Plastic Bag Terrain! Making Stalagmites with Garbage

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

What a poopy looking build.

[@tabletopbastler1288]

The term "LMAO" gets a totally new meaning in this context. :-D

[@noodlesgamebox5903]

@@tabletopbastler1288 oh jeez

[@rolypoly9615]

Howd you make those spiders???

[@jameshicks3046]

New way to make DM Scotty’s dinosaur poop lol

[@jeffhreid]

This wasn’t the best build but was a very entertaining video. The whole poop vibe the oven mits, the wash. Had me laughing. Love the creative effort. Keep up the good stuff. A well deserved like!

[@alphasharp]

It looks kinda organic to me - with the wash you have it it reminds me of a gnarly old evil tree; with a flesh paint and blood wash or would look like something out of a horror movie.

[@thejonathan130]

there's a guy on KZbin did exactly that

[@thejonathan130]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/boTMfoald5x9o9U

[@jonathantillian6528]

I was actually thinking about making like a Great Old One or some kind of Swamp Thing type monster out of it.

[@d6HitDice]

@@thejonathan130 Not exactly. He didn't use this technique to actually make the tree, just to pattern the clay for the ground

[@jodamnboi]

I think you could very easily make it into a roper! For reference: forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Roper

[@markfergerson2145]

I worked in the plastics industry for a while. Those bags are ployethylene which melts around 420F but starts softening ~300F and starts fusing to itself (not quite melting) around 350F (ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE BALLPARK BECAUSE THE PRECISE FORMULATIONS VARY FROM SUPPLIER TO SUPPLIER). A blow dryer can get those bags good and soft and start them fusing, but you'll be better off with thin layers than trying to fuse whole bags as you did. Yes, that means you can twist up and pin stalagmites or whatever and bake them in a pre heated toaster oven (preferably outdoors, preferably one dedicated to crafts, never used for food) for five, maybe ten minutes. Keep an eye on them to prevent outright melting and just shut off the oven and open the door to let them cool and set. Gotta love it when an experiment actually works, man!

[@FirstThenLast13]

I think 2 things: 1. A cheaper, thinner plastic bag may work better. Like, the crappier the better. The ones you used looked to be heavier weight. 2. Heatshrinking bags would likely work better as skin over armatures than as the "body" of the object. Bags over a wire or wood armature could create some definite feelings of skin or goo.

[@CaptIronfoundersson]

He shops at the dollar store all the time. I bet their bags are really thin and cheaply made.

[@incognitoatunknown2702]

I'm thinking Dollarama or Walmart bags.

[@ericmueller6836]

Those bags look to be HDPE. The same material milk jugs are made of. Those cheapo bags may not be as forgiving and durable.

[@alexanderlicentia5265]

I've seen microwaving glue 30 seconds create similar results on a smaller scale, used on some Nurgle miniatures.

[@ldyjewell]

I agree on the armature. Was thinking the same. If you wanna keep with the recycling theme, use a plastic straw or coffee stirrer as the center. Wires would work to make dead tree trunks with branches. Pop some 🖇 clips open and stick them on an old cork as the base with some hot glue, then wrap with bags. For small branches, flatten out a bag and cut strips.

[@howardnenno1806]

Just a precaution, melting plastic, depending on the type of plastic, produces some very toxic fumes. Not a bad idea to wear the same mask you would when spray painting.

[@nhear001]

It’s the chemicals you can’t smell that’ll kill ya.

[@markhayes789]

I'm thinking about some kind of dead tree or something. That's a gnarly surface. Thumbs up, bud!

[@alexiliffe5230]

I was thinking the exact same thing. Maybe start with a simple wire armature and build up around that. Even the same paint job would work perfectly for that. Definitely some proper gloves though!

[@Tape30]

I've used this technique before for props; it's better to make a base shape out of tinfoil and tape, before melting/wrapping the plastic on top! 😁

[@thruxus]

Thats what I was thinking, make a template using the foil and then melt the plastic bags around it.

[@nekrataali]

Have you tried cutting the plastic into strips then used it like you would paper mache? The tinfoil and tape seems like it'd solve a lot of problems because you could pin pieces in place.

