Re: [GZG] Carrying around figures

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For ships: 

Eggshell material is the best, and some figure boxes use it. But the
absolute best is
mounting the ships right the first time! Dispense with the supplies
plastic bases (aaargh)
and go and get some round metal bases (white metal is ideal). Then drill
them with a
dremel and install square brass tubing. Someone here must have some
links to some pix of
the technique. 

Essentially, you get two sets of brass tubing that barely fit within one
another. One
smaller, one larger. The square tubing is better because once mounted on
the base, the
figure does not spin (which it often will on round tubing shafts). You
cut about 1 1/4"
length for the shaft from the larger tubing, and mount it into the round
white metal or
steel base with some plastic metal or epoxy or the like. 

You cut a shorter chunk of the larger tubing (say about 1/4") and that
part is attached to
the ship. Now where does the smaller tubing come in? A short length of
it is either
attached to the stand by gluing it inside the larger tubing or doing the
same on the ship
side. Just be consistent. 



I tried your system about 4 years ago (the round brass tubes) for my
1/300 scale aircraft

and I rejected it due to too many problems.

-The brass tube is not that easy to cut. I used a special brass tube
cutter which

worked like a pipe cutter but still the tube would get slightly
deformed. You have

to ream out the larger brass tube and clean (dremel tool sander) the end
of the

smaller tube to get a proper fit.

- The brass tube is difficult to attach to the ship. You have to drill
out a space

that's bigger then the brass tube or drill into the model and anchor a
wire in the

model and into the brass tube. The tubes are not that small,  the
smaller tubes

are about half the size of of a GZG fighter.

-When finished you now have a model with a brass tube sticking out of
it's

bottom which will be difficult to store when not in it's stand.



I did about a dozen aircraft and stands when I rejected the system. I
now use

plastic stand and plastic/metal rods and mount the stands on massonite
bases.

It's simpiler and much easier to mount and very easy to repair ships
(the ocasional

drop off of the table is to be accepted). On larger ships I use multiple
stands and

larger massonite bases.