"3Dprinting Some Bases for Fantasy Figures" Topic

You can use this to make a library of bases which can can select. You can also make a library of stuff that you can drop on the base for decoration.

To add: about smoothing the sides, I use this: link
Works well but you have to be fast. If you have a pyrograph or something like that it will work to.

I wonder if a foam cutter would do…

You can use this to make a library of bases which can can select.

I'll work on this.

You're really coming along Bill. I find bases easily to be the most useful thing to make on my printer. I will likely never buy another base, as I can easily whip out a custom base to my liking.

I had an old slotta base break in half on an old figure a few weeks ago, and as it was part of a set, I didn't want to put a different style base on it. I made a new slotta base in sketchup and in half an hour a had a replacement base ready.

I also made my own numerical dials. I color printed some labels, glued them on, and now I have custom built dials. I made some for Bolt Action as pin dials and put some flocking on them and they look amazing.

If you never intend to print full figures, the ability to quickly make your own dials, bases, and Litko style useful objects alone is well worth the price of admission.

Very informative tutorial because it is so basic and so specific.

My takeaway is twofold:
1) if you have a 3D printer, the flexibility of printing your own special objects is terrific, especially everyday non-detailed objects like bases.
2) if you don't have a 3D printer yet, there's still work involved in making what you print suitable.

I'm in the #2 camp at present, and am very comfortable making my own bases of any needed size using basswood, hardboard, craft plywood etc, with hobby and carpentry tools that I already have, so it does me no harm to wait while the technology evolves further. But I feel better about that position having read this article.

Not sure if I understand point #2 correctly. If you don't have a 3D printer you can print through printservices like Shapeways or find a printer nearby through 3D hubs.

The work involved in making the 3D model and the finishing work on the actual prints are the same in both cases. Is that what you mean?

You do seem to do things the hard way in sketchup. Instead of offsetting, you could have just selected the edge you wanted to move and pulled them in a set amount, keeping you from having to rebuild each side. Of course, on of the good things about sketchup is that there are generally more than one way to do things!

Thanks for the tip!