Holding Miniatures During Painting

[Donpimpom]

I use an hemostatic forceps, (a surgical tool) very useful to firmly hold unbased slotta minis.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hemostatic_forceps_01.jpg

[syrinx0]

For more detailed or oddly sized figures I will mount them on pill bottle (donated by my wife) or a wine cork (donated by me). Usually though I use the aforementioned Kung-fu death grip.

[Connectamabob]

Since I usually paint before basing and use the method of trimming slotta tabs down to pegs under the feet instead of pinning, I hold the figure by clamping the pegs in a clip of some kind. I have forceps like Donpimpom uses, and I have a mini-vise like Snitchy's (though I think mine is a crap knockoff as the threads for opening/closing it are reversed, which is annoying), but IMO the best are bag clips (like for holding chip/crisp bags closed).

In circumstances where I'm painting after basing, I use the blu-tack method. Though instead of a bottle I have a little 2" stone cube I got at a home decorating store long ago. It feels a lot more secure & stable in the hand than a bottle or dowel, and I can move it around in my grip a lot more freely without risk of a finger accidentally touching the mini, or of dropping it.

[Malamute]

I glue mine with a drop of Superglue to aerosol can lids. Once the figure is painted and varnished it will pop off by gently pressing on the underneath of the lid.

[Lowtardog]

I tend to base and texture the base first then paint holding the base (either washers/MDF or coins)

[Dr. Zombie]

I am with Framson on this. In essence I am a very lazy painter and more prepping = less painting.

I value getting stuck in over neat and tidy. The price I pay is that I occasionally have to repaint a hat or a weapon.

[Papa Spanky]

I mostly use 25mm dowel cut to maybe 60mm length.  A drop of superglue can often be useful to hold the figures although I usually use blu-tac.

This, but I use slightly longer sections and double sided foam tape to hold the fig. I also made a few stands to hold the dowel and fig while its drying or sitting on my paintbench. Stands hold 5 minis a piece and I only have three, so I have to finish models before starting new ones. Its a great motivator.   

[mikedemana]

My method is really simple. I take scrap card stock use white or PVC glue to glue the figure to that. If I'm painting a batch of them, I'll make notes on the card about colors and such that I plan to use. When I'm done, they pop right off. Then I attach them to their bases.

Mike Demana

[jthomlin]

My method is similar to Blue's, dowel of appropriate thickness cut to length and Blu-Tac to hold the figures, with the addition of a block with suitably drilled holes to prevent them being knocked over.

With all my newer bases having embedded rare earth magnets, a metal disk on the end means no more Blu-Tac.

 

Cheers!
Joe Thomlinson

[Atheling]

I just glue them to a cardboard base with epoxy which is then glued with PVA to a cork- From the Franceso Gonzaga II Crossing the River Taro vignette I finished lately:

Here's a link to the finished item:

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=65734.0

And the mini's during painting: