n00b question: which bases to use??

[Connectamabob]

How much do those rings set you back connect? Also do they take much work to turn into bases?

Usually about a buck each, give or take a few cents. Quite cheap for adventurers and squads, but probably not economical for armies. The hard part is finding a consistent place to buy them, then hoping they have ones of the right size range in stock. I usually find them at souvenir shops and gift shops, and buy a handful opportunistically when I come across them so I'll have stock at home when the need arises, rather then trying to seek them out on an as-needed basis.

To prep I put a piece of masking tape across the bottom, then fill with 2 part epoxy glue to about 1&1/2mm below the rim. Once the epoxy's cured, I remove the tape from the bottom, and use that remaining 1&1/2mm to sculpt my groundwork with epoxy putty. I aim for average ground level to be flush with the rim, but the 1&1/2mm gives me room to make negative shapes if needed for more realism. I trim the slotta tab on the figure down to just pegs under the feet, then trace and drill holes for the pegs in the groundwork.

I've also used the same technique on napkin rings and bracelets to make plinths for display figures and vignettes.

Actually, gimme a sec and I'll post a pic or two. *EDIT* Camera battery's dead. Pics in a couple hours instead, I guess.

[carlos13th]

Yeah they are a little expensive for wargaming or big armies. For small groups or single display miniatures I can imagine it looking decent though.

Sounds like an intresting approach mate. look forward to the pictures when the camera is charged.

You tried ebay for them? Chinese ebay sellers will often large amounts of rings like that for cheap bulk prices.

[Archie]

I'm with Carlos, I'd be interested to see how that looks.

[Connectamabob]

Right! Back with pics. Stuff from my current workbench rather than finished stuff, as that's all packed away right now (been kind of inactive last couple years), but I hope it helps all the same:

A showcase-y example:

Here I was playing with multiple depths a bit. I sculpted a recessed stream bed which will be filled with acrylic water, and the ground slopes very slightly so that one side extends above the rim. This ring was apparently cut from a flawed piece of stone, so it has an uneven width (you can see a bit of wavering in it's surface profile under the lower right side in the pic, though this does not effect it's stability). I used this to enhance the groundwork a little by sculpting the stream bed outlet at the low point and the direction of ground slope at the high point.

Small group shot:

Space marine on the left was my very first proof-of-concept test, which is why the tab is just straight-up imbedded in the epoxy glue. That way is not nearly as controllable as pegging the mini to the base after it's been sculpted, so I don't do that unless the figure has a really complicated footprint that I'd have to integrate with the groundwork (like the guy on the far right). The stone disc on the far left is a pendant which will become a larger scenic base for a display-only figure.

Close up of tab converted to pegs for mounting:

The figure pictured is resin, but the same technique works for metal.

[carlos13th]

Looks very nice mate.