how do you base buildings?

[Parrot]

I finished a few 28mm buildings, and decided that instead of just the building, I would like to put it on a base and do a little decorating outside with a few bushes and such.  But now I can't figure out what to use for a base.  I am looking for something thin and sturdy as I don't want it to look to thick when it is sitting on a table.  My first thought is MDF, but I do t know where or how to get it or how much it costs, so I am open to options.  Looking for something now in the 7x9 inch range or so.  Thank you!

[has.been]

Most D.I.Y. shops will sell 3mm & 5mm MDF. If you have a jig-saw cutting out irregular shapes for bases should not be a problem. My advise would be to cut a section of the main sheet away using a steel rule & Stanley knife, then (after clamping it in place) use the jig-saw. Bevel the edges with a course file and finish it off with sand paper.
If you want your buildings to fit along side each other work out a standard curve (something like a slightly flattened 'S' ).

Option 1). Visit charity shops/ car boot sales and purchase place mats & cup mats. It does not matter that the set is incomplete or has a naff design, as you are going to cover it with your buildings & clutter.

Option 2). Seek out companies that make MDF bases, such as Warbases. If their largest irregular bases are not big enough for you ask if they will make some to your required dimensions.

[vodkafan]

Good suggestions above. I can add a couple.
Look in Poundland for cheap thin clipboards and children's chalk boards. These are usually A4 or A5 size.
Raid skips if anybody is throwing out bedroom furniture or kitchen/bathroom units. The bases of modern draws are hardboard and quite useful square sizes

[dbsubashi]

Styrene is a good choice. It is easy to cut (just score it with a knife and snap it), sands well, easy to bevel, easy to key it (rough up the surface to enhance gluing), and take paint well. I use it almost exclusively, as I can work it with just a knife, ruler and glue. And it is perfect for styrene buildings, such as those GW, Renedra or the Perry Bros make, as gluing styrene to styrene with styrene glue makes an almost unbreakable bond. You can buy it in almost any thickness; obviously the thicker it is the sturdier it is, but even at 5"x7" 1mm should suit you. It is expensive however. A couple of 10"x18" sheets will set you back about $12. You can even buy it in black, meaning if the paint scrapes off it is still black and not that jarring white. You do get more sheets in a pack if it is thin for the same price however. Another choice of supply is signage, the kind that says "Open", "Closed" or "No Parking". You can find these in office supply shops. They are a bit cheaper. The plastic is not as sturdy, but for our usages it will do the job. It usually comes about 3mm, or is quite thin. Another source is signage from shops or fast food restaurants. They get it from their corporate masters, and throw it out when a new sale comes along or the menu changes. If you ask about the old sinage, they are usually happy to donate it, as it is going in the skip otherwise.

[Ockman]

I base my 15mm buildings on 2mm plasticard. I score and snap suitable large pieces of plasticard, then cut away sharp edges and bevel the sides before sanding and painting:

[zemjw]

Another vote for plasticard.

What I usually do, however, is laminate thin plasticard with thin corrugated card.

It keeps the cost down (you can use 0.25mm or 0.5mm plasticard), but prevents any warping from basing materials, as the cardboard is never touched.

I cut out the shape I want from the cardboard, then use it as a template for the plasticard. I join them together using double sided sticky tape, then use artist masking tape around the edge to tidy things up. The edges can look slightly ragged, but I quite like the look, and most of it gets covered with filler anyway.

[Major_Gilbear]

Yep, I use 2mm plasticard too - easy enough to buy in big sheets for a reasonable price too. Although it comes in many colours, I find that black is usually the best for anything other than a snow/ice table, as any tiny scuffs or chips that the terrain may get show up much less if there's a dark colour underneath the paint/flock/sand.

As an aside, two more things you may want to consider:

1) If you have a building, which is open underneath, consider making an "O" base rather than a solid base. If the table is a bit uneven, this can help the building to sit flat a bit better.

2) Consider using some thin self-adhesive velour on the bottom of the terrain bases. Again, this helps the terrain sit flat, but it also helps to stop the terrain from moving if you nudge it accidentally during play. For terrain that's low or that you play around, it's less of an issue, but for terrain that's tall or that that you put models on (like the roof of a building, or a bridge), it helps a lot.

[shadowbeast]

I often use MDF placemats from discount chains, Spotlight, or Bunnings. Often 3mm thick, they can actually hold more than one building at once, such as a house, shed, and outhouse; or perhaps a shop, with toilet, storeroom and parking space. Smaller structures can be based on anything that comes to hand, from CDs to offcuts from larger building kits. Most commonly they are on MDF coasters, but I actually have two of such small footprint they are on large plastic figure bases.

[SotF]

I've done rather well with some of the nicer thin plywood. It cuts and sands rather easily and I've not had trouble with warping unless I do something really stupid.

[dampfpanzerwagon]

I base my terrain on ex-advertising plastic card. In the main I pick it up for free from DIY and retail contacts who are only too happy to donate it to a good cause.

I prefer the 3mm thick soft plastic card - the sort that you can indent with your finger nail. I then cut it into rough oval shapes and chamfer the edges by trimming with a knife and sanding smooth. The groundwork is built up with DAS modelling clay over dilute uPVA glue.

http://www.orcsinthewebbe.co.uk/index.php/supported-games/flintloque/terrain

I hope that this helps.

Tony

[Hawkeye]

Another vote for plasticard/sheet styrene here. I will often go as thick as 1mm, as it is, of course, much sturdier than .5mm. Typically I will use greenstuff to fill in the join between the plasticard and the building on top of it. Not strictly necessary, of course, but for my Old West buildings, where it's easy to imagine sand and earth being blown up against the bottom of a building, a small amount of green stuff (really, just a very thin roll or sausage of it) approximates this well, and can also be used to create some ground texture, so that the exposed parts of the base are not too flat. Add scrub and greenery as you see fit, and hey presto.