Gaming board - simple and cheap!

Ok, so finally I managed to get space in our new appartment to feasibly have a gaming table.
APPLAUSE

Ok.  So I have the essential component, an understanding wife.  No, I mean the other component, a table!  The biggest limit in making a gaming table is the legs.  The support to the flat surface you work on.  Some get by this by attaching the legs directly to the table but this presents other issues.  For me, it was all about how big the dining table was gonna get.

I needn't have worried.

Table expands enough to keep overhang to a minimum.

The wood, was 4mm MDF from the local wood and hardware specialists.  Here in Norway its Maxbo, in the UK it was DIY, not sure who it is now.  Somewhere where you by a plate of wood and get them to cut it to size for a modest sum.

Lucky for me, the whoe section I bought divided neatly into Imperial measurement.  Perfectly.
Twas as God intended. O_O #makemeabeliever

So I took the bus over and called a cab back.  Simple! Next?

Well next was texture.  Traditionally this was made to be a shit ton of PVA glue and a deserts worth of sand.  Downside?

• Increased chance of the wood bowing.

•  Sand is easily knocked off. 

•  PVA comes off over time.

So... not that then.  Unfortunately the best solution was spray texture, which as far as I could tell was like blue food colouring, decent tea and someone who understand the law of the sacred queue.  NOT TO BE FOUND IN NORWAY!

The answer came from my wife, who remarked that "effect" sprays existed.  Genius.  Transferable results.  Plodding over to our local home improvement store, Jernia, I had a long chat explaining my intentions with the staff members. After several blank looks one finally flicked his fingers.  By jove I thought, I think he's got it!

Stone effect.  Paint that is water based and designed to turn whatever you want into appearing like granite stone.  Statues etc.  I had to order it in from another store, which took a couple of days.  Though in hindsite I should have asked them to try and mix it to another colour.  The answer probably would have been no, but could have asked!

Anyway, result.  One tub, 4 plates of 2 by 4 feet later and boom!

The next step was simple enough.  Having textured the boards I needed a colour.  Choosing something resembling Dryad Bark (GW), I acquired two tubs and went nuts.

NOTE!  Painting textured paint, even with water based acrylics, will take several coats and much correction.  The 3dness of the bumbs ensure that somewhere some freakin white will come through.  Persevier and be one with the OCD!

Black Forest C Base water based paint, with some basic bulk acrylic.

Sadly the end result over such a large surface area was rather streaky.  You can see where I have gone over in Grey, then a mix of White and Brown being a creamy highlight.  Where I buggered up, I tend to change the tone of that area, bashing out a full tone of grey or lighter brown before highlighting.

I did go back on the first two after I learned some tricks. (Like not screwing up!)

To finish, as its all water acrylic paint in the end, I doused it all in Army Painter No Shine Varnish.  I'm still concerned regarding rub-off, but I think I will steal Zuzzy Mat's idea and layer some packaging sheets in between when in storage.

Although I have no plans to do Flock (BECAUSE F&#K THAT NOISE!), or anything further, scatter terrain is the order of the day.  Rottimus linked me this gem too!


Thanks for reading!
R