Removing integral bases

[leigen_zero]

Hi there, first post on the forum (lurked on and off for a while though), but I thought I'd ask around here for some advice from all the seasoned 10mm modelers.

A while back I bought a bunch of the ratmen miniatures for a hordes of the things army.  These all come with what appears to be a cast-on base that's between 1-1.5mm thick on the bottom.

Combined with the 2mm thickness of mdf that I'm using for the bases it adds a significant amount of height to the minis, I don't want the bases to look ridiculously chunky, so I'm wondering how you guys remove the excess material from the bottoms? (note, I don't have access to any power tools)

I guess I could sit there with a file and a razor saw, but I might end up going insane towards the end.

Thanks

[toxicpixie]

Belt sander maybe, if you have access - otherwise perhaps a careful Dremel? Hand filing the base is likely to be a very long winded job...

[Subedai]

Wotcha from Kent and welcome to the forum!

I suppose you could get what used to be called an eight inch bastard file, secure it to a workbench or similar and file the bases as well as the tops of your fingers off or...I fear insanaity beckons unless you can beg, borrow or steal a power sander or better yet a variable speed Dremel.

Where are you by the way?

Bu**er, tp got in first but I'm not changing anything.

[Wulf]

I had this issue with some little miniature ships - as I was using wooden bases, I dremelled troughs in the bases instead!

[FierceKitty]

That's thinking.

[toxicpixie]

Now that's an idea! Careful with the MDF "fumes" though, you don't want to be breathing that in...

[Matt J]

glue them to the base and build up the sand and flock. I never file any bases

[Subedai]

Another option springs to mind, a variation of what Wulf said.

Using cereal packet card, mark around and then cut out the shape of the base. Glue the cereal card to 2mm -as opposed to 3mm- pre cut MDF bases, glue figures into holes and disguise the base that way. I can't really take the credit, Bob O'Brien used it on his Airfix Huns back in the early 70's.

...or...

go with Matt's idea, even simpler.

[leigen_zero]

@Subedai - I'm from South Wales.

Thanks for the ideas guys, I think I'm going to experiment with putting holes partway into the MDF and fixing the minis into those after painting, then disguising the gaps with filler and basing materials. I originally thought about just building up the bases with filler, but it always ends up looking like my minis are carrying a portable hillock wherever they go (done well it wouldn't look like that, but I can't pull it off lol).

Once I get something done I'll upload the results so you can all see how it turned out

[FierceKitty]

Airfix Huns? What did they start life as?

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Huns - almost certainly Red Indians (I know not PC....)

But more bloody Welshmen - ohhh know 

Welcome

IanS

[Norm]

I would use artist board, its just over 1 mm thick,. mount rats on that and then use texture paste to build the whole base up - it should blend in OK with the 2mm bases.

[Subedai]

Airfix Huns? What did they start life as?

Everybody's favourite convertible Airfix cavalry...the ACW sets. I remember going to a Present Arms in Southend in 197? and seeing them. His (Bob O'Brien, that is) standards looked really good so I had a closer look -he was using printed football club logo's! Manchester City is the only one I remember for definite. Nice man who always had time for a chat about how he did things. He was one of the original WRG Triumvirate and wrote a number of conversion articles for Airfix Mag.

[fsn]

Welcome Mr Zero.

[Techno]

Welcome from me, too, LZ. 
(From SW Wales.)
Cheers - Phil