How to build Super Simple terrain - All you need for wargaming

[@jimbusher5895]

In a world of hyperbole and click bait thumbnails you are an oasis of calm passion for the hobby

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Jim!

[@2easy4marv]

Dude I never commented yet but I feel the urge to tell you how much I love your narrating. Your voice, the calm way you talk.. fucking love it.

[@52Miniatures]

Thank you 2E, I appreciate it.

[@trollbite.miniatures]

I made those windows! It makes me so happy to see them showcased so well. Thank you Alex and great job on the build!!

[@52Miniatures]

Well that's great! Thanks a bunch for the windows they are great.

[@benmiles00]

They look great! Nice job.

[@bluefangs867]

So much work, yet you make it seem so easy and soothing :D True art!

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks B 🙏 Yeah, it did take quite a lot of time. This gaming table is like laying a puzzle but I have to paint each piece myself 😵‍💫

[@Geistermoor]

It is great to witness the growth of the gaming table world you created. I'm really looking forward to see the outsome at the end, but every step on the way is an adventure on it's own. Thanks for taking us along with you.

[@52Miniatures]

Thank you Bea! I'm kind of looking forward to the end as well :)

[@Bilbomentum]

You're skill and advice in this series are invaluable, I've been making terrain on and off for years now, but the easily executed techniques you have shown are incredible. I very much look forward to the next one.

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks B! I appreciate it.

[@blotcho84]

That looks great, and I love your table's Weird War 1 setting. Also your delivery and explanation of everything was very calming and enjoyable!

[@52Miniatures]

I appreciate it B

[@philgee486]

Wow, just watched a Billy connoly vid and this popped up at the end! Definitely worth all the buffering from the rubbish signal here on both counts! Alex, I look forward to every vid you make, they're an absolutely assured joy, and folks catch his livestreams whenever you have the chance, and if you don't then put one you missed on when you're hobbying, they're perfect as virtual hobbyists chatting as you work.

[@philgee486]

No-one should ever visit a lighthouse that's accessed through the basement of a ruined asylum, children, just say no!

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Phil! I hope your doing better. And yes, stay away from the basement ruin lighthouse asylum.

[@jamfjord]

I've used many of these methods but even so this video is packed with useful tweaks and tips that are guaranteed to streamline the process. Thank you, Alex. Plus foam core/ foamboard is such an underappreciated and underutilized material; nice to see it getting some love here 👍

[@52Miniatures]

Great to hear!

[@jamfjord]

Perfect watching for my Saturday morning coffee ☕

[@jimbusher5895]

Was about to say the same ☕️

[@jamfjord]

​@@jimbusher5895 cheers ☕☕

[@manjr]

Great point about sand first and glue on top. You can really see the difference. Beautiful work!

[@wietsesartsythings969]

Ruined mansions, a discarded Lighthouse and cliffs. Now all you need are some weird fishfolk performing human sacrifices and you're good to go😅 Looking awesome!

[@52Miniatures]

Human sacrifice, mental note.. thanks W!

[@Bunyip_Studios]

Matt Medium is a great adhesive for pretty much everything! It remains flexible once dry unlike PVA which goes brittle

[@TomWainwright1]

Absolutely brilliant video. Thank you for going through XPS foam at the beginning, I’ve been wanting to build terrain for a long time but it can often be confusing when starting out - I’ll be picking up XPS foam soon!

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Tom I appreciate it!

[@kingodacheez3416]

Hello, Tom! Be sure to check out construction sites for scrap foam in the bin. Most contractor supervisors will gladly donate to your "art project" (it is way easier for non-gamers to grasp), when you ask for permission to go dumpster diving.😉

[@philedwards7331]

Lovely video, sir. Thank you for creating a calm, creative, and collaborative space amongst the craziness that can be our hobby. Regarding sealing your materials. Depending on your local prices, marine resin, the stuff for sealing wood on boats, makes a very durable coat on XPS. I use it to seal XPS and spray foam backgrounds for aquariums, but it works very well as a protectant/hardener for softer terrain materials or coat on large surfaces.

[@52Miniatures]

Thank you Phil and Thank you for the tip 👍

[@andrewgallagher7690]

This is some of the coolest terrain I've ever seen

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Andrew!

[@marklindsey4112]

Incredible work Alex. I love that your videos come with an insight into the philosophy of your build and that the results are usually far superior given the thought you put in. Also, I really wish I had the room for a board like that. It's shaping up to be a work of art.

[@52Miniatures]

Thank you Mark, I very much appreciate it.

[@DylanBartle-il9xc]

Amazingly inspiring as always…thank you for experimenting and passing the results on. 1st class build again

[@52Miniatures]

Awesome, thank you!

