twjolson Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 For those of us that are new; how do you quickly and easily remove the premade, pretextured bases without hurting the mini? Without spending a fortune on tools, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankthedm Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 For those of us that are new; how do you quickly and easily remove the premade, pretextured bases without hurting the mini? Without spending a fortune on tools, of course. wirecutters work reasonably well to get close to the feet, [flat edge cuttters are better], then file down the rest of the extra material close to the feet. Rotary tools make things quicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Cut it off with a jeweler's saw. If you lubricate the blade with chapstick, it won't break as easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coogle Posted December 5, 2004 Share Posted December 5, 2004 Yeah Jewelers saw for the most precision. Rotary if it's chunky and won't mind a bit of abuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dargrin Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 I am curious what are you looking to do with the figs without bases? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchantra Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 I take a good pair of sharp clippers/wire cutters, and clip as close to the feet/clothing as possible and then either file the rest down or take my dremel to it to get the desired effect. I've also used a razor saw to take off large chunks of the base before taking my dremel to it in order to grind the rest down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twjolson Posted December 6, 2004 Author Share Posted December 6, 2004 I am curious what are you looking to do with the figs without bases? Diaramas, I'm planning one with Treebeard and another with a mushroom grove (it's not for me, honest, it's for my woman!!). The Treebeard one is no problem since all the bases are seperate. But the mushroom one uses all Reaper mini's with attached textured bases that are going to be a pain in the a.. to get rid of; especially for somoen that's never done it before. If I can't get them off, without hurting the mini, then I'll just have to sink them into the clay and meld them together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatsu Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Cut it off with a jeweler's saw. If you lubricate the blade with chapstick, it won't break as easily. Learn something new everyday on these forums. What does the chapstick actually do for the blade to keep it from breaking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstar Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Cut it off with a jeweler's saw. If you lubricate the blade with chapstick, it won't break as easily. Learn something new everyday on these forums. What does the chapstick actually do for the blade to keep it from breaking? It prevents the teeth from sticking. Instead of sticking, they slide over and through the metal. If you feel like it, you can adopt this technique when pinning minis as well. If you lubricate your drill bit by drilling into a bit of chapstick first, then drilling your pin holes...you have less of a chance of your bit breaking. This also works with Dremel tools and the rotary sawblades. The more lubricated the tool, the less friction when using it, the less of a chance of the tool breaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vejlin Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Cut it off with a jeweler's saw. If you lubricate the blade with chapstick, it won't break as easily. Learn something new everyday on these forums. What does the chapstick actually do for the blade to keep it from breaking? It prevents the teeth from sticking. Instead of sticking, they slide over and through the metal. If you feel like it, you can adopt this technique when pinning minis as well. If you lubricate your drill bit by drilling into a bit of chapstick first, then drilling your pin holes...you have less of a chance of your bit breaking. This also works with Dremel tools and the rotary sawblades. The more lubricated the tool, the less friction when using it, the less of a chance of the tool breaking. But isn't the friction also what makes the saw actually saw? I've had a lot of bits break when pinning, now I just need to figure out what chapstick is called in danish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claymoore Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 But isn't the friction also what makes the saw actually saw? I've had a lot of bits break when pinning, now I just need to figure out what chapstick is called in danish. The cutting edges will do their job but a lubricant will reduce heat buildup and prevent binding which usually breaks jewellers saw blades. I use a product specifically made for this purpose in the jewellers trade called Burr Life. It works on all cutting tools and prolongs tool life. Beeswax or products like lip balms that contain beeswax are useful as lubricants also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Hmmm I wonder if my wife will notice her Burt's Bees lip balm missing... Thanks for the information on the lubrication. I've not had an issue with the blade of my jeweller's saw breaking, but it has had the annoying habit of popping loose on me in mid stroke, no matter how tight I put the screws to it. Granted, it isn't breaking also, I bet, because I have about 5 spare blades. I imagine it will break when, and only when, I have worn down the other blades and am on my final one. And I need to do about a dozen figures, STAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Arkham Posted December 6, 2004 Share Posted December 6, 2004 Don't neglect the value of the trusty hobby knife, especially for bases that are too large for clippers or too awkward for jeweler's saws. The key is to shave away only small sections at a time -- if you have to force the knife at all, you're cutting too big a section. The other thing to keep in mind is that you don't have to shave away all of the base like this; just enough so that you can go back to using clippers or a saw. Kep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zordana Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 But isn't the friction also what makes the saw actually saw? I've had a lot of bits break when pinning, now I just need to figure out what chapstick is called in danish. Chapstick is just lip balm or lip moisturiser. I just use wd40. Man i love that stuff. *runs around spraying it on everything squeaky* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 But isn't the friction also what makes the saw actually saw? I've had a lot of bits break when pinning, now I just need to figure out what chapstick is called in danish. You don't have to use chapstick, you just need to lubricate the blade or drill bit with something. Vasoline / pentroleum jelly works fine too. Any oil will work. WD-40 is a