Back to where the soldiers are rarely wounded and can usually be repaired if they are.
My table has started looking a bit shabby so I set out to touch up the paint. Then it occurred to me that my new organization on 2" wide bases mean that a 4" grid would work again and I wouldn't have to chase around the table to grab one of the rulers or tapes in order to move. My 40mm 16thC and 25mm fantasy collections, both on 60mm wide bases, won't fit, but the squares can easily be ignored.
After hemming and hawing for the better part of a minute, I got a start.
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| The Inspector General inspecting the current state of her table. (She lets me use...usually). |
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| A 22mm ACW brigade with 1 regiment per square. |
1/3 of the table has been done but I'm slowly getting better and quicker so I hope to have the table set by tomorrow evening. Past experience suggests that once the basic grids are laid down, the painting may be improved or modified to taste.
Ross Mac,
ReplyDeleteI am always very impressed by your tabletop cloth … and I wish that I felt confident to do something similar.
Perhaps a short ‘How to …’ blog post would be helpful to people like me.
All the best,
Bob
In this case, it's the tabletop being painted, not a cloth but my table clothes are done the same way. I'll think about a "how I paint my table" post. First I'll have to figure how I do it etc., since it's largely habit & instinct.
DeleteLooking good Ross…
ReplyDeleteIt’s always interesting to see the changes to your table over the years…
All the best. Aly
Thanks. It's cheaper than starting from scratch each time
DeleteAlways a good-looking table. Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious, but have you considered an investment in a chalk line? I spent enough time with floor tile and suspended ceilings to appreciate their utility in laying out a grid.
ReplyDeleteI did a few decades ago but when it died, my replacement was next to useless and I just carried on without whether for the table or when 1:1 scale work on the house etc.
DeleteThe table is looking good, but I particularly admire that you put out, what I suspect is, a heating pad for the Inspector General, as is proper.
ReplyDeleteAhhh yes, well we have a puppy (10th generation) who is a bit more friendly than Her Majesty likes, so when he's lose in the room, I've started moving her heating pad up onto my table.
DeleteThe table looks great and inspires us to have a go, but not yet.
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland
Next life?
DeleteWhat is it with cats and wargaming tables ? .Must admit my tabletop could do with a repaint.
ReplyDeleteI think it gives them a sense of superiority over the little men....
DeleteAn impromptu table inspection keeps you on your toes!
ReplyDeleteAnd, it's like having a new battlefield.
DeleteAh, the joys of gridding up a table. I usually do mine with a Steel ruler and various types of marker pen! Yours is rather more artistic. My big fat fingers normally require me to leave a bit of space around the figure bases (so for 30mm bases I did 66mm squares).
ReplyDeleteI did contemplate slightly larger squares but I wanted as many squares as possible to make the battlefield 'bigger' (as in more squares). I do have a painted canvas battlefield with 5” squares when I get the urge to put the 2 60mm base collections on the table and use grids.
DeleteWhat goes round and all that :-) I think some of the cloth manufacturers could learn something from your application, a very relaxing to the eye grid. I just tried ‘hexing’ a cloth at 5” and it didn’t give me enough ‘cells’ ….. plus by the time I got to the far corner the hexes were not marrying up at all, I think I prefer the look and size of your grid - just more practical!
ReplyDeleteI've made 3 efforts to draw hexes on my tabletop but with each careful attempt, regardless of measuring and using templates, etc they always ended up lopsided or drifting etc. Worse, on hexes, I found next to impossible to have a battle line advance while maintaining their formation.
ReplyDelete