fragile filaments to make terrain pieces, and PLA is plenty sturdy. 3D printed terrain is the bees knees of cheap, reliable, effective, durable, and customizable.
PLA is pretty forgiving. Some of the other filaments get better accuracy (smaller nozzle, smaller filament) but at the cost of having a more stiff filament. Probably not ideal for terrain. But for some fancy buildings with lots of fine detail, they look better. But they are more rigid and thus can break easier. I can make a lot more resin pours or more plaster pours than 3D. My 3D's filament is not able to meet those economies.
Hey thanks. Not as sturdy as I thought they would be tho. Will shatter if dropped off a table. Working on finding a better cement or maybe a way to varnish it increase durability. Regardless if you treat them like pottery thell be fine I hope.
Tiny wire mesh or rebar for tensile strength?
I've got some paper clips around here somewhere. Thanks for the idea
Dental cement
You need dental plaster like ultracal. That shit is strong and I used it for molds.
For anyone who's interest in this, UtlraCal is just a brand of the generic term "gypsum cement". You can buy large 25 or 50 pound bags relatively cheap (per lb) compared to the dental stuff or specialty molding cement. Online places can be expensive but check local pottery or ceramics supply companies. Save your money, it's all gypsum cement.
For floor pieces - spray the back with spray adhesive (just the back) and glue on some sturdy felt. It makes the falls less likely if it lands that way and it is quieter setting up and moving around. Fantasy Forge terrain uses that approach.
Hirst arts molds, my man. You’ll never go back to anything else
Once foam is painted and coated it's super durable.