| Grandviewroad | 10 Aug 2013 8:30 p.m. PST |
going for my first army in 40mm, which is ECW. Looking at square bases solid enough to withstand the weight of these big, beautiful figs (Thanks Chris at Sash and Saber!) and not flex or break. For easy of handling and some flexibility, I was thinking of 3" square bases with 6 foot or 2 horse on them, or 1 gun. what would be a good material to work with? Unfortunately, my dad just put his table saw in storage for a while, so I don't think I can easily cut my own. I was thinking about the Litko 3mm plywood bases. I have the thinner ones with magnetic bottoms, and they are pretty sturdy. Or should I use that soft brown board – MDF is it? My cloths are canvas or flocked felt, and everything moves on them OK, but sometimes I use other people's felt boards. Perhaps MDF would not catch as much as plywood on felt? |
| CorSecEng | 10 Aug 2013 10:08 p.m. PST |
Not sure about the affects on MDF on felt but I do have some 1/4" MDF laying around if your interested in some custom cut bases. I have a ton of 3mm but the thicker stuff might work better for the larger figures. Easier to grab the base instead of the figures. |
| MajorB | 11 Aug 2013 5:14 a.m. PST |
Or should I use that soft brown board – MDF is it? Sounds like hardboard, not MDF. but I do have some 1/4" MDF laying around if your interested in some custom cut bases. I have a ton of 3mm but the thicker stuff might work better for the larger figures. The great thing about MDF is its rigidity. You won't need the thicker stuff unless you want thicker bases for some other reason. I think 3mm MDF would be fine. |
| Grandviewroad | 11 Aug 2013 5:29 a.m. PST |
Corsec – I'll email via your site. I'll need 50 so it may be worth your time. Major – the stuff I'm thinking about is rigid and has a slightly layered look when beveled at the edges by people who use it as the base for terrain pieces. Is that MDF or hardboard? A friend of mine used a 3/4" or 1" thick board in two sections for his table. It was soft and on the edges a little crumbly. Is that hardboard? Ultimately, I want to be sure what I'm asking Mr. Corsec for! |
| GoGators | 11 Aug 2013 6:41 a.m. PST |
link Bases by Bill Moreno. I believe he will custom cut if you contact him. They come with magnets already on the bottom. They would stand up to larger figures easily. |
| MajorB | 11 Aug 2013 7:04 a.m. PST |
Major – the stuff I'm thinking about is rigid and has a slightly layered look when beveled at the edges by people who use it as the base for terrain pieces. Is that MDF or hardboard? Doesn't sound like either to me. A "layered look" would suggest plywood … A friend of mine used a 3/4" or 1" thick board in two sections for his table. It was soft and on the edges a little crumbly. Is that hardboard? If it's that thick is certainly ain't hardboard! Hardboard is usually about 1/8 in thick and and one smooth side and one rough side. What you describe here sounds more like plasterbaord than anything else, but I've never heard of anyone using it for wargames figure bases. |
| ancientsgamer | 11 Aug 2013 10:14 a.m. PST |
1/4" oak from Home Depot or Lowe's will do the trick if you have a bandsaw to cut them with. I used to prefer the maple but it isn't available. I would think the hardboard would work too; the 1/8th" thick might work too as the stuff is sturdy. I tend to prefer real wood as it is less susceptible to moisture damage. |
| Grandviewroad | 11 Aug 2013 4:38 p.m. PST |
Maybe I should consider plastic – immune to moisture damage. |
| PKay Inc | 11 Aug 2013 7:40 p.m. PST |
Moisture damage? Do you play in the rain? |
| ancientsgamer | 11 Aug 2013 9:33 p.m. PST |
No rain but the occasional spilled drink or other such odd occurrences. It's one of the reasons I detest card for basing miniatures. High humidity can cause warpage. Also, I tend to thin my craft paints and this can cause some distortion on stands if the material isn't right. Oh, another suggestion is the stiff linoleum tiles such as they use in government buildings. There are more than a few gamers on this board that swear by these. |
| Grandviewroad | 28 Aug 2013 5:58 p.m. PST |
Thanks all for comments, I went with MDF from Corsec as I always prime the bases fully anyway. I'll post a review in my blog when they arrive, probably early next week:
ecw40mmproject.blogspot.com |
| Jeff of SaxeBearstein | 28 Aug 2013 6:27 p.m. PST |
I use 1/4" MDF (medium density fiberboard) for my 28s. It is (as suggested above) easier to pick up by the base instead of the figure. I also like it because I can label the back of the stand with the name of the unit (I print these off with my computer). One of the things that I do is to score the top surface where I'm going to glue the figures to give a better "grip" for the glue (since the surfaces of the MDF are quite smooth. Another advantage is that they are much easier to move as a unit . . . and there isn't a risk of one base sliding over another and damaging figures. Finally I like to paint the base sides a similar color to my home table top so that they blend in well.
-- Jeff
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