RE: [FT] Basing Fighters

On Tue, 9 Mar 1999 devans@uneb.edu wrote:

> On my 'to do' list is to try and make fighter stands
> with fighters attached, but on small columns, and try
> black 'caps' to slip on top of the columns as each
> fighter dies. The plan is to make my own fighters, put
> them on counter/bases, then mold the lot out of resin.
> Don't run molding myself, but I've a friend with a bit
> of experience.

Well, having a bit of experience in the moldmaking & casting department
myself, I can see a ouple of major stumbling blocks to this idea:

1) Unless the columns are fairly thick, resin won't stand up to the
handling a
   fighter group gets during a game - the 'columns' will snap off
   (guaranteed).  Resin is *brittle*.
2) There is no way of making a gravity drop mold that is simple enough
for the
   home caster that will result in a one piece fighter+stand - there are
far
   too many undercuts and uncastable areas involved.  The only way of  
   constructing such a mold is to make a 4-part "core" mold, and 4-part
molds
   are best left to the pros.

> With everything but the fighters and a center measuring
> point painted black, the caps should just make the
> fighters disappear.

You might take a look on how I've been basing my fighter groups - the
folks
I've shown them to in person have all given me "oohs & ahhs" over them.
:)
Here's a pic that hows how they look.

    http://www.sfcmd.com/fullthrust/minis/K'rathri%20Fleet%2001.jpg

Here's how I make them:

Materials:
  Battletech hex base
  1&1/4" flat fender washer
  length of 3/64" brass rod
  
Tools:
  #56 drill bit + pin vise (or Dremel :)
  flat needle file
  diagonal cutting pliers (flush cut preferred)
  ruler
  superglue
  flat black primer (spray)
  flat black primer (brush)
  spray figure primer (black/gray/white - whatever you prefer)
  spray sealer (gloss/flat - whatever you prefer)

Steps:
1) Cut brass rod into 6 lengths - three at 1" and three at 1&1/4".
2) File both ends of each rod segment flat with needle file.
3) Clean flash from battletech base.
4) Measure the center points of each of the sides of the hex base along
the
   inner "lip".
5) Draw lines from center points on opposite sides of the base through
the 
   center of the base.	(Basically, you've drawn lines from side to side
   instead of from corner to corner.)
6) On 5 of the lines, mark a spot on the line 1/8" in from the edge of
the
   inner lip of the base.  Drill holes at the spots marked.  
7) The front of the base is middle hole of the arc formed by the 5 holes
just
   drilled.  Measure from the center (marked by the lines) towards the
front
   by 1/16" and mark a spot.  Drill your sixth hole.
8) Glue the base onto the washer.  The corners of the base will overhang
the
   washer by a little, so file off the corners so they are flush with
the
   washer.
9) Prime the base flat black.  Clean the paint back out of the mounting
holes
   with your drill bit.
10) Glue your fighters onto the ends of the brass rods.  Prime them (I
use  
    gray), making sure that the opposite ends of the rods are kept free
of
    paint.
11) Paint your fighters.
12) Paint the rods the fighters are attached to flat black, leaving the
last
    1/8" unpainted.
13) Glue the three 1" high fighters to the front three holes of the
base.
14) Glue the three 1&1/4" high fighters to the back-sides and center
holes of
    the base.
15) Touch up the bottom of the rods with flat black.
16) Seal the completed stand with your favorite matt/gloss coat.

It writes more complicated than it really is. :)

===================================================================
Mark "Hauptmann" Shurtleff
  email: hauptman@sfcmd.com -or- hauptman@concentric.net
       The Gear Locker:  http://www.sfcmd.com/HeavyGear/
	   Full Thrust:  http://www.sfcmd.com/fullthrust/

 Finagle's Law:
   The perversity of the Universe tends towards the maximum.
===================================================================