FMB asked me about my basing so here is a little step by step,I enjoy reading about other people's working methods so even though it's not rocket science I thought I'd post how I do it.
I base my Pikemen on 45mm x 45mm 3mm MDF that I have cut up from some left over backs of kitchen cupboards I have acquired over the years,I cut them on a crosscut saw so they are pretty square.,I give them a coat of dilute PVA and then cover them in sharp sand, the bits of white are cat litter which I think are a nice size for stones in this scale. After the sand I give it a coat of emulsion paint, pretty pale( it's also the colour I use for dry brushing stone buildings) and then a wash of dilute burnt umber ink. Once that's dry I dab on some straight PVA and coat with some blended turf. Works for me,I haven't gone for tufts yet,I think I'm too tight!
In other news I got hold of some Billy bookcase doors, so after a bit of reorganization I cleared some bookshelves but realized I needed A : more shelves and B: more holes for the shelves to have their supports inserted into. A redundant wardrobe supplied the material for the shelves which I skillsawed down to the required size and then drilled out some more holes.
You can see my Italian wars collection on the shelves, I've added my British civil war,War of the Roses and tucked the recently completed church down the bottom. What next? Some Pikemen once they're flagged!
All the best Iain
Good to see behind the scenes, Iain! My hint of your library too. Too bad I cant see the titles of any. I find it interesting to peek into another's library holdings. One day, you will give tufts a try...
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan! I have tried tufts and have some, probably they will get used on some terrain! I might do a post on the books if you're interested?
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Iain, interested to see you using the Rowney ink. I have two bottles that have sat there for years because I find the ink so intense even when thinning at 2:1 or even 3:1, I will try again, as your bases retain a fresh look.
ReplyDeleteHi Norm,yes the ink is diluted something like 8 to 1! Which is at least economical! But I would play around a bit as it does settle and varies!
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Lovely work and very effective basing Iain. I used to display my figures in some old wooden cabinets but found even there that dust became a problem. Much easier to dust off books than figures, and we seem to be forever dusting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lawrence,I know boxes are more sensible but at least this way I get to see them as they don't get out much!
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Nice post. I love the storage/ display cabinet. Nice bit of woodwork there. I hope this is in some prominent place in the house so anyone who comes over can see the miniature collection. 😀
ReplyDeleteThanks Stew I thought you would like a bit of power tool work! The cabinet is not in a prominent place in the house, it's actually not in the house at all! I've built an insulated, double glazed timber shed with mains power so I have somewhere for my books,toy soldiers,paints and power tools,22meters square, and for some reason my wife complains I want to spend all my time in the shed!
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I enjoyed your description of how you base your minis. I haven't done many multi-figure bases yet (did order some for battles where I don't want to move individual figures around), and haven't yet settled on how I want to do it. I'm leaning towards gluing the minis on and painting the bases a solid lighter but not too bright shade of green, to keep it simple.
ReplyDeleteIt's also good to see your shelving unit. Looks like a good solution for storing/displaying a bunch of minis. As for dust, I do find having glass doors helps with that.
Thanks Fitz, glad it was of interest,of course you could sabot base your single minis,I also do a fair bit of that too!
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What a collection!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Michal!
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I do like a 'who do they do that?' post too, very illuminating. Also very jealous of your storage solutions.
ReplyDeleteYes I entirely agree,I often find something I can use even when the techniques are different and I'm glad you like my storage unit!
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Good to see your basing technique Iain - I am a firm believer in the adage that good basing really makes average figures look so much better (not that I am saying your figures are average….embarrassing!). On the other hand, you can see some really nicely painted figures slapped onto poor bases, and it really brings them down....
ReplyDeleteThanks Keith,I think! No,I agree,it was doing the analogue hobbies painting challenge that made me raise my game on the basing front,it definitely helps the overall feel and ties everything together nicely.
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Always interesting and instructive to follow along with how others handle the modelling side of the hobby. Thanks for sharing. Also love to see solutions that combine figure display and storage: very nice.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Ed!
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Hi Iain, very informative post. Really like your basing method and love your shelf unit. Nice to have stuff on display isn't it. I have regular dusting regime with my 40mm's and enjoy the chance to handle them.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee,it is absolutely nice to have stuff on display!
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Interesting based approach, Iain. I haven't heard about using cat litter as stones, I just don't have a cat :) But I like the result.
ReplyDeleteReally nice bookcase! I wish I reorganized the pantry in my apartment and finally get a decent place for my collection.
Yes,a small amount of cat litter lasts a long time and even though we have a cat now the small pot I have dates from the previous cat which must be something like seven years ago! It's taken year's to be able to display some of my collection, I'm sure you'll get there soon!
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I wish I had the patience to learn some rudimentary carpentry - great looking practical shelving.
ReplyDeleteI too appreciate seeinghow others tackle wargaming tasks that we all seemingly have.
It's certainly useful to be able to knock things up and always interesting, I find, to compare others techniques to our own.
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Like Zabadak, I'm pretty clueless on that woodshop stuff, so always impressed to see creations like this. A very nice setup for sure Iain. The doors to keep the dust and little hands away are a great addition too!
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the shelves, not sure I would be letting small people in unsupervised,I'd be less worried about the miniatures and more about what they would make of the cross cut saw!
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Nice basing and storage solutions!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cyrus!
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Nice post, I really like the display case, closed with functional shelves. I also had the idea of combining the exhibition of miniatures with the books that concern them. also the tutorial for the sideburns very interesting, I like to learn techniques developed by other enthusiasts. I see that you made a mix of figures between Foundry, Steel Fist and Warlord, very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ronin, glad it was of interest to you!
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Thanks for doing this Iain, much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteNo problem,my pleasure!
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