[@RoseWaltz]

wouldnt the tinfoil get really hot? does it change how the plastic melts?

[@Tape30]

@@RoseWaltz Never been an issue for me 🤷 But then again, the top layer of the finished base is mostly tape when I do it

[@CMDR_Scorpion]

I love the idea of this........ also thinking laying plastic bags on top of some rough cut terrain to look like lava ....possibly? Brilliant!

[@ShakeRogue]

I think you need a marble slab for hearting such things. I use one all the time to heat cellophane for various effects. Also, Harbor Freight usually has inexpensive gloves for welding, and are thus good for hot items.

[@wadenvern]

Looks a lot like a yochol. I've tried paper mache and toilet paper over an xps core with excellent results...i know the us of plastic was planned, but if you're going for realism, ya can't beat the paper mache. Keep up the stellar work!!

[@VylyskaTechkov]

If you did a red wash using a brush to paint it on in certain areas, and then some earthy greens, and maybe ochre yellows, it could look like some kind of pod that hasn't hatched yet. Or even press some tiny faces into it and hands to make one of those Hell Raiser type configurations.... Cool Video.

[@karlashley8680]

Surprised you didn't just use tongs or pliers or something to hold it. Or some form of sculpting tool. Also for anyone looking for a better heatproof surface, probably a smooth tile would work well. Smooth, flat, and heat proof well past the temperatures you're working with. Off the top of my head, heatguns will do 100 C up to about 700 C - enough to help loosen rusted bolts, let alone melt plastic. Plastic cutting boards aren't going to stand a chance against one. For using a hair dryer, they mostly top out at 60, maybe 65 C - hot, but youll get hotter in front of an open oven than with one pointed directly at something. I know you can use them to slightly rebend plastic glasses frames, but that's making something a bit more pliable, not fully melting it.

[@DaleyKreations]

I work with thermoplastics like Worbla all the time. Heat resistant gloves are indeed a god-send. A good heat proof set-up is a silicone baking mat on top of a wooden cutting board. You can also make a makeshift heat proof board by wrapping heating duct aluminium tape around a piece of foam core. Just don't concentrate the heat gun too much in one spot.

[@stevenwestfall7638]

Looks like a perfect way to make Nurgle terrain. Contrast paint would work really well on that after priming. One could probably wrap the plastic bags around some aluminium foil armatures to make various structures.

[@joeofdoom]

A gloss finish would have been good and alittle glitter maybe? Remember they form by minerals depositing through water droplets so they are very often wet and sparkly.

[@Agamemnon2]

Along the same lines, some bright greens and other colors are also appropriate, for both algae and various mineral salts and compounts

[@claytonsharp9737]

Lovin the garbage in to art ...right up my alley. Wood board on top of mat will stop the heat from warping it . May still pull texture from the wood . Definitely making some this weekend .

[@abrannan]

You want to heat the bags while they're flat. More surface area to volume ratio, which allows the heat to hit all areas of the bag. Trying it on a crumpled up bag ends up overheating/scorching the exterior, while not allowing the middle to heat enough to melt. Once it has shrunk and is soft and pliable, that's when you do your shaping, using the heat gun to assist in areas where it's cooled off enough to stiffen up. You can even pre-make "fabric" by using an Iron and paper to fuse several bags together into a thicker sheet of material that you can use almost like pepakura to sculpt your basic shapes.

[@Iron_Clad_D3]

This is the first video I watched on this channel and it got me into crafting tabletop gaming props. Thanks, I love the hobby!

[@edwardgiogi]

Looking really good actually. Thanks for sharing. Hope you and yours are staying well. Thank you so much for staying active in these trying times.

[@anthonywaggett9317]

From past experience using a heat gun in Greeting Card making suitable surfaces to work on - Wood covered with Aluminium foil (advantage is it reflects heat), a heatproof glass/pyrex kitchen board or an ironing board. You still need the heatproof gloves, but try a catering supplier.

[@marykayryan7891]

Your unending creativity amazes me. I hope the fumes from all that burning plastic wasn't too bad for your health. I imagine, knowing you, you probably have good ventilation--which everybody should do before doing this build.

