Here are some magnetic paint handles I recently made. Rather than just glue a magnet to a cork, I designed a holder in Fusion 360. The idea is that this larger, flat surface offers a more stable attachment with the base than a bare magnet atop a cork. The magnet is only 0.5mm below the surface of the holder, creating a strong connection.

The square base shown in the photo is what I call a “reference base.” I use it to orient the polarity of the holder’s magnet. I simply place it below the resin part while I glue the magnet in place. Every magnet I’ve used in the hobby has been oriented using that same square base, guaranteeing that I’ve always used the same polarity.

I used a 10x2mm magnet in the holder. I often use a 8x2mm magnet in my bases.

Necromunda Bases

I'm starting to build a Goliath gang from Necromunda. The industrial bases that come with the kit are really nice. I decided to magnetize these bases in case I'd like to store/display them in a special manner down the road.

I chose a subdued color palette. Here I airbrushed a light grey over black, painted small scratches and rust marks with German camo black/brown, then stippled with a very watered-down mixture of turquoise, and later purple. Once dry, I used enamel washes to create the rust and the darker shadows.

Fun one-day project.

Cork Bases

I really do love making bases. It’s a fun little vignette for your figures and you can choose to take as much artistic license as you’d like. You can do so much more than just applying globs of glue and sand.

Here is one of my favorite techniques that looks great yet is easy enough for army building. I start with a ⅛-inch thick sheet of cork from a craft store. Next, I simply tear off bits with my fingers or a tweezer and then attach them to my base. I personally like to use several small pieces for each base and then fill the cracks and crevices with sand and small stones. The end result is a base reminiscent of a scarred landscape like the desert. The best part is that the base is entirely level on top making attachment of the figure absolutely trivial. I tend to pin the model to the base but a dollop of a strong adhesive like epoxy will work, too.

Shown above are a set of bases for my Ork army. I chose muted colors to ensure the model on top will be the central focus. I painted the entire surface Olive Skin from Reaper, followed by Blacked-Brown along on the sides of the cork. I later applied a brown ink wash and drybrushed with Terran Khaki and Yellowed Bone. I stippled a bit of Palomino Gold in there, too, but the effect is somewhat lost under the drybrushing. The edge of the base is Olive Drab.

Filling Hollow Bases

I hate hollow bases on miniatures. Honestly, it's a really silly thing to care about. I guess a hollow base just strikes me as cheap and unfinished. From a more practical perspective, however, consider that a filled base provides a stronger foundation when attaching the model via a pin. Since I almost always pin my models, I've gotten into a habit of also filling each and every base.

I've developed a few tricks over the years to accelerate the process, although it's still pretty time consuming. It usually takes about 2 hours from start to finish to complete a batch of 10 to 20 bases. The big time sink is waiting for things to dry. Here's how I recently completed a pile of bases for the game Heavy Gear Blitz! from Dream Pod 9.

I start by covering the slot on the base with masking tape. This reduces the mess in subsequent steps.

Next, I attach the bases to a sheet of paper or cardboard with rolled-up masking tape. With bases facing bottom-side up, I schmear wet plaster onto the bases using a putty knife. After drying 15 minutes in the oven at 200F, I apply a second coat of plaster and repeat the drying.

At this point, there's a good amount of excess dried plaster attached to the sides of the base. I scrape away the excess with a hobby knife and sand the bases flat using sandpaper attached to a flat surface. 220 grit sandpaper works well and removes the plaster very quickly. I wipe away the dust with a towel moistened in isopropyl alcohol (it's fast drying) and re-attach the bases to the sheet of paper with rolled-up masking tape.

I apply a few drops of cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to each base and spread the glue using a piece of scrap sprue bent at a right angle. I do this to ensure that the plaster will not break away from the base. After another 10 min trip to the oven to dry at 200F, I flatten the bases once again with sandpaper (usually something fine like 400 grit), wipe away the dust with alcohol, and call it a day.

Update: 28-Oct-2014

I made a few bases recently using this technique and experienced a problem. After building a miniature and attaching it to the base, I used a hot glue gun to attach the base to a wine bottle cork. Like many hobbyists, I prefer to use a cork as a handle while painting. After all my painting was complete, I tried to pop the base from the cork and I experience a small disaster. Much of the plaster broke free from the base and remained attached to the cork. I suppose it wasn't the end of the world, but it was most definitely a pain to refill the base and sand away plaster now that the model was painted.

Usually hot glue is an acceptable temporary bond. With a gentle twist, the model has previously popped right off of the cork without incident. I believe it failed this time because the bottom of the base was a bit porous. A close inspection of the base suggested that I didn't spread much CA glue across the bottom.

Next time I plan to do a few things different:

Avoid overfilling each base with plaster and instead apply a heavy coat of CA glue.

After the CA glue has cured and the base is sanded smooth, coat the bottom with a gloss sealer.

When attaching the base to the cork, give the hot glue a bit of time to cool and thereby create a weaker bond.

If this experience sounds like a real turn-off for you, the other alternative is to use an epoxy putty rather than plaster and skip the whole CA glue step. I used to do this prior to my switch to plaster but I found it was costly in terms of the amount of epoxy putty I used.

Good luck!