[@precioushobbytime]

by this time one has seen a great many tutorials on simple houses. but man - yours is just super stunning. absolutely amazing build and i cant wait to see it painted!

[@52Miniatures]

Glad you like it!

[@brianv769]

An awesome video, thank you! Love the tip to add paint to the plaster while making the rock casts.

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Brian Glad it was helpful!

[@Arisilde]

Foam safe super glue, while a bit expensive, is a game changer. No more waiting for layer adhesion. It ends up being a far stronger bond than PLA glues. And cuts easier with a hot wire than hot glue or caulk/construction adhesives. It's been such a huge part of my terrain building since I first tried it. The one I use is technically classified as an infiltrant, so it has a super thin watery consistency and sucks it's way into any cracks through capillary action, giving far more surface area coverage between parts with basically no effort. Perfect for laminating layers, bricks, etc. It also means you end up using less, so the cost is not quite as bad as it could be.

[@52Miniatures]

I definitely need to give that a look! Thanks for the tip! Where do you get yours?

[@Arisilde]

@@52Miniatures Amazon, but they have their own web store too I think. It's called Starbond Foam Safe Thin Super Glue. There's a 2oz bottle I tried first because I was sticker shocked at the price, but after running out of that I bought this 16oz kit where they give you a big bottle of it and several little bottles to transfer it into, and a bunch of those thin applicator tips which are pretty handy. It's considerably cheaper to get as the kit if you find you really like the stuff. Like I said, it's pretty expensive, but I've found it worthwhile as a person with motivation issues and ADD, not having to wait for gluing basically ever has really helped me be able to get things done. It's one of the only craft products I really splurge on, because I like it so much.

[@axelcc2]

Man, that gaming table is gonna look mind blowing if you keep going like that. Now I'm fully invested in seeing future streams/ videos with your progress on it. Absolutely love it.

[@52Miniatures]

That's the plan! It's taking its sweet time though

[@marceltrottier7014]

This was very lovely to watch Alex. And what a greate outcome at the end! Can not wait to see the whole board finished. :)

[@52Miniatures]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@LukeSteichen]

Another wonderful and inspiring video Alex!

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Luke! Hope all is well.

[@manshadow513]

I can see this take hugh amount of effort. Massing ruins and creative is a way of satisfaction. I hope you also enjoy make these content.

[@52Miniatures]

I do! thanks M

[@winther2609]

absolutely love the cozy vibe of your videos. and a voice like jazz

[@Wijkert]

24:00 before you suggested the spray, I was thinking off old school way of sealing bits to bases: first break surface tension with isopropanol alcohol (or water + a little washing up liquid) and then seal it with watered down PVA.

[@52Miniatures]

I’ve tried the ipa and Pva once but for me it kind of curdled. The Pva looked like chunks of cottage cheese… maybe it was something about the specific brand or whatever but I’ve not experimented with it again.

[@isisnmagic1812]

Brilliant video, thanks for all the tips for my future dioramas.

[@52Miniatures]

Great stuff Isi!

[@Starstrykerx]

Yay! Finally caught one of your videos when it actually released! Only took being up at 3am 😉 Top notch as always Alex! I love a good terrain video and cant wait to see the final completed table. Thanks!

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks man! Now go to bed! 😂

[@ecMonify]

modeling compound can be easily and cheaply made by mixing plaster, water and toiletpaper! you can use a mixer to cut the paper, but i find it easier to work with if the pieces of paper are a bit larger, so you can just rip the paper apart into bits with your hands. just don't make too much at a time because, like alex says, it dries really fast! :D before it's fully dry, you can wet your fingers and shape it as well. i like to add water until the consistency is like that of cottage cheese.

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks for the info!

[@DinoBProductions]

Looks amazing, ive actually used some of those windows myself for some buildings i made for bolt action

[@Rathammergames]

Perfect Mordheim vibe!! Also Darkest Dungeon. “You remember our venerable house, opulent and imperial, gazing proudly from its stoic perch above the moor…” Darkest Dungeon intro

[@AJ-de3sx]

Great stuff, as always! It's really coming together

[@PeckLoveMedia]

Alex, you’ve inspired me to try putting a black steel bracelet on my G-Shock. Oh, and also to work on some of my own terrain projects.

[@52Miniatures]

Very important things in life!

[@WulvenKraft]

Great build & you couldn't have asked anyone better than Leif for help!

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks man!

[@freetablecorner]

Awsome ruin and some great tips I will use in my upcoming buildings.

[@52Miniatures]

Glad to hear it!

