How to make cheap and easy ponds

[@Jbay2608]

"Get yourself a brew", finally art advice I can actually follow.

[@barryslemmings31]

I use clear glue (UHU, etc) to stick thick string or twine around the lip of the pond. Tack glue several spots to suit you and leave to dry. When this has set solid, re-glue the entire length with thick water-based PVA (white glue) and leave to dry. Next a coat of thin PVA on the rest of the MDF is followed by the filler, plaster, sand, etc to create the bank outside and the pond bottom. If you work a thin PVA/plaster mixture along the string itself it totally disappears and any hairs in the glue stick down. Acrylic wool might also work. If one length is not enough, place a second or third length later to build up the bank in height. I use no DAS and thus have no problems with DAS either cracking or coming off. The glued down string NEVER shifts. It is rock solid forever. String comes in various thicknesses and you can adjust for scale. I use relatively thin stuff as I wargame in 15mm or 1/100th scale. I would avoid the coarse and hairy sisal twine. For water I mostly use old varnish poured over paint and flock. The varnish is poured in as a layer of a couple of millimetres deep and is left to dry and contract over two or three days. I have been lucky as mine has rippled on drying and looks quite natural enough. You could colour the varnish with a little suitable paint (water based for acrylic varnish and oils or Humbrol for polyurethane varnish) but I have never bothered as I find the pre-painted pond bottom gives enough colour. Make the colours darker in the centre as the water will be deeper. Browns and mud in the shallows is OK, blue and green in the deeper water. Remember that water will reflect the sky so blues or bluey/green can work. You can place a little contrasting deep green flock into the pond bottom before you pour the varnish to act as underwater weeds or algae. You could also put in garden twigs to simulate drift wood or fallen trees. Glue everything down before you pour as it WILL float off otherwise! :) After pouring and setting the varnish, further small amounts of flock can go ON the final surface as weeds that have come through the surface. Do these in lighter colours to contrast any darker ones under the surface. Also… if your final thin pour is not to your liking, give it time and put another pour on top of it. This should smooth the surface. To prevent the final pour reacting use another varnish type. So if you started with polyurethane, switch to acrylic or visa versa. You can control the gloss on the water by choosing which varnish you use for the pour gloss, satin or matt. Personally I use polyurethane gloss varnish. Remember also that if you do not like the reflectivity of the final version then there is nothing to stop you applying another thin coat of varnish or medium using a brush or a spray. You could gloss varnish your satin or matt 'water'. B

[@robe7836]

I don't play tabletops, nor do I have any interest in doing so. That being said, I love your videos. You do some really awesome things.

[@anomalychasing5383]

Half a decade later you still helping. Just retired and started models - Trying this tomorrow thank you.

[@ordua9565]

I've been into tabletop games for a while now, and seeing this makes me love them even more. You're so talented at this.

[@Mydadsshed]

An oldie, but still helping people. Thanks. Im Doing this tomorrow just like you showed. Thanks again. Happy retirement man.

[@tomatoes3]

Like your easy style of narration Luke, always good to see what your up too .A very helpful video .

[@MasterCrafted]

"Needs a couple more drops of ink" SQUEEZE

[@Mtaalas]

DAS doesn't properly adhere to a surface unless you wet the surface first. Even if it seemingly does, you get much better results with some water.

[@johnkennedyk522]

I'm new to your channel but I've been into train layouts for a while. I like the way you do things. keep up the good work.

[@Greentreeanduril]

Another great vid, while I'm here just thought I'd say thanks for the Dark ops vids, I wouldn't of known about them without your channel and I just bought a load of stuff from them, in the Black Friday sale, 30% off. Cheers mate.

[@WAVP371]

I like it... Can't wait to try it myself...

[@Trexpass]

I never cared about tabletop games and I never will but this looks amazing, I just want it on my shelf...

[@lucychild6347]

Great tutorial Luke. My boyfriend is about to try and make some for my sylvaneth by using this vid. Thanks

[@sedeslasedeslarson9655]

I know these tutorials are for gaming sets but I really like your videos, and I've been thinking about making some pieces just as display items because the methods end up looking so spectacular.

[@lancerd4934]

They tend to look best with some point of focus like a figure or vehicle though. I once incorporated a destroyed cannon into a piece of snow terrain for example and it really helped set it off and give it some extra interest. You have to ask, why am I choosing to depict _this_ specific hill, why _this_ forest, why _this_ swamp? Even if you never game with it, dynamic elements like these can answer that question, give the piece a sense of narrative, and create a purpose for its existence as a display piece.

