This tutorial was originally written by me for the WAMP forum.
Display
bases can greatly enhance the appeal of your miniature. They are sold
in both wood and resin, and can be painted or varnished in whatever
fashion you like. Unfortunately
most of these bases are quite expensive. Here I present a solution for
creating cheap display bases, out of plaster, that need to be painted.
For this method you will need:
– mold for creating bon-bons (or mini muffins). You can use these many times.
– modelling plaster
– spatula
Step 1:
Create
yourself a good working area. Try to use a table that is horizontally
level. Place your mold(s) on some waste paper/plastic, because it gets a
little messy.
Because I need only few bases I cut the mold in smaller parts. It also increases workability.
Step 2:
Deposit
the modelling plaster in the water as indicated on the package. My
instructions tell me to add 2 parts plaster to 1 part water.
Leave this unmixed for about two minutes, then mix it to a creamy mass.
Step 3:
After mixing, pour the plaster into the mold. You can do this in two ways (see pic):
– Pour over the brim of the mold (on the left in the picture)
– Pour to any desired height in the mold
Step 4:
Wait
for about 10-15 minutes. After that use a spatula to remove the excess
plaster from the mold. When you do this, you will get an even bottom to
the base. The plaster should still be liquid at this stage. If not
(probably because you live in a warmer country than me), do this step
earlier after pouring.
Step 5:
Wait
until the plaster has hardened. It doesn’t really matter how long you
wait for this step, better to wait longer than shorter.
Remove the cast bases from the mold.
In
the picture you see the bases I casted, they have not been sanded. They
are 4 cm bases. I also put a GW base of 25 mm for comparison.
Step 6:
Finish the bases by sanding them (if you use a clean mold this is not necessary), then paint it in any colour you like.
TIPS:
1) If you use mold that are glossy the cast will be cleaner
2) For mixing the plaster use cold water that has been previously cooked (to diminish bubbles)
3)
Before
painting or priming, cover the base in diluted PVA glue. This prevents
the plaster from sucking in the water from the paint or primer, and
makes sure that the paint will stay on better.
Make sure that the diluted glue is completely dry before
painting/spraying.
4) If you don’t like using plaster you can also use these molds for pouring resin bases.
5) If you want to use the molds for cooking also, clean them before using 😉
That’s
it. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this
tutorial. I think the bon-bon molds prove themself very useful. They are
available in many sizes and shapes. Now you can even make heart-shaped
bases 🙂
