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PetitBilbo's Blog

How to: my own bases

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[QUOTE=petitbilbo;149472]Hi there,

since I find shipment costs (and the ever impending "taxes and duties" doom) too steep for my already very stressed and money-deprived bank account, I had to come up with a way to make my own bases instead of ordering the Orberst's ones.

I have done quite a lot of them in the past month and I've "perfected" my system enough to show you how:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]47383[/ATTACH]
This is the raw material: we call it "plexiglass", others "acrylic". I get them from a shop that specialises in the things architects need to build their scale model buildings (yep, they still do that!).
If the guy can cut them out of scrap, one base will cost 1€.
If no scrap material is available, I have to pay for a sheet, about 15€ (for 10 bases).
Generally, I'll just wait for him to have scrap...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47384[/ATTACH]
he cuts them to the right size, but as you can see, the edges have been messed-up by the band-saw.
So, let's sand them smooth.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47385[/ATTACH].
This is after sanding with 180 grain.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47386[/ATTACH]
400 grain
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47387[/ATTACH]
800
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47388[/ATTACH]
Then, polishing them with my trusted Dremel and some polishing paste.
The topmost base has been polished already, not the other ones. I can see quite a difference...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47389[/ATTACH]
There we are, all polished.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47390[/ATTACH]
Now I cut out the paper templates I made (file below).
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47391[/ATTACH]
I position the template as precisely as possible on the base and drill a guiding hole where the first peg will be glued in.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47392[/ATTACH]
I cut out the blue line and the arrow. I tear off the protective film of the base.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47393[/ATTACH]
Using the hole I made earlier, I position the template and I paint the marks on the base.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47394[/ATTACH]
Then I scribe the lines for the front (and if needed, any other) firing arc.
No need for the template for the front arc, as you can use the small hole and the corners as guides.
For other arcs, see the template.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47396[/ATTACH]
I paint the groove I just scribed with the appropriate colour for the arc.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47395[/ATTACH]
And clean whatever got out of the groove with either a Q-Tip of (better) using my nails.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47397[/ATTACH]
Now I can drill a bigger hole that will accept the peg.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47398[/ATTACH]
There's the peg. I glue the first peg to all my stands. This makes it easier to lift the figure during play: just grab it by the lowest peg...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47399[/ATTACH]
I also draw a line on the edge of the base to help me locate the marks during play: no my parallax problem with this system.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]47400[/ATTACH]
There we are, the base with a plane on it...

This is the template I use: [ATTACH]47401[/ATTACH]

What I like: [LIST][*]The weight! I really like it when I can feel a little heft on my minis. [*]The price: three times nothing.[*]I made it myself... (yeah, I'm like that)[*][/LIST]
What I like less:
[LIST][*]The arrow and the blue line are just painted on. Paint doesn't hold on the plexy too well...[*]Sometimes, it's impossible to get rid of all the saw marks on the edges.[*][/LIST]

That's it, hope you like it!

:salute:[/QUOTE]
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