Prototype movement tray: modular, decorative, magnetized

This is my prototype piece for a movement tray concept I talked about here at the stronghold a while ago. This is just the test run so perfect measurements and cleanliness weren't a concern.

I wanted to accomplish the following:
1. Pull away excess tray after troops are destroyed. Big empty trays kill the table's fung shui.
2. Avoid the whole tray being tilted at an angle when put over terrain pieces or hills.
3. Have edges that are more interesting to look at/protect your models from being bumped into.
4. Accommodate magnetized models.

This particular tray is made with a friend's 6x5 Longbeard regiment. It comes in three parts: Front, back, border. When the last two ranks are killed you simply unattached the magnetized border from the back part and attach it to the front.

Christ that's a lot of work for pure aesthetics.

Yeah, but it looks awesome! Any chance for a step by step?

Yeah, but it looks awesome! Any chance for a step by step?

Agree!  This may be a lot of work but not only looks good but have very real practical uses.  Step by step would be very welcome.

Kind regards Zolas.

It was a lot of work, but now that I've done it once I'm thinking up ways to make it less work. These were the basic steps:

1. Cut out two pieces of styrene sheets big enough for the troops plus extra for the border.
2. Cut out two pieces of sheet metal that was just large enough for the troops and stick it down.
3. Mold apoxy sculpt around the edges. It just needed to be the right general shape since it would be flocked.
4. Stick magnets into the apoxy while it was still soft along with a dab of super glue.
5. After the sculpt had firmed some, test fit bases and cut off any excess sculpt that would get in the way.
6. Flock after curing.
7. ?
8. Profit.

By making this first tray I learned lots of wrong ways to do it. I already have plans for v2.0 using some altogether different materials and methods.

What's giving me trouble is the sheet metal. Cutting it with snips along the length of the sheet is difficult and causes warping that makes for extra work trying to hammer it flat again. I know they make special straight down cutters for it, but the only tools like that I've seen are large, expensive, and impractical to own if that's your only use for it.

It is a pain, and watch those edges, they get extremely sharp... 

I love the idea of being able to set models on different stages of elevation by splitting up the movement tray, and have loved it ever since watching Blue Table Painting games. It looks so...well, easy and less wobbly.

Thanks for the step by step!!! 

Go to Lowe's in the roofing/siding section. They sell rolls of thin metal for rake/run board, that can be scoured with a razor blade and then snapped off. That's how we used to do soffit and rake when I did siding. I don't remember how much it cost but if you get thin enough sheet metal it should work the same.