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Hi, I have a couple of quick questions about basing models using sand. What do you suggest that I use as a glue to hold the sand to the base? Additionally, is it best to leave the sand its natural colour, or to paint over it (assuming you want it to look like... well... sand)?.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

PVA glue is the best, leave it to dry for a couple of hours though, and its best to paint it rather than leave it sand coloured... If you do want a good sand look, probably go something (i still use the old gw paints so you might need a conversion chart) but work up from snakebite leather to bleached bone? or something similar

Thanks for the quickly reply.

No worries man, happy to help. Just finished basing 66 imperial guardsmen the other week... never... again...

 Lucien-Alexis wrote:
No worries man, happy to help. Just finished basing 66 imperial guardsmen the other week... never... again...

Better than having them unbased. My necrons just have black bases and while it works for them, I would rather do something else for my DA and Warmachine models.

A one more question, is it better to put sand on the bases before gluing the models to them (so that the base layer is smooth and consistent, without building up around the model's feet) or after (so the model is actually glued to be the base, instead of being glued to the sand on top of the base). It's not such a big question for my warmachine models (as they all have slotted bases), but for the DA its important.

Questions do not belong in the Tutorials section. Please read the sticky.

Moved. Carry on...

I spread a light coat of Elmer’s glue and move the base though some fine sand basing from a hobby store. Then after that dries, you can put a few dabs on the base and drop some grass flocking for “tufts of grass.” Gale Force 9 has very good basing sand and flocking.

When it is all said and done, whatever sealer you use should keep everything in place. There are a lot of tutorials on the subject on Youtube.

I water down the elmers glue. I find it works way better with a bit of water in it.

I use a mix of pva, water and a drop of dishwashing liquid (although ANY surface-tension lowering surfactant will do the job) to lock down the sand before painting (this mix will flow around and into all the little nooks and crannies and lock it ALL into one chunk - pva/water will just coat the surface due to the air cavities and surface tension issues).

I have moved away from PVA for basing because watered down paints can sometimes reactivate the glue and cause basing material to shift or come loose.

These days I use superglue and pour sand on my base that way. Once the base is completely covered, I then use thinned down PVA glue as a sealer over the top of the sand. I let it dry overnight and it is usually ready for primer at that time.

I've found this to be a better (if not as fast) way to base my models as it prevents granules from flaking off over time.

You can use PVA, apply sand and then "flood wash" the base once the PVA is dry to lock the sand down.

You can also achieve a nice effect depending on the color of wash you use for this.

Check out the last pictures of my Cygnar Charger tutorial to get a better idea how this is done:

http://ik-painter.blogspot.de/2011/09/from-zero-to-hero-v-charger-cygnar.html

Cheers

I use similar for the "ground" portion of the base:

1) Thin down PVA
2) Dip in or sprinkle on sand/gravel/dirt of choice.
3) Let it dry overnight.
4) Secure with a second coat of watered down PVA, let it dry completely.
5) Paint, add flock, etc
6) Spray varnish to secure the final loose bits and protect the model.

RegalPhantom wrote:
A one more question, is it better to put sand on the bases before gluing the models to them (so that the base layer is smooth and consistent, without building up around the model's feet) or after (so the model is actually glued to be the base, instead of being glued to the sand on top of the base). It's not such a big question for my warmachine models (as they all have slotted bases), but for the DA its important.

Depends on the model. As you've already guessed, models on slotta bases don't really lend themselves to basing first, if you're mounting them as intended (you could always cut off the tab and plug the slot). For freestanding models, I use one of two methods, depending on the model's structure (thickness of legs, number and size of points of contact), the pose, etc. The first is to simply base fully, then pin (I'd never trust a model glued to sand glued to a base to stay put - glue directly or pin it) the model so it stands on top. Other times, though, I'll add small plasticard shims under all of the attachment points to raise the model slightly. Then, when it comes time to base, the layer comes up to, but not over, the feet.

I actually use the GW texture paint.

You use it up extremely quickly, but it's a nice consistency. No messy gluing or anything like that!

The bases for my WM/H army is their white texture paint drybrushed blue with snow tufts stuck on with superglue.