[@idiotluggage]

Cool idea. The texture on the stalagmite made me think of using the concept for trees. Wrap the bag around a pencil and heat it up.

[@sentinelmoonfang]

I'm a home haunter and do a TON of this sort of stuff around Halloween. Usually I use plastic drop cloth and heat gun it around skeletons to add a rotting flesh texture to them. What I'd recommend is using a form, then just shrinking the bags around it. Sculpting with them is very difficult. You can also do a few texture tricks when you're just wrapping a piece with a few layers of plastic, like moving the gun close to create bubbles that pop and leave circular craters, or you can push it further and create holes that make the plastic look more like a membrane stretched tightly over something that's torn through. It's a great technique for organic looking structures, though I think for miniatures I might prefer unrolled cotton balls and liquid latex. I use that on my skeletons' faces as it's much more controllable and you can more easily sculpt with it. It gives you a likewise, very organic, creepy texture.

[@cuizos704]

Great work ! I saw time ago in Dark Matter workshop chanel this same technique used for creating a Lovecraftian moster

[@mstarot2793]

"Honey, why does the house smell like melted plastic?" Umm...

[@hassanibrahim14]

Stalagmites 🤷‍♂️😅

[@thegrandpoobah7114]

And why is there shit spike's on the counter?

[@jamesremington8056]

Keep it up Jeremy. We need this stuff right now more than ever. Stay healthy up there in the frozen Canadian north!

[@Blandco]

Finally bought a heat gun through your link. It's one of those things that I have been wanting for awhile.

[@Skele_Rat]

Living in a place where 99% of the stuff you use in videos isn't affordable and having no people to play RPG with (specially now) has teached me two things: 1 - You don't need a reason to make your own terrain other than will. Letting the mind flow and using the hobbie to pass the time is already the best "excuse" someone could ever need. 2 - If you want I can send you pictures of a sacrifice altar I did using cardboard from a lamp I bought, toilet paper, old school glue I had around, toothpics and a tiny gouache set. Trust me it turned out AWESOME, you can't tell it's not a professional job. Of course it took days for the glue and toilet paper to dry, then you wet it all again applying the gouache, but I had no schedule to complete, I wasn't in a hurry, just made it to pass the time and looking at it, there's still washes and everything else that's posible to apply, but it is great the way it is currently.

[@p11_studios]

I actually really like the way this turned out. For anyone who’s seen Star Wars Rebels, I might try this to recreate some of the big mountain things from Lothal

[@matthewpelkey7721]

I have a pair of leather gloves I use when working with hot materials. they are about as think as gloves you would wear in the spring/fall but if your really worried about the heat, get some winter work gloves from Marks. if it keeps the heat in it also can keep it out.

[@grimwurks]

plastic bags are generally recycle #2, which will melt togather at 350F with little fumes . . . there are a lot of vids on youtube . . . the essentialls are to melt and compress the material until cooled

[@pkwork]

Love this -- more scatter terrain, less litter! Also - I am a metal artist -- ceramic tile makes a good heat shield when you are soldering (clay side up) and I think one or two stacked would do for using the heat gun. Thanks for the inspiration -- you rock!

[@mikezunter2011]

Just found this one and I love how it turned out for a spider hive... need several of them though. So I am adding to my build list - Thank you!

[@michellerenee3418]

Totally awesome idea. I think I might try holding things in place with a bit of low temp hot glue. I got tons of bags to use on this sort of project and it was already on my list. Just not with plastic bags.

[@chefsotero]

Those are usually LDPE plastic. You can melt those in a small container in a toaster oven. They will go to a almost liquid state and if you press them you get a solid block. That can be worked just as wood. The same goes for HDPE. I have a cabinet in my house made with HDPE and LDPE plastics.

[@doctorp286]

After watching this, I just kept going back to my grandkids on the beach. They would take very wet sand and drip into eerie forms almost like what you were making. Wet sand would not work,but maybe a mortar slurry would. Possibly over a framework of some sort for support. Just an old engineer musing. Thanks for your channel.

