"Hiding stands" Topic

So over the next few weeks (probably months) I will be basing 200+ Napoleonic infantry figures, I'm doing Waterloo, so gluing sand, painting brown/drybrush and then adding static grass. I'd like an easy way to hide or blend the stands in with the bases.
Previously I've based GW and Mantic minis where the mini is flush with the base.
I have done some perry WOR knights, where the mini stand was glued to an MDF base and I went round the base with Polly filler carefully blending it in. Then I glued play sand to the base, painted and added static grass. This looked good, but its a lot of work especially the polly filler. Also I'm doing 4 minis to a base, which makes the polyfiller even harder to do.
I also cant help feeling it a lot of trouble to paint the sand, drybrush, and then right at the end cover most of it in static grass so you cant see it all any way.
Is there an easier way to hide the stands ?
I tried one figure where I missed out the polly filler, and just used sand, but you can see the stand through.
I covered it with static grass in the end and it looks fine, but there must I'm hoping for a better way.
Any top tips ?

I use decorator's filler (= cheap polyfiller), apply with a small palate knife (visit art shops), trim any excess when dry with a craft knife, paint green (or whatever), then apply dilute wood glue and flock. And when it is dry I give it a coat of polyurethane wood varnish.

I use thin metal sheets as the basis for bases which means that they are very slim and stick to their magnetic travelling trays. I usually put six figures on a stand but my method works for fewer figures and other base materials such as MDF.

Once the base is cut out, I cover it in a thin layer of terracotta Milliput and trim the edges. While it is still soft, place the figures on the base pressing down lightly to make an impression where the model will be positioned.

Put the figures to one side and use a modelling knife to cut out and remove the Milliput exposing the base material where the figures are going. Then, using a small drop of thick super glue, place the models in position and smooth the Milliput over the figure bases where necessary.

Once the Milliput has hardened, you can then finish the bases as you see fit. Personally I keep them simple by painting them grass green and covering the base with static grass. (This is good for northern Europe but for other geographic areas you may do it a bit different.)

I find this straight forward and simple. Hope that helps.

I use white glue with railroad ballast to break up the edges of the figure base

Liquitex Resin Sand. White texture gel with minimal shrinkage that easily and quickly fills in the step from fig base to edge of base. Add craft paint to get the base color you want and you've completed 2 steps already (application and first color). Dries with dry-brushable texture. Or add ballast or coarse sand for more texture.

Good stuff! Available at any Michael's store…with 40% off coupon.

Vallejo has similar stuff, but it has noticeable shrinkage.

I use white glue and small gravel (railroad ballast or---and this is a good little product--ground up walnut shells, which have a nice neutral brown color).

Polly Filler all over the base. Put the models in the polly filler that will work as glue. Lets dry.

Paint the base brown and dip in sand. The paint will work as glue for the sand. Lets dry.

Paint again brown (no problem, because there is brown already.). Drybrush sand, drybrush sand with white.

White glue botches, gras. Ready.

thanks for the replies
Aren't decorator's filler and Liquitex Resin Sand going to be as much trouble as polyfiller?.
I like the Milliput idea, but I'd imagine the cost is quite high ?
I'm using play sand at the moment which is quite fine, maybe if I used course sand(or walnuts or ballast) it would hide the base better and I could skip the polyfiller ?

@Decebalus, polyfiller first, model stuck in, the might work. I'll have to try that with a test model. Assuming I don't put too much polyfiller on the base first and end up with an avalanche victim!

Like you, I prefer to keep it quick and efficient, so I modified this method by Mateus to do it cheaply and quickly. Basically:

1. Glue the miniatures to the stands;
   
2. Mix a slurry of potting soil, white glue, and brown acrylic (thin with water as necessary) and glop it onto the stands;
   
3. Dip the stand in flocking.
   

The potting soil mixture will shrink some as it dries (varies with the amount of liquid), so I try to mound it on so that I only have to do this once. Also, sometimes the flocking will absorb too much water, so on some batches I do a second dip before it's completely dry.

- Ix

Where I am a pack of Milliput is £5.00 GBP. This is enough to base about 150 infantry so it works out quite cheap.

Use real Waterloo mud, mixed with PVA glue.

It is actually a rubbish effect and needs much further work once dried but;

-you know the figures are based on the real thing

-it is an excuse to go back again every so often

-security checks on Eurostar can be bit difficult I have found. they do not seem to understand……

I just use a lot of PVA glue and then flock. Perhaps I'm just lazy.

I use Wilko's cheap internal fine filler (tube) mixed with fine sand and slightly diluted so you can brush it on. You can also add acrylic paint to pre-colour it if you want

Thanks for the replies. Looks like everyone has a different method so I think I'll just have to experiment a bit. I tried the poly filler on base first then push figure in, and foe a single base it does work well. I've not tried it on 4 figures on a base yet but I will give it a go.

