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Hello everyone,

So I like making my own scenic bases and at the bottom level I will put down a series of things like small rocks/sand with elmers glue. I then prime them/air brush the base colors on.

However one of the big problems I run into is that parts of it will constantly chip off, sometimes even in big sections. I was wondering if anyone had advice on how to seal it or some way of making the little rocks and sand stay on

I have heard using a second layer of watered down Elmer's glue would do the trick but am looking for more suggestions since this is the third time in some cases I have had to rebase models and it gets tiring/expensive.

Back when I did my Orcs and Goblins the exact same thing happened to mine. (Same glue) Big strips of basing would first kind of pop up then chip off.

I switched to Tacky Glue for my sand etc and have never had a problem since.

If i'm doing a sandy/ rocky type base i'll start with white glue like you but once the sand/ rocks are applied and the white glue has dried i'll use the cheapest thinnest super glue i can get my hands on and add a few drops to soak into the surface of the base. Once the superglue dries the whole thing is rock hard and you shouldn't have any issues with bits coming off.

Instead of using Elmer's white glue thin downed, try using Elmer's carpenters glue thinned down. I have had good success using that method.

Good luck.

This is a really good start:



Not white glue, not PVA glue and not wood glue. Wood Glue MAX (Max being the important part).

Fantastic consistency and when dry retains a rubbery/malleable finish. It's very strong, dries clearish/beige and has an excellent consistency.

For my models, the basing stuff is essentially:

-Glue model to a renedra plastic base
-Apply wood glue max
-Dip in a mix of ballast (I use three sizes)
-Pat down the ballast with my fingers, and tap the bottom of the base hard, visually inspecting for any bits hanging off
-Prime the model w/ the base (so we have glue, then primer)
-Paint the model
-Dip the model (so we now have glue, primer, dip)
-When the model is dried, paint/finish the base (so we have glue, primer, dip, paint)

This has produced a very stout basing material for me.

The finish ends up like this:


Just painted brown with a simple drybrush. This is a gaming level paintjob so it's not good for fancy dioramas or pro-painters but it provides a rocky base texture with a really solid attachment. I haven't had any issues with chipping.