| Cheomesh | 21 Apr 2010 11:08 p.m. PST |
As brought up by someone regarding bases matching the terrain, why do we continue to use solid colored bases when we could possibly make the switch to clear slotted ones? M. |
| Timmo uk | 22 Apr 2010 1:08 a.m. PST |
Some use clear bases for naval models – looks good IMHO. However, clear slotted bases would show the metal or plastic tab under the figure's feet and IMHO stand out more than solid bases with texture or grass etc styled to match the terrain. |
| Warbeads | 22 Apr 2010 1:34 a.m. PST |
Non all models have tabs (requiring slotted bases) so clear bases might be more useful for the more traditional figure. Gracias, Glenn |
| Two Owl Bob | 22 Apr 2010 2:11 a.m. PST |
I thought about making clear bases for my 28mm Romans who are going to have to fight from the desert to the German frontier. I only thought about it until I realised what a pain in the grollies it would be to hack off the metal base and drill the legs to take a short pin. It works for things that have a single large footprint like ships but not for humans unless you have some kind of sitting or prone army. |
| Steve1 | 22 Apr 2010 2:17 a.m. PST |
There are some shown here
link
At Triples last weekend there was a trader selling them, along with some rather nice terrain pieces
link
I really like the idea, but don't think I'd ever get round to cutting off the cast on bases of most wargaming figures. However figures with tab bases and plastics with any type of base would be an option. |
| DS6151 | 22 Apr 2010 2:36 a.m. PST |
I've tried it once before, and I did not like the looks.
It's one of those counterintuitive things. The transparent base stands out more than an opaque one. I don't know why really, the shine, the way everyone is apparently hovering, I'm not sure. I might give it another try. |
| Two Owl Bob | 22 Apr 2010 5:39 a.m. PST |
I know what you mean DS6151. I also play with n-gauge model trains and someone recently came up with the bright idea of making the (grossly out of scale) standard coupler in transparent plastic instead of black. It looked great on the shelf and against a plain white background for the promotional shots but against the grass and ballast of a railway it stuck out a mile, you might as well have made it out of white plastic instead. |
| leidang | 22 Apr 2010 6:36 a.m. PST |
I don't like clear bases even for flight stands. All of my flight stands are matt black and they seem to blend more with whatever background color. The eye tends to discount black when you are not focusing on it so although they stand out when looking at the base, when looking at the plane you tend to not notice them. With matt black and round posts you have no sharp edges to catch the light. Anything shiny (Gloss black or especially clear bases) or with sharp edges tends to catch the light and draw the eye. |
| Timmo uk | 22 Apr 2010 6:41 a.m. PST |
Two Owl Saw those and totally agree. leidang
I'm considering dropping the clear flight bases and spraying them a mid green that roughly matches my hex mat in the hope they'll blend in. As you write its the reflections of light that make them stand out. |
| Paintbeast | 22 Apr 2010 9:31 a.m. PST |
I've tried cut acrylic, cut glass (3 types), cast glass, cast resin and a few other things that are not worth mentioning…could never get a look I was truly happy with. The clear cast slot bases look awful, IMO. I tried these about 2 years ago but had to rebase immediately. The best of the lot, and I have some of my Pulp figures mounted on these, was the cast resin. I painted the figure to completion, sealer and all before mounting to a very thin cast resin base. The trick was to glue the figure to the base with a small dab of aquarium sealer. After the sealer dries you do a bit of clean-up and polish the resin base. This worked, but was a fair bit of work. When I expand my Pulp collection I may use this method again, but only for 28mm+ figures for skirmish games. |
| Paintbeast | 22 Apr 2010 9:34 a.m. PST |
I should note: I polish my resin bases because we tend to play in rather dim light and unpolished bases stood out too much…when playing in a well lit area the effect is annoying and distracting as others have pointed out. |
| Bill Rosser | 22 Apr 2010 1:04 p.m. PST |
I mounted a whole ECW army (@ 300 ea 15mm) on thin plastic card, just because it was going to be a travelling army, and I wanted to match the tables it was going to be playing on. Initially worked fine, but eventually it "yellowed" and defeated the purpose. I think smaller mass scales would be better for this then individual figures. Bill R |
 Sgt Slag  | 25 Apr 2010 4:53 p.m. PST |
Clear bases work, but it takes a few steps. First off, slotting them is not necessary, but you do have to remove the slotta base from the figure. As has been discussed already, you will need to apply glue to the bottom of the figure (typically their feet) to bond it to the plastic. For a source of plastic, you have several options. Acrylic can be used, but it tends to be very expensive, and it yellows over time. What I have had success with, is clear plastic Plexi-Glass, or knock off's available from DIY stores. Look in the windows section. They sell it in sheets of varying sizes. Buy the smallest piece you can get, as you will likely be cutting it down to 1"-squares. Cutting it can be a challenge. X-acto/razor blades will work, but they require multiple strokes, to cut at least halfway through it, before you can safely snap it off. They make a special cutter for this purpose, but that is more money. Once it is cut, glue/epoxy your ready-to-matte-coat, fully painted figure to the base. After the glue/epoxy has dried/cured, then hit the whole, figure and base, with matte coat. This is the critical step most folks here have missed: the matte coat will make the clear base translucent, not transparent. When you place a translucent, clear base on any surface, the translucent base will almost disappear, taking the full appearance of the sub-surface: red lava, water, stone path, dirt road, wooden catwalk, etc. With regards to the figure's molded base, one option is to simply paint it black. By making the molded base black, it will tend to be overlooked by the viewer's brain, or it may even pass for a shadow. ;-) If you doubt how well this technique works (matte coating shiny plastic), give it a try. Find a scrap of clear plastic, mounting a test figure on it is not really necessary, then matte coat it, and plop it down on whatever gaming surface you want. See for yourself how well it works. Cheers! |
LITKO Ken  | 27 Apr 2010 8:41 a.m. PST |
Acrylic and Plexiglass are the same thing…. one is the generic name and one is the trade name (plexi). You can use our BaseMaker tool to make clear acrylic bases of any shape and size you choose, including flying and non-flying base styles. link Just a thought to save cut fingers. Ken – litkoaero.com |
| surdu2005 | 24 Apr 2020 4:47 a.m. PST |
In addition to the bases offered by Litko, Sally 4th makes them in 25mm diameter. They also make them in oval and other shapes. I know I have purchased some that were 15mm in diameter from them that I use for terrain pieces like chairs, chests, and candlesticks to make them less fiddly during a game. |
worries about not losing his rules stuff.