@lambert does just flock look ok or can you tell where the base is ?

Well yes, you can see where the base is if you look closely, but from a short distance it's not obvious and doesn't bother me enough to want to spend time and effort using filler. As I said, I'm lazy.

Just my two cents worth, but I like to do the base work before I paint the figures. Saves getting green paint, etc. on their legs.

For bases, if you haven't settled on material exactly, I would go with big red Bat bases. The irregular edge reduces the profile of the base and it can be chamfered to obscure the base even further. Honestly, white glue and sand or polyfilla, it's pretty much the same amount of work (I have used both methods) so… personal preference.

Pre-mixed concrete patch is hands down the best. It's already grainy and so you fill and get a texture in one, and it holds it's shape well, it can be watered down a bit so it doesn't look troweled on but perfectly natural, and if you wan to shape it more you can use a damp brush. It's rock hard and permanent when dry. It also affixes so readily to most things it can act like glue.

I have a big bucket of it but keep two small hair product tubs of it, one straight from the bucket with a few drops of moisture added and the other more watered down. They are within arms reach of my desk and I can't say how often I grab for them. Concrete patch is the terrain and modeling panacea.

Pre-mixed Concrete Patch

Similar to others I use while glue, but to recycle I use dried coffee grounds (after I have brewed a pot, I spread it to dry).

Splodges of white glue, then dip in sand, it is after all sand coloured, then a second splodge of white glue, and dried tea leaves (from Tea bags) I know I am British and tea bags are the work of the Devil, but the leaves are finer.

Finally more white glue and then dip into flock.

If you add the white glue in splodges, the (card) bases don't warp and you get a randomised pattern of base material.

any sandy areas (or tea leaves can have clumps of static grass added.

I know it seems like a faff, but if I am going to paint figures for hours and hours and hours, I don't want the effect spoiled by a plain green base, or the figure wading through concrete up to its knees.

I find a simple approach works well for me.

I paint the bases of the figures with Colour Party's "Scenic Green" (MA19) and then glue them on to the stands. Once they are securely dried on to the stands, I then apply Colour Party's Green "Basetex" (BT19) around the bases. When it has dried I then drybrush with yellow to achieve the effect I'm looking for.

The Green Basetex is Scenic Green with some sort of gritty material premixed in. Coat d'Arms make a similar product which has a finer texture which works well with smaller scales – I use the "Muddy Green".

I use plexiglass transparent stands. Glue the figures to the stands, and there you are. No fiddly work on the stands, and where ever the units are standing, they appear to blend in to the fields, roads, etc of where ever they are standing.

I simply paint the base brown (shade depends on geography of the figure), with a very wet coat of paint. While the paint is wet I will sprinkle a small amount of RR ballast and then sand. The sand will pick up the color of the paint. Once this is dry, I go back over with a thin coat of white glue and add some grass.

It hides the figures base well.

I use wooden or MDF about 2mm thick for the bases. That is thin enough not to show the figures on a pedestal but thick enough that you can pick the stand up by the base.

I paint or spray paint the tops green and the bottoms white using an oil based paint. (Flat is better than gloss or enamel) This seals them from warping with humidity or water based paints. Get the edges, especially the down-wood-grain edges. (I like white bottom-of-bases so I can write nationality and unit id on the bottoms)

I mount the figures using a standard white glue. Put about a 2mm thick glob on the entire surface and press the figure down to the substrate. The excess glue rounds and slopes the metal base of the figure.

To flock, I mix up about equal amounts of a green latex paint (which matches my wargame ground sheet) and white glue. Then I use a #2 brush to smear this over the entire top of the base. You can get between the figures and push the glob so it surges up to the feet of the figures. TGet the edges of the base as well and the flocking will help hide the bump of the base on the wargame table.

I take a large tray ~(4" x 8") and put a half inch of fine flocking material in it. I hold the stands with one hand over the tray and with the other, sprinkle a heavy rainfall of flocking over the base. The flocking wicks up the white glue mixture and stays in place. Shake to remove the excess.

On some stands, a bit of heavier brush/tall grass is also dropped on a pushed into the glob, while it is wet.

This is simple, cheap and quick. Realize that for wargaming, if you decorate with stones, sand, brush and the like, to look good, the entire wargame surface (felt, painted canvas, foam or whatever) should match it. Simplier to just match the background colour.

deadhead…
I smuggled some Waterloo dirt by train to Germany and then mailed it to the US. This was about 25 yrs ago, so the statute of limitations has probably run out. I based my Brits and Frogs the regular way with glue and (back then ) sawdust but sprinkled the dried dirt on before the glue set giving them authenticity.

I love it………… we are truly sad people……….

I did have to explain what was in the plastic canister to a nice Belgian lady in a security uniform. She looked at me with incredulity…then to my wife, with sympathy.