7 replies to this topic

[Ferox]

So I'm finally pushing myself into the fine art of basing my figures with something more interesting than abstractly-mangled green stuff. So I hopped down to my local model-train shop, picked up some cork and some Woodland Scenics medium talus, and did this:



To attach the talus, I put a thick coat of white glue on the base, dunked it in a bucket of talus, and removed it (shaking off the excess) after a few minutes for the glue to set a bit. Now I'm paranoid about bits of talus flaking off as I prime and paint the models. Should I just let 'em sit overnight and not worry about it, or thin some glue and paint it overtop, or what?

[Humansquish]

You shouldn't need to worry about basing falling off. The steps you have described for applying the basing is all I do and I have not had any problems. A little may fall off but nothing to worry about. You will be handling the sides of the base, not the top where the basing is applied so there shouldn't be much pulled off.

And if the basing does fall off, just reapply glue and put more on. That's one of the great things about this hobby. If you mess up its not a big deal because there are ways to fix it. Your bases look great at this point! Be sure to show us the completed models.

[haldir]

You could do a matte varnish coat. It would help "fix" the talus to the ground & help if you do touch it.

Best thing now is to use something like a cork or old paint pot & use that, so you won't touch the base while painting.

Nice start thou.

[dargrin]

My history with this stuff and PVC glue (Elmers) is that stays for a while then peals if you use this for gaming. Super glue is the way to.

My 2 cents.

[wyrmgear]

I second the superglue (or any brand cyanoacrylate - hope I spelled that right ), though I also thin down white glue and paint over top.

I find that even though I use holders while I paint, if I don't coat the base I get little primered 'droppings' of base material on my drop cloth as I paint. Being a wee bit of a neat freak that bugs the bejeesus out of me.

[Ferox]

That fits with my intuition. The stuff on the dwarf bases seems to be holding up after priming (though I did get a few 'talus droppings' as I primed them), but I'll go with CA from here on out.

[Kang]

A lot of white glues will soften/dissolve when they get wet, which is pretty unavoidable during painting. This might account for the talus droppings in some situations. Carpenter's glue for wood may work a little better - thins with water just like white glue, but dries waterproof. Superglue still should give a stronger bond for sticking the stuff down in the first place if needed; but, for painting a thin coat over top, the wood glue might be an option worth considering. It dries mostly clear, but a little more yellowy than white glue. Not really an issue though, given that it's going to get painted anyhow... I found I had a lot less problems with basing materials coming loose after I switched from white to carpenter's glue, at any rate. YMMV.

Kang

[Ferox]

So... CA to attach talus to bases, thinned wood glue overtop to hold it down. Sounds like overkill. I approve!