Acrylic Caulking? A new terrain ground material?

[@terrain4print]

Great test Mel. One thing to think about is that when you shop. Make sure to check if the caulk is paintable. Some are and some are NOT. :-) They also have different elasticity. I found that the best is the cheapest from bauhaus. Also, when I make battle mats, I start with a very thin layer to sink into the fabric and harden it before I put down the thick layer that I shape.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Paintable and solvent free are on the checklist bud. Interesting, how do you find the binding between the layers?

[@terrain4print]

It's very sticky so the binding is good. I roll them up on a big cardboard tube and it works great. But my paint job isn't that good. :-)

[@gamezdude5544]

Good stuff Mel! Ive been looking into this but needed to see the results live. I was recommended this stuff when I asked in your sunday nighter about snow mats. I will be keeping a sharp eye on this project. Cheers!

[@AlfonsoTheTraitor]

Once again you have done a bang up review. I really like how you are using different materials on your test subject. I think that other reviewers need to take a page from your book. Thank you for your hard work I really enjoy what you are doing. Best of Luck!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Cheers bud

[@rcdetails2173]

Hi Mel! Another crackin' vid! You've brought my scenery skills a great distance forward with your amazing uploads! I appreciate your methodical approach. Very thorough and informative all round!! Cheers Mate!

[@popofabulous]

Just stopping by to say I love your channel. Keep up the amazing work.

[@johnkelley9877]

Good test! I think you covered everything as far a paint, ground cover and overall texture. I learned quite a bit and enjoyed the tutorial very much.

[@Fpinne]

This is *so* awesome! It saved me a whole lot of time of experimenting. Based my whole army of WH Stormcasts with a combination of slate and this stuff. Thank you Mel!!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Awesome sauce mate

[@IDICBeer]

Great testing Mel, interesting results

[@tiny_worlds]

Great stuff as always Mel. Next test should be brown paint, caulk and grit on fabric base to see how that goes.

[@Eduardoalbaladejomendez]

I like the results. I'll try with this material.Thanks for the idea,mate.

[@andrewtippman]

This is PERFECT for the amateur wargamer like me - thanks! The "grit" result is very interesting as my next terrain project is 6mm ruined city. Filler + grit mix might be fun...

[@58Kym]

I wonder if you laid it on a teflon baking mat (or maybe a silicone baking mat) and let it dry, it should peel off very very easily. Ready to roll up maybe?

[@jamesevans886]

Interesting stuff Mel. PVA with this I would imagine it would bring its bad habit of shrinkage with it. Adding in filler picked my interest. I believe you have found a new rock face sculpting material. I think it would be more chip resistant than filler alone.What stands out most for me about caulking is its application in making flexible bases for scatter and small scenery bases. I would wrap the board in cling wrap before laying down the caulking so it would come straight off. It looks like acrylic caulking mixes with anything so I would be reluctant to use liquid release agents. I would mix builders pigments rather than paint as a very small amount goes a long way. For a battle mat it would be interesting to do a test to see if it mixes with liquid latex to increase its flexibility and a long life of being continually rolled up.All up this has opened the door to a realm of possibilities. So thanks Mel for another great lab.

[@igelkott255]

Thanks for the test.... I've been using baking soda to get a really fine texture on my bases, so I'm wondering if mixing caulk and baking soda would work and then adding water to make it easier to apply and then spread it on a strip of canvas to make a nice paved road?

[@atomstrom]

Cheers Count Splatula for the test. It kinda fortified my oppinion that I don't really have a use for the caulking in relation to the hobby, at least if it doesn't turn out to work that good on a gaming mat, that I would want to do one for X-Wing. But then I'd have to make an even surface and paint it with nitro based spraypaint. That would have interested me btw., how does the caulking react with common solvents like Isopropyl or White Spirit f.e.? And as PVA and Super Glue mix to funny results, that would have been a thing I'd checked on the side. But that's just personal interest, you've done well as it is, mate.

[@petertough7074]

I've done my board with caulk by stippling it with the rough side of a dish washing sponge. I didn't want to use sand as I think it's too rough while this is a bit softer on models and books. the other benefit is you can sculpt it a little bit as I did some cracked earth patches on mine. (still need time to paint the darn thing though ;-)

[@billd.iniowa2263]

Good lab Mel. mats are becoming quite popular lately it seems. Good for pick-up games at the club I imagine. Roll it out, set the buildings on. and start playing. My only worry would be the re-playability. But as long as you didnt get too specific and stuck to just light scatter it should be ok.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Seems the way to go mate

[@dave_s_vids]

Interesting stuff, thanks Mel!

