"Best glue for basing plastic figures" Topic

I am ready to base some plastic Spencer Smith miniatures. What type of glue is best for adhering them to a wooden base. Elmer's Glue has not been successful. Thanks, Hal

I like to "terrain" the base AFTER I glue the figure to it.
I paint the base AND the base of the figure up to the feet with a white glue and then sprinkle model railroad ballast and flick over it. This white glue could be Elmer's, Aileen's, or a wood glue. This anchors the figure on the base.

Back to your question, I would use 5-minute epoxy, any brand, and smear the figure around so that the glue overlaps the base of the figure. Again, this anchors the figure.

Ignore anyone who suggests Superglue or any cyanoacrylate adhesive. Normal superglue sucks into the wood base, and doesn't really adhere to the plastic.
Superglue Gel MIGHT work if you do the trick I do with the epoxy. Have some accelerant on hand.

I use a hot glue gun to attach both plastic and metal figures to wooden bases.

I use Aileen's tacky glue under each figure base then add a dab of glue on two opposite base sides with a toothpick. The additional dabs of glue should should lap over the edge of the figure base and and on to the unit base making a glue "bracket" that keeps the figure from popping off. As the old hair gel ad said, "a little dab 'll do ya."

UHU sticks pretty much anything to anything, and it is a gel so it sits on top of the wood.

Pretty sure I've been using regular superglue. Works for me, possibly because I prime the wood first?

Wallpaper border paste. Check your local paint/decorating store.

I use PVA and a dab of superglue. Once I have put basing material and flock on the base they are not coming off without some effort.

I'm with the OFM. Use a stronger glue, and you may find your figure snapping at the ankles instead of just coming loose now and then.

If your figures get a fair amount of handling or abuse:

I would strongly suggest to "pre-base" plastic figures. Assuming you mean harder plastic type figures that are put together with a solvent type cement (such a Tamiya Extra Thin Cement), then glue each foot to a bit of polystyrene sheet, card. This is is best done with solvent type cement. This makes a bond as strong as the plastic it self. And then this extra surface area can be glue quite readily to a wooden base with PVA lapping some of this over the sub-base.

I still advocate for Walther's Goo

I use E6000 as it seems to stick to just about everything.

I game with Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) 54mm Army Men as well as 54mm Cave Men and 60mm Viking figures. I apply Low Temperature Hot Glue, sparingly, to the figure's base, then I press them into the middle of their 50mm MDF base. I've had Army Men figures that have been played with, after Hot Gluing them to their bases, for 20+ years, without issue.

I have also needed, on rare occasions, to re-base some Army Men/Viking figures: pulling them off of the MDF bases was difficult, and it resulted in some twisting of their molded bases -- I was able to flatten the bases when I re-Hot Glued them to their new bases.

Hot Glue is actually stronger than E6000 Glue, on LDPE plastic figures, but it is a close second, for me. I use E6000 Glue for everything other than LDPE figures: metal, resin, and non-PE plastics. Cheers!

Hmmm…
I have a bunch (far too many!) of AWI figures mounted on individual washers that I want to rebase on MDF. I also have a tube of E600.
That sounds worth a try.

+1 Martin Rapier

I have not had any problems using Elmer's for plastic figures on MDF or wood bases. After gluing I use a basing medium sculpted over the base, so that adds to the glue, but the white glue does the anchoring job.

I've had decent results with Testor's Household cement.

Perhaps try a wood or carpenter's PVA glue. It has worked for my 15mm metal on wood, maybe not for larger figures.

E6000! Great stuff!

Contact cement. A little on the figure and a little on the base, wait 10 minutes. Affix and it lasts forever. I did this with some Airfix figs in 1970s and they still are holding.