"Clear bases" Topic
11 Posts
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Fenman | 27 Oct 2020 11:47 a.m. PST |
Not really given a great deal of thought to this yet but I would appreciate the view of others. Would clear bases work? Perspex or similar. That way the terrain the figures are standing on would be visible beneath their feet. Would prevent the anomaly of a scrub decorated base standing on a tarmac road. Just a thought. |
Brian Smaller | 27 Oct 2020 12:05 p.m. PST |
I guess – probably have to be thin. Still the issue of the figure base unless you snip it off. That then makes a very small contact point for the figure to the base. |
cloudcaptain | 27 Oct 2020 12:09 p.m. PST |
Get a round heavy duty hole punch from the craft store and knock them out of plastic packaging…old card protectors…etc. They come in all sorts of diameters. Can't beat that price. |
Dennis | 27 Oct 2020 12:15 p.m. PST |
I have considered using clear bases for the reasons you suggest, but I also see the same problems regarding base attachment as mentioned by Brian. Also, by using clear bases you would lose the storage advantage of steel bases and magnet-lined storage boxes-or vice versa. On the other hand, there seem to be quite a few pulp and fantasy gamers who use clear bases, so it can be done. For an example, see Pulp Alley. That site has a link to a YouTube demo featuring figures with clear bases: pulpalley.com/index.html Also, as I recall there are some gamers out there who use clear bases and have provided a how to guide. If it's not Pulp Alley then I don't recall who did it, but I'm sure one is out there somewhere. |
Jason O Mahony | 27 Oct 2020 12:26 p.m. PST |
I went clear an few years ago and have never looked back. Currently using 1mm thick PETG. It has the advantage of readily taking superglue. I use BSI Super-Gold Odourless Foam Safe Thin CA Glue; It dries clear and doesn't cause any whitening. Before this I have used everything from clear plastic tiddlywinks to laser cut acrylic up to 3mm in thickness. As for the shine, I don't really notice it. Early on I did find a company that stocked the aforementioned tiddlywinks which had a matt finish. They had a frosted appearance in the hand but were perfectly clear once you put them on the table. Sadly, they no longer stock and I was never able to find another source. |
nnascati | 27 Oct 2020 12:51 p.m. PST |
I've been using clear bases for my pulp figures. I discovered Scotch restickable dots. They are clear, 22.2 mm circles. What I do is take the plastic protector piece off of one side, then put a bit a super glue on the feet of the figures. The adhesive of the dot holds the figures in place. I then give the base a coat of clear, matte varnish to get rid of the stickiness. They cost around $4.00 USD for a pack of 18 pieces. |
Sgt Slag | 27 Oct 2020 2:13 p.m. PST |
Spray the shiny clear plastic with a matte clear coat. This will give it a frosted appearance, until it is placed on the tabletop. It will then show the textures beneath it, as described by Jason O Mahony. Go easy on the matte clear coat: too much will leave it white; if that happens, apply a gloss clear coat, wait until that fully dries, then try matte again. You can try painting the figure's molded base all black, as if it were a shadow. It will not hide it, but it will reduce its visual impact, overall. Not a perfect solution, but a possible compromise you might be willing to accept. This will alleviate the majority of the base's visibility. The edges of the clear plastic base, however, will still catch light, and seemingly glow, at certain viewing angles, depending upon the light source and viewing positions. It is functional, but it is not perfect. It is just another set of compromises. Make some test figures, or better yet, some test units. Play with them for a while. See if you like the results, or not. Go with what you prefer. The textured bases, with grass, rocks, etc., create a mini-diorama. In some ways, they dress up the painted mini's. This will be lost with a clear base -- this is a trade-off, which you will see when you put the clear-based figures next to those with a decorated base. Just an FYI of what you will be giving up. Cheers! |
Sgt Slag | 27 Oct 2020 2:23 p.m. PST |
If you go for thicker, clear plastic bases, I would suggest getting them laser cut. Cutting them using any other cutting method, may leave obvious marks on the edges. Laser cut acrylic bases will cost more, but if you manually cut them, yourself, you will see why I recommend laser cut bases, instead. If you use thinner, packaging plastic, realize that it will be thin, and very flexible -- both qualities are undesirable, IMO. If your chosen rules system relies upon base-to-base contact for figures, this can be a problem with such thin bases. Try them, to see if you can tolerate them. Cheers! |
Major Thom | 27 Oct 2020 3:14 p.m. PST |
I have been using clear plastic bases from renedra.co.uk. They have a slight pebbly texture on the top side about 2mm thick and are available in 20, 25, 40, 50 & 60mm sizes. |
Yesthatphil | 27 Oct 2020 3:21 p.m. PST |
I use clear bases for my Ski troops and Winter clad units. Plus a bit of snow. I find it looks pretty good on snowy landscapes but that you can get by on regular terrain (the mix of 'show through' and snow looks like the first thaw) …
I use 2mm polycarbonate (the type you can get in sheets for use in the garden). I'm still using the sheet I bought 20 years ago! Phil P.B.Eye-Candy |
Oberlindes Sol LIC | 27 Oct 2020 8:02 p.m. PST |
Here's a prior discussion on this subject: TMP link |
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