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Hey guys! I'm just returning to the WarHammer 40K world after a 17 year hiatus and, MAN things have changed! First off, it seems like all of the figures have switched over to resin which makes them more assembly friendly, detailed, and customizable- huge plus! I just cant get over though, how light and chincey they models feel in my hand compared with the old pewter- and how top heavy some of the larger pieces are. During my gaming hiatus though, I've become a metal fabricator and sculptor and am considering making size official bases for my new army.

I guess I'm looking to see if there is already a product out there that you guys feel fits the need of more substantial bases OR what kind of things I should consider if I made my own. Is there much need for this in the WarHammer world or should I just get used to everything being lighter and resin?

Thanks!

If you are simply trying to solve the issue of top heavy miniatures then you can do as most people, just glue something heavy under the base.

I dont think metal bases would be popular, at least not for gamers. Because it would add way to much weight that you have to carry with you.

Most people get resin or plastic. Maybe there is some obscure oldhammer fan that love metal bases though

 DanceOfSlaanesh wrote:
If you are simply trying to solve the issue of top heavy miniatures then you can do as most people, just glue something heavy under the base.

I dont think metal bases would be popular, at least not for gamers. Because it would add way to much weight that you have to carry with you.

Most people get resin or plastic. Maybe there is some obscure oldhammer fan that love metal bases though

I've seen this "solution" a lot but it just seems kinda kludgy to stuff the base with buck shot after spending dozens of hours painting a miniature into perfection.
I'm willing to accept the "get over it, everything is just lighter now" argument though.

Why get over it? If you want metal bases for your army you should do it

I still love metal miniatures more then others because of their weight.

We are just the minority i think.

 PhallixTrebec wrote:

 DanceOfSlaanesh wrote:
If you are simply trying to solve the issue of top heavy miniatures then you can do as most people, just glue something heavy under the base.

I dont think metal bases would be popular, at least not for gamers. Because it would add way to much weight that you have to carry with you.

Most people get resin or plastic. Maybe there is some obscure oldhammer fan that love metal bases though

I've seen this "solution" a lot but it just seems kinda kludgy to stuff the base with buck shot after spending dozens of hours painting a miniature into perfection.
I'm willing to accept the "get over it, everything is just lighter now" argument though.

The weight is completely concealed, so I don't see why it should matter from an aesthetics point of view.

I personally put a steel washer in each base, flush with the edges of the rim. That way, I can store them on magnetic shelves easily, and it also keeps the models upright when playing.

I just stick coins under the bases, 5c coins here are more of an annoyance to have in the first place anyway.

If 1 coin isn't enough, 2 can fit under while remaining flat still.

I used a penny, sealed into the base with milliput, keeps the Pink Horrors nicely balanced.

Washers are a nice idea, but pennies are cheaper.

washers, BBs, coins, gravel and PVA, whatever's handy really - I had to use quite a lot to keep some of my bigger metal models upright, like my son's HE dragon

only issue I've seen with metals is as one of my friends told me, when all his case is metal figures, it gets quite, quite heavy

otherwise, no big

I just throw a nickel under the base of top-heavy plastic models. They fit perfectly under 25mm round bases, as long as they are not slottabases- then you need to obviously fit something in the void spaces.

Nid hormagaunts are real top and forward heavy. I glue pennys under the base to keep them balanced. Most cost effective. Nothing with equal weight will cost less than 1 cent per object.

Metal bases will scratch peoples gaming tables. I could see a market for lead/ pewter inserts for bases though. They would add a decent amount more weight than a coin or washer.

The local store where I get my resin has iron powder. When casting my own bases I mix it into the resin. Otherwise I mix it with Durham's Putty and fill the bottom of the base.

This stuff:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B0MHG5Y/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_OK7WybTEGRTXR

 n0t_u wrote:
I just stick coins under the bases, 5c coins here are more of an annoyance to have in the first place anyway.

If 1 coin isn't enough, 2 can fit under while remaining flat still.

Fictional wrote:
I used a penny, sealed into the base with milliput, keeps the Pink Horrors nicely balanced.

Washers are a nice idea, but pennies are cheaper.

Everything is more expensive in this hobby for us Australians. Everything.

