"Suggestions for weighting SPECIFIC bases" Topic

I need to put weight in about 250 square plastic bases. I am basing plastic 1/72 figures. So with plastic bases and plastic figures, I really would like to give some weight to the pieces.

The inside (underside) of the base can accept a weight of 5/8" wide. The space will ALMOST fit a dime (USA 10 cent coin). And no, I don't want to grind down dimes and stack them, as that would get expensive quickly.

I have tried stacking a couple of round metal washers – but I loose potential to put weight in the corners, and of course, the center hole. I have been unable to find INEXPENSIVE metal square washers online.

Suggestions???

YFI: I am in the USA.

Superglue and small fishing weights if the hollows in the bases are deep enough…

you could try buying bases which accommodate magnets. While you may not need the magnetic effect, it would increase the weight.
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Metal fender washers.

amzn.to/3pdJJdl

Go to a hardware store, bring a figure test to see if the 5/8" od (1/4" id) fits inside. if not, go for 1/2" od. Or trust your measurement and just buy some.

Agreed as above. Fender washers. Just make sure they are metal if you are needing them to adhere to a magnet.

Concrete patch: comes in a plastic tub, DIY stores sell it. It dries to concrete, of course, which has good heft. Wear gloves, and use a putty knife to fill and scrape away excess. Done assembly line style, it will be fast and efficient.

I used it, years ago, to texture bases on their tops. Again, wear gloves, washing any of it off of your skin. It's thick, course, and heavy. Cheers!

You may be able to buy lead flashing from a builders merchant. Certainly available in the UK. Its relatively thin sheet lead. Its used to seal betweem roofs. It can be cut by a stout pair of scissors or similar. You get eny shape you need.

Fishing weights or buckshot.

Thanks for all suggestions. The bases are so shallow (about the thickness of a coin) that fishing weights won't work (unless I spent weeks beating them flat). I considered the concrete, but was worried that as it cured and gave off heat, there would be cracking or warping to the plastic base.

I have already tried washers, but ideally need more weight.

Has anyone tried a thick mixture of sand and PVA glue?

The concrete patch is not just concrete. Not sure what it is, besides heavy, but it does contain vinyl. Never had an issue with it getting hot, or warping or melting anything.

Sand mixed with PVA Glue should work. I paint PVA Glue onto my bases, then I swirl them in colored sand for texture. Experimentation is king, Baby! Cheers!

Forgot to mention, PVA Glue shrinks as it dries. It warped my flat polystyrene plastic bases after 6 months. Since I switched to MDF bases, no problems, after 4+ years! Cheers!

Sgt Slag the patch sounds excellent. I have some scratch built terrain that needs weight but I'm cheap. This should do the job

I found an Australian penny the other day. It's almost the exact same dimensions as a US dime (maybe a skosh thicker.) So, if you are looking for a cheaper alternative than dimes, there you go… ;-)

Try the sand/PVA glue; if it doesn't work out do the concrete patch.

I have crushed small lead fishing weights with pliers into irregular shapes, and piled them up on bases with epoxy. So they look like scale rocks. But I think that's too tedious for 250 bases.

I generally put sheet magnet on the bottom of my bases, which adds small weight, but more importantly encloses the hollow void under the base. I have on occasion filled this with hot glue. Resulting base has a nice weight. But it's fiddly to work with and hard to avoid irregularities.

Has anyone tried a thick mixture of sand and PVA glue?

Thatīs all I use. Effective, has a decent weight and is as Cheap as Mud ;-)

#11 skeet shot and superglue, backfill under slotta bases, spread a thin layer over regular bases then add sand/earth texture

If steel isn't heavy enough then you need something like lead. The lead flashing that uscha suggested sounds like it'd be worth a look.
Might have a different name or rare in the states.
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I use fender washers. If worried about corners or holes use plaster to fill and square off.

What about pva and iorn fileings instead of sand.

I use lead shot used for reloading shotgun shells, cheap and fairly easy to get.