Russ has recently sprung for some metal bases for his 6mm Greeks and suggested I do the same for my Renaissance Spanish armies. They are much thinner than normal mdf bases, are less likely to move on the table and stick nicely to the magnetised sheets in my A4 box folders.
Of course they're not cheap and finding the right size is tricky. The Spanish need to be based for Principles of War - 3cm x 9cm. A non-standard size. Enquiries into a couple of companies who say they do these has revealed that they don't. So I need to look at extending the search or making my own.
I've seen some companies that provide metal sheet in 0.4mm thickness. Easy to cut but is it too thin? Perhaps a trial sheet needs to be purchased to give it a go.
Alternatively, thin plywood gives the thinness required (as I'm using Heroics and Ros figures, 2mm and 3mm mdf makes them look like they're hovering above the battlefield). But this may be prone to warping.
Decisions, decisions!
Update: http://www.freewebs.com/pwsltd/steelbases.htm These chaps do them in PoW sizes! 61p a pop.
Of course they're not cheap and finding the right size is tricky. The Spanish need to be based for Principles of War - 3cm x 9cm. A non-standard size. Enquiries into a couple of companies who say they do these has revealed that they don't. So I need to look at extending the search or making my own.
I've seen some companies that provide metal sheet in 0.4mm thickness. Easy to cut but is it too thin? Perhaps a trial sheet needs to be purchased to give it a go.
Alternatively, thin plywood gives the thinness required (as I'm using Heroics and Ros figures, 2mm and 3mm mdf makes them look like they're hovering above the battlefield). But this may be prone to warping.
Decisions, decisions!
Update: http://www.freewebs.com/pwsltd/steelbases.htm These chaps do them in PoW sizes! 61p a pop.
61p each!!!!!! You must be rich! Stick to MDF.
ReplyDeleteBack in February, in a land far, far away, I got 100 2x3 inch metal bases cut locally for $126.83 Australian. They are for use with Blucher (I hope - I've since got involved in other things). That is $1.27 a base close to 61p would be my guess. Roughly same thickness - 0.55 Colour Bond. Of course thing is, the steel was probably mined here, but then shipped to China, milled etc, and then sent back to be cut into small bases to then sit on my wargames shelf for (hopefully just) months. :-)
ReplyDeleteI normally use plastic card which I then have to attach magnetic strip to. These metal bases will act as movement trays. Also, I use 15mm. If I was doing 6mm, as a friend of mine does, I would use metal bases to avoid the plinth look.
So, in my limited experience, price seems right.