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Author Topic: Questions: Thin Clear Bases  (Read 1507 times)

Offline Mr.Marx

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Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« on: July 16, 2019, 05:02:26 PM »
Hey All,

I looked into the whole 'transparent bases' thing years ago and dismissed it pretty hard for looking goofy as all heck, but having looked around the net a bit, it looks like the 'technology' has moved. Particularly, they are available nice and thin now.

I'm particularly impressed with Pulp Alley's 'Inviso-Bases'; though I'm rather concerned about the longevity of using plastic packaging from a initial strength / yellowing / going brittle with age perspective.

I've seen that "fluid 3d" and at least one ebay seller have 1mm thick acrylic ones available, but I can't find any pictures of examples online.

Anyhoo, if anyone could help me with any of the following, that'd just be fab:

Does anyone have a measurement on the thickness of Pulp Alley's clear bases?

Does anyone have any pictures of 28mm figures based on 1mm thick clear bases that they'd be willing to share?

Has anyone experimented with varnishing 1mm thick bases to reduce the shine?

Alternatively, has anyone experimented with going at thin bases with micro-mesh (or another mild abrasive) to rough up bases a bit to reduce the shine?

Does anyone have any comments on the durability either 'pulp alley' or 1mm bases?


Cheers,

MM.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2019, 08:03:58 PM by Mr.Marx »

Offline Citizen Sade

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Re: Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2019, 06:21:38 PM »
The Ultra-Inviso bases will be around the thickness of a blister pack as that’s what the first ones were initially made of.

While I’ve no experience with then, it strikes me that they’re cheap enough to replace, from time to time, it they get dinged or degrade. Especially if you make own using the guide that the Pulp Alley team kindly created and put up on YouTube here

Offline Valerik

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Re: Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2019, 09:00:23 PM »
Pulp Alley's ULTRA-INVISO™ bases for the WIN!!

I use 20 or 25mm with all my pulp people.  For angimals, critters, beasts, n'monsters I've used  a mix of the larger ULTRA-INVISO™  & the thinnest Litko bases.

I agree with Citizen Sade:

The Ultra-Inviso bases will be around the thickness of a blister pack as that’s what the first ones were initially made of.

While I’ve no experience with then, it strikes me that they’re cheap enough to replace, from time to time, it they get dinged or degrade. Especially if you make own using the guide that the Pulp Alley team kindly created and put up on YouTube here

The ULTRA-INVISO™ are VERY thin, yet stiff enough to support metal figures.

In all my fumblings I've managed to un-base two figures, one twice.  They were awkward off balance poses, & I may pin the one.  Be sure to have a smooth, straight, clean surface, wider is better of course, before you glue.  I use a file laid on the workbench to flatten feet, after I've cut away anything around or underfoot, so to speak, as it were...

Alas, I'm camera-less at the moment.   Shine's never been a problem for me, so I don't varnish, or rough up.  I suspect some of what you're seeing is due to the photography

If I am permitted to reprise bits of a far earlier Post:

Quote
There is one clear choice:

 ULTRA-INVISO™ BASES  hand made by Wolf Girl, aka Mila Phipps, for the Phipps Cartel, aka Pulp Alley, game, store, lifestyle, cult, or obsession, whichever you prefer.



I'm also rolling mine own with the handy dandy rusty trusty punch stolen from the dormant leather shop, or that nifty mech punch I purchased from Michael's.
Using mallet & metal does add a stress relief factor to making bases though, not to be dismissed lightly.

The very thin-ness of Mila's ULTRA-INVISO™ bases is what sold me, over other offerings out there.
To me they look & "feel" better with un-based vehicles, aircraft, buildings & scenery, whether next to or ON 'em.

For Song of Drums and Tomahawks I plan to ULTRA-INVISO™ base those Minquas &  stalwart Swedes on the Delaware I paint to blend with forest, field, fort, rock, redoubt, ship, shore or snow.
 
Ditto an upcoming future foray:  Space Pulp endeavours with Valkeeri & their Radon Zombee Askaris.

I quite like the way the thin discrete ULTRA-INVISO™ bases make my figures look good standing on ANYTHING.

& it's actually much easier, & far less labour intensive or materiel hungry than traditional scenic-ed bases.

YMMV

Alas those Swedes, Minquas, Valkeeri, & Radon Zombees still await paint...

The mech punch I got from Michael's seems to be duff, cutting ragged circles rather more often than not.  The more successful punch & mallet technique still satisfies, a lot!!

Also very satisfying is the sight of all my characters looking quite at home in, on & around any variety of scenery, literally ANYWHERE.

Valerik

"Sic friat crustulum"
Mrs. Peel
BGR

"Fart in the devil's face"
Martin Luther


Offline Sinewgrab

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Re: Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2019, 03:17:01 AM »
My pulp thread is filled with 28mm figures on .063 thick acrylic bases.  That would be about 1.6mm thick.