[@juancarlosmarcos7401]

You spent a lot of time making a wonderful piece of terrain, but I encourage you to add broken glass to the windows using transparent plastic from any kind of blister you may have from your hobby supplies. It is not so time-consuming and the result is AMAZING.

[@52Miniatures]

I agree Juan! I just did not want to do that yet, as I want to paint most of the build properly before

[@Bluecho4]

Pro Tip: If you don't want to pay for silicone rock molds, you can achieve a similar effect by using shaped aluminum/aluminium foil. Scrunch them up to create an appropriate texture, then form them into shapes that can be filled with plaster. You may wish to double up layers of foil to ensure it's strong enough to hold its shape/not leak.

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks!

[@markgnepper5636]

Great stuff friend .thanks for sharing your journey 👏👍🤙

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Mark!

[@myzri3557]

That looks sick. Thanks for sharing

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks for watching 👍

[@AndreSjoberg]

Perfect morning coffee video indeed, loving this build :)

[@52Miniatures]

Morning!

[@NewSquallor]

Unlocking the awesome power of Leif and Alex. Nothing can stop terrain construction now. Those poor troops posted to Doggerland are going to have a uphill battle getting across no-man's.

[@52Miniatures]

Thank you as always! I’m very exited to keep going but also so many things to work on. 😵‍💫

[@Slydeish]

Absolutely brilliant.

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Sly 🙏

[@thelastnerdjosh]

New subscriber here-love this project man. You’re an inspiration to myself and your fellow hobbyists and creators. Stay nerdy dude 💜

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks! Welcome to the channel

[@Xatxitor]

Polystiren is a type of plastic that melt easily when expose to heat or solvent. The material used for insulating foam and Warhammer miniature

[@jodezero]

Great stuff and tips. About to start building a post apocalyptic race track. Thanks for sharing

[@52Miniatures]

Who doesn't need a post apocalyptic race track.

[@brutalcities]

Lovely work Alex!

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Ryan! Haven’t hade a spare minute to reply to the email but now you can see what I was talking about

[@brutalcities]

@@52Miniatures absolutely no rush haha. Yeah this is helpful!

[@D13Hobbies]

looking amazing!

[@52Miniatures]

Thank you!!

[@benmiles00]

Wow! That looks absolutely brilliant! Foam core eh? I'll check it out. I have loads of XPS foam but have only done a little modelling with it so far - just pillars and doors for DnD.

[@AzraelThanatos]

For the "Basement" it seems like it might be better viewed as more of a dock area when you consider the asylum/prison thing you were going with

[@JanMazurek]

Nice effect 😊

[@marksoares1610]

How about Bullwinkle and Rocky (the frying squril) . It is an old cartoon I use to whatch when I was a kid. I got a big laugh about Rocky Balboa.

[@redrooster7371]

This look awesome!

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks Red!

[@EganCreator]

Awesome, very nice model.

[@52Miniatures]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@mikethemuffinman]

I don't know why but at about 1:57 I was really expecting you to taste-test that little bit of XPS foam.

[@Slurgical_3D_Terrain_Channel]

great video, love that board you are building.

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks S!

[@Bunyip_Studios]

Sculptamold, Geek Gaming's Modelling compound, home made, or any similar paper mache product will keep your scenery lighter, you can sculpt rock shapes as you go and make the cut foam look more realistic

[@52Miniatures]

I used Modelling compound in the video?

[@Bunyip_Studios]

Yeah, I made the comment before I saw that bit, lol. But you can use it to create the rocks, without the need to cast plaster ones. Have you seen any of Boomer Diorama's video's? His scenery and Trees videos are really insightful and helpful, full of useful information too

[@SPC_Yuki]

Don’t you just hate it when you try to build a shipwreck but end up with a functional lighthouse…

[@jamfjord]

Every time 🤦 Although... I do like lighthouses

[@52Miniatures]

I guess it’s now hindered the prospect of future wrecks too…

[@jamfjord]

@@52Miniatures countless miniature souls saved

[@echodelta2426]

Great video.

[@cerisekappes580]

Awesome! 🤩

[@52Miniatures]

🙌

[@MrPendraeg]

"I am offcourse not done, as i never am" that hit home :P

[@52Miniatures]

Hah! Yeah

[@hakbash7588]

Looking good. 👍

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks 👍

[@vectorshaman338]

I can build caves, mountains, forests, harbors, & a hive city. I also live in a studio apartment in Copenhagen. If I build 1 more project I'll be living in it. This was not the motivation I needed today xd.

[@52Miniatures]

😂

[@WylochsArmory]

Rockin

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks!

[@graefx]

It really looks great with just a prime and zenethal

[@wombora]

I love how Squarespace did not yet complained about the SOE read instead of SEO :D

[@52Miniatures]

Good tools have many names?

