Global 1940 Map Print

@Zallomallo:

I’m actually a bigger fan of the standard board look, with the terrain and stuff.  Would 94" x 47" be a good size for that do you think?  Like large enough I could fit all the starting units and include plastic factories?

That’s almost exactly the size of my setup,  in which a 96" x 48"  acrylic sheet rests on top of a foundation of the same size, with the map board sandwiched in between them.  (The foundation consists of three large framed painting canvasses bought from an art supply store and covered in black fabric.  They combine rigidity and flatness with light weight, but because the foundation is in three parts it’s not as smooth and straight as I’d like it to be.  In retrospect, a single sheet of painted plywood would have been a better choice.)  The whole assembly – foundation, map board and plexiglass – rests on top of four card tables lined up in a row.

One point to note, however, is that the main part of my map doesn’t extend the full 96" width of the assembly – unlike P-Unit’s setup, which is nearly identical in size but uses a map that is much wider than mine.  My setup uses a conventional four-panel Global 1940 1st edition map, placed so that its right-side edge is flush with the right edge of the foundation.  On the opposite side, flush with the left edge of the foundation, is an extra right-side panel from a second copy of Pacific 1940.  In between this extra panel and the normal four-panel map is a gap through which the black fabric of the foundation can be seen.  When I was preparing my setup, I placed all the map boards on the fabric-covered foundation, marked various points on the fabric next to the map edges on each side of the gap, removed the maps, then connected the marked points with lengths of black electrician’s tape (some horizontal and some diagonal).  I then put the map boards back in place, then put the plexiglass over the map.

The purpose of this arrangement is to show connector lines between the west (left) side of the Europe 1940 map and the right (east) side of the extra Pacific 1940 map panel.  If those two map sections had been on the same scale I would have put the two panels right next to each other.  They don’t fully line up, however, so I decided to use connectors to show where you end up when you move from one map panel to the other.  (My connectors don’t all agree with the crossovers specified in the rules; I did some customizing in that regard, out of personal preference.)  Because the connector lines are made with black tape stuck to black fabric, they’re easy to see when you want to use them and easy to ignore the rest of the time.  (Originally I used white sewing thread, but I later switched to electrician’s tape.  The tape sticks well to the fabric and stays straighter than thread.)

Another purpose for the extra panel is that it lets me visualize more easily how North America relates to the Pacific Ocean without having to mentally “wrap around” to the other side of the table.  I just find that more satisfying.  But an unexpected bonus of the arrangement is that the left side of the map assembly provides an extra working surface for use during the game (for supplies and sculpts and so forth).  The actual game takes part on the conventional four-panel part of the map, so the left-side extra panel is free for other uses.  (To emphasize that the left panel isn’t supposed to have units placed on it, I covered all of the roundels on the panel with adhesive black dots.)

One thing I’ve noticed about my 48" x 96" assembly is that the size is close to the maximum height that allows me to stand at the bottom edge of the map and reach over to place pieces near the top edge of the map without having to walk around the table.  So a height of about 48" is good choice from that point of view.

P-unit and others,

––Nice work on the map!  :-D
I like your graphics, like the enhanced “Convoy” symbols. Is this an original creation of yours?

––In approximately a month I plan on establishing my Railroad & Military History Museum. Part of that will include building an improved map board for G-40 or G-39 games of an even larger size than we currently use,…say 72" x 162". I’d like to ask Q’s and utilize your experience and skills towards the building of mine in the near future. Anyway, it shouldn’t be long till things’ start happenin’!

“Tall Paul”

@Tall:

Part of that will include building an improved map board for G-40 or G-39 games of an even larger size than we currently use,….say 72" x 162".

A game map 6 feet by 13.5 feet is quite epic in scale.  Looking forward to seeing the finished product, and a few in-progress construction shots would be great to see too.

@CWO:

@Tall:

Part of that will include building an improved map board for G-40 or G-39 games of an even larger size than we currently use,….say 72" x 162".

A game map 6 feet by 13.5 feet is quite epic in scale.  Looking forward to seeing the finished product, and a few in-progress construction shots would be great to see too.

