"Simple Cobblestone/Grid Basing Technique?" Topic

Anyone else doing this?

As you prepare to place the figure on the base, spread a very thin layer of GreenStuff on the base you will use and make your cobblestone or grid pattern. It really takes very little time and effort. Sometimes I make a thin latex mould of an existing cobblestone floor, peel it off when cured and use that to press against the GreenStuff.

For Sci-Fi grid floors, I've started using "cross stitch plastic canvas", pressed onto the GreenStuff putty to create a negative but regular pattern. Just peel it off when done.

For stone, I lightly wet a "flat" piece of slate (with nice grooves and texture, of course) and press it to the putty.

What do you guys/gals think?

CC
Other optional uses of those plastic canvases:
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Textured base manufacturers are going to hate you.

I just did that last week with sculpey. Was a real hassel removoving, baking and replacing!! Green stuff!! That will make things easier!!

I was thinking Sculpey too, at first.

However, I wanted to try something that would cure at room temperature and that would immediately adhere to the base without gluing down.

CC

<<I was thinking Sculpey too, at first.>>
Can plastic slottas or even the lead in some figures stand up to the curing temps of Sculpey??

TheRaven,

Not all ovens are created equal, nor figure alloys for that matter. Sculpey must be heated to around 260-275F, so I would not recommend baking on plastic bases or metal figures.

My nephew tried something similar with 18 figures once and ended up with a lot of melted alloy, even though I had not had any problems with doing the same in my oven to the very same figures.

GreenStuff putty (or similar epoxys) is definitely the way to go.

CC

Addendum:

Baking Sculpey on metal washers would work.

Just make sure to rough up the surface a bit (with sand paper or steel wool) to give the Sculpey something to adhere to.

CC

CC, I asked a similar question the other day.
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Thosmoss suggested this:
"Find the pattern you like -- my preferences these days are a textured sheet of styrene from the railroad model supply shop (my floors to the Mines of Moria), a sidewalk made of my Hirst bricks (the ramparts of Minas Tirith), and the floor of the tower off my Mumak (er, the floor of my Mumak tower).

Press some Sculpy into the desired surface. Pinch the top to make a custom made finger-and-thumb handle. Wiggle it loose from the parent texture. Bake.

Take a glob of epoxy putty, slap it on your desired base. Dip your reversed impression in water, then press onto the glob to make the impression on top of your base. Let dry long enough to firm up, then use a sharp knife to clean up the edges of your base."

I tried it and it worked like a charm. I can post some pics if you want.

Cheers, Xin

Xin,

I would love to see those pics, and I'm sure others would too. Thanks.

CC

Ok, thanks guys, I'm back to sculpey again

I've experimented with Testors putty but wasn't too thrilled with my lack of any sort of sculpting talent. They were decidedly nothing like cobblestones or bricks. Maybe flagstones at best.

Also have cut off very thin plastic sheeting and placed in random patters around figures that are already based. That worked out better.

Since 90% or more of my figures are slotted figures that go into slotted bases, it doesn't do me a lot of good to pre-make terrain bases because the figures feet will be in different places, and then I have the gap to fill later. So I mostly have to glue the figure down first, and then do something later to the base.

Still, this thread has given me a few new ideas to tinker with. Thanks!

Ok here ya go.
link

I used Scuply to make the stamper, and 2 part epoxy putty on the base, brand was Locktite from Home Depot.

At first I did the stamp on a round 25mm base, but with the hight of the base, and a layer of putty on it, I felt it was too high. So now I'm putting it on 1" washers. Which as the added benefit of store the figures in sheet magnet lined boxes.

Seattlegamer. Just clip off the slot. You don't need it. Well that's what I did.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Xin

Xintao,

Now I get it. The Sculpey was a stamp, but the epoxy putty was the actual material spread on the bases.

Fantastic photos. Many, many thanks.

CC

Well, my aunt is a jewler and she suggested a self hardening clay she is bringing over tonight. If it works, I'll post the specifics but supposedly its like a sculpey without the baking in terms of sculptability. This might be cool.

Well, its a self hardening clay called "Alex", and its not quite as smooth as Sculpey, but I scribed a brick street fairly easil. My Aunt bought it at Michaels. Well see how it'll stand up tommorow (24 hr. dry time).

Smokeyroan,

Did it cure ok?

CC

Yes it did. It is not as strong as Sculpey (not weak, you have to work to break it off a plastic slot based. It was completely dry within 12+ hours. "Alex" air drying clay, $4.99 USD a lb at Michaels (fairly cheap)

Nice! Thanks.

CC

And…Where's the apology for trashing my baby(Kirstie Alley) and suggesting the ugliest miniature figure EVER as suitable for her?

On the use of take-out food plastic containers:

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CC
PS. Smokeyroan, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. :)

If anyone wants to add a finishing touch to their foamboard corridors:

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CC

Plastic bases will survive the curing temperatures of sculpey-- as you'll be painting them and seeling them, you can actually tone down the temperature a bit. In Northern Europe for example, it's been a long standing practice to use boiling water to cure polymer clays like Sculpey. It works for beads and the rolling boil doesn't mis-shape them. I've tried it on bases/tiles and it didn't work very well.

That said, you can still use that temperature and your bases should survive.

Another good thing to do is to embed the base in baking soda and then put backing soda on top before you cure. It evens out the heat and eliminates the fumes that the plasticizers give off.