Rolling Pin TAU

Rolling Pin TAU — a roller with a science-fiction panel pattern

Where stone and brick live from irregularity, technical surfaces stand on the opposite: on clean areas, sharp dividing joints and restrained detail. This roller impresses exactly that kind of pattern into rolled-out modeling compound — smooth panels separated by grooves, of the kind that suits hangar floors, station facings and the bases of futuristic figures.

How to get a clean panel

• Roll the compound out genuinely flat — with smooth panels every ripple shows more than on a stone texture.
• Make the impression in one pass and with even pressure; a part of the area that has not been pressed down cannot be repaired afterwards on panels.
• Run the cut along a dividing joint, so that the edge of the sheet looks like the end of a panel and not like a cut-off board.
• Before the compound sets you can press rivets, a hatch or a warning stripe into the panels and the area stops looking empty.
• Once cured, the surface can be lightly polished, because a technical pattern takes a smoother finish than stone.

Painting a technical surface

Panels are painted area by area: a base, individual panels set apart gently with a shade of their own, and the dividing grooves brought out with a fine line or a thin wash. Restrained wear on the edges, greasy streaks by the hatches and a few scuffed places keep the surface technical but not sterile.

Who it is for

• Modelers of science-fiction scenes and interiors.
• Tabletop gamers who build futuristic terrain.
• Makers of bases where a figure is to stand on a technical floor.

Modeling compound, paints and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. Use respiratory protection when sanding cured compound.