––Through experience gained with model railroad layout design it’s been determined that 30" is about the max for being able to reach anything from the edge. If we had our naval and army units magnetized and on “fleet sheets” (copywrited") we might extend our “reach” another six inches or so.
----Like I said, it will be about a month before any serious work will begin on this project,…but I would certainly encourage/request everyone’s assistance on making it the best we can.
----And having the map and detailed/painted units is only a step in allowing some games with friends,…old and NEW ones. Once I get everything organized I hope to envite everyone over for some WARS! I hope you’ll come, too.

“Tall Paul”

@LHoffman:

@P-Unit:

I printed and play on a Global 1940 2e map I heavily edited from an export of the TripleA 1940 map. I have it sitting under a piece of plastic identical in material to the post above, an anti-glare P-99. It works REALLY REALLY well for our group. Some pics are below. I can supply you a link to a huge psd Photoshop file if you like, or a png image file if you can’t use the Photoshop file.

I think this is pretty cool… I, for one, would love a link for this file. Nice job P-Unit.

Thanks, I’ll post it after I correct a couple of minor items.

@P-Unit:

@LHoffman:

I think this is pretty cool… I, for one, would love a link for this file. Nice job P-Unit.

Thanks, I’ll post it after I correct a couple of minor items.

Excellent! And thanks in advance.

I prefer to print on a vinyl poster material that is mate laminated. I then go to a building supply store and purchase a sheet of 1/4 thin ply wood 72"X32"… I use a can of 3M spray adhesive and paste the poster sheet flush to the ply wood. I then drop it into my custom table which is 8’X4’. The reason I print the standard size of 72"X33" is that I fits great in a 8’X4’ table, and any larger… it gets difficult to reach the full width of the game board. I don’t use any type of glass to cover it, I find that the laminated vinyl is easy to wipe down with a Lysol wipe and is pretty tough. I will be getting a print done this week and will be posting some images soon. Cheers.

@Young:

I prefer to print on a vinyl poster material that is mate laminated. I then go to a building supply store and purchase a sheet of 1/4 thin ply wood 72"X32"… I use a can of 3M spray adhesive and paste the poster sheet flush to the ply wood. I then drop it into my custom table which is 8’X4’. The reason I print the standard size of 72"X33" is that I fits great in a 8’X4’ table, and any larger… it gets difficult to reach the full width of the game board. I don’t use any type of glass to cover it, I find that the laminated vinyl is easy to wipe down with a Lysol wipe and is pretty tough. I will be getting a print done this week and will be posting some images soon. Cheers.

I would like to take back this statement as I have been having a nightmarish time working with this method… I am currently working on a better application and will post my findings when I get all the info.

@Young:

@Young:

I prefer to print on a vinyl poster material that is mate laminated. I then go to a building supply store and purchase a sheet of 1/4 thin ply wood 72"X32"… I use a can of 3M spray adhesive and paste the poster sheet flush to the ply wood. I then drop it into my custom table which is 8’X4’. The reason I print the standard size of 72"X33" is that I fits great in a 8’X4’ table, and any larger… it gets difficult to reach the full width of the game board. I don’t use any type of glass to cover it, I find that the laminated vinyl is easy to wipe down with a Lysol wipe and is pretty tough. I will be getting a print done this week and will be posting some images soon. Cheers.

I would like to take back this statement as I have been having a nightmarish time working with this method… I am currently working on a better application and will post my findings when I get all the info.

Thanks for blazing the trail YG. If I ever do this myself I will say a silent prayer of thanks for your experience and your money.  :wink:

Thanks LHoffman,

Your appreciation is my inspiration… because I refuse to use a sheet of glass, my research has lead me to a material called styrene (google it) which is a type of plastic sheet that can be directly printed on. All indications point to this method being the last alternative to glass and although it cost around $240, it looks to be my best option. Even after flushing $300 so far in a crappy print, and installation complications, I’m happy with this new direction if it turns out the way I’ve been told it will. Basically it’s flexible plastic, so it should lie flat without air pockets getting trapped, and because it doesn’t get laminated, the colors should be slightly brighter. If it is sensitive to scratching than there is a clear film sheet by 3M I can look into, that’s where I’m at right now.