Battle Mat idea

Okay so I have been thinking that part of my inertia to gaming is not having a proper gaming surface. Long gone is my full 8' x 4' sheet of plywood gaming table (I think it was last seeing duty as a feed stand for goats) and my wife would probably balk at such a monstrosity in the house.

I asked Prufrock about his hex mat on Here's no great matter and he devoted an entire post tutorial on how he made his from carpet and spray paint here. He concluded by saying that it would probably have been easier to just buy a felt one from Hotz mats. The Hotz mats look very nice and can be printed with hex or square grids. I did admit to him that I do like building things myself, in theory. I also thought about buying a Zuzzy mat.

So we now have this to think about Prufrock's carpet mat ~$100, Hotz mat ~$40, Zuzzy mat~$40. Those prices include shipping. The Zuzzy I would still have to paint myself. I can get spray paint at the local DIY for about $3.50 per can. So if I'm using roughly 6 cans thats another $21 for paint.

While I was at the local DIY Store (Home Depot) I cam across some rubberized and carpeted interlocking mats similar to these.

The ones at the store are only 17.75" per tile but one box supposedly covers 37" x 54" and comes in either charcoal or nutmeg (brownish) for ~$35 for one box. Hmm. So if I made this one it might be $56 to make. Ah decision,s decisions. I think home made has one advantage. I don't have to wait for it to get here, I just have to wait for it to dry.

Feel free to give me a nudge either way.