[@markwlewisonutube]

Nice job. I don't make terrains, but the way you did test this was still quite valuable. Interestingly, I am probably most interested in the caulk/water mix? For some of the stuff I work on, it could prove helpful. In the terrain world, I think the water mix might be good if one is using styrofoam to make things that would normally have a smooth appearance, like the skin on a building. That mix would coat the texture of the styrofoam to hide the beads, for instance? It looks like it could stand in for poured concrete? Like on a "bunker." Or if you wanted to use some thin ply but not have the grain of the ply be an issue? Just spit balling.

[@StMansur]

Awesome work, as always. Perhaps the water mix with a little blue tint for some cheap water?

[@JackSargePainting]

Also found that interesting, not only for whole mats for table, but also for smaller scatter terrain items that can benefit from being lightweight & flexible. Is there an optimal fabric to apply the caulking to? Could a bed-sheet be used, our does it need to be canvas or felt? As long as the overall cost is cheaper than commercially available gaming mats, I think it's a great idea.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

type of fabrics is in the next batch of tests mate ;-)

[@richardleclercq102]

What are you using for grit? Have you had any issues with shrinkage? I can see making roads and rivers by covering fabric with caulk then painting it.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

No issues as of yet but still playing

[@Archeopterix2680]

Hi Mel..thanks for the test results here. I do alot of experimenting with different materials and techniques and its nice to have new insights. Had a quick question: what is epvc? Is it a form of polyvinyl chloride? I've begun using alot of pvc pipe plastic split and heat flattened in my projects so I'm curious about that..Thanks again as always. Much appreciated!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Yes mate, it's used mainly in signage with the print industry

[@kristadisgumundsdottir3658]

Would adding a colour / dye to the water mixture work fine for making a pool of water or green goo if that is your fancy ? :)

[@zakhoskins6404]

Do you think it would be possible to use the fabric with something like the Vallejo Water Effects? Didn't know how the stiffness of that compared to the caulking, or whether the crests on the waves would be too tall to roll up effectively.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Genius! Defo on the list now!

[@zakhoskins6404]

TheTerrainTutor I eagerly await your experiment. Thanks for all the other fantastic vids as well.

[@ellagrant6190]

Nice video Mel. Are you going to do a few tests in regards to texturing the caulk?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

oh yes

[@camy252camy3]

Nice TV!

[@bageldrone]

Did you try the grit/caulking mix on cloth? Or would gluing the grit on afterwards be more resilient to cracking?

[@markwlewisonutube]

I think you are thinking, Mike. It seems to me that if you put the grit on in the "second" coat, by lifting the grit from the surface, rolling might be easier. Problem: most of these caulks don't stick to themselves very well, once dry. One gambit might be to apply the caulk, let it set for a given time, then sprinkle on grit but don't mash it down more than necessary to keep from making a hard "skin" on the fabric. Gluing "to" this material is something that might need a test or two. Caulk is designed to be "slippery" so glue may need to be a "body" type of adhesive, not a watery one?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Working on the second set of experiments next week bud

[@bageldrone]

+TheTerrainTutor awesome, I look forward to watching it :)

[@IshanDeston]

Have you tried the watered down caulking instead of filler, to close gaps and whatnot? I would imagine the flexibility to be useful on the plastic plants, maybe when doing big trees and such. You mentioned DMScotty/DMCraft once.. he had those big trees with the flexible plastic limbs and i think the watered down caulking could be used there.. instead of filler.. where it has to flex, you know? To bad you did the further tests with the epvc... i would have loved to see the tests with the filler mix on the canvas.. seeing if it retains the flexibility or does it break when its mixed with grit on canvas.. also what Pva glue does when on canvas.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

I've tried watering down caulking, not effective at all to be honest. Same with mixing filler in, loses it's flexibility mate

[@IshanDeston]

Aww that is a bumer. I thought it might be worth a try for barking on wire trees or something like that. You could have applied it, gave some strength to the more detailed ones. Anyway, i am super thankful for your tests :)

[@braggminiaturesAnthonyBragg]

Personally from past experience I would never use acrylic caulking in terrain building and is banned from my studio.The main reason is shrinkage , shrinkage and shrinkage especially over a couple of months after application. Hate the stuff with a passion however it does have one good use and that is the flexible mat idea that Mel is exploring .So good luck with the mat Mel.

[@markwlewisonutube]

If your experience is several years hence, I think you will find a whole new world of materials. Shrinkage isn't nearly the problem of the past and within all the choices there are solutions to most past issues, tho possibly not within one tube? But the choices now are staggering?

[@braggminiaturesAnthonyBragg]

+Mark Lewis yeah bud ,I have tried numerous tubes over several years and never happy with results .It is just a personnel thing in which I need to know that when a piece of terrain leaves the studio that any possible future issues are kept to a minimum.This is were we enter the realms of how we all have likes and dislikes of certain products .

[@TheTerrainTutor]

that bad hey bud?

