"Best glue for metal miniatures on wooden bases?" Topic

I recently bought some wooden Litko bases and I'm not sure what the strongest bond would be with lead miniatures. My first choice is zap-a-gap super glue, which I am testing now. Anyone have any better choices?

I've always had great success with DUCO cement.

White glue, no question. It's easy to get the figures off if you ever want to rebase you figures. You'll have no problem with the figures falling off or whatever. Just make sure there's a smooth flat surface on the base of the mini.

Bob Smith Industries' IC-2000, maybe? I've used it on wood before after sealing it.

It's specially made to glue to non-similar surfaces together:

IC-2000™ is a rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate that forms superior shock resistant bonds on non-porous surfaces. The black colored CA has added flexibility for the bonding of metals, fiberglass, rubber, carbon-fiber and other advanced materials. For model use, IC-2000™ is ideal for the bonding of bulkheads, formers and servo rails to the inside of fiberglass hulls and fuselages. Setup time is 20-40 seconds, which can be accelerated with INSTA-SET™. When cured, IC-2000™ is pliable enough to be carved with a hobby knife. IC-2000™ is the best adhesive for R/C car tires

Crafter's Pick makes a glue called 'The Ultimate' that they call water based superglue. It may be the ticket and only runs about $4.50 an 8oz bottle.

how do you like the Litko bases, Rogcollectibles?

I was thinking of buying some, but was worried that since they were made out of wood, they would warp once painted or glued.

Can you give a review?

Thank you

BTW, when I glue on my metal minis to any base, wood or plastic, I use white glue first, then add a drop of super glue (zap a gap) in the middle of the white glue. It provides a great bond.

Stick with the Zap-a-Gap. It soaks into the wood and creates an extremely strong seal. Flip over one of the figures you have glued to a wooden base and you will see some discoloration on the botton were the glue have been absorbed.

Operon I like the bases very much, they are cut very accurately, there are no splinters, the edges are very smooth.

That said, I just received them yesterday so I cannot answer your questions yet about warpage although I have heard no such complaints. There is another post on this matter that you may find some more opinions on.

BTW Litko's service is excellent with quick and safe shipping.

2nd the PVA vote, with added SuperGlue in the middle to stop any movement/sliding

yellow wood glue is the best. I use Titebond II woodglue. It is the best. Dont waste your time with other stuff

I've been mixing PVA (white) glue, with super glue's for over six years. I use it to glue mini's together, and to glue them to bases (plastic and cardboard materials). It gives a pretty strong bond. Also, the super glue causes the white glue to dry with a rough texture. It works best to mix the two glues together by moving the figure around, a bit. It will take 15 seconds, to a few minutes, to set firm, but it won't cure completely, for hours/days, depending upon the mix ratio, and the access to air for the white glue to set. It works well for hard plastics, resins, and metal, but soft plastics won't bond with this mix. Cheers!

The zapagap is holding so far, I'm going to run one fig thru the process this weekend and see how it goes. If this doesnt work I'll probably try some of the other great suggestions.

Not to end the discussion but thanks for all the good tips so far!

I've started using a Hot Melt Glue Gun with BOSTIK refills. Excellent results but not with the glue that came with the gun - the BOSTIK is MUCH better.

At the risk of being obvious, what does Ken Litko recommend for you to use with his bases?

Wood glue or Aleene's( works...durable, figs will not come off, but you can get the fig off carefully without destroying the wood base if you ever need to. Both set up quickly, but allow some time to reposition the fig if needed, which is especially useful when doing multi-fig bases or making sure the fig will fit into the unit already based. It causes me great angst to place the fig with it's mates only to find out it is bumping into the neighboring fig and needs repositioning. Course, I'm probably the only one this happens to :)

Litko's wood bases are great value. You get exact sizes with options for slots, magnets, etc. I even asked Ken to laser some MDF 1/4" 20mm square bases for Warhammer Ancient Battles and he had them to me in just a few days. The price is reasonable and the laser burn leaves a nice crisp edge already blackened if you don't want to paint or texture it. Top notch service, too.

I've glued the whole lot with zapagap and it seems to work just fine. As for the question of warpage, I have noticed none.

Great product, I will buy more!!!

I use cheap, no-name superglue on primed wooden bases, no problems.

I use a hot melt glue gun. Works great.

I've started using E6000. Works very well, even when gluing plastic figures. Tried Hot Glue, used it for quite a while, on many figures, but E6000 gives even better results. Cheers!

I swear by liquid nails, the classic tan stuff. Allows repositioning, no chance of warping, very strong bond, won't be able to pull it off but if you ever need to remove the figure down the road a boxcutter can slice through it from the side without too much difficulty. It's also acid free and I predict it won't wear out or damage materials in contact.

Hot glue gun. Been using for years without any issues.