[@sedeslasedeslarson9655]

That's really good advice, thanks!

[@bewilderbeastie8899]

Definitely going to use this technique for the diorama I want to make!

[@DollhouseDelightsbyMandy]

Hi i do dollhouses and working on a pond for a 1.24 scale house and came across this video, i noted that at 4.49 on the right hand side behind you, are those trees on the shelf? if so have you a link to making them and the foilage as i have two trees i am working on at the same time. I am truly enjoying watching you make these, where in the UK can one get scenic grass and the static grass machine as i would be keen to try this on future projects. Thank you

[@pheagol]

I would like to know what kind of clay that is you used. Thanks for the great tutorial.

[@pheagol]

Lukes Aps sorry and thanks. It is a second language and with product names it's another issue.

[@pheagol]

Danke, Kollege. ;)

[@cedricmrctheshooter7744]

You do really beautiful things

[@IDICBeer]

Nice one mate, thanks for sharing

[@elliot2294]

Just found your videos, they're good

[@encore4625]

How do you stick down small rocks? Would you use PVA glue?

[@Snoeaengel]

Hey Luke, great video as usual! What is the technical term for the clay stuff you use, Bast? If I ask for bast in Sweden I get a bunch of straw. Cheers

[@MietteJB]

Have you made a video on how to put fish into the resin with the water?

[@0NauGhT0]

What's the video called about making those awesome trees?? Loving this stuff

[@pauld5818]

i was wondering after watching this,have you ever tried the old method of using wood varnish for rivers,lakes etc ?as i find the commercial scenic water v expensive if doing a large area to cover

[@Johny40Se7en]

What's the name for the resin and catalyst you use to make the water?

[@joschateichmann1065]

What should one look for in casting resins whilst trying to recreate your ponds? Im trying to figure out what to buy from Amazon ^^

[@jonwilson6616]

hi luke great tutorial. could you let me know what resin it was you used and where I can get it please?

[@Vemrah]

just landed here ... great .. channel .. awesome videos .. so fun to watch .. !

[@DARTHSTR1FE]

Hey man, love your videos, am going to attempt some terrain based on what I've seen from you for D&D and Warhammer 40k

[@bugdoc2540]

Great stuff Luke. What do I have to coat foam insulation with before painting and adding resin? Thanks

[@Grimlore82]

I am very thankful I have found your videos. The more wisdom the better, and Luke, thank you for contributing to this incredible global crafting/gaming community! I have to inquire though, is there any crafters you watch? I started with DM Scotty, then found the DMG, Black Magic Craft, etc.

[@Grimlore82]

Like social media, it really become a cess pool with much haste! Best to keep it to crafting videos, lol.

[@quike1987]

Could you please tell me what's the both materials you mix with the brown ink??? Thanks !

[@averyfinewoman]

Hey, thanks for all the info, you have been super helpful. That said...I need some help! I’m not a gamer, but a miniaturist specializing in houses/buildings. Anyway, I need to make a flooded basement and don’t know which medium to use. Leaning towards silicone but could use some ideas.

[@loupiscanis9449]

nicly done Luke , left a lick on the thumb, and now am off out to tell all my friends about ya , ( That will prolly take at least 4 mins , hehe , just me and Golum) ;-) .

[@Designs033]

doesnt das clay break if drying?

[@tamilvananmariyayya2913]

Super bro

[@bryngaines6033]

What did he use for the base? Was it wood?

[@nadia-castillo]

I've been working with DAS and JAVI and I cannot get to stick well to the cardboard, mdf, cartoon...... They both cracks and separate from mdf ... What do you do????

[@trippinballs101]

why do none of the models i see never have any actual water running. Im currently making a running river model but it looks like im the only one who is trying it because there isnt any videos on it

[@FrostandFists]

Awesome video, Luke! ~ Wolf-brother Methos

[@hl1796]

does it much different to make oasis using the same trick Luke ?

[@kielhawkins9529]

What thickness of MDF are you using for the base?

[@SER475]

Is there a list of materials used?

[@ronniehumphries4423]

Thanks for this idea!!

[@tupvtamadrexdu3636]

can i find the water effect in eBay ?

[@wolowizard4441]

How thick is the MDF board Luke? :) Is that like 3mm?

