Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Non-Pendraken Stuff => Topic started by: fsn on 30 January 2018, 08:03:51 AM

Title: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: fsn on 30 January 2018, 08:03:51 AM
Gentlemen.

I need to draw upon your collective intelligence - yes, I'm that desperate.

Lately I've been painting a lot of little aerplance from Tumbling Dice. I drill a hole in the areroplane, insert a length of florists wire, drill a hole in a small lego brick and attach.

The small lego brick can then be added with others onto lego plates to form flight bases of up to 6 aircraft. I use the spare pegs on the base for indicators of height and speed using other lego bricks.

Here's my problem. The bases look a bit nobbily. I'd like to cover them a bit, but retain the ability to add and remove bricks as required.

I was pondering covering each base with a thin material which will allow access to the pegs yet retain a modicum af aesthetics. I have tried cotton wool for a cloud effect which works, but everybody is flying over a cloud.

Any suggestions? 
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: paulr on 30 January 2018, 08:08:45 AM
perhaps dye the cotton wool blue / green / brown to match your base cloth :-\
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 30 January 2018, 08:53:21 AM
Lego flats!
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: toxicpixie on 30 January 2018, 09:14:57 AM
Could you cut a piece of card with gaps for the wires, then slip it over the top of the base like a "hat"? If you need to add pegs on the back for status effects you can then take it off or use a smaller piece that doesn't cover the back?
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: petercooman on 30 January 2018, 09:40:09 AM
Quote from: mad lemmey on 30 January 2018, 08:53:21 AM
Lego flats!

This!
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Westmarcher on 30 January 2018, 09:49:53 AM
Lego bricks? Nothing helpful to add. Just be very careful!

Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 30 January 2018, 09:50:44 AM
Well - nice idea if you need to indicate altitude. I use a card base, with a piece of paperclip glued and fillered to it. To that add half a cotton bud tube (the bud makes a shell splash for naval games), with a piece of paper clip drilled and glued into the aircraft. WRANING - this wont work with the H&R B52.....
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Westmarcher on 30 January 2018, 10:22:38 AM
Ditch the lego. Use magnets or magnetic tape/paper to magnetise your bases & 'steel paper' for movement trays. Cut the steel paper to your required shape and paint it your desired colour (e.g., blue for sea, sand for desert, green for jungle, etc.). Stiffen bases with card if necessary. Magnetic Displays sell both plus plastic bases with tubes. Might also be ale to incorporate some of Ian's ideas using cotton buds, etc. See this link.

http://www.magneticdisplays.co.uk/accessories/basing/2%20-%20Plastic-base-20-25 (http://www.magneticdisplays.co.uk/accessories/basing/2%20-%20Plastic-base-20-25)

Lego is vicious. Ask Thor.  ;D

Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: O Dinas Powys on 30 January 2018, 10:23:27 AM
Glue 2x1 (or whatever is most useful size for your purpose) Lego plates onto an mdf base and fill/sculpt terrain around them?
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: toxicpixie on 30 January 2018, 10:27:49 AM
Westmarcher, I get the impression you were badly scared by lego at some point in your childhood!

It's ok, it's safe now, it's all in the storage boxes... I hope...
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Westmarcher on 30 January 2018, 10:38:42 AM
 ;D ;D

Just a healthy respect, Nathan! :P

Off to see the psychiatrist now ....
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: toxicpixie on 30 January 2018, 10:48:19 AM
Oooo, if they prescribe anything interesting do share ;)

Makes the "knee deep in Lego and Num-Noms" aesthetic of my wee one inhabited front room much more bearable ;)

FSN, just to come back on track, flat blanking plates in applicable colours sounds good - I'm probably preaching to the choir but you can buy cheap sets of not-Lego in the bricks required (or even actual Lego) from a variety of places on t'internet...
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: fred. on 30 January 2018, 12:33:32 PM
Quote from: O Dinas Powys on 30 January 2018, 10:23:27 AM
Glue 2x1 (or whatever is most useful size for your purpose) Lego plates onto an mdf base and fill/sculpt terrain around them?