[@b.lloydreese2030]

Cool idea. I use foil sculpted and covered.with papier mache

[@tabletopbastler1288]

As others, I also see a dead tree like thing. The texture is perfect, the tip doesnt reaqlly fit to a dead tree. Well .. its a prototype. With some practice and experience, I am sure one can build much more intended shapes. Maybe a wire sceleton or alu foil structure as we use with clay could help. Only problem for me .. its difficult to get plastic bags in germany nowadays. ;) However .. a new technique for most of us. Interesting and another recycle idea. And it looks cool .. poopy cool. :-D Thank you.

[@goterdamerung]

Such a simple idea, yet ...brilliant! Much kudos!

[@negotiableaffections]

OK Jeremy, hop in the Delorian with me - [back to 1970's] - I used to make 'shrunken heads' out of plasticene, wrap them in polythene [whatever available, even potato chips were in plastic back then] shove a stick up the 'neck' and toast them over the flames of a gas stove. Yes, there were burnt bits, but the surface bubbled and made those cool, freddy kreuger, wrinkles. Very successful with a lick of paint! So, there are many ways of utilising this molten plastic thing...just don't put flesh in the way & avoid flammable surroundings. I love that stalagmite, its a surface the minis-painters would love to go to town on!

[@Arcvein]

Should have used Blandco's owl puppet to handle the hot plastic. Awesome video as always!

[@aqualust5016]

For anyone trying this craft, open a new bag each time, set the base of the piece on the floor of the bag, and melt and form it upward. It will be layered for added strength and easier to mold.

[@BardsCraft]

For extra textures also burn the plastic. Preferably not inside.

[@ricksmart5290]

This is pretty slick, you should try and add a mini near the final layers of melting so make it look like its trapped.

[@jvanamb]

I have done this same technique for partial visible RailRoad tunnel Interiors. Silicone Mats and Bread Boards are not sufficient to use for melting the disposable bags. I have a craggy piece of Slate and a vain ridden GROOVY piece of Marble that I place my bags on and go to town, with the heat gun. AND YES, you do need the Ove-Glove, or it's knock off, to keep your hands from losing the outer layers of skin, from the melting plastic. When done properly you have about one minute of handling time before reintroducing the heat gun. And though the exterior MAY seen cool to the touch, the interior CAN BE MOLTEN. ~Jim

[@noodlesgamebox5903]

I just got finished watching your beginner fountain video. I really enjoy your content and have started to get into the trade! Thanks to you and rybonator for the inspiration.

[@angrygnome44]

Nifty looking terrain piece! Have you considered draping the bags over some scaffolding (like some bent coat hanger or florist wire) and then nailing it with the heat gun? Also, I'd highly recommend a cheap set of metal tongs for manipulating the plastic while you are applying the heat gun.

[@JamesWilson-sg7im]

Glad you went out of the comfort zone, and did something out side the box. Two Thumbs up!

[@mikewilliamson6288]

I'm about to try something with this. Some aspects of it do resemble gnarled bark. I'm going to cut some plastic bags into strips and shrink them onto a wire/aluminum tree frame to use in a region in my world called Warped Root Vale. Wish me luck!!!

[@OwlOnTheGo]

Maybe start like DM Scotty did with his rocks and such? Start with some paper towels and sand inside them. Use those as your base to build up from?

[@dwyerd4532]

Building some simple structure with cardboard, skewers, tinfoil etc would probably be a great place to start. From there, I'd cut the bags into manageable strips to apply more controlled. Also, using chopsticks could work depending on how well you can manipulate objects with chopsticks Great little project, the crumpled bags have an amazing texture, I wonder what kind of texture would result from the stips :)

[@MrSkaduush]

Try using chopsticks or wooden skewers as the starting point to wrap a layer of bags, heat gun them down. rinse repeat until you get the desired shape. You then have a handle to hold away from the heat and you can either pull out the stick or just trim it and finish the base. You could also try this by first twisting the bag into a 'rope' then wrapping that and using the heat gun for a different effect. Hot build either way ;)

[@radelc]

My man, I would love an ongoing series of using things that would end up in landfill to instead make terrain. Thank you for this video. Keep them going if you can. Eco friendly and gaming friendly.

