Now that you have purchased UTTT's tiles, here are a few tips that will ensure that your gaming boards are still in A1 condition for your kids to inherit (and flog off on E-Bay for a huge profit).

Storage

I use 6 of the '4-Tier Galv Shelf' kits available at the local Hardware store. By setting the shelves every two bolt holes apart, you can produce a 14 tier (counting the top) shelf unit capable of holding 28 tiles and only measuring 1370mm tall by 720mm wide and 310mm deep. I add two ceramic floor tiles per shelf to provide a firm, warp-free base but there are less expensive and more suitable solutions available. (see photo)

The addition of Expancel™ to the epoxy resin has many modelling benefits but it also has a drawback. It separates slightly before the resin hardens and forms a light layer with a different coefficient of expansion. In short, thin tiles (eg Creek) warped when poured in one setting. This problem has been solved by laminating the tiles (i.e. Pouring the resin in 4 of 5 layers over the period of a week), but some of the earlier tiles may still be prone so store your tiles flat and below 32� Celsius.

If warping of your thinner Collector tiles/half-tile or spikes does occur Don't Panic! If the tile is flat, invert and weight it down for a few days. The higher the temperature, the faster it will return to shape but the longer you will have to leave it under weight to reset. If the tile is not flat topped or the passive weights are not working, then put it in a black plastic bag and then leave it in the sun for a few hours. The tile will emerge flexible and should be weighted down on a flat surface in cool conditions for at least 4 days to reset. If your sunshine is limited then you will have to 'nuke' the tile in an oven at 80�C until it softens (at least an hour). Don't use your kitchen oven. Even with double oven bags, some resin glazing may occur and this may contaminate any foods cooked it that oven for a very very long time.

Delicate Bits

To ensure a precise vertical fit, the Collector tiles are subjected to the 'Board of Truth'. This process levels the tile and fills in any edge imperfections.

The levelling pads are usually made of plastic card and will be found under some of the 6 apexes of your tile (if they were needed in the BOTing process). These break off and need to be replaced so here's how you do it. Glue a piece of plastic card thicker than necessary and file it down to the correct thickness whilst comparing it with another tile or precise measuring gauge (both 15mm and 40mm measurements will be necessary).

The edge imperfections were filled with DAS, an air-hardening modelling clay. It is a lovely product to use but prone to chipping leaving a white cavity that detracts from the tile. I apologise, I should have used an epoxy filler but close contact with raw resin (not cured products) may eventually lead to an allergic response that prohibits any further work with epoxy resin and I need to delay that until I have the next product and production method past the planning stage. So, protect your tile edges.

Detailing

The Expancel� additive allows good paint and glue adherence. I use PVA to attach the flock and undergrowth to the resin and paint all the other detail with Tamiya Color acrylics. I seal the terrain bases with a 2:1 mix of Jo Sonya's all purpose sealant and the appropriate Tamiya colour but I'm sure there are better materials to use on galvanised iron. The photos in the stock page were taken AFTER most of the tiles had travelled 5000km in a bouncing van AND been played over by convention gamers 21 times.

Terrain Inserts

All fields and some road verges have slots moulded into the tile designed to take terrain inserts. I can supply you with your choice of either low hedge or stone wall segments to fit these slots or, since the slots are the same width as an ice cream stick, you can mount your favourite fences instead. Filling in some of the slots to produce open ground or damaged terrain will give your tile more character and enhances skirmish based game systems.

Habitations

Certain tiles have rectangular recesses designed to allow the placement of a building. There are only two sizes of building in use so far, Small (50mm x 25mm internal dimensions) and Medium (75mm x 55mm internal dimensions per level).

The buildings (Habitations) define the period for the battle to be fought. I have attempted to produce generic buildings with a lot of scope for self-detailing but they will not be suitable for all historical settings. I will supply galvanised iron terrain bases of appropriate size for every Habitation slot on the tile you purchase so that you can adapt your favourite houses to this system.(whether you purchase my buildings or not). Only 20 copies of each building have been produced. Each has a distinct serial number and will be registered to the owner.

I hope to enlist a better building craftsman than myself to produce specific Habitation sets. An ACW range is my first goal so if you're interested and you're good at your craft (which means that you can see that my buildings stink), contact me via the enquiries e-mail address.

The buildings that I supply have separate floors and detachable roofs so, to ensure that each level sits flush with the level below, you will have to attach guide strips to the base of each floor. I use the trusty ice-cream stick to align two adjacent sides only (see photo). Upper levels can be quickly centred by locating only one corner. A subtle mark on the model to indicate this corner will speed up the placement.