Fixing models to bases

[Guest]

Now this can apply to many diferent sorts of models. but of this example i will use an aeroplane.

What happens if you want to put your recently finished model onto a permentant base.

...what happens when the wife moves the base to dust the shelf and dosnt realise the model is not attatched....!!

here is an easy way to attatch your models to permenant bases.

use a pin vice and drill a tiny hole in the bottom of the wheels (the width of a paper clips wire-ish. cut a small lenth (say 10mm) off a paperclip and superglue it into the hole with a reasonable amount sticking out (say half).

then drill another set of holes in the position the wheels will be on the base.

sit the model on the base and super-glue the wires into there holes.

hey-presto!

...hope that makes sense!

[Guest]

Howdy RJ,

"...what happens when the wife moves the base to dust the shelf and dosnt realise the model is not attatched....!!"

Thats when I got divorced and went in search of a new wife.

Have a good day,

Greg

ps: I used to think I married miss Right, I just didnt know her first name was "Always".

[Guest]

Hi RJ,

Also reminds me of the time when I came home from school one day as a Kid and my mum said, "oh by the way your Spitfire on the shelf has crashed", when I asked what she meant....It had been sent flying by her feather duster when cleaning my room...!!!!

Regards.....Mark.

[Guest]

I use exactly the same procedure with epoxy to fit figures to model boats.

Can't be doing with loosing them overboard!!

By the way mothers and wives have always left cleaning my models to me which I am more than happy to do!!

[wonwinglo]

Have been using something similar to this for increased undercarriage strength,as we know undercarriage legs are very weak on most models,sometimes I file a slot into the leg with a Swiss file and embed fine wire into the slot,this is not possible on all undercarriages but the wire will give a lot more rigidity to some weak undercarriages that snap off at the slightest move.

I think it is about time that kit manufacturers included white metal propellers, and undercarriages into aircraft kits instead of the thin plastic examples we get,no doubt this is all down to costs and left to the aftermarket manufacturers,and in todays economic kit climate I doubt whether it will happen ?

The 1=72nd scale Airfix Concorde by the way has piano wire inserts to beef up the legs,very commendable.

Picking up a model that is mounted onto a base,by the model itself even with pinned undercarriage,does place a lot of strain on the model,so try and educate the dusting fraternity to pick up these models by the base !

[Guest]

lol barry i did not think of that!!!

you are right about props and landing gear.one day...maybe we can hope!

[Guest]

Base material for 4mm white metal figures.

What material used for standing 4mm figures?

[wonwinglo]

Buy a roll of florists wire,or you can buy bundles,use a pin vice to drill the tiny hole,insert the wire,flood with thin cyno,snip off the length you want,drill the baseboard and with medium cyno glue to your base,hey presto,job done

What material used for standing 4mm figures?

[Guest]

I use some thing like this for my tanks, if you buy a model kit and you find they have something on for towing the tank (or truck) out of mud or to be repaired! i go to my local hobby shop (i know the owner very well! he will give me kits for free or very cheap!) I take the tow huck and gule it to the underside of the tank, drill a hole in the base and blue tack some bent paper clips to the underside of the base and then huck and twist the clips onto the tank, then put some tack on the tracks and then but the tank on the shelf and put a strong see thought box on top! and oneday the shelf broke and the tank was undamaged!!!! it works great! i will try the thing on some planes i am planing to buy! thanks

[Guest]

I always have a few reels of domestic cable hanging around and I strip the sheathing and use the copper cores for all sorts of things including making the pins to locate models to thier bases.

[Guest]

Thanks for that. This may seem a bit far out, but I once saw a guy at an IPMS meet a few years back who would fill the hollow wheel halves with iron powder (heavens knows where he got it). He would then put very small but very powerful magnets on the board, spaced just right for the wheels, before he detailed the board. You could hold his display board upside down and the model wouldn't come off! But he could still remove it if he wished, for cleaning, or if he wanted to use the display board for something else.