In the Beginning... Part IV

4. Basing – This post is about “flocking” your figures’ bases prior to priming.

Bwana Bill introduced me to a Pumice basing material similar to this. Although the brand I use is different, the effect is much the same – a grainy, gritty putty-like substance that hardens and effectively brings the level of your actual base up to the level of the figures’ base.

I use a sharpened stick to spread the pumice putty around on the figures’ base, attempting to even it out nicely; however, I don’t attempt to make it flat or smooth, to better emulate actual ground.

If you want a tile base or a “stone floor” base, there are several alternatives available. You can use “green stuff”, which allows for ultimate flexibility. I use scraps of green stuff to make larger rocks for bases. You can model tile or stone floors, or simply smooth surfaces. If you have particularly thick figure bases, you can use green stuff to even up the base (bring the level of the base surface up to the level of the figures’ base).

Other alternatives are molded plastic sheets that provide the appearance of tiled, stone, wooden, or metal surfaces. In fact, a search at your local train hobby store will likely provide you with a wealth of ideas that won’t severely impact your budget, and are not too difficult to implement!

Once the basing is completed, I let everything dry. Drying includes glue for figures and any “stuff” used on the bases for texture. The pumice requires approximately12-24hrs to dry fully, though it can be carved or sanded after it has dried.

Some more info on the use of the pumice paste in particular, and basing in general:

What if, as happened to me, you already have an army all primed and based – with no choice in flock on the base, and you just discovered the pumice paste, or some similar basing material.

If you are ready to apply your paint, you can also choose a primary paint color for your basing material and mix the paint directly into the paste. Upon drying, it will be the base color you selected!!! The pumice paste absorbs color nicely and in my experience, there is no detriment to the consistency after it dries.

Other basing alternatives include various types of green, yellow, brown, or sand “flock” that can be easily applied after the figure is painted. I don’t recommend applying any flocking on the base until after the figure is fully painted, due to the chance that paint or ink will drip or run onto your flock, requiring the addition of more flock to correct the problem!

After drying comes priming, which is a whole different topic!