Experiments in Basing: Part 3
My goal is to base my miniatures in a manner which enables play in a variety of rules sets. Those rules sets include Stargrunt II, Tomorrow's War, Alien Squad Leader, and maybe Critical Mass. The most common method of basing for SGII and TW is for single miniatures to be mounted on small round bases, while ASL and CM use group bases of varying size depending on the models used.
To achieve my goal I've been looking a different methods of affixing small round bases to larger group bases. So far, I've looked at Litko's circular ply and circular steel bases, I've tried steel washers and I've tried both in conjunction with Brigade Models' plastic/resin Fireteam Bases.
I've also looked at the idea of using ply/balsa/card glued to magnetic sheet as group bases to which figures on either the Litko steel or steel washers could be affixed for ASL or CM games, or even just used as movement trays.
Looking at the costs involved (Part 2 of this series of posts) I've found the Litko option to be about 5 times more expensive than using steel washers. However in Part 2, the price used for washers was that for washers from Brigade Models. "Why....." I here you ask, "....are you buying washers from the UK when you live in Australia?"
Well....... I've looked and looked, maybe my research has failed me, but I've been unable to find suitable washers in Australia for less than $0.10 each. Brigade is selling them for about $0.05 each. Slipped into an order of miniatures these won't add to postage and handling costs and therefore you'll get 40 washers per pack at about $1.86 per pack. Roughly half the price of the cheapest I could find in Australia. Weird, but there it is.
The drawback with buying them from Brigade Models, is that, as yet, I do not make regular purchases from them and consequently have very few orders into which I can slip packs of washers. As a result I do not have a regular supply of suitable washers coming in to base all of my miniatures on.
Recently I've been thinking, "do my individual bases need to be made of a ferrous material?" mainly because I began to notice the number of small coins piling up in money-boxes and jars around the house. Since my wallet has no coin compartment, I tend to bring change home and put it aside in jars and such for my granddaughter.
I remember other gamers talking about using coins as bases for their miniatures. So I thought how would I be able to use Australian coins when they don't contain any ferrous metals and can't be held in place by magnets.
I'm going to try an experiment with an old plastic licence as a group base, apply a coating of filler or putty (textured maybe) and gently lay a sheet of clingwrap over it, and then depress a few 5 cent coins into the filler. After it dries the coins should be easy enough to remove and I should have a base with several depressions made to fit 5 cent coins.
Update as soon as I've tried it.
To achieve my goal I've been looking a different methods of affixing small round bases to larger group bases. So far, I've looked at Litko's circular ply and circular steel bases, I've tried steel washers and I've tried both in conjunction with Brigade Models' plastic/resin Fireteam Bases.
I've also looked at the idea of using ply/balsa/card glued to magnetic sheet as group bases to which figures on either the Litko steel or steel washers could be affixed for ASL or CM games, or even just used as movement trays.
Looking at the costs involved (Part 2 of this series of posts) I've found the Litko option to be about 5 times more expensive than using steel washers. However in Part 2, the price used for washers was that for washers from Brigade Models. "Why....." I here you ask, "....are you buying washers from the UK when you live in Australia?"
Well....... I've looked and looked, maybe my research has failed me, but I've been unable to find suitable washers in Australia for less than $0.10 each. Brigade is selling them for about $0.05 each. Slipped into an order of miniatures these won't add to postage and handling costs and therefore you'll get 40 washers per pack at about $1.86 per pack. Roughly half the price of the cheapest I could find in Australia. Weird, but there it is.
The drawback with buying them from Brigade Models, is that, as yet, I do not make regular purchases from them and consequently have very few orders into which I can slip packs of washers. As a result I do not have a regular supply of suitable washers coming in to base all of my miniatures on.
Recently I've been thinking, "do my individual bases need to be made of a ferrous material?" mainly because I began to notice the number of small coins piling up in money-boxes and jars around the house. Since my wallet has no coin compartment, I tend to bring change home and put it aside in jars and such for my granddaughter.
I remember other gamers talking about using coins as bases for their miniatures. So I thought how would I be able to use Australian coins when they don't contain any ferrous metals and can't be held in place by magnets.
I'm going to try an experiment with an old plastic licence as a group base, apply a coating of filler or putty (textured maybe) and gently lay a sheet of clingwrap over it, and then depress a few 5 cent coins into the filler. After it dries the coins should be easy enough to remove and I should have a base with several depressions made to fit 5 cent coins.
Update as soon as I've tried it.
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