Crusades project progress and other things

First the big news:   I primed the giant-sized Rotwang and Murderface and should get around to painting them this week.

On to the Crusades project:

I purchased a bunch of support material.  I got 4" wide sheets of Basswood to make the unit bases.   I settled on 4" wide, 2" deep for the units which will hold 2-4 cavalry or the 6-8 infantry I'm planning to mount on each stand (8 infantry might need to be staggered in 2 rows)

I've started to cut the bases, but true to my long history, me and straight lines are only distantly acquainted.    I tried cutting the wood with scissors, but that shattered the stand into pieces.   I tried using a saw, but it was too big and slow.   So, I stuck to scoring through with a utility knife.  Close enough.

One thing that's a little irritating is that the tan spray paint I used to paint the bases is almost exactly the same color as the bare wood, so it feels like I'm doing nothing.

I'm experimenting with various glues to assemble figures.  I remember that old fashioned model glue and regular super glue are both usable but less than ideal for soft plastic (fine for hard plastics).   So, I'm trying a few other suggestions out.

I've been shopping for a battle mat to set the game on.  There are some really awesome ones, but they are all way, way too expensive ($50-$100).  So I did find this video:

Battle Mat Video

The video shows how to make a textured battle mat from Canvas drop cloths and caulk.   I've ordered a canvas drop cloth for $15 that should be big enough to make 2 different mats which is much more what I was willing to pay.

So, this week I'm looking forward to an unending stream of packages arriving at my house.  It's like Wargamer's Christmas, or a Festivus miracle or something.