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.

I've started thinking about how to base my armies, and I'll be going for sand and pebbles. Now, is there a way to attack the minis to the base without pinning them? I don't want them to be all sunken in. I've been thinking about putting some sprue under the minis feet and the glueing them to the base, would that work? Also, I really don't want to glue the mini down to the base, in case I want to do cork or something.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, how do I attach a mini to a rock? A real rock, that is.

If you don't want to pin, and don't want to glue, magnets is your only (terrible) option

Well, i actually meant that I don't want to glue the mini to the base BEFORE basing.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I guess I could just glue some card to their feet, soak the base in PVA, put the mini on to the base, add sand and stuff, and then remove the mini. I don't know. What glue do I use to glue a mini to cork?

What's the issue with pinning? When attaching the model to a base after the basing has been done and the surface is uneven, it's the best way to attach them. If you've got access to a small powered drill it takes no time at all.

You can try and glue them on anyway using super glue rather than plastic, but it'll be a more brittle bond - especially on a non flat surface - and you'll likely have models popping off every now and then unless you never touch them again.

I base with sand and rocks on two diff armies.

for the majority of models, I attach them to the base, then apply materials as the last step.

I understand our concern about "sunken in" look.

I find that unless you get really heavy with the basing, hey look just fine. of course, if you are using somehing very coarse (more like ...pebbles) then yes, they might look strange.

Now, I also have another army scheme, where i make (or cast) all custom bases - and due to the methods I use, the minis have to be added to the bases after both have been painted. I either use super glue, or pin them depending upon the size/weight of the mini and the stability of the base.

Perhaps if you could describe your process a bit more, and which steps you are finding don't meet your needs, could offer a bit more insight.

thanks for sharing, and good luck!

Well, I've got two methods: just applying sand and then glueing the mini on top of that, or to avoid applying glue to the areas the the models feet will be.

Well, if you find that when attaching the model first, the sand is too thick;

1 - The ides of gluing tiny bits of sprue on the base, where the feet will go, might be a good solution.

2 - Put the chunks of sprue on the mini feet,and attach before you add the sand (or pieces of plasticard, etc. basically, to give them elevator shoes).

3 - Use less sand.

4 - Pinning.

As far as gluing to actual rock, this is not simple. If the rock is flat, and durable (some rock is not, ironically) then you can super glue directly to the rock. Other times I have had to drill into the rock, and pin the mini.

I would say experiment a bit - as a lot of these things are quite subjective to what you think looks best vs. the work to get the result you want.

best of luck!

Thanks! I'll try the sprue and card methods tomorrow.

I would avoid most real rocks/pebbles and instead use cork. If you break off pieces, you can get bits that look like rock. I think they look more like scaled rocky terrain than actual small rocks, which can be too smooth. They are easier to deal with, because you can have whatever size or shape that you want, and obviously isn't a problem for pinning.

Incidentally, i would learn to pin it's not always necessary, but if you pin after painting, sometimes it is. So to be safe, I drill out all the feet -- something that only takes seconds to do anyways.

I've done the cork, sand, and rocks methods for my bases. Never had any problems with them looking sunken in.

with sand and rocks I glued the models to the base and then used a thin coat of basic white glue to paint the base around the model, then stuck the unit in a tray of sand and rocks. Let it sit for a bit and then remove and dust off.

It'll look fine, just remember how thick a layer of glue you put down determines how thick your layer of sand and rocks is going to be. If you don't want the sunken look, but thin and stingy with your glue

I use GW's texture paints for basing, adding it to the bases as a last step (of course, I highlight the texture afterwards). The sunken look was a concern, but once I did a few minis this way, I found that it wasn't very noticeable.