[@pixelerodcuadritos1824]

Honestly... It looks REALLY amazing... It will be perfect for volcanic-related stuff, (red-orange-yellow base with black-grey body on top), lava monsters, mud-monsters or any kind of xtraterrestial/organic stuff...hoewver, yes, use mask and an open place to work and something to protect your hands.

[@craigkenny37]

Need to make like a giant insect hive tile set to go with it. The hallways are rounded like something has burrowed through it, while there might be door type things that kinda look like skin draped over it with the odd hole.

[@deitieofall6634]

Going to attempt.... kinda. Going to try make a basic wire frame and add the plastic in thin layers. So even if it leaves holes I can add another layer... probs won't work but gotta try!!!

[@echodelta2426]

Successful experiment. As others mentioned, it looks organic. I can picture some adventurers stumbling into a canyon with several of these coming up out of the ground. Maybe a thick wood board to work on with the heat gun. Having the gloves would really help with the build. I'd like to see a follow-up video using the proper tools. End result would be even better if you could control it with your hands.

[@andrewfarmer6126]

Gas stove also works. It takes a bit to find the sweet spot where it is melting and not burning. But once you do it works well

[@Ayra_arts]

you absolutely want gloves if you're going to try this!! Most bags are made with LDPE (low density polyethylene) which melts at 248°F or 120°C! You don't want that kind of tempratures on your fingers! - Sure it becomes soft and moldable before that, but you have to get close.

[@paigeherrmann6332]

Thank you for posting this. This would be a great project for anyone who can’t currently go out and get new materials.

[@5aml3v1k1ng]

Really cool! I'm pretty sure that with a few twitches and the right colors, it could make a perfect gorenest for a DooM RPG!

[@BelindaShort]

I love making things from plastic bags, it's fun

[@MrPeachesplace]

It looks like you might be able to make some kind of vine creature with this method. If you have a large, basic miniature; it might work.

[@shaych03]

for future heat gun and plastic bag moments--perhaps some heat resistant ceramic tiles beneath your project? i wonder if butcher's twine would resist the heat (like when cooking meat in the oven) so you can truss up an object? maybe use cooking utensils that have been lightly sprayed with no-stick spray to shape the ultra hot plastic before hand-molding? Bet this technique would work with an old, battered mini inside to form a "cocooned" person. would make interesting bone or horn terrain for a "wasteland" appearance. Just be careful of fumes. Plastic gives off some pretty gnarly ones.

[@RealTerrainHobbies]

Awesome build Jeremy. Dang, I gotta stop making these big builds and make me some of these beauts! Great vid man. :)

[@drakeorion94]

As soon as you put the oven Mitt my mind went mom mom nom...needs some googly eyes on it.

[@h.j.peters.2891]

hi mate, in england as a butcher I'm lucky enough to be classed as an essential worker, I'm so exhausted and for the past few days I've been unable to move when I get home. I want to say a massive thank you for your content because all I've been able to do is youtube. stay strong ✌

[@jimmyh.4937]

Nice job. Turned out pretty cool. Looks good with the spiders

[@OtsegoKid]

A stone base for heat might work well. 😊

[@SneakingMOUSE]

This looks extremely like a terrifying nest for giant insects and the like. Looks like a bee queen could have made it to store honey, or some alien arthropod uses it to keep their gooey eggs inside.

[@stoathenge]

I like it! Consider using disposable chopstiks to hold it while hot. I;ll bet that would work! No gloves needed for this part.

[@Briareos-ye8vs]

If you cut the bags into long thin strips and try wrapping int around while using the heat gun (like paper mache strips), would that give you more control while melting the strips quicker and more thorough

[@mai2015]

Maybe invest in a heat proof mat? It saves your cutting mat and chopping board. I think this method works super well you get some solid looking effects and with paint it's completely unnoticeable

[@GodzillaB210]

You might want to grab yourself one of those silicone oven mats. That would protect your work area from heat. When you get your technique down I can see this becoming a gnarly old cursed tree that swallows the souls that the monsters, that dwell under it, kill. Hmm I can also see a 40k Nurgle vibe too. Even Slaanesh with the skin of the slain stretched over terrain. Its an endless idea!