I used to stick washers under all my units but after I made the change I found that whenever I dropped them they'd break. Now I just stick a couple of magnets underneath so I can transport my infantry in old biscuit tins. Imbalanced models still the washer treatment.

I would worry about a fully metal base dinging up the gaming surface.

You might consider base toppers though. Just a disk that you glue to the top of the base, under the mini. From a sales POV I don’t think you will be able to match the price point of resin sculpted bases, but if you have the tools and parts, it would be a way to add some mass to your own collection.

For the bulk of the hobby, if we want something fancy, we can get resin/plastic bases, and if we want heft, it’s hard to beat penny bases for cost.

I've glued in lead shot to the underside of plastic bases then sealed it in with pva. For plastic minis it makes a huge difference in stability; I can tip the model more than 45 degrees from vertical and it will snap back upright after I let go. Weebles wobble but they don't fall down.

Lead shot is quite fiddly to work with though and really toxic if you somehow eat it so I have been thinking about using metal washers in place of the plastic base. Something like this:



They come in all sizes so 25mm diameter is easy enough and they are cheap as chips at 15p per washer. The hole in the middle might allow for a magnet to be installed. Alternatively since it is steel a magnetised movement tray is all that is needed.

Coins or washers are an age-old solution to this. Also, model the figures carefully and consider slightly larger bases (I use 30mm flat bases for my Warp Spiders who have historically been prone to falling over).

You could also go with that black magnetic sheet material that is thin enough to fill the bottom of the bases. It isn't as heavy as metal, but should be heavy enough. You would just have to get something like a piece of metal pipe sharped at one in to cookie cutter out the shape. It won't scratch up anyone's table and it will allow you to use metal sheets to hold them in place during transport.

I've found washers/coins won't scratch up anything, at least if they're used in GW bases because the bases are slightly taller, so the coin or what not won't touch the gaming surface, just provide weight.

For those fillers that are metal, or tough enough, and do reach the gaming surface, maybe just a simple cover of felt?

you can a few yards (or less) fairly cheaply at fabric stores, it'll likely last a really really long time considering how much you're using. And all you'd really have to do is put it down on your cutting mat, add some glue onto your miniature base, set it on the felt and cut around the base.

Of course that's yet more work too.

Udo wrote:Metal bases will scratch peoples gaming tables.

Nevelon wrote:I would worry about a fully metal base dinging up the gaming surface.

Saturmorn Carvilli wrote:It won't scratch up anyone's table

Guildenstern wrote:I've found washers/coins won't scratch up anything, at least if they're used in GW bases because the bases are slightly taller, so the coin or what not won't touch the gaming surface, just provide weight.

Hmm. Gamers have used coins and washers as bases for ages, and I've never known 'table-ding' to be a concern.

Rinky
Dinky
Sminky
Pinky
Linky

Makes yer blood run cold, don' it?

 Vermis wrote:

Udo wrote:Metal bases will scratch peoples gaming tables.

Nevelon wrote:I would worry about a fully metal base dinging up the gaming surface.

Saturmorn Carvilli wrote:It won't scratch up anyone's table

Guildenstern wrote:I've found washers/coins won't scratch up anything, at least if they're used in GW bases because the bases are slightly taller, so the coin or what not won't touch the gaming surface, just provide weight.

Hmm. Gamers have used coins and washers as bases for ages, and I've never known 'table-ding' to be a concern.

Rinky
Dinky
Sminky
Pinky
Linky

Makes yer blood run cold, don' it?

If the OP machines Warhammer style bases from solid metal, I'd worry about it dinging tables as well, they're going to be a hell of a lot heavier and sharper edges than some coins or washers

But I'm mostly interested in how the OP intends to make metal bases. Are we talking full metal WHFB/40k bevelled bases of the correct height as well as correct footprint?

The one thing I think would benefit from full metal bases are flyers. They are notorious for being easily toppled and if you made the base from solid metal it'd go a long way to shifting the centre of gravity down and making them more stable.

Cold casting: filling resin with metal powder, would create a heavier base not different from a resin base in terms of how it feels/plays.

If you know how to make resin bases, look in to cold casting.