Mini Stands

[Scoutdad]

I used to take extra care with the stands...
Sand away the flash, bend the meal tabs on the t-peg for a tight fit, super-glue in the t-peg, fill the gaps with putty, sand again, fill the base with plaster, spray paint black, re-coat with black when dry, and then add a hex shaped piece of felt to the bottom.

After about 50 or 60 of those (and looking at several hundred more awaiting the process... ) - I stopped. Now I super-glue in the t-peg, fill and bad gaps, spray paint black, and use for gaming.

[John Schneder II]

I do something very different.
I put the t-peg and hexagonal base in a drawer

I then buy some of the heavy B-10 battelship stands. I use epoxy to attach the peg to the base. Then I make the top of the peg into an oval with green stuff. Sand the green stuff flat and horizontal (mostly), and superglue down a rare earth magnet. Once the glue is dry, I add two small brass rods fore and aft, superglueing them into the oval. These match the magnet and holes in the bottom of my minis. I superglue a washer to the bottom, fill in the washer hole with lead fishing weights, and glue a disk of sheet magnet to the bottom. Paint black and use.

This type of stand allows me to remove the minis for flat transport, and to only have 60 or so stands (after all, we don't much do battles with 30 ships per side). Each stand, in theory, fits any mini.
The magnet on the bottom allows the stand to stick to our magnetic playing map.

[TJolley]

I do the following for my bases.

I use these: http://www.rattleheadgames.com/catalog/NJM1100.html

I made about 20 bases (more info below) and now I just purchase these: http://www.rattleheadgames.com/catalog/NJM1101.html

This allows me to transport all my minis flat, and allows me to have minis of different heights on the board, so they can be next to each other without getting in the way.

The bases: Pick your favorite base. I choose Heavy metal base from here: http://ironwindmetals.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=122.

I then cut copper tubing to various lengths (3-4 different lengths). Drill a hole in the base, attach the copper tube with epoxy and let it set up.

Place the female portion of the magnetic adapter on the stand, paint it black. glue the male portion onto the mini when it is completed.

20 bases allows all but the very largest games. Having various heights of stands allows me to have ships at different heights on the board, so even if we are using the small 1" hexes, I can have my ships next to each other without getting in each others way.

Plus it is wicked cool to see an E-4 or F-5 nestled under the wing of a DN, or to see Smaller ships soaring over Cruisers on the board.

Hydrans are cool too..A Pladin or Ranger up a little higher with Hunters, Cuirasssie's, and Lancers down low

[malleman]

Thanks for the replies guys. Always nice to get fresh ideas.

[TriOpticon]

I then buy some of the heavy B-10 battelship stands. I use epoxy to attach the peg to the base. Then I make the top of the peg into an oval with green stuff. Sand the green stuff flat and horizontal (mostly), and superglue down a rare earth magnet. Once the glue is dry, I add two small brass rods fore and aft, superglueing them into the oval. These match the magnet and holes in the bottom of my minis. I superglue a washer to the bottom, fill in the washer hole with lead fishing weights, and glue a disk of sheet magnet to the bottom. Paint black and use.

Do you have pictures of these or even a step by step pictorial? I should have done something like this with my BFG ships but I figure I can start with my SFB miniatures.

[John Schneder II]

TriOpticon,
Not at this time, but I still have about a dozen more to do, so I'll take pics and post them here so you can see, along with desriptions of the steps if you like.

[TriOpticon]

TriOpticon,
Not at this time, but I still have about a dozen more to do, so I'll take pics and post them here so you can see, along with desriptions of the steps if you like.

That would be great, thanks!

[Jiraiya1969]

I only have the Zochi (sp?) plastic minis from Fed Fleet Box (so far ). The following is the basing technique that i use.

- I took some standard plastic hexes and drilled out the hole.

- I took a nail, clipped the tip off and then glued it through the bottom of the hex.

- Using the same drill bit, I widen the hole on the bottom of the mini. This is tricky as i am using a power drill, but is doable if you are clever.

- I started by gluing metal mini flash to the bottom of the hexe for the first model (the Fed DN). Later, I used a two-part plumber epoxy for the other four models. The Fed TUG was a special case, where I put epoxy only in the front part of the hex to counter the weight of the pods.

The Epoxy trick is useful not only for the extra weight, but also in reinforcing the glued on nail. I forget the size of the nail and drill bit (over at my friend's house now) and will have to get back with you all on that later.

This is all a variation of a technique I learned from a fellow A Call to Arms (a Babylon 5 starship game) player which uses large washers for the oversized bases.

[Jiraiya1969]

I then cut copper tubing to various lengths (3-4 different lengths). Drill a hole in the base, attach the copper tube with epoxy and let it set up.

What is the diameter of the copper tubing. That you use?

Sar