"Acrylic bases for Naval Wargaming" Topic

I'm planning to put some ship miniatures on acrylic bases in sizes ranging from 55 x 25 mm to 160 x 80 mm and I'm wondering if I should go for 3mm base thickness or if 2mm would be thick enough also (mainly to prevent warping).
Some advice would be appreciated :)

I think 2mm would be fine.

I'm not aware of any warping issues with acrylic.

Hi Thresher
I have some 1mm acrylic laying around that has warping issues as soon as the bases start to get a bit bigger.
I also have some acrylic bases for Firestorm Armada, which are close to 3mm thick, very sturdy, but these feel a bit like "overkill" so to say.
With 2mm being both cheaper and less present on the table than 3mm it's good to hear this will do fine.
Thanks for the advice :)

I think I used 1.5mm thick acrylic, and don't recall any warping, but I'm basing 1/2400th ships/subs on them, as well as 1/2000 Napoleonic vessels, so they're only about 3/4" – 1" wide, and a few inches long.

Try a sample or two, and see how they work out.

I used white glue for basing mine.

I suspect the warping could result from the type of adhesive(s) you are using, and how it dries. Try to find one that doesn't shrink when drying.

You could also magnetize the bases and ships, so they're removable, in order to eliminate any chance of warping at all, if desired. A bit more work to do that though, e.g. drilling out the bases (possibly) to make the magnets flush. Gluing small button magnets on top of the acrylic is another option, and since it'll just need a small dot of glue, shouldn't cause any warping.

Clear acrylic? Tinted? Solid color?

@ Thresher
Yeah, I don't expect problems with the smaller ones too, but the largest one is 160 x 80 mm, that's another story…
Most will be around 100 x 50 I think.
Problem is I have to order these in rather large numbers, so I need to be certain beforehand, or risk having to throw a lot of bases (and money) away.

@ Bill
Clear acrylic
Does that matter strength wise?

I used white PVA Glue on my bases, in the past… They warped terribly, after 4-6 months! Now I use either E6000 Glue, or yellow PVA/Wood Glue.

For your application, I would recommend E6000 Glue, only. It is solvent-based, but it also dries into a stiff, elastic substance, similar to rubber. I've never had E6000 Glue warp on my bases, yet. I've been using E6000 Glue for over five years: if it was going to cause warpage, it would have done so by now.

If you ever need to re-base, the E6000 will peel off. It will take some effort to break the models loose (try using a razor blade between the model, and the acrylic base), but after that, the E6000 can be pulled/rubbed off, like dried Rubber Cement, except that the E6000 Glue is much stronger, and it is much stiffer.

The color of the acrylic should have no bearing on the strength of the material. Be aware that smooth, acrylic bases, can be highly reflective. This can be rather annoying on the tabletop. I tried it for basing my fantasy mini's, but the reflective nature was really annoying, and bothersome. I found that a matte clear coat frosted the clear acrylic: the underlying table cover showed through, well enough, if somewhat darkened, when the mini was placed on the tabletop. This helped, but it was not perfect, nor was it consistently colored, for me. Still, it may work for you (I may be just too picky…). Cheers!

Actually, you don't have to order them in large quantities.

Go to Tap Plastics, and get them to cut a strip, or strips of the desired width for you, in whatever acrylic desired. They make some textured ones for lighting and showers that look great for undulating seas.

Then, go to your local hobby shop, or model railroad store and buy a miter box with a razor saw. Use that to cut to the desired length. Cut perhaps one or two millimeters longer than desired, and then sand to smooth with fine sandpaper glued to a wood or plastic block. DONE.

@Sgt Slag
I can get E6000 over here, thanks for the info :)

@Thresher
No "Tap Plastics" this side of the pond…
I have to order these bases in quantities because they are going to be custom made for me.
And they are going to be custom made because I want some markings engraved on them.