I have a question for those of you who've done asteroids built from bits of volcanic rock.

I have some and want to connect them to bases with plastic rod. In order to have that connection be stable, I would like to drill an anchor hole into each asteriod.

Do I need special drill bits for that kind of work?

I'm not sure why you're asking a tabletop board game community and not, like, a DIY forum that would actually know this sort of thing. I somehow doubt the list of people that have made asteroids from volcanic rock is particularly long.

I've seen great asteroids made from torn up foam/sponge and then painted. Lighter and not going to hurt your toys if it falls.

I'm not sure why you're asking a tabletop board game community and not, like, a DIY forum that would actually know this sort of thing. I somehow doubt the list of people that have made asteroids from volcanic rock is particularly long.

There used to be a dedicated forum for modifications, painting etc. to the game -- I'm sure others have played around with this before, even for other games. Some of the craftsmen on the forum are quite talented and experiment a lot!

That said, OP wins the award for "Most Ostensibly Off-Topic Title."

I'm not sure why you're asking a tabletop board game community and not, like, a DIY forum that would actually know this sort of thing. I somehow doubt the list of people that have made asteroids from volcanic rock is particularly long.

I only had the idea because I've seen it online done for X-Wing; as such, this seemed the perfect place to ask.

At Michaels I happened upon bags of cheap decorative volcanic rocks for vases and whatnot and figured I would give it a try

It depends on what kind of volcanic rock you get. I am assuming not basalt, as that is too heavy.

Pumice is usually lighter in color (white, tan, or light yellow), and is essentially a sponge made out of glass. It is incredibly light, and in fact floats in water. Aside from the EXTREME warning to wear protective gear(including a dust mask of some kind) and to only work in a well ventilated area (hopefully outside) it requires no special tools aside from a pin vise to drill. Don't use a dremel or other electric drill, it is really hard to control depth with an electric drill on a material as fragile as that.

Scoria (AKA Cinder, or lava rock) is usually darker in color (brown, black, or most commonly red). It is denser and heavier than Pumice, with fewer vesicles and thicker walls between them. It has a clay like feel, but is still fairly light, and is very easy to get from a landscape store. Again even though this is denser than pumice, and you could use a dremel, I would suggest a pin vice for this, it should still be fairly easy.

Be sure to keep your bit clean, and go slow. Let the bit do the work, and don't use too much pressure, or the stone could shatter.

Bits that are made to drill through concrete will do the trick, but most probably you will have problems with bits that are for metal or wood.

You can find them at a hardware store for cheap. You will get better results if you use some water or lubricant while you are drilling them.

You will also need some glue that can handle the porosity of the rock.

Surprizingly wood glue will do well but it will take a full day to dry.

The tip on the bits looks like this:

****, and I thought it was a thread about fighting Double Decimator build or Epic "how to kill Automated Protocols Courvette" thread

I have a question for those of you who've done asteroids built from bits of volcanic rock.

I have some and want to connect them to bases with plastic rod. In order to have that connection be stable, I would like to drill an anchor hole into each asteriod.

Do I need special drill bits for that kind of work?

I made my asteroids this way. I used the rocks that are intended for BBQ's. Realy cheap and very effective. Drilling was tricky, I'd recommend drill bits for metal (or concrete) use eye protection and gloves. If you can, clamp the rocks in a vice.

I literally produced a shower of sparks and blunted a drill bit making just one set. I may not have used the correct drill bit myself to start with! Don't touch that drill bit (may work better if its wet).

I spray painted my flight bases black and secured them to the asteroids using a little green stuff and super glue.

They are fantastic and hav lasted three years.

Here are some of mine

Made from rocks, 8mm steel rod and 9mm plywood.

First up you will need a hammer drill as the tungsten carbide bits shown by tsondaboy don't cut via sharpness, they drill via smashing (hammering) the tip into the rock 20+ times per second. Check your drill has the hammer setting otherwise you will just sit there making your rock very hot without making much progress. Yep remember to wear all the recommended safety gear most importantly eye and hearing protection.

Cheers

I used lava rock for BBQ's, you can get a big box of it quite cheap. Instead of plastic rod I used brass rod for mine. File one end of the rod sharp, bit of epoxy then gentle taps with hammer to force it into the rock.

Various grey dry brushing(s) works wonders. The rock eats paint brushes though, so use cheap and old.

Don't have a pic else would show you., Googling this shows a few........... bbq lava rock asteroids

I used lava rock too, they are quite easy to put holes in. I managed to find an existing correct sized hole and then just push the plastic stand in, it gives a little and fits snugly.

Fellas and ladies,

I'm adding no further value to this conversation re rock / asteroids .. but I wanted to say thank you to you all. Those responses are absolutely incredible, insightful, helpful and offer clear, relevant and concise guidance to the OP. You're all a credit to these forums.

If you run out of volcanic rock, road tar that feel into water during pouring works very well as a substitute.

THAT'S MY FATHER UP THERE!!!!!

Beware Pele's Curse! Your green dice couldn't handle more bad luck!

Be sure to keep your bit clean, and go slow...

This is the best advice ever.

Wait, what were we talking about again?

basalt (the type of lava rock that you want to use) is really straightforward to drill into, probably can do it with the prong of a fork if you are careful.

if you want to use obsidian, you will probably need a percussion stone, and some leather gloves, it wont make for a very good asteroid, but you can definitely make some good arrowheads out of it.

Be clearer with your terms please because Lava Rock is ambiguous.

I too am interested in spicing up the visual with some 3-d asteroids. How do you remove the rock from the shaped base in those instances where a ship overlaps?