Re: [GZG] Hex cloth

[Robert N Bryett <rbryett@xxxxxxxx>]

Hexes look cool, but IMHO they're way too painful to make by hand. If  
finances don't permit a commercially printed battle-mat, I suggest  
using a grid of offset rectangles. These still give you six "exits"  
from each "square" but are much easier to produce.

This page http://fitz.jsr.com/roleplay/props/mapping.html shows  
roughly what I'm raving about, but he uses offset squares which are a  
little too wide. To get the hex effect, the rectangles should have a  
width 0.866 of the length. For example it the length is 30mm, the  
width should be 26mm. For the purposes of this discussion "length" is  
in the direction of the lines that run continuously along the playing  
surface, while "width" is in the direction of the lines broken by the  
offset pattern.

Back in my starving student days I used this technique to make mats  
for naval and space wargaming:

1. I bought roll-ends of vinyl flooring from a local warehouse  
(cheap, often free), and painted them navy-ish blue.

2. I marked the offset grid in dressmaker's chalk, or soft pencil.

3. I made a tool like an oversized version of a dressmaker's tracing  
wheel by mounting a large Meccano chainwheel on a wooden handle. I  
rolled the edge of the wheel across a sponge soaked in a contrasting  
paint, and then rolled it along the guide lines to produce rows of  
paint dots. Work carefully and let each section dry before doing the  
next to avoid smudging.

4. Once the paint had dried thoroughly, I wiped off the chalk/pencil  
lines.

The same technique can be used on felt mats too, but I could get  
vinyl cheaper. The best paint to use varies with the surface. As I  
recall, I used chlorinated rubber paint my Dad had left over from  
painting the house.

Best regards, Robert Bryett
rbryett@xxxxxxxx

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