Cobbled Street Bases

[Cubs]

I'm all cock-a-hoop because I just made some very simple cobbled bases in no time at all. I thought I'd share it here, in case anyone was interested.

The background to this is that I've got some Victorian models that I need to put on street-style bases, but they have the usual moulded bases on them. Rather than try to work around them, I thought it would be better to clip them off the bases and then drill up into the feet to pin them down onto a more suitable base.

Problem 1) I'd have to make the bases and 2) they'd need to be on plastic rounds so I could drill all the way through.

As luck would have it, I had just the right amount of plastic round bases in my bits box, the refugees from some forgotten purchase, so that was solved.

Next up I decided to try a method I read on Emmanuel Nouaillier's amazing site -

http://www.009.cd2.com/members/how_to/nouaillier_a.htm

- using a modified ferule from an old paintbrush to make bricks (or in my case, street cobbles). I figured it would work as well on Milliput as on foamboard.

So, I mutilated one elderly brush with the needle nose pliers (actually, pulling the bristles out was the longest part of the entire process) and quickly shaped them as required. Then I put a little blob of superglue into the middle of my plastic round bases and put a small ball of Milliput onto it. Then I just squeezed it on and smoothed it down with my thumb until it covered the whole surface nicely.

Then it was a case of poking the putty with the modified ferule. It was that simple. I did need to clean some putty build-up off the edge a couple of times and had to tidy up some cobbles I smudged with my thumb, but I really like how it looks. I even got cocky (me? surely not!) and decided to do some curves to depict cobble patterns.



It's taken me about ... what, 50mins? ... from beginning to assault the paintbrush to finding the bases, mixing the putty and finishing. So easy, so quick.

I'll chip a few cobbles away when dry, litter them with scrap paper, leaves, broken bricks, straw and horse poo later on, to mess them up a bit. I'll post pics on the Victorian section and here when they're done if you like.

[Rivera]

They look really excellent and neatly done.  I've been meaning to give the old cobblestones a bash at some point and I've a couple of questions.

i)  What size brush did you modify to make the cobblestone effect? and

ii) What size bases are they?  They look like they might be 40mm?

[Gutbukkit]

They look brilliant. Nice and simple to do but very effective. Thanks for sharing. I shall try this one out.

[Cubs]

i)  What size brush did you modify to make the cobblestone effect? and

ii) What size bases are they?  They look like they might be 40mm?

i) Pass. It was just a tatty old brush, one of those cheap ones you get in a set for 99p, with bristles like a razorback. I just rooted through a jar of them I have and found one I thought might be right to make brick-sized shapes in 28mm scale.

ii) They're around the size of a 2p piece, which is about ... what, 25mm? Something like that.

[Rivera]

Many thanks for the info Cubs - you've inspired me to give it a go.

[moonshado]

They look smart and the way you describe it dead easy to make. Will you being mangling up another brush to give a slightly different size cobble and hence a bit of variation in the cobbles?

[Cubs]

They look smart and the way you describe it dead easy to make. Will you being mangling up another brush to give a slightly different size cobble and hence a bit of variation in the cobbles?

Well, you know, I did start to ruminate on that. I've only got the one set of models to paint thus far, but who knows? It opens up a world of possibilities doesn't it? As long as you've got enough old brushes to abuse, you can recreate any amount of different sizes and shapes of cobble, paving or brickwork - or any other sort of repetitive texture pattern.

I confess, I've thought about it since seeing the brickwork on that site, but I was kind of intimidated. It all seemed too easy and I kept spooling ahead to being disappointed if my own efforts fell too far short.

[Andrew May]

Well done, very effective.

[Cubs]

Here's how they turned out.

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=62200.30

[moonshado]

Those bases look great painted up and the figures on them are pretty impressive(the aged and worn appearance of the clothing is perfect), that is impressive brush skills to produce the patterning on the waistcoats and that one pair of trousers.

[Dr Mathias]

Great idea, I'll be trying this shortly I think. Thanks

[Argonor]

How exactly did you get the bristle-hair out of the ferule? Sometimes, when I've used an old brush and I squeeze the bristles a bit too hard with the tissue to get paint residue wiped out of them, they break and leave stumps inside that do not look as if they can be easily removed.... 

[Phil Robinson]

How exactly did you get the bristle-hair out of the ferule? Sometimes, when I've used an old brush and I squeeze the bristles a bit too hard with the tissue to get paint residue wiped out of them, they break and leave stumps inside that do not look as if they can be easily removed.... 

Just had a go at this, it works a treat.

 As to getting the bristles out I just worked the sharp end of a craft knife down the ferrule, then squeezed the ferrule open with pliers grabbed the bristles and pulled them out.

[Cubs]

Wot he said. Any stubborn ones left after I've been yanking with the pliers, I kind of scraped and worried out with various poking devices. I found it easier to remove the whole ferule off the brush with the pliers to do this and then glue it back on afterwards.

[Argonor]

Okies, thanks!