So I needed some more coasters for when all my players come over. Can’t be messing up the table. Then I remembered I have a closet full of XPS foam, make precisely for its insulating properties. I figured, why not make coasters out of the foam? It is a little soft, but I thought that several layers of polyurethane should be enough to protect it.
Coasters out of foam…
Terrain out of foam…
What if, like Voltron, they combined into one?!
Something like this:
I busted out the Proxxon and went to work.
I made 3 sets of 6 coasters. One is a wood-grain, one is modeled after Runehammer’s hellscape/Dark Sun red/black style, and one is a stone dungeon tile (even grided!) on one side and a forest/grass tile on the other.
3-4 coats of polyurethane and they are really strong. It would take a lot more than a 12 oz. beer to put a dent in them.
Now I have plenty of coasters, my players got a kick out of them and love using them, the table is safe, and best of all, the coasters can be used as 100% functional dungeon tiles if needed.
Here be some pics:
Raw foam w/ texturing:
Base coat, courtesy of Black Magic Craft. ModPodge + black paint make a great base coat, and further strengthens the foam:
After a black wash:
Final pieces after highlights and polyurethane finish:
Give it try. They are pretty simple, and fully functional. I’m thinking I might make some more to give to my players as gifts!
A great start to 2019 - the year of crafting.
