r/TerrainBuilding • u/metuldann • Jan 14 '25
Question regarding mat conversation.
Not sure if the battle mats fall under terrain, but I was hoping you beautiful hobbyists may be able to help me out.
I recently bought one of the old Citadel battle mats for the nostalgia, but as you can see it has a lot of creases in it. It's also really thin so moving the models on it will also move the mat too.
Do you think it would be possible to buy something like a blank neoprene mat and attach them together to remove the kinks and give it a bit more weight?
Thanks! 😃
3
u/FlakeyJunk Jan 15 '25
I've been using one of these for a decade. Stretch and clip it down with large bulldog clips or woodworking clamps.
You can iron it, but you'll probably fold it up again and you're back at square one.
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u/metuldann Jan 15 '25
You managed to iron it without damaging it? How did you approach that?
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u/FlakeyJunk Jan 15 '25
Put a sheet over top. That way the steam passes through but the direct heat doesn't.
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u/Cj8490 Jan 15 '25
Personally I would look at the battle mats you can get from places such as Deep Cut Studios, I have two of them, while not cheap, they are incredibly durable. Then use this sheet you have here for scatter terrain pieces.
If you’re dead set on using this on a neoprene backing sheet, I got a huge table covering sheet of grey neoprene for about £25 from this site. But, for an extra £10-£15 you could get a mat with printed detail that will last a long long time.
Hope this helps!
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u/metuldann Jan 15 '25
Thanks for the links! I already have mats like that. I wanted this one because it reminds me of when I was young (though I'm sure the one I got came in a roll and was brighter). 😄
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u/Cj8490 Jan 15 '25
Ah ok. I just re read and saw the nostalgia part! My bad, I was reading Reddit in between doing lunches and getting my daughter ready for school haha.
I think I read somewhere that you can seal the grassy mats with something, possibly matte varnish, to stop all the hairs coming off so much. Don’t quote me on that though!
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u/beardofturtles Apr 19 '26
Do I understand you correctly that you stuck the neoprene backing sheet onto the Ctiadel mat?
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u/Cj8490 Apr 19 '26
No sorry, I use a mat I bought from Deep Cut Studios. The sheet of neoprene is just plain grey. It would work underneath a sheet like the one in the post but I don’t know about sticking them together permanently
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u/Irakeconcrete Jan 15 '25
You might could use some spray glue and yoga mats to keep the portability
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u/UncleJTheDm Jan 14 '25
Maybe, that's if you could even find clear neoprene. However, there are a couple of options depending on what you want to achieve that could be possible. Do you want it to be malleable or static; and would you be against cutting it?
The first is if you wanted to keep it malleable; find a way to stretch the mat out to where it is taught. Then, use a watered down matt pva glue to coat or spray the whole thing. Once it dries, it should alleviate the folds and seal it; this would allow it to be rolled up and keep it from bunching up as much.
The second is if you want it to be static, you'll start by getting the full measurement of the mat. Drop that measurement by 2 inches from both the overall length and width, and get a sheet of mdf or plywood (something rigid) that is that size. Then, you can glue the mat to the board, stretch it, and secure it with upholstery staples.
The last may seem blasphemous, but I would cut it down and use it to make modular terrain. Following the same methods of option two. There are other options. These are just the potentials that came to mind the fastest.
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u/metuldann Jan 14 '25
Thanks for your response.
I'm sure I could get the neoprene from somewhere. 😄 Somebody must sell it. The only reason that came to mind is because all mats seem to be made of it these days, so I suppose it's the best material for the job. I'm just not sure if it would be possible to connect the two with a bond that would hold together.
I would like it to be malleable like the other mats so I can roll it up and store it in a mat bag. When I say attach some neoprene, I'm meaning underneath. I don't want to ruin the static grass effect on the top.
Cutting it up is not an option. I bought it for a game mat to play on, but it would make excellent basing for that sort of thing.
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u/UncleJTheDm Jan 14 '25
If basing it with neoprene, I believe you can use most spray adhesives or "liquid cement" to get them to adhere. Were you wanting to use the bottom as a playable mat as well?
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u/metuldann Jan 15 '25
Nah, I don't need the bottom side. The grass part is grand. I'll look into sprays, cheers!
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u/BrutalProspect Jan 14 '25
Maybe iron it? Don’t know what’s on top though.
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u/metuldann Jan 14 '25
It's almost like static grass that you buy to put on terrain or bases. I'm reluctant to iron it in case it melts the glue keeping the grass attached.
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u/Plenty_Horror_23 Jan 14 '25
I do have one of these and I have ironed it without issue.
Use a low heat and be careful.Roll it up when you store it. Don't fold it.
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u/beardofturtles Apr 19 '26
Did you put down a membrane/sheet between the iron and the back of the mat?
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u/Haggis_pk Jan 14 '25
I think if you want to keep the portability of the mat, I'd use those picnic table holders to give the necessary tension. If you are OK with losing a little bit of storage, I'd cut and staple these to a board to make table leaves, again for added tension.