[@braggminiaturesAnthonyBragg]

+TheTerrainTutor OH YES

[@TheTerrainTutor]

noted ;-)

[@mattosborn9619]

heres an idea mel with the peeling effect you were after. perhaps use greaseproof paper. or maybe some greaseproof paper with some oil. olive vegetable or possibly baby oil. only use the oil if it doesn't peel without. could be another lab test for you.

[@markwlewisonutube]

I would discourage using one-off materials with acrylic materials. My experiences tell me that sometimes a tiny bit of material that is "incompatible" with the caulk can cause it to never harden. I would think baby oil would work, but would probably not try organic oils as they are not "mono" products, but have many organic components as well as the "oil" that you are using. I have had many different types of acrylic finishes develop problems in mixture with other seemingly benign materials in some of my art pieces. Sometimes I just did something to "harden" it and the result, good, bad or ugly, becomes part of the esthetic. Sometimes, I had to refinish or remove problems. But if I was trying to control what I was doing using any acrylic material that dries by polymerization (most) I would be cautious about anything getting in the mix that would contaminate it and prevent polymerization. Again, this is only a problem if you want to know what you will get, I guess, but I assume that goal as a starting point, for my discussion? The materials that Mel used are all pretty inert chemically, so the results were quantifiable. For comparison, he could have used some garden dirt in place of the grit, but there could easily be a contaminant in dirt that would be a problem when mixed with it. The grit is inert, so predictable. So it was a better choice, in my opinion. I would watch what I put into any acrylic that hardens by polymerizing, so I don't wind up with a scraper, scraping it all off later.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

I think now you put the science in, we had that with the pva and caulking mix mate. Thanks for the insight bud, it's helped my thought/evaluation process greatly!

[@markwlewisonutube]

Yeah, I would have guessed that. I find that the most sensitive material to inclusions is two part polyester resin. If I had back one minute for every five I have spend cleaning out a poly MESS after a seemingly logical inclusion causes the hardening process to abort...! And cleaning up the mess is a pain too! It seems it won't harden in "use" but happily hardens on tools and hands while cleaning it out! What a pain! No solvent is really strong enough! My recommendation: skip the polyester two part and go epoxy 2 part instead. You can add almost anything to epoxy and it won't mess up the hardening, unlike poly!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Mark Lewis thanks for the heads up mate!

[@billpenney8767]

Acrylic caulking was the Kamloopian's secret weapon for terrain texture.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

I should checkout his vids, got a link to the texture one?

[@billpenney8767]

Kamloopian.com he seems to be retired as his videos are now dated. Quintessential Canadian in my opinion. Sorry for the late reply (hunting season has started!)

[@robot7759]

Green stuff! 👍😸

[@redgreen09]

good demo will look up thanks ;;;;;]]] will see more

[@DarkAcolon]

Mel english is not my first language what is this grit that you use to mix on the second test? Is it sand?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

course / rough / slightly bigger sand mate

[@carlpeachey484]

For a standard tub of Caulking or Acrylic Filler, how much coverage do you get for a battle map?

[@TheTerrainTutor]

4 tubes for a 6x4 mate

[@carlpeachey484]

appreciated

[@richardbryant2380]

In the US, Acrylic Caulking comes in several colors. I use the brown straight from the tube to coat strips of naugahide the mark them up to look like tanks or trucks have used them. They are extremely flexible and durable. See examples on my blog at : mgluteus.blogspot.com/ You can enlarge the photos to see the roads clearer. Dick Bryant

[@Kinnamon100]

if you add cornstarch you may be able to mold it.

[@WornyTheHun]

Im using this material sivce years. Its werry useful.Its cheap and you can use it for anithing! You wil see the thick soft parts wil harden in a few days. It wil stil be elastic. You can use it as white paint or glue. Its good for coating styrofoam to make it strong. I ewen make miniatures from it! The trick for that is flower or some other dust to make it les sticky.

[@frummitsergy1065]

does the caulking become brittle and stiff over time (ie: months)?

[@WornyTheHun]

It becomes hard ower a few days/ weeks.

[@bradyinman6588]

in the second test, what do you mean by grit?

[@bradyinman6588]

and what was the material you used, tarpaulin, canvas, what? I want to make a few battle mats and flexibility was the biggest concern and I believe you may have something here.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

coarse sand, almost small rocks

[@TheTerrainTutor]

just cloth, dress cloth to be specific

[@bradyinman6588]

Thank you. I can't wait for the next video about this stuff

[@AddictedAnew]

Use wax paper I order for it to peel off cleanly, maybe.

[@TheTerrainTutor]

we'll give it a try!

[@suplex1701]

I use filler, ya Is it better than the others? ya Caulking is interesting ya? Grits good to ya? .... ya?