best battlemat?

[TheAuldGrump]

Another word of warning. If you use dry erase boards at the gaming table, be very careful not to use dry-erase markers on your battlemap. I did that about a year ago and I still have many parts of the Sunless Citadel on my mega-mat!

Try soaking with a 50/50 spolution of water % bleach. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation. Let set for half an hour to an hour.

Repeat.

I managed to save my Chessex mat this way.

Oh, and Chessex all the way. The Crystal Caste ones show signs of creasing from folding very quickly compared to the Chessex ones. (Don't leave either one folded , don't crease them - AND FOR GOD'S SAKE DON'T LEAVE THEM FOLDED ON A HEATER! (I let some friends use my first battlemat, they did exactly that shortly before buying me a brand new one.)

The Auld Grump

 

[Mark]

I use Chessex with Vas-a-Vis wet erase markers.

Why, obviously MY battlemat is the best!

Very cool elevated board, kengar. Thanks for the link to Worldworks, too. I may have to do something similar in the future. Are all WW stuff 7 x 7, or what was the reasoning behind that size choice?

 

[LazarusLong42]

WRT: dry erase vs. wet erase markers:

I feel so spoiled. The best way to get Sharpie or other permanent marker off of anything is 95% ethanol. However, unless (1) you want to spend way too much money on it or (2) you work in a biology or chemistry research lab, you're unlikely to have that just lying around your house. However, several appropriate household subsitutes are available:

(1) Isopropyl alocohol, AKA rubbing alcohol. This should get most permanent marker out. It's normally sold as a 70% solution in water; you're probably better off if you can find 99% isopropyl alcohol.

(2) Nail polish remover. The major component of nail polish remover is usually either acetone or ethyl acetate; both are equally adept at dissolving organic substances--and, let's face it, nail polish isn't particularly non-permanent.

(3) Goo-gone. Petroleum distillates and limonene may not be compatible with your battlemat, and thus YMMV.

With any of these, please do test them on a corner first, lest you accidentally ruin your battlemat. One or another of these may also be useful in removing stains from prolonged pictures.

 

[kengar]

Thanks for the link to Worldworks, too. I may have to do something similar in the future. Are all WW stuff 7 x 7, or what was the reasoning behind that size choice?

The original set "Dungeonworks" was larger (basically the whole 8/12*11 sheet), but Denny -the guy who makes Worldworks- decided to shift to a square tile in later sets (Caveworks, etc.). I think the resoning for that was that it was the largest 1" grid square tile that would fit on a letter-sized sheet with normal margins.

Since I had essentially a 28 * 28" area on the main board to work with, I just cut the dungeon grid to the 7*7" size for easy layout and matching up of the grid lines. All the grid surfaces are covered in adhesive sheets of clear laminate for dry erase capability as well.

 

[Mark]

Do you seal the edges of the tiles with anything to help prevent possible peeling? I suppose if you cut the laminations sheets a bit large, clip a square out at each corner, and allow the edges to fold over, you could even run and iron over them to seal them nice and tight.

 

[Glyfair]

I'd go with the crowd and say the Chessex mats are better. You can't write on the Crystal Caste mats as well.

As for markers, I go with the Vis-a-Vis overhead projecter markers. Be sure not to get the permanent ones. Those are rarer than the washable ones. Indeed, until recently, I had never seen them (and didn't realize they were permanent until I used one on my mat).

To tell the truth, brands don't matter too much as long as you get washable overhead projector pens. The only difference I've seen between brands is the tendency of certain colors of certains brands to leave marks when left for a long period of time. I haven't had this problem with Vis-a-Vis pens, but it can be avoided completely by cleaning them off after a session.

 

[King_Stannis]

I use Chessex with Vas-a-Vis wet erase markers.



Very cool elevated board, kengar. Thanks for the link to Worldworks, too. I may have to do something similar in the future. Are all WW stuff 7 x 7, or what was the reasoning behind that size choice?

Hey there, Mark.

Having bought some WW stuff, I figured I'd weigh in on this. When you buy your sets at WorldWorks, Denny included terrain sheets with them. For the CastleWorks set, he includes entire sheets of grass, dirt, or hybrids. He then gives you tips on mounting them. Kengar did a great job on his (I like the laminated idea!).

I bought several posterboards and glued the terrain sheets onto them. One is grass, the other is hybrid grass/dirt, etc.

I also cut out the river tiles and glued a string of them together so I could make a river long enough to traverse the board.

Overall, it's very cool. And fairly expensive, in that those terrain sheets use up an incredible amount of ink!

 

[Mark]

Hiya KS! Hope the family is well!

I suppose if you're going to be affixing them to something, you can send them to the cheapest copy shop and have them use the cheapest paper. Once they're glued to a surface and covered with laminated sheets, who's to know?

 

[Korvas_Senn]

I have to agree! Chessex All the way had'em for years and never had a problem!!

I use these Wet erase markers and I've never had a problem even with red!

Korvas Senn

 

[Mark]

I have a four pack of the medium Staedtler markers, also, but the lines are thinner so I usually use the Vis-a-Vis. I'll have to find some thicker Staedtlers and give them a try also.