Does anyone have thematic bases or bases and display tray for their YJ models? I'd love to see what you've got.
Bases no, but my tray/dice box is themed. It’s a picture frame with plastic instead of glass. I got it from Ikea. I put an image of the Hac Tao into the frame and also put in metal sheets to make it magnetic. It’s super cheap and easy!
I'm using a Green Stuff World triple hex roller for all my Yu Jing bases. Would possibly use some Micro Art Studio bases if doing other armies.
I recommend having the plain roller, guide rings, and cutters. A bakeable putty could be good too. Sculpy for example.
Could I ask you for more details on what you use and what method? I have several of these rollers, including the plain one and the guides, but it's never worked properly. I tried with green stuff and with Milliput, and my main issues are: it sticks to the roller, and when I try to peel it off, the pattern degrades; and even when I manage that first step (usually with a ton of water, talc powder and many tries and luck), I end up degrading the pattern when I try to cut it to fit on the base (but I don't have circle cutters). Any details would be welcome, I've been frustrated to no end with this stuff! :)
I use the rollers and yellow Milliput. as extra tooks, I use "modeller's vaseline" from Greenstuff world, and that helps a lot. Letting the milliput to harden a litte after mixing also helps. As for the procedure, I start by sanding the plastic base a little, then I grab the minimal amount to cover the base, then apply by hand, removing the excess. After that is when I apply the roller, and while there are some excess milliput, I remove it with an old cutter blade, "sawing" down (the milliput is placed on the "top" side of the base). If I need to remove extra material after it has hardened, the big chunks I remove with an X-acto knife, and the smaller ones with a file (to sand away the excess).
Here you go. The tray is actually being held up and the magnetized remote is staying in place. I used two sheets of metal I got at a hobby store. Not the game store. I think over all, it cost less than $10. Ikea picture frame, metal sheets, printout.
Ok, firstly don't use water. That makes Milliput sticky and also thins it's consistency (milliput wash is useful for smoothing and gap filling). Xagroth makes a good point about letting it cure a bit first though that also results in some cracking I find. What I'd recommend if sticking with Milliput is this: roll out your putty slowly on a sheet of baking paper using plenty of talc to stop it sticking to the roller, roll your texture roller across the rolled out putty with plenty of talc on, use a cutter that is slightly larger than your base top. You can trim and sand later, press your figures into the toppers so you'll know where you need to drill holes later, let your toppers cure, glue onto your bases, trim where needed, sand the sides smooth, make holes to attach your figures. Though I do feel that using a bakeable putty like Sculpy or Fimo might be an easier option or you could add some Green Stuff or plasticine as it'll help with the elasticity.
I use that rollers too, but more for other games. My got to is Super Sculpy firm a bakeable putty. I use a cheap old noodle mashine to knead the putty a few times to warm it up and mix it through (its one component but kneading helps alot). Then the putty is rolled as thin as possible with the noodle mashine and placed on a backing try with some baking paper. Next step i use my texture roller and put it in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes (recommended are 10 mins but the thin putty sheets go faster). When the sheets are complete hardened i break some bits of and glue them to the base and add some sand and gravel to cover the rest and represent some warzone bases. Or you could use the cutters on the unbaked sheets (never tried them myself). The miniatures are pinned as normal to a resin base.
Since i showed my magnetic tray I thought I’d also show my magnetic storage! This is an old picture but I’m stil using it! I love metal lunch boxes but here i’m putting them to good use!
