Greetings all, I thought I would share some pics of my playmat that I made. I wanted to use the yoga mat style that I've seen others use, figuring the nonslip surface, and thickness would be better for use and durability than a vinyl playmat and cheaper than the mousepad style.

The problem was, my dining table is too narrow to accommodate the 3' widthe needed. It would have a 3" overlap on either side. Obviously, you can't set a ship base on a section of the map that isn't supported by the table, so that wouldn't work.

My solution was to use cheap yard sticks from Home Depot as a backer for the mat, with enough spacing so that it would roll up similarly to a bamboo shade, or some bamboo place mats that I've seen.

So I painted the yardsticks black, and adhered them to the back of the yoga mat with rubber cement. The best part is that I didn't have to cut anything because...they're already 3' long!

So far it's seen about 3 months of use with no signs of any wear and tear. When rolled up, it's easy enough to transport, and I've considered getting one of those yoga mat carrying straps for it, but haven't had much need yet. Rolling it up also makes it easy to store because it stands up on it's own in the storage room.

I've liked the yoga mat surface quite a lot. There looks like a lot of glare in the pics, but it's not as bad in real life. That setup is directly under an incandescent light, and the flash went off as well. The ship bases and templates don't move around at all. Especially if you apply just a little bit of downward pressure.

I like that I can use it on just about any flat surface, regardless of it's shape and dimensions.

Edit: Forgot to add that it only cost me less than $20. The mat was $15.00, and was the 6' x 3' so I got 2 mats out of it (so $7.50 for one), and I used 18 yard sticks @ $0.58/each for a total of $10.44. The rubber cement was 1.72 for the jar, which I used 3/4s of. Grand total - $19.66.

That is my playmat, I hope you enjoy!

Great solution. Yoga mats ftw.

Where is a good place to get the yoga mats? I'm sure there are online spots, but a local store, maybe?

I love this idea, only problem I have is with finding the right Matt length for this, mind me asking where you got it from?

Where is a good place to get the yoga mats? I'm sure there are online spots, but a local store, maybe?

I got mine off Amazon for about $20. Just search large mat and a 82" x 36" should pop up. Cut it and its perfect for X-winging.

Just ordered mine off Amazon. $28 with shipping.

Where is a good place to get the yoga mats? I'm sure there are online spots, but a local store, maybe?

I got mine off Amazon for about $20. Just search large mat and a 82" x 36" should pop up. Cut it and its perfect for X-winging.

I believe that is the one that I purchased. I got it on a rare sale, that was $15 with Prime free shipping.

Here is the link from my order history. The dimensions are actually an exact 72" x 36" so a quick and accurate cut in half gives you 2 3' x 3' mats. Or keep it big and use it for Epic play at 6' x 3'.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007MTWI48/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

heychadwick: I don't know of any local places that carry that size mat. I had a hard time finding one that was plain black and that size. A lot of the ones I found at sporting goods stores, and department stores were brightly colored, or had an image on them (even when I could find the right size). A lot of the sizes I saw IRL were of the right width were 3' wide by 4' long.

I actually have that mat and use it for pilates.. it would make a good game mat.. my only issue with it is the rectangular hatch pattern on it... The new HCD mats are pretty nice and i also have http://www.frontlinegaming.org/shop/frontline-gaming-and-tablewar-gaming-mat-space-4x4%E2%80%B2-pre-order/ which is a really nice mat but is a bit on the expensive side... also the 3x4 http://elmers.com/product/detail/902090 is pretty good and dirt cheap at walmart.... it just doesn't roll up...

Awesome idea.

I love it, greettings.

How is the rubber cement holding up over time? I'm getting ready to assemble my mat based on your design and want to make sure the yardsticks stay stuck.

Also how many yard sticks did it take and do the gaps between them affect gameplay at all

This is very helpful.

I was planning a much more exspensive solution to my problem.

This is cooler, simpler, and easier to make.

Thank you.

Check out my play mats I make at www.facebook.com/jkspaceart under gamer mats

The rubber cement is holding up very well. No noticeable cracking or peeling. All slats are still firmly held.

I used 18 yard sticks total, and as much as I wanted to be all precise about it, I got impatient with measuring it all out. I trust my designers eye, so I eyeballed the gaps. They do not effect gameplay at all. Not only is the mat firm enough in between, but the gap is only 3/4 of an inch (give or take), so no chance for a base to overhang the gap without more than 50% support on a slat support.

The only modification I would make after months of use would be to maybe add some non-slip material to some of the slats in various spots. The yard sticks on a well varnished table can be slippery such that at the right angle of leaning, one can move the whole mat. It's only happened twice, and only an inch or so of movement (and no shifting of ships), but I plan to add some nonslip surface in a pattern to the bottom of 4-6 yard sticks. I could just use more rubber cement for it.

Thanks for the kind words, all.

http://www.miniaturemarket.com/catalog/product/view/id/40214/s/hcd96680/ like a giant mouse pad