Tutorial: Display Bases
For this tutorial, we'll be building a display base designed for standard wargaming sized bases, and we'll create it so that the figures are easy to insert and remove. This serves many of a miniature enthusiast's purposes, including allowing our newest work to replace the old without having to build a new base. In addition, storage of a display base without a miniature permanently attached is far easier and convenient. Of course these same techniques will still be applicable if you're interested in creating a museum level piece, with the miniature(s) integral to the display base.
Though the processes in this tutorial will require some woodworking skills, I'm going to try and avoid excessive reliance on woodshop tools. Not everyone has access to a workshop, so every technique will need to be something that a gamer living in an apartment can do.
To that end, the easiest way to start this project is to buy an unstained wooden plaque from the local hobby shop. Blasphemy! Isn't this supposed to be a tutorial on how to make bases? It is, but if you own the type of router needed to shape the edges on a display base, you already know how to use it and don't need me to explain! For most gamers, however, routing their own bases is just not an option. Don't worry - there will be plenty of work to do yet.
Luckily, ready made wood plaques appropriate for display bases are pretty cheap and available from most common hobby stores. It doesn't hurt to buy several of varying sizes and store them until you need them. Pick one you like and let's get busy.
Use fine grade sandpaper to smooth down the wooden plaque and remove any rough spots. Even if you're careful in choosing one that has few imperfections, you'll need to sand it down well. Sanding blocks are easier to use for this than plain sandpaper since they can be pushed into the recesses. After sanding, rub your hands over the plaque. What may appear smooth to the eyes can actually be quite rough. We don't want it glassy smooth, but it should be free of all rough spots and feel comfortable in the hands.
After sanding the base, it's time to decide what sort of miniature will be displayed on the base -- specifically, what shape and size the plastic base of that miniature will be. We'll start with some common 25mm round bases, the sort that Warhammer 40K figures use. Decide where the miniature should be placed and trace the outline on the wood plaque.
Round bases are the easiest when you know the secret trick: use a 1" Forstner bit! These create a flat bottom in the hole rather than a concave depression. Thanks to a small point in the center of the bit, Forstner bits can also be used with your common cordless drill. Regardless of what tool you use, make sure to clamp or otherwise secure the wood plaque before drilling or you could have a chunk of wood spinning wildly into a miniature, window, or face!
Keep a spare plastic base handy as you drill to make sure you are drilling to the correct depth. Ideally, you want the plastic base to be flush with the surface of the wood when it's set into the hole. If you like adding felt to the bottom of bases, you will want to drill slightly deeper to take this into account.
Besides being easy to use, Forstner bits are available in just about any size and so will accomodate just about any dimension of round base. Unfortunately, the larger the bit, the more the cost. Some of the larger sizes can cost $30US or more. Your standard trooper size bit (one inch, suitable for 25mm bases) costs around $20 US but is worth every penny and should last for plenty of display bases.
Now we can base any Warhammer 40K figure, but what about those square D&D figures?
There's a simple solution: use MDF or masonite. It happens to be the same height as your average base, and you can often find cutoffs from your local hardware store for very cheap. A powered jigsaw will make the process fast and easy, but a good jeweler's saw with a wide blade will also be up to the task.
Effectively what we're doing here is recreating a new top for the plaque. Flip the plaque and the MDF upside down, trade the outline of the top on the MDF, and cut it out.
Then decide locations for your bases, and cut out the squares. You'll have to cut from one or more sides to remove the square, but keep them neat and they won't be visible when the base is finished.
If the Forstner bit was Secret #1 for this tutorial, proper preparation of the wood for stain is Secret #2. Most people overlook doing this step.
Wood has a grain, which is the alignment of the wood fibres. When you stain a piece of wood, the sides across the grain will absorb more stain than the sides with the grain, resulting in one side becoming much darker. In other words, unprepared wood, and especially soft wood, absorbs stain unevenly.
Never fear. This problem has an easy fix, and it's called "wood conditioner." I use Minwax Wood Conditioner but there are other products that do the same thing. Wood conditioner can be oil- or water-based, so make sure you buy the type that matches your stain. Apply it with a brush and wait no more than a half hour. Then break out the stain, because it's time to make this thing start looking like a display base!
Using stain should be the least daunting part of the process. After all, we paint things all the time.
I recommend Minwax, as it's easy to find locally and reasonably priced. And stain can be tinted, so if you really need a blue or green to match your theme, have at it!
Don't use a brush to apply stain. Instead use an old but clean sock or t-shirt. Dip one end into the stain, let some drip off, then rub it onto the wood. You'll be able to stain much more uniformly this way. Use gloves!
Let this dry overnight. I also suggest turning a box over the base while it dries to keep dust off.
Once the stain has completely dried, it's time for the clearcoat. Don't skip this step -- it's important to get that extra layer of protection, even if it's just a spray gloss.
You can also use something like Envirotex Lite to apply a rock hard glossy shell over the base.
Mix equal parts from each bottle in a plastic cup fully for three to five minutes. Rather than pour it directly on the base, use a disposable brush to apply it to the sides of the base. It's very important to elevate the base slightly by putting it on top of a small piece of wood which is itself over newspaper or paper towels. This ensures that drips do not cause the base to stick to whatever it's sitting on as well as making sure those same drips do not land on something important, like carpet.
The first coat of the resin will need to be thin to prevent unslightly drips. It'll also be partly absorbed by the base. That's normal, it's far better to use multiple thin coats than one heavy, drippy coat! It takes at least two to three coats to get a good, even coverage (it'd take as many as six to seven if we didn't prepare the base with wood conditioner). You may be tempted to tap the resin when it looks dry -- don't. Let it sit at least overnight, covered and safe from dust, cats, and kids before applying any more coats.
Once dry, you may need to use a sharp hobby knife to shave off any errant resin bumps that have formed on the bottom of the base. After all this effort, you'll be rewarded with a finished coat that is very solid and well worth the trouble.
The final stage is to integrate the top of the display base to match your miniature's base. If you've used sand to base your miniature, then the process is virtually identical.
The key difference is that you'll need to use masking tape to cover up the sides of the base.
I can't stress this enough -- make sure your glosscoat is FULLY DRY before starting this step! Give it a couple of days.
Though masking tape is not a particularly sticky tape, it will pull clear coat from the base if it isn't fully dry (resin is resistant to this).
After you've finished whatever basing process you prefer (sand glued on, primed, painted, grass or rocks added, etc), clear coat it as normal, then slowly peel the masking tape off to reveal your brand new display base.