I like this idea
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: GrumpyOldMan on 30 January 2018, 06:33:50 PM
Hello

How about a printed aerial view glued to an MDF base with a transparent Lego base plate glued on top?

(http://taphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/image-for-AerialPhotography.jpg)

(https://img.brickowl.com/files/image_cache/larger/lego-transparent-baseplate-16-x-16-57916-2-224143-97.jpg)

You could even use the satellite image from Google maps and have them fighting over you house.  ;D ;D

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: petercooman on 30 January 2018, 06:42:58 PM
Quote from: GrumpyOldMan on 30 January 2018, 06:33:50 PM


You could even use the satellite image from Google maps and have them fighting over you house.  ;D ;D

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

i'm pretty sure there is a no-fly-zone over his house....
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: fsn on 30 January 2018, 07:46:23 PM
I like the clear bases idea.

One of the reasons I picked Lego is because I walk past the shop every day. It's on my way to work from the car park, I'm not weird or anything. Technically I suppose I should walk past it twice a day, but sometimes I go back to the car on a different route.

My house is in Runcorn. It is always blanketed in what is euphemistically called "low cloud".


Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: GrumpyOldMan on 31 January 2018, 01:04:48 AM
Here you are, beautiful down-town Runcorn on one of  its clear days  :)

Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: industrialtrousers on 01 February 2018, 06:50:19 AM
You could make a small mold of the wobbly bit and then make monthly bit 'covers' for them.
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Techno on 01 February 2018, 06:57:02 AM
As that was your first post...
Welcome to the forum, IT. :-h

Cheers - Phil
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: paulr on 01 February 2018, 07:52:53 AM
Welcome Mr Trousers :-h
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: fsn on 01 February 2018, 07:56:07 AM
Indeed, welcome Mr Trousers, and thank you for the suggestion. I hope you have a long and fruitful membership, and dive in regularly.


One of the things I like about this bunch of gamers, modlellers, oddballs and other ne'er do wells is the breadth of their experience and their exquisite creativity. You can post a question about Polynesian warriors and someone will pretty soon come back with a sensible answer. There are some very dedicated chaps out there whose work is truly breathtaking. There are chaps who exhaust me when I read about the regime they have for basing figures (yes Westmarcher, I'm looking at you) and although I may aspire to their levels , I recognise that I am basically too lazy and unskilled to compete.

There's a wealth of knowledge, experience and support available on this forum, and it is the friendliest place on the web.

I'm sorry. I'm getting a bit emotional.
  :'( :'( :'(



 
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Lord Kermit of Birkenhead on 01 February 2018, 08:37:35 AM
Moaning
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: sunjester on 01 February 2018, 08:50:50 AM
Quote from: fsn on 01 February 2018, 07:56:07 AM
Indeed, welcome Mr Trousers, and thank you for the suggestion. I hope you have a long and fruitful membership, and dive in regularly.


One of the things I like about this bunch of gamers, modlellers, oddballs and other ne'er do wells is the breadth of their experience and their exquisite creativity. You can post a question about Polynesian warriors and someone will pretty soon come back with a sensible answer. There are some very dedicated chaps out there whose work is truly breathtaking. There are chaps who exhaust me when I read about the regime they have for basing figures (yes Westmarcher, I'm looking at you) and although I may aspire to their levels , I recognise that I am basically too lazy and unskilled to compete.

There's a wealth of knowledge, experience and support available on this forum, and it is the friendliest place on the web.

I'm sorry. I'm getting a bit emotional.
  :'( :'( :'(



 

There are also some absolute nutters........albeit very friendly ones! ;D

Welcome Senor Trousers.
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Ace of Spades on 01 February 2018, 09:25:44 AM
Howdy Mr Trousers <)

Rob
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: Orcs on 01 February 2018, 03:14:51 PM
Welcome Mr Trousers,  Perhaps our colonial cousins from over the pond will call you Mr Pants, but I would ignore them if I were you, after all they are just a bunch of rebels
Title: Re: Help wanted - Lego bases
Post by: industrialtrousers on 02 February 2018, 03:54:47 AM
Cheers all,
I'm over on the Specialist Arms Forum most often as I only collect and occasionally play Warmaster fantasy.