"Best Basing option?" Topic

I am looking for a DIY basing for my 10mm ACW miniatures. I need hundreds of 1x1 inch bases and I read somewhere to use hardboard and a utility knife, but i tried it and it's really hard to cut. Does anyone have a cheap alternative, looking for some thickness about 2-4mm for my bases. Thanks

Probably not a solution for you, but you never know. We had some IKEA Venetian blinds in this house when we moved in. My wife hated them, so they came down. The slats are exactly an inch wide, made of some sort of wood, which cuts easily with a craft knife. It appears to be quite stable when painted/ glued and flocked. Lots of free bases, any length I like, as long as inch width is OK. Perhaps somebody near you is house renovating and will throw some similar ones in a skip.
Failing that, several firms do laser cut ply or MDF

what is the most common type of base people use? What about balsa wood?

try using plasticard with your knife and a steel ruler. a local model shop should stock it.

balsa wood is too fragile to cut accurately.
these days people seem to be moving to pre-cut mdf. on ebay search for 'bases' and you'll see several sellers.

Use metal bases, you can get them practically anywhere.
Metal bases and a couple of magnet sheets to put in their boxes….problem solved and your figures travel without moving :)
As for the thickness issues?……with thin bases the pieces set into the groundwork of the table nicely.

I use 3mm plywood (do you call it basswood over the pond?). You need a bandsaw or similar though. If you know somebody with one you can borrow, it's not a big job to cut hundreds… Set the guide rail and go. I guess 3mm is 1/8 inch in the states.

Warbases. MDF bases in 2mm or 3mmm thickness at very reasonable prices:
link

I traded money for time and uniformity. Ordered bases from Litko

Can try mat board from Michaels, comes in 24"x30" sheets, just use long straight edge and utility knife.

Check out your local craft / art store and look for 1" square mosaic tiles in plastic, already cut and consistent.

A pack of 100 Litko 3mm thick plywood bases, each 1" x 1", cut by laser is $12. USD Assuming you need 300 that's $36 USD plus maybe $5 USD shipping. So $41 USD against hours of hand cutting.

I have 2 packs in stock, plus two packs of 50. Could ship in 24 hours….

Just sayin….

link

I use a sharp NT cutter (box cutter to the Americans) and cardboard (the stuff used in framing pictures, comes in every colour under the rainbow and from most craft stores) measure and cut measure and cut, laborious and hard on the hand but the Only way if DIYing it.

We sell 25mm squares (close enough!) on our Minibits site here: minibits.net/BS2525-p5

£1.10 GBP per pack of 25, so £13.20 GBP for 300 of them. Shipping would be £4.00 GBP on top, so a little over $28 USD total all in.

Buy them from somebody like Warbases. I used to cut my own to save money but the effort isn't worth it!

I second metal bases. I buy them from wargameaccessories.com
Here's a bit on my blog about my bases: link

… any of the above precut options (I use warbases or ERM) – life is too short … I love painting and personalising but cutting up squares? No … better to let someone who has bought the right equipment do it for you for less than the price of a few drinks

Phil
Ancients on the Move

I agree this is an area where you might want to give up the satisfaction of DIY.

em-4 miniatures sells 25mm square bases, 3 types, 1.05 GBP per pack of 20. These are 1/8" or 3mm thick, and they ship across the Atlantic like lightning.

I'm told 1" square ceramic tiles are a very common inexpensive hardware store item, but haven't shopped for them myself.

Rendra seem pretty cheap. Haven't used them yet though

I use 12"-square peel-n-stick vinyl floor tiles -- $0.39 USD per tile. I peel the backing, stick two pieces together, carefully. Then I mark them with an ink pen for cutting lines, and I cut them on my band saw. Yes, it is laborious, but I can custom-cut any base, any size, any shape, up to the limits of the tiles. I use Hot Glue, or epoxy if necessary, to attach my figures (they can be removed later, if necessary). Prime with Gesso, then paint, and flock, as desired.

Band Saw Notes: even with a slotted guide, the blade will flex, and you will not get accurate cuts -- for really accurate cuts, use a Table Saw, with a guide. The pen drawn lines are used to visually guide the cuts, adjusting as I push it through -- still not perfect, but closer than just using the slotted guide.

By using this method, my 1" square bases cost breakdown is as follows: approximately $0.50 USD per two sheets of vinyl floor tile, which yield 144 x 1" square bases, at $0.00347 per base, or roughly 3/10 of One Cent! My time is my own, and I enjoy the work with the saw. YMMV.

The bases can be cut using a utility scissors, or a razor knife with steel ruler, but your hands will ache before you cut up the first set of 12" tiles… Some sort of saw is much preferred: virtually no pain (keep fingers out of the blade!!!), much faster, much easier. Cheers!

For 10mm figs I think the usual mdf 2mm bases will look too thick.

For my smaller scale troops I got a big sheet of artist's mounting board for £2.50 GBP, about 6 Sq feet – A1 size. I also got a decent knife and a steel 60cm ruler. I was amazed how quick and easy it was to get bases cut accurately.

In the past I have taken mounting board to a convenience print shop and they ran it through their guillotine – three sheets worth of naps bats and vnb bases, very accrately ct with perfect corner angles, in about 5 mins for a fiver.