Ok, so you want to create a 4′ x 4′ grassland gaming board, but you realize that in order to do so, you will have to buy about $200 worth of modeling flock!

That is the problem that Dave and I ran into as soon as we started making gaming terrain, and it was one of the first experiments we decided to tackle. Since we wanted to "simulate" working on a tight budget (ok, we are working on a tight budget, I’ll admit it), this was something we had to overcome.

So I started doing some digging. After considerable research (if I don’t find something through Google it probably doesn’t exist) I finally found an article that taught us how to make modeling flock.

Both Dave and I were pretty excited. We had found a way to make $100 worth of modeling flock for only $1!

However, we quickly found that the instructions were very inadequate. Our first attempt at creating modeling flock produced these results:



The modeling flock was very brown (not green like grass) and it was much MUCH coarser than the Games Workshop version.

Nevertheless, Dave and I would not give up that easily. It took us four tries before getting the recipe just right, but we did it!

So without further delay, here are the detailed instructions on how to make modeling flock:

(Please note: The images here are from our first failed attempt, but since I don’t have updated images of our successful attempts - which I will have soon - they will have to suffice. The images are still mostly accurate to show you the various steps. I will update the new images as soon as I have them ready.)

Get Your Materials Ready



Here is what you’ll be needing:
-a container to mix it in (we use a gallon sized ice cream container)
-a cookie sheet to dry the modeling flock on (don’t use new ones, your mother / wife won’t be happy)
-a tube of green paint (in the picture it shows a tube of blue paint and a tube of yellow paint, but we found it easier to just get a tube of green paint)
-water
-a stirring stick
-sawdust (that’s right, modeling flock is just dyed sawdust!)
-a fine strainer

The tubes of paint that we use are 4 U.S. fl oz, or 118 mL. We buy them at the dollar store for $1.

You can get the sawdust from any lumber mill. They should be more than happy to hand over a garbage bag full free of charge. If not, then just find someone you know who is a carpenter.

The sawdust should have been made from sanding, not from cutting wood.

Step 2 - Water Down The Paint



You will first need to water down the paint that you are using to dye the saw dust. The amount that you water down will determine how much flock you make.

We will typically empty the entire 118 mL tube of green paint into the container and then fill the container 3cm (about 1 1/4 inches) full of water.





WARNING: If you water down the paint too much your flock will be brown. That was our first mistake which ended up with the ugly stuff you saw in the first picture. Even though it started out a nice green it ended up an ugly brown, which was useful only to be used as dirt and not grass.

Mix the water and paint with a stirring stick. We just used the typical stirring sticks that you get from the paint stores, but you can really use anything that you don’t care getting stained with green paint.

Important Note: The colour of your flock will be slightly browner than the green paint that you mix, so choose a colour paint that is slightly brighter than your desired modeling flock colour.)

Step 3 - Add the Sawdust



The next step is to add the sawdust. First add a small amount to turn the watered down paint mixture into a thick sludge. Then continue adding more and more sawdust until it is mixed in well.

The easiest way to tell when to stop adding sawdust is when you add a bit more and it is very hard to mix in (i.e. it is hard to get rid of the brown sawdust). This is the point where you should stop.

Warning: If you stop sooner than this your flock will not be fine enough. However, don’t expect your flock to be as fine as the Games Workshop version at this point. That will come later.

You should end up with something like this (but greener if you didn’t water your paint down too much):



Once you have finished mixing the flock you are ready to move to Step 4.

Step 4 - Spread Out Your Modeling Flock to Dry



You will now need to spread out the modeling flock to dry. We use two cookie sheets to dry out the amount of flock made with our proportions.

Spread out the damp modeling flock as evenly as possible, then put it in a non-windy location for 24-48 hours. Make sure it is completely dry before proceeding to the next step, otherwise you will not get the same quality as what Games Workshop produces.

Step 5 - Screen the Modeling Flock To Make It Finer

The last thing you will need to do is take a fine strainer (that’s a strainer that has small openings, not a good looking strainer…_ and screen the modeling flock through it.

There may be clumps that are just too hard. You can either work really hard to get them through, or just toss them aside for another use (mossy rocks?).

Here is what it should look like at the end (this picture is of our good flock):



And that’s it! You’ve just made $100 of flock for only $1!

Here are just a few pictures of stuff Dave and I made using our modeling flock (click the images to enlarge):







Enjoy!