[@wolowizard4441]

@@GeekGamingScenics Cheers pal. I want to try this! How can the base be sanded? Similar to the GW citadel sand they used to sell? Is there a good substitute on your site? :) I'm having a browse now but I can't find anything that might work, unless I'm being dumb!

[@josefpolesny321]

Heey ! :) i am not very good at English can you write me what is that liquid which u make the water ? :) i cant understand u if u said what is it.. :( i want start with making this scenerys too.. :) thank you for answer... :) Joseph...

[@roguishowl3915]

G'day Luke, quick question with the installation foam, can you sand it, for when you want to do coloumns or circular items... sorry if this sounds like a dumb question.

[@roguishowl3915]

Lukes Aps cheers mate for the reply, I will check that vid out.

[@powerfulbandolin]

I know you said the name of the resin, but do you have a link, I can't seem to find it

[@markjondavies]

Great work there :-) just have a question towards CFS 5kg resin! You used clear cast resin. There is general purpose resin from CFS aswell, which one would you advise to use or are both the same?

[@markjondavies]

Cheers mate, will do that. Have to order it from UK to Germany cause there are no CFS products here. I like your channel and have suscribed it :-)

[@Purvi71237]

what is a white stuff ?

[@daveolliemetalhead]

Nice

[@rnf2203]

Do you sell them ?

[@joschateichmann1065]

Dude I love how you're pumping out video after video :D

[@simposayerman]

What's the name of the resin?

[@daveyadams3398]

Excellent

[@Philionaire123]

Great vid

[@AZornumbers09able]

What brand of inks do you use? I've never used any so i'm having a difficult time finding them

[@AZornumbers09able]

Thank you

[@albertog.8001]

Awesome pond! I would make the water a little bit more clear, not so muddy. But anyway, it's all about personal preferences and this pond you did is absolutely amazing. Congrats and keep on doing such a cool videos! Cheers mate

[@offthemids241]

What is this all for in detail?

[@offthemids241]

Alright I'll look it up

[@offthemids241]

Lukes Aps I have a feeling this would work good for model train sets and stuff it you blend the prices together and use terrain peices

[@offthemids241]

Lukes Aps peices*

[@nitrojuicezallll]

When is that painting video coming mate? :)

[@nitrojuicezallll]

Lukes Aps, the painting ponds one?

[@nitrojuicezallll]

Looking forward to it. I have my walls done and based. Waiting on how to paint it up. New to the hobby, your videos are most helpful

[@seangere9698]

I don't get why so many people spend so much time on a river, lake, pond bed then cover up 90% of the details with 5-10% clarity brown or green resin. At that point you might as well only do a centimeter, half inch, of detail from the shoreline stretching into the water because after that the only thing you really see is larger rocks, twigs, or plants. Yes I understand it makes it look natural but there's plenty of completely clear lakes, ponds, and really slow moving rivers around the world.

[@terrain-hardy]

Great vid,,, that's looking really good. Are you using you'r Ipad as camera ? thanks for showing, and keep up the good work

[@terrain-hardy]

danm .. they are expensive ... far beyond my budget ;-)

[@terrain-hardy]

Ty ... ;-)

[@clairebrown9044]

TERRAIN HARDY he has a girlfriend who dished out to but him it!

I have fond your videos by accident. And what you are making is awesome. I have one idea for you. I sew few videos of making water efects and seems like your working table is not level :)

[@cosmadrago]

Is this non-toxic?

[@shamssanam9888]

beautiful

[@tomtripp5417]

Young Luke 😂🙌

[@dinosathyan1369]

I'm the 10000 subscriber

[@Burning_Phoenix1]

You are amazing

[@bezalel5421]

Nice video. I recommend to wear gloves (medical gloves) for different reasons: The hands don't get so dirty, you don't leave fingerprints on the clay and it can be very unhealthy, when using stuff like this (or green stuff, Milliput, etc.).

[@bezalel5421]

***** Of course when you put sand and flocking on it, fingerprints don't matter, but if the clay will be visible it does. DAS clay shouldn't have any poisonous "ingredients", but I am generally careful, when it comes to use stuff, which sticks to the skin and can be absorbed into the body. Greenstuff for example has Bisphenol in it, which can have very bad effects on the body, if absorbed.

