Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Urban is quite easy to do, i use plasticard and different shaped rod, sprues, sand and random junk on my imperial guard. see below:








quick and easy, won't win any golden daemons with it, but looks great for TT quality

cover base in a sand flock , than add some blotches of rocks dry brush than add a clump or two of static grass easy fast and pretty cheap .

Well actually my problem is with the sand. No matter how much I put on the base it always falls off.

deadratman wrote:Well actually my problem is with the sand. No matter how much I put on the base it always falls off.

Have you tried giving the sand a quick was of watered down pva? Seals it wonderfully and you don't have to worry about it falling off!

You mean putting glue on top of the sand?

deadratman wrote:You mean putting glue on top of the sand?

Yes he did, if you're using coarse sand, the adhesion can sometimes be not great because of the lack of surface area - by putting a watered-down PVA coat over the top (after the first one has dried) it makes a very hard-wearing finish.

Ok thanks everyone!

Another suggestion for tabletop quality bases is:

1. Use undiluted PVA glue, covering the base wherever you want the sand.
2. Dunk, yes dunk the base in the sand.
3. Tap off the excess.
4. Let dry, then use a coat of watered down PVA glue on top of the sand.
5. Let dry, then Prime your model and base together.

The primer will help keep the base stuck together along with all the glue you've already used. I have used this method on 6 different armies and have yet to have a single problem with a single model.

Thanx Todosi!

Or you can just use super glue. If you use it the sand will never come off. Make sure you apply it with a crappy brush or something.

I've been using cork tiles to base my set of Talisman models recently after reading about it from one of the posters here.

The cork tiles are available in big box stores in the home/office area, are 12"x12"x1/4", and come in four packs for about $5.00 USD (in my area).

Just break off a piece to large enough cover the base or a portion thereof, glue it in place with a bit of CA/superglue, and drybrush with three shades for excellent results. Broken bits of cork make excellent rock/concrete and I've added sand to the surface and other bits to simulate sandstone. Kitty Litter works great as spikey rocks.

Or you could hit the beach and take home some sand. Bake it if it needs drying and sift it through a wire screen to catch the larger scree (save that for your larger rubble bits) and bag it up. I use wood glue - the same stuff as PVA - to glue my sand down and a second watered coat once the glue has dried.

If you're not near a beach, get your friends to pitch in for a bag of Play Sand at the local hardware store. Same stuff, pre-sifted.

A really simple way to acctually glue it on is this-

-Glue the model to the base

-Spread some PVA glue on the base (Try and keep it off the model and around the rim of the base)

-Dip it in some sand (GW sand or modelling sand is best)

-Wait for it to dry

-Mix a 1:1 of PVA and water

-Cover the sand in this mixture so it is spread evenly (Quite thinly) and so it is in all of the cracks and on all of the sand

This should make a pretty strong base, the last couple of steps seal the sand in so it wont come off ^_^

To paint it really eassily just do this-

-Paint all of the sand Charidon Granite (Foundation paint)

-Lightly drybrush in codex grey so the tips of the grains of sand are highlited

-If you really want to be fancy then go for a heavier drybrush and then give a generous wash of Badab Black to blend the highlighting and give some middle tones.

-(This last step doesn't need to be done unless you want to go all the way with the base as just doing the first two steps produces a decent looking base ^_^)

After reading a ridiculous number of posts and guides, and watching numerous youtube videos on basing, I decided it was time to undertake the monumental task of basing all 147 Tyranid models I own.

What I used:

Elmer's glue (just read somewhere that it's bad for this.. whoops)
Citadel Sand flock
Citadel Grass flock
Bestial Brown
Chaos Black
Codex Grey
Ghost Grey (Vallejo)
Acrylic Matte sealer
Cork


Everyone else here seems to paint their bases after applying flock/ballast, which confuses me. I've had it explained that if you don't prime and paint the base, it will look too realistic and detract from the model. However, I've found quite the opposite with my Hive Fleet Behemoth template nids. The genuine looking sand and grass contrasts the deep and vibrant reds and blues very well. Thus, I left painting completely out of the equation with the exception of painting the base bestial brown before starting anything.

It should be said that all but three of these bases already had models glued to them when I started painting and adding flock. Nothing short of frustrating most of the time, so in the future all my bases will be completed before a model is permanently affixed.

My procedure:
Paint the base with a generous ce and warm water. I used a size 6 flat brush for this, and it worked well on both large and small models. Very easy to clean with just warm water and a bit of gentle rubbing, but only use that brush for glue in the future.
Make sure the gluey moat of bestial brown. (not every base received this treatment, just to see how it would look with black instead)
Apply a coat of 1:1 white gluixture is spread relatively evenly over the whole base. The adhesive tends to draw itself away from the edges of the base if you let it sit for more than a few seconds.
Sprinkle a thick layer of sand flock over the glue. Shake it gently side to side to spread out the flock and get better coverage of the base. Tip any excess into the container and take the back of the base to shake any loose sand off. Then run a finger around the edge of the base to remove anything stuck to the side.
(Do not dunk the base in the flock, this will ruin your flock over time and produces very poor coverage)
After around 30 minutes, the sand should be well in place. At this point, I cover approx 1/2-3/4 of the base with the same 1:1 mixture, and sprinkle the grass flock in the same way as the sand.
A note about the grass: This stuff will stick to everything, your fingers, the model, the sides of the base. I find it best to shake up the container before opening it. Loosens up the clumps and makes it a little less sticky, for some reason. Again, do not dunk the model in the flock.
Another 30 minutes, and your grass should be dried. At this point I used the acrylic sealer on any 25mm and slotted bases - no further work to be done on them. After the sealer dries, your base is well protected and ready for a model.

For anything 40mm and larger, at this point I start tearing up some cork board (found a roll of ~6 square feet for $3 at Michael's, will last me forever). The kind I purchased has adhesive on one side, which makes it spectacular for creating stacks of rock slab or just piles of broken rock. Tearing up 4-5 small pieces, then using the adhesive to stick them together works really well. After this, just a small bit of white glue (or other adhesive if you like) and some patience will give you rocks for your base.
Quick coat of sealer after the glue dries will give you the perfect surface for painting.
Thick coat of black (especially covering all the jagged edges), followed by a thin coat of grey, making sure to completely cover the flat surfaces. Dry brush some lighter grey over this, and you've got rocks which nicely contrast the grass and sand.


Again, this was just my first time trying basing. But with this method (long and arduous it may seem), I finished all my models in about four days, maybe 16 hours of work total. Appreciative of opinions or criticism.


Termagants


Hormagaunts


Warrior and Carnifex


Tervigon

My bases have a desert theme.

I blob a bit of Milliput, resin or Plastic Padding on to them. I do it with leftovers from modelling.

Spray desert brown.
Put on PVA
Put on beach sand and shingle.
Superglue a couple of tufts of Army Painter Highland Tuft on.



It's really easy to do.

Hey i use tile adhesive (the stuff for fixing bathroom tiles) to make my bases, just mix it up then dollop onto a plastic sheet shape to whatever shape/ size you want then leave to set