[@matthieufontaine]

Très inspirant! super résultat :)

[@adamozmin8970]

Awesome

[@52Miniatures]

Thank you!

[@erikbraun473]

I didnt realize a new video even dropped. (Thanks youtube algorithm) Glad it came up when I sifted through my emails!

[@52Miniatures]

The algorithm cant be trusted!

[@erikbraun473]

I'd better watch the video twice just to show it who's boss.

[@ELtaco37]

Most excellent

[@scottcrompton6931]

Bravo!

[@michaelanderson2166]

An asylum or prison in an island would have a boathouse and it being in the basement is actually very common for such places.

[@Karvoc]

Fantastic.

[@52Miniatures]

Many thanks!

[@stephenspackman5573]

That's weirdly persuasive! I've yet to work out whether that's because or despite the slight architectural madness. ;)

[@52Miniatures]

Hah! Probably both Stephen :)

[@scottm9605]

Expanding foam is the same stuff as the original gorilla glue. So probably works well.

[@thedourkin]

I've seen other Craft Tubers use a light spray of IPA followed by a covering of watered down PVA instead of the Scenic Sealant, I don't know if that's in any way close to the sealant formula but it seems to do the trick... it's certainly cheaper. How long did the GGS modelling compound take to dry?

[@52Miniatures]

I've not experimented enough with that... the times I've tried weird things have happened with the ipa and the watered down white glue.. like separation and "curdling"... I want to try with "mod podge" though... The Modelling compound takes up to 48 hours to dry depending on how thick the mass is.

[@Bunyip_Studios]

Sand Blasting 320 grit Aluminium Oxide makes a good scale dirt, more in scale than sand

[@PrimarchMoppel]

14:30 Oddly specific warning 😂

[@52Miniatures]

You have been warned!

[@NidarosLP]

Hey! Really like your videos! As a fellow Swede I do find it difficult to find XPS that is thinner than 20mm, I guess that is the nature of insulation in our climate. In this video you mention foam core, where in Sweden do you get that material from, and what is it called in Swedish?

[@52Miniatures]

Hej! Det kallas för "Kapa skiva" eller "stark och lätt" eller "Cellpanå". Googla kapa skiva så går det nog bra. Se upp för det med klister på ena sidan - i alla fall för det här ändamålet.

[@NidarosLP]

@@52Miniatures Suveränt! Tack så mycket för informationen :)

[@matthewc6752]

I like your building

[@52Miniatures]

Thanks!

[@tBauncer]

❤

[@RobinPortnoff]

Snyggt! Alex, var hittar du sån där bra foam core med avtagbart papper? Den enda foam core jag hittar i stan är tunnt skitpapper som bara rivs sönder när man försöker pilla bort det...

[@52Miniatures]

Tack! Jag tror jag köpte den på kreatima, men jag minns inte exakt

[@RobinPortnoff]

@@52Miniatures Tackar! Ska kika in Kreatima.

[@52Miniatures]

@@RobinPortnoff Akta dig för sånt som har "limm" på ena sidan. Altså som typ dubbelhäftande tejp.

[@tinemaertens6663]

Looking great !!! you don't need any help ;-)

[@52Miniatures]

Hah! Thanks! Probably one day I will!

[@Joetime90]

Wonder if this would work with Kill Team

[@52Miniatures]

Probably!

[@Kitbash.Carnage]

❤️🤘🔥

[@Miniscape-wh40k]

Your voice is silk

[@lovecontemplation8607]

Wear the mask when using tile grout

[@artemispender8083]

You should really be wearing a mask when working with grout, the particles are really small.

[@thrrax]

The end result is simple, the process... not so much.

[@52Miniatures]

give me a simpler idea please

[@Botjer1]

Your technique for cutting foam is so bloody dangerous...

[@52Miniatures]

I’m still alive

[@sethrose9534]

I'm not a table top war gamer (yet) but I like fun hobby projects and I've always wanted to build a 1:24 scale building with actual building techniques then destroy it and see how it looked as a table top piece

[@52Miniatures]

🤯

[@josephp4031]

4:26 Please don't cut towards your hand.

[@52Miniatures]

You can probably not see it from that angle but the knife is not level with my hand, there’s plenty of foam in the way. I appreciate your concern but I’m doing fine in the knife department

[@stonelion99]

This advice is great for beginners, but for someone with a lot of experience, cutting towards you (when done correctly) gives you significantly more control, and as long as you're aware where the knife will go if the resistance suddenly goes away, it's safer.

[@fischziege]

Amazing.

[@52Miniatures]

Glad you think so!