Textured rolling pin review and tutorial.

Hi all,

As you all know, I have recently started collecting a Thousand Sons force.  I was drawn to them due to both the fluff and technical aspects of a somewhat unique paint scheme.  I decided that I would try a different approach to basing as opposed to my normal techinque of sand and PVA, in order to push my abilities.

After quite a bit of googling, I came across textured rolling pins sold by Green Stuff World.

They offer an amazing range, but in the end I settled for plain, Egyptian, brick and some silicone rings.

The basic idea is that you use the smooth pin to remove any lumps, fingerprints or other annoying marks, before using the textured pins.  The silicone rings come in different sizes, so you can use the largest on the smooth pin, and the small on the textured pins so you get a good impression.  Having said that, if you are just making bases I've found that you don't really need the silicone rings.  They would come into their own if you started using them make large display boards.

After much experimenting I found it works best to dip the smooth roller in water immediately before using it.  With the textured pins, I do the exact same, but add in a good dose of talc which massively reduces the prospect of the green stuff sticking.

First mix up your green stuff.  I've found a ratio of 50/50 blue and yellow is perfect.

I then spread out a good sized lump with my fingers across the base.

Then use the smooth roller to get rid of any finger marks.  Be careful not to press too hard or you won't have enough green stuff left to make an impression on.

Next, use a textured rolling pin to make your impression.  Be sure to dip it in water with lots of talc so it doesn't catch.  Don't worry if excess talc stays on the green stuff.  Just dip it in water and it will lift it straight off.

Let the green stuff cure, then use a sharp scalpel to trim the excess away.

As an additional step, I've used PVA to glue sand in random patches before adding GW grass clumps and birch seed.

I've followed a similar principle, but used Super Sculpey and the Egyptian themed rolling pin to make chunks of fallen hieroglyph murals, before gluing them onto the base as rubble.  The beauty of using Super Sculpey for this is that when baked, it snaps with a sharp edge resembling broken stone.

What do you think?  Has anyone used any of the other rolling pins?