[@denvercarron1067]

Might be a good idea to let your viewers know about using resin safely? From the looks of the catalyst bottle you are using a polyester resin as opposed to an epoxy resin, which is a far more dangerous resin to use. Under no circumstances should minors be using polyester resins. You will notice the catalyst bottle is a squeeze type bottle that only allows you to pour the exact amount? There's a reason for this, the catalyst is extremely dangerous if used incorrectly. Polyester resins go off (harden) by creating heat (much like plaster and concrete) too much catalyst will cause the resin to overheat and sometimes self combust. I used to be a mould maker in the stop motion animation and film industry and we tried an experiment with it (in a professional sculpting studio with all the appropriate safety equipment at our disposal) too see how long it would take to catch fire. Not long at all! It began cracking, then smoking, then burst into flames. It is also important (more so in fact) to wear eye protection when mixing as the catalyst will literally burn through your eye if even a small drop goes into it. Sounds like an exaggeration but it can happen, these are the reason why the catalyst comes in this squeeze type of bottle. Epoxy resin despite having very heavy fumes and needing a good 24hrs to cure is much safer to use and store.

[@denvercarron1067]

Luke I don't doubt you are careful and know what you are doing, truth be told your technique is fantastic and you know what you are doing it was more a warning for younger viewers about some of the materials used. Hope you did not take my comments as an attack it was not meant to be. Keep up the great work one of the best sites on the subject. Cheers

[@jlewis300]

Hi Luke. Just a materials "breadcrumb". I saw you try out some acrylic powder in one video but it was a not terribly sucessful there. Something to consider is Acrylic "Dipping Powder" for something called Dip Polish for nails (www.kiarasky.com/blog/benefits-of-dip-powder/). It mixes well in simple nail gel glue (www.sallybeauty.com/nails/acrylic-nails/brush-on-nail-glue/SBS-647200.html) rather than requiring a catalyst like te powder used for proper acrylic nails, I use it for all kinds of Not Manicure things lol.

[@MikeThomasRailRoadOverhaul]

Why not just a piece of foam

[@MikeThomasRailRoadOverhaul]

Very true

[@GreraltOfRivia]

Come back Luke, we miss you.

[@lpmorgan90]

You're using resin without hardener? no wonder it takes so long to set... I fiberglass resin, dries clear and dries quick... 3% hardener would have the resin set within an hour...

[@danbuman5726]

This would be a good technique for river sections as well.

[@Joshua-hz3cl]

"Couple more drops" squirts half the bottle in

[@khanikhani7517]

Glue name

[@kungpochopedtuna]

Dont forget to stir for 20 grams!

[@Mungsy]

"mmmmmmmmkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy"

[@stuarttaylor3567]

your ears look sore pal! do they not hurt? I stretched one of my ears to about 10mm in 4 weeks and that fucking hurt, constantly!! took it out in the end. thankfully because it was only a 10mm hole it healed up quite good. I've got about a 1mm hole now if I pull my ear. what are yours. about 45-50 ?

[@stuarttaylor3567]

like your vids too, didn't mention that before lol👍👍

[@stuarttaylor3567]

haha, that's where I went wrong then lol. but I found that those spikes never stayed in well and always, always, came out when I slept. do you just do warhammer and terrain? or do you build and paint vehicles and people as well? I used to collect warhammer 40k when I was younger, only too paint the models though, never played the game, looked too bloody complicated! especially with those 300 sided dice, well maybe not 300, but a lot. I ended up selling it all when I was about 17. I'm 34 now. About 2 months ago my dad was clearing out his loft at home and handed me an old, un made, airfix model. since then I've been hooked on building again. can't believe all the tools, equipment, accessories, paint, etc there is available now! there was only humbrol and citidel paints available back then to my recollection! I'm in the process of learning again lol. keep up the good work. 👍👍

[@midwesternexplorer9339]

Gonna be honest but I dont like the brown water. I perfer blue.

[@jonwilson6616]

never mind I read on and found my answer : )

[@shahinaparveen4184]

7:2

[@spencerwhiteman7585]

is he watching a tutorial

[@BlackJackLegacy]

Do you mean on his phone? No thats the GoPro app which shows what the camera is videoing.

[@susansran4541]

Baaaaaaad

[@deca8000]

Your ears ???????

[@asunayuki5615]

This “ok“ always and in every video is very anoying 😅

[@corvusboreus2072]

Okay.

[@virat___virat]

Hindi language sik