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Do any of you guys use weighted bases for any of your more top-heavy models? I have a Bloodletter here which while he doesn't actually topple, even when pushed, feels top heavy, and it makes me uncomfortable. Have you any suggestions?

coins work

Depends on how much weight you need. Sometimes coins aren't enough. Could try lead shot or fishing sinkers for more weight.

I use a washer from a bolt on the top heavies but coins work too

Lead and steel shot works quite well.

I use nickels personally. Fits like a glove, actually. Any 24/23mm coin would work.

I use lead shot ballast from these guys...

http://www.leadshotballast.co.uk/

They seem to have vanished but here is another company doing it...

http://www.theleadweightcompany.co.uk/lead-shot-ballast.html?gclid=CPyGsdKS4b0CFWbLtAodCnAAtQ

You want the small size of shot because it will fit any hollow base and fill it well. Glue it in by mixing with varnish or epoxy. I seal the filled base with putty or resin.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
I use lead shot ballast from these guys...

http://www.leadshotballast.co.uk/

They seem to have vanished but here is another company doing it...

http://www.theleadweightcompany.co.uk/lead-shot-ballast.html?gclid=CPyGsdKS4b0CFWbLtAodCnAAtQ

You want the small size of shot because it will fit any hollow base and fill it well. Glue it in by mixing with varnish or epoxy. I seal the filled base with putty or resin.

How many bases will one of those orders fill?

 Darth Bob wrote:
Lead and steel shot works quite well.

While I for one think this is great, this is not an option in countries where ammo is not sold on every other corner and can't be bought without permit. I live in a town with over 250.000 inhabitants and haven't seen a single hunting supplies or arms store in 7 years of living here.

There are some nice alloys that liquify at about 70 °C or even lower, Wood's metal and so on, but I'd be equally hard-pressed to get my hands on elemental cadmium, bismut or indium, and at least bismut is essential for all of them.

calamarialldayerrday wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
I use lead shot ballast from these guys...

http://www.leadshotballast.co.uk/

They seem to have vanished but here is another company doing it...

http://www.theleadweightcompany.co.uk/lead-shot-ballast.html?gclid=CPyGsdKS4b0CFWbLtAodCnAAtQ

You want the small size of shot because it will fit any hollow base and fill it well. Glue it in by mixing with varnish or epoxy. I seal the filled base with putty or resin.

How many bases will one of those orders fill?

Depends on the size of base.

Calculate the volume to be filled, then calculate the amount of lead needed with 20% reduction to allow for the air gaps.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Kosake wrote:

 Darth Bob wrote:
Lead and steel shot works quite well.

While I for one think this is great, this is not an option in countries where ammo is not sold on every other corner and can't be bought without permit. I live in a town with over 250.000 inhabitants and haven't seen a single hunting supplies or arms store in 7 years of living here.

There are some nice alloys that liquify at about 70 °C or even lower, Wood's metal and so on, but I'd be equally hard-pressed to get my hands on elemental cadmium, bismut or indium, and at least bismut is essential for all of them.

Buying ammunition and taking it apart is dangerous and not necessary, as well as illegal for most people.

Buy lead shot ballast, which is widely used by yachters, scuba divers, and modellers.

The link I provided is UK based. There must be similar companies in every country.

I've seen people use pennies, washers from bolts, blister sprue refuse, some heavier stones when you base the models. theres quite a bit of stuff to use

Coins are great, usually low cost and easy to come by.

I echo the use of nickels if you are in the US - they perfectly fit the inside of a standard non-slotted circle base and have some decent weight to them.

I never put coins it it....what a waste

I sometimes put Polyfill or hot glue in the bases since usually the models aren't to tippy.

 chiefbigredman wrote:
I never put coins it it....what a waste

Washers of equivalent diameter and weight generally cost more than the face value of the coins used in their stead. Using money is a reasonably frugal option, at least for one-off models.

That said, I prefer to keep the underside of hollow cup-style bases (like GW's) as empty as possible - the shape helps stability. If it suits the basing scheme, I'll use stone or metal debris on top, squishing lead weights flat and gluing them to the underside only as much as is necessary. Works best when you're only trying to counterbalance a leaning model, but you can still add a decent bit of weight for tall pieces without completely filling the underside.

I would use lead shot, not just for balancing but because I like the weight.

I think I will go with lead shot, there is a fishing shop up the road. Thanks!

With lead, wash your hands after use with cold water and do not chew on the metal

Why cold water? My cold water tap is bloody freezing, I despise the thing.

I use pennies, lead, washers anything i have to hand!

If your using lead washing your hands with warm water will open the pores in your skin which will absorb the lead. Cold water will keep the pores closed thus washing away the lead. (do you really need to use cold water? Prob not as you wont be using THAT much lead.) But one can never be over informed about toxic substances.

I might wear some gloves while doing it.

Lead won't harm you unless you're eating quite a lot of the stuff, or slathering it on to your face every day for years.

You'll get more heavy metals in your system just by eating a piece of fish than you will from even excessive handling of lead.

Lead hasn't really worked. The balls are too big and don't squash very well.

This problem would not have arisen if you had taken my advice.

Well I don't really see how it would have helped. I just bought loads of lead, and put as much as would fit in, except the problem wasn't gaps between the balls or anything, it's that the diameter of the balls is greater than the depth allowed by the base.

lead is pretty soft, you should be able to flatten it with good strong pliers or a hammer.

lead also has a fairly low melting point so if you had a propane torch you could melt it (in a pot outside) and then let it harden up as it would then be flat.

^ this. Lead is soft and has a low melting point. Hitting with a hammer will flatten it so you can put it on the base.

For a model of that size I'd replace the base with a bigger one, maybe a 40mm piece, and fill the underside of it with a stainless steel washer (little bit heavier than plain steel ones) fixed with an epoxy adhesive.

For smaller bases I use coins; a washer the same size as a British 1p costs more than that, and a 1p piece is worth less than that in scrap value.

For odd shaped bases I heard of a product called liquid lead, which was very fine grains of lead that could be poured like sugar into a PVA-lined base.
It was used for ballast in model railway wagons but I don't know if it still exists.

hang on, yes it does:
http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=DLBD-38

I use a washer, with a magnet in the middle. That way I can store my minis in a box lined with thin sheets of steel and they won't move.