[@lauraking2728]

I would cut the bags into long strips instead of trying to melt the whole bag at once. Great video, thank you! :D

[@greenecrayon]

That looks pretty stinking cool and as I have a bizarrely large amount of plastic bags because i always forget my reusable bags.

[@Uphold-your-Rights]

Add tentacles for a classic Roper! Great way to reuse those bags.

[@kecoablekekek747]

yes, the texture is more like a cocoon... add more thin layer of cotton and it will be great organic cocoon...

[@willowalytus2355]

I'm working on an arakokra home tree, and I'm definitely using this to make the bark and branches on it!

[@slate613]

I like the spider lair idea. It does have a web/woven look to it. Awesome job!

[@joelguerrero3044]

Hello, the texture that plastic bags give, I think they can be used on tree trunks. greetings from Mexico

[@naolmstead]

Most plastic bags are made from HDPE. So are milk jugs and shampoo bottles, etc. I believe the magic number you are looking for is 350 degrees Fahrenheit. There are other KZbin videos out there about how to recycle HDPE at home for various projects but I don't remember ever seeing one for modeling terrain other than maybe a lumpy hill. Toaster oven and some sort of small parchment lined pan is a good way to heat up some plastic that might work better than the heat gun.

[@Brickerbrack]

You could try giving it a coat of spackle to cover the dot texture, and give it that rocky look...

[@TeamAmbiguous]

Great build BMC. Really impressive and I'm keen to see what this method inspires

[@billholley2446]

Anybody you know that has done a bathroom or kitchen remodel can give you scraps of cement board - Hardybacker or similar- which is pretty heat-resistant. Not the texture for rolling, though. 12" square floor tile would work. And you'd only need one. As for gloves, I use plain old leather work gloves around the charcoal grill. They extend the time I can expose my hands to heat by a factor of 5 to 10, which is enough to spread the charcoal, flip meat, move the grate, etc... and would be just fine for this job. No need to go to clumsy oven mitts or welding gloves.

[@craftlikeaduck]

Before I Picked up a heat gun I have used a candle 🕯 worked great and i had a small container with water and sponge to cool off my hand .. Hope that's helpful for some ppl.

[@michaelbaird5462]

I actually think it would work better as an old knarled tree. Great idea to clean up the environment crafters can make terrain!

[@LauriesPlace999]

Oh the things we get up to while in self isolation.....stay safe!

[@terrainaholic]

The final effect looks really organic!!!!! I can see this working in several different ways. Tyranid players take note:)!!!! GREAT job Big Guy:)!!!!!!

[@BlackMagicCraftOfficial]

Hope you are doing well man.

[@alistairscanlan9530]

That's such a good idea! I've recently got into making my own terrain and your videos have been such a wonderful inspiration!

[@TheRunesmythe]

Its definitely got a weirdly organic look to it, possibly either stone that melted or something made of living tissue. I imagine you could probably make a convincing roper or otyugh with this method.

[@Hands0meJay]

What about pressing it down into a sheets that you could cut and use to adhere to walls or floors?

[@anthonystike6034]

Great recycling program, Jeremy.

[@OccupyArnhem]

I think mounted upside down it would make a convicing whirlwind (spell effect?). Fun build though.

[@RFDHobby]

I love this type of build, they turned out really cool and I'm sure there's going to be other ways to use this. Great video, thanks for sharing mate.

[@feb4862]

Awesome as always!!!

[@jacinto3513]

heck you could make a roper that way too! great vid!

[@JHattsy]

If you stretched some bags over some terrain and heat gunned it then painted it a flesh colour you could totally have some neat looking fleshy floor texture.

[@joesnee776]

Oh man, I really love this! A great way to get rid of the growing pile of plastic bags in my garage and make some cave terrain! Don't get me wrong, I love the beautiful cyberpunk builds as much as the next guy, but sometimes a poopy stalactite made of plastic bags is exactly what I need!!! I love the creativity of these videos and I really think it turned out great!

[@Heeeynald]

That actually would made some nice plague tolera, terrain and stuff for Nurgle forces