"Using washers as bases..hard to pick up?" Topic

I am using 1 inch fender washers to base 10mm ww2 half squads (4-6 men) magnetically. After putting together some squads I realized that it is actually pretty difficult to get a grip on the base to pick them up.

Has anyone else done this? I am considering either gluing the washers to 1" cardboard squares or just putting hot glue dots on the underside of the washers to raise them up a little so I can grab them.

I do similar, but I use Elmers white glue, water and sand to build up a bit of a base for my 15mm minis. If you let the sand stick to the sides a bit then it gives your fingers something to grip.

I don't have any trouble picking them up. What kind of surface are you using? For example, I hate trying to pick up the beveled Flames of War stands off any sort of smooth surface, but they're OK to pick up off felt or other surfaces that have a little "give" to them.

Not sure why they would be hard to pick up. Just lift one of the figs a little, that will cause the edge of the base to lift up and there ya go…..

I'm playing on felt so that should help. I can't really pick up the figures because they are magnetized and will come right off.

I probably just need to make them thinker somehow since the washers are fairly thin.

Washers are cut by a giant stamping machine, so they are not symmetrical. The edges on one side curve down, the other curves up. We naturally use them with the edges curving down, since that's more aesthetically pleasing, but they will be easier to pick up the other way.

If your fender washers don't have much curve at the edge you could sand away the underside of the outer edge so your fingers can get between the table and the washer more easily.

If you're playing on anything other than a hard surface, even just a piece of canvas, if you push down just a hair on one side of the base the other side will come up. This won't work on painted plywood or extruded polystyrene.

No more difficult than picking up any other bases in my experience.

You could tape magnets to your fingers…

Glue two washers together to make them thicker.

BB

This sounds like a great opp to invent some form of telescoping rare earth magnet poker thing. If you get a magnet that is strong enough without being too strong, you could play on those 6'x8' tables that nobody can reach across.

Gauntlet, is there enough leftover space on the fender washer to add a treetrunk, boulder, or other terrain nubbin that could be picked up?

I decided years ago that there are two basic basing choices:

• Thin enough to blend into the terrain
  
• Thick enough to pick up

I tend to prefer sheet metal or extremely thin plastic for the first, and 1/8" (3mm) or thicker bases for the second. Anything in between is too thick to blend in and too thin to grab, so gets rebased to one of the two extremes.

- Ix

I do play on a 6'x8' table, I just have long arms!

Each washer just barely has enough room for 6 figures so I don't really want to add debris on top.

I think I agree with yellow admiral and I want them to be easy to pick up. I'll probably just glue some cardboard to the bottoms of the bases.

Or make a little spatula that you can slip under the base to lift it up… ;-)

Haha that would be hilarious.

Put a thumb tack or paper fastener (brad) through the hole. link

For something with flatter head, try tack, snip off the point
link

I have done this with bases for 28mm figures. Paint like a tree or bush
link

Clever bobgnar!

You make a magnetic movement tray, put the miniatures on the movement tray, then you pick up the movement tray. Like washer mounted miniatures are supposed to be use, or you do like everybody else does, and pick them up by the miniatures, if your fingers are to stubby to pick them up by the washer. You have a Clear coat on them don't you? just pick them up!!!