Craft Focus - December 2020/January 2021 (Issue 82)

10 Craftfoam helps wargamer bring the battlefield to life A veteran wargamer has transformed his outhouse into a model battlefield, through the innovative use of Craftfoam, the robust extruded polystyrene material known for its strength and versatility. Having picked up the hobby after reading about it in a magazine at the age of 10, Michael Carson, from Kent, has spent years expanding his crafting skills by setting up tabletop battle scenes in a spare room. Following retirement however, Michael started to think of bigger and bolder design ideas for his gaming area and so, kickstarted the ‘Barrack Room Project’, which has seen him transform a 260sqft double garage into his own wargaming headquarters. The uniform closed cell structure of Craftfoam guarantees the best finish for any craft or modelling project. It also has a smooth surface, which is ideal for painting and for use with non-solvent based resins and pastes, making it popular for use in wargaming, which involves participants recreating the conflicts of history on the tabletop. Many gamers recreate specific past battles and even bespoke terrain including, land and water effects to accompany their model figures, vehicles and sometimes ships and aircrafts. At Michael’s home, central to the Barrack Room is a large scale, pinewood 4.2m x 1.8m wargames table used for the main battles, alongside two sideboards, built for additional storage and gaming space. Each section features intricately designed squares made from Craftfoam panels, cut to shape and painted to reflect the terrain of one of several different wars. Michael comments: “Having worked with many materials over the years, I’ve learnt a thing or two about what is most suitable for certain elements of a war table. Many people tend to build their playing surface on squares of white polystyrene, which is light but fragile, or MDF which is strong but very heavy. I opted for Craftfoam instead as it is light in weight and can be moved around easily, meaning the squares can be comfortably lifted and slotted together like jigsaw pieces with very little the risk of breaking or cracking.” Available to buy online in handy sheet sizes and a range of thicknesses, the high rigidity of Craftfoam means that it can easily be cut, shaped and modelled using a variety of tools. The material is also suitable for use with hand or powered knives and saws, drills and routers and a wide range of adhesives. Michael adds: “The great advantage of Craftfoam is that it’s available in various thicknesses that can be sandwiched together. This makes it easy to cut features such as lakes, rivers or trench areas into the landscape. It’s also great for laminating to add further strength and it works well with other materials, such as plastic, foam and wood which can be glued in place. Because of this, and the fact the foam can be easily painted and sculpted to include other 3D elements such as hills and mounds, I always recommend Craftfoam to other wargamers.” Manufactured by Sheffield based Panel Systems, Craftfoam is available to buy in various thicknesses and pack sizes, handy sheets and as ready-to-use letters and numbers. It can be purchased online and conveniently delivered direct to anywhere in the UK. For more information about Craftfoam or to place an order call +44 (0)114 249 5626 or visit the website www.craftfoam.co.uk