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Sourcing Cheap Wooden Bases


Personal logo Sgt Slag Supporting Member of TMP writes:

China sells 40 Watt CO2 laser cutter/engravers, for around $400. USD These will carve up bases of any shape desired, easily, handily, and accurately. They're incredible machines…

However, the $400 USD price tag is hard to justify. It also has a learning curve to learn how to use it -- safely!

I prefer to buy laser-cut MDF bases from Amazon, or Etsy sellers. I reached out to one Etsy seller, asking them to cut me some equilateral triangles of a very specific size, and they delivered exactly what I asked for, accurate to the millimeter. I used these triangles to make a d20 Globe of my fantasy world for my AD&D games.

When you order laser-cut MDF bases off of Amazon/Etsy, you get great products at affordable prices, and they are cut perfectly to size and shape. They make money, and I get what I need at a great price.

I worked with a professional carpenter who bought a 50W CO2 Laser, and I assisted him in setting it up, and learning how to use it. I know what they can do, but I can't justify the investment, myself. There are plenty of shops on the market, offering their laser cutter services, for affordable prices. Most of them are open to custom orders.

Cutting acrylic materials with a laser, however, generates extremely dangerous poisonous gases, and most services will not offer acrylic cuts. Doing so requires proper ventilation of the fumes, and most Chinese laser cutters are not properly ventilated for such deadly poisonous gases to be safely vented outside (they are not tightly sealed, so cutting gases escape into the nearby area surrounding the lasers…). Litko has the necessary venting setup, so they can safely cut acrylic materials without harm to their staff (fumes are generated during cutting, then vented away, so there is no risk to the consumer). Cheers!



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25 June 2025page first published

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Personal logo Editor in Chief Bill The Editor of TMP Fezian writes:

Over the years, it seems I've written a lot of articles about sourcing wood for wargaming projects!

Basemaker

Back in 2021, I wrote about using LITKO's Basemaker for getting high quality, accurate wooden shapes. LITKO continues to be my preferred source for miniature bases.

However, I also find that Dollar Tree (a 'dollar store' chain in the USA) is often a useful source for inexpensive wood.

Wooden flower shapes

In 2021, I first wrote about wooden flower shapes that came ten for $1 USD. I would have preferred squares or circles, but the price was right! Alas, no longer available…

Skull on flower base

Above, you can see a giant's skull mounted on a wooden flower base.

Wooden planks

Late in 2021, I wrote about dollar store wood ‐ plaques, signs, and 'planks' (rectangles and squares).

Not Jenga blocks

In 2023, I wrote about useful wooden products – not-Jenga blocks, wooden cubes, and craft sticks at the dollar store.

Flower-shaped wooden chalkboard ornaments

In 2024, I wrote about flower-shaped chalkboard ornaments – similar to what I had used previously, but now five for $1.25 USD.

Alien plants on wooden chalkboard ornament

For a big terrain project recently, I needed 64 'flower' bases to mount terrain on. One of the problems with getting materials from the dollar store is that availability can be spotty. To my chagrin, the wooden-type chalkboard ornaments appear to have been discontinued, as they are no longer listed on the company's website, apparently replaced by thin, bendy plastic shapes.

I decided to take this as a challenge, and visited all the Dollar Tree stores in my metropolitan area looking for the last remaining flower-shaped wooden chalkboard ornaments. I secured the needed bases after visiting store #19 out of 20! (I'm not crazy, just having fun.)

But what about the future? Where will my cheap terrain bases come from?

So I did some searching online, and I simply could not find a domestic source. I discovered that if I ordered from Amazon, in quantity, I could get the price down to $0.10 USD per base, with free shipping. So I placed the order.

And since the product was coming from China, my order on May 29 did not arrive until June 24.

Bag from Amazon

The bases arrived packaged in a heavy-duty "just like a box" Amazon-logo envelope. No return address. Some yellow stickers that I'm guessing might be Chinese postage?

Package of 3-inch bases

Above, you can see the pack of 200 3-inch round wooden circles, 1:10-inch thick, $20.99 USD.

Package of 2-inch bases

And here is the package of 300 2-inch round wooden circles, $16.98 USD. Yes, it ripped open during shipping…

300 2-inch bases

So I dumped out the bag, and the 2-inch circles seem no worse for wear.

2-inch bases with 28mm figure

Here are the 2-inch bases with a 28mm figure, to give you an idea of size. The bases seem fine, nothing warped, good quality.

Figure with both size bases

And above, you can see both sizes of base with the 28mm figure.

Note that the company, Sheutsan, has a limited selection of shapes and sizes, and there is no apparent way through Amazon to order custom sizes. So this source only works for common sizes, large orders to get free shipping, and if you don't mind waiting a month to get them.