"There is no known cure for the wargaming virus, only treatments with ever increasing doses of metal."

Offline FinnN

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Re: Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2019, 07:13:47 AM »
I've only used clear bases for one set of figures so far, but the more I get used to looking at them the more I prefer them to the usual style. For me the killer difference isn't so much that they're clear but that the feet of the models are more-or-less on the ground.

I used plastic from the ultra-pro rigid card sleeves as recommended on another thread here and I think it works pretty - very rigid (more so than the type typically used in the clamshells that miniatures come in) and not susceptible to scratches (so far anyway). The plastic looks to be identical to the one used in that ultra inviso picture.

The only quibble I have with them is there is a faint blue tinge to them, I've been looking for alternatives. Food containers all seem to be either tinted subtly or are too flexible once you punch out the disk. I did find some plastic with the right stiffness and minimal tint, but it was from the packaging from a DVD cleaner, so not enough but at least it proves such a thing exists. Food packaging on the left, the plastic from the ultra-pros in the middle and the "just right" plastic on the right.


Online FifteensAway

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Re: Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2019, 12:31:54 AM »
Metal figures with integral bases mean WAY too much work for me to go the route of plastic and not to mention the distinct possibility of destroying a figure trying to remove the metal base.  Though plastic - if you can get rid of the sheen - has the one benefit of keeping figures with grass walking on snow, or with planking for pirates going for a walk along with the pirate when it hits the sandy beach.  Since, in my view, that is the only benefit, I've sworn off clear bases.   

Offline Mr.Marx

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Re: Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2019, 01:02:08 AM »
Hey all,

Thanks for the input. Seeing some pictures and hearing some thoughts is really helping me to feel out what to do with my bases.

My main reason for wanting to go with clear bases is that I am working on some figures for a RPG / dungeon crawl sort of game, where the texture of the floor will not only change all the time, but will often be important to knowing what the figure is stood on. There is no traditional 'modeled' base that can look good for all of the different ground textures, so a clear base seems like the best way forward.

My biggest issue with clear bases was the thickness of them. I find the sheen from the edge of a 2mm or 3mm base to be just awful, personally. There is also the strange issue where the transparency of the base makes the figure look like it is floating half a foot off the ground. Not a fan.

Nice thin bases avoid that though. I'm very taken with the ultra-thin 'inviso' style bases that you've all posted up.

I've gone ahead and ordered myself a sturdy 3/4" circular stamp as suggested in the Pulp Alley tutorial video.

Once it arrives, I'm going to do a fair bit of experimenting, I think.

Although I like the recycling element of it, I don't know that I want to use old blister packaging for the bases. I'm quite concerned about how anonymous plastics will hold up in terms of yellowing and going brittle with age.

I'd much rather go with some kind of plastic card. This'll give me quite a bit of control over the properties of the bases. I can go a little thicker than blister packaging which should help the bases survivability, though I'll be staying below half a millimetre, I think, to keep them pretty invisible.

I'm interested to experiment with plastics that might have less of a shine than 'blister plastic'. I'm thinking at the least I can try scuffing up the flat surfaces of all the bases with some micro-mesh to get rid of that mirror finish and make inevitable future fingerprints less noticeable. I'm also going to try and work something out with matte varnish too, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to do that without it looking crap.

I quite fancy experimenting with 'frosted' plastics. I'm thinking that these would have less shine than regular plastic, without the effort of scuffing or varnish.

But yeah, that's my thoughts on the subject so far. I'm sure they'll be subject to change once I get going.

I can post updates as I go, if they'd be of any interest to anyone?

MM.

Offline Cat

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Re: Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2019, 02:55:57 AM »
I used plastic from the ultra-pro rigid card sleeves as recommended on another thread here and I think it works pretty - very rigid (more so than the type typically used in the clamshells that miniatures come in) and not susceptible to scratches (so far anyway). The plastic looks to be identical to the one used in that ultra inviso picture.

That thread has tempted me into trying the Ultra-Pro route too for a new project.
 
For most of my games, just the sheer amount of time of cutting away metal bases is too prohibitive for me.
 
Currently gearing up for Maximillian 1934, and this is a good limited scope project to indulge the plastic basing.  I'm not using a lot of foot figures, but there will be a small assortment of spectators and not-so-innocent bystanders.  Some of the vehicles really need to be on bases (monocycles, I'm looking at you); and I may base all the vehicles to facilitate movement  and firing.  Clear bases are very appealing for this to work across a wide variety of terrain options.

Online FifteensAway

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Re: Questions: Thin Clear Bases
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2019, 12:14:12 AM »
On second thought, my gangster's in the city collection might benefit from clear bases.  Where is the emoticon of someone eating there words?  There really should be one! 

Or maybe I go with blotchy black and gray bases so they work on asphalt or sidewalks.  Ponder-ation time.