display basing

[saxtim]

I\'ve been wanting to make some display bases recently and I\'d like to know how people get hold of the wood they use for their bases? Is this the sort of thing you have to go to a specialist store to buy, or do people turn their own display stuff? If anyone knows where you could find wood pieces that are suitable in Australia please tell!

thanks\'
tim

 

[No Such Agency]

If you mean those wooden \"plaques\" with router-cut edges, you can usually get them at craft stores - meaning the places where people buy wool for knitting, and tole painting supplies and stuff. Big hardware stores might have them too. I haven\'t ever seen them in art supply places.

Get good ones, cheap softwood ones will bow or warp over time, or may be so already!

 

[Chrispy]

Some of those \"Cheap\" ones for me include big sheets of balsa wood. They are kinda light so I would not reccomend them. My Cyanhur ws made out of posterborad, but it is more of a diorama than a display, but it shows what can be done to build it up.

 

[Kamui K]

You can find them in craft stores were they might sell ingraving tools and wall plaque stuff. The ones I\'ve seen in craft stores are the unfinished kinds. You\'ll have to stain and seal it yourself.
And it gets messy.

I\'ve seen they sell finished bases online, but they\'re expensive ($5-15 I think. I just remember them being well over the cost of an average mini.) Large scale historical stores would have them.

 

[matts]

As far as I know, most of the modellers use either ready made parts or simple photograph frames. They fill then some pflaster and modell the underground.

 

[Sand Rat]

Craft supply shops here in the states are your best bet, if you are in the states. I actually got a catalogue from Micro-Mark tools yesterday that has some pre-built sheets of ship decking that would work great for display basing, and they have the blank bases for purchase also.

 

[Flashman14]

For display/movement bases Renaissance Ink cant be beat - it\'s all geared for miniature figurines and they come in all kinds of materials -wood, steel, plastic, with magnets, etc etc . .

look towards the bottom:
http://www.renaissanceink.net/catalog.htm

For wood planking I just use strips of thin cardboard and paint on any woodgrain . . . you could use balsa strips too - train and model stores carry that kinda thing in abundance

 

[Badaab]

I\'m not much help, seeing as how I have access to a router, table, and a library of bits, and, as you might expect, I cut/stain my own. As far as little brass engraved plates, well, some relatives own an awards shop, so those come from there at no charge (save postage).

I\'d try checking places like either Hobby Lobby or Michael\'s, or even Pearl Art Supplies (those are chains of DIY type craft stores in the USofA). But, if you have access to the tools, I\'d recommend doing the work yourself. It\'s a worthwhile experience, and relatively easy (maybe if there\'s enough interest, I could run a little tutorial on the subject).

Another nifty little thing the router is useful for is cutting formica. I use a sheet of white formica as my pallatte when I\'m at home (and have a painter\'s pallatte for travel). Formica is cheap, durable, and your paint won\'t spread and disappear if you water it down heavily (as it will on some surfaces).

There\'s my two, or three, or however many cents.
Joe

 

[SaxonAngel]

Actually, I go to Michaels (a huge craft store) for their 1-2 dollar display bases (in the wood section). These are usually out of fir. They also sell a wide variety of actual wood/glass display cases and cabinets.

My latest coup, was at the \"as-is\" section in IKEA. They had a huge pile of discontinued solid cherry cabinet and drawer fronts. I bought a variety of sizes of beautiful drawer fronts which are the perfect size for squads or large monsters for 35 cents Canadian each!:flip:

This stuff can be had REAL cheap, if you\'re willing to look.

Hope that helps (a bit?)

Peace

 

[Badaab]

Yeah, I\'ve been looking at this CD storage unit made by IKEA with glass doors and shelves as a display case for my miniatures... right now I\'ve got a baseball bat display case that came from Michael\'s sale shelf... a whopping four bucks, it\'s acryllic and wood, and holds close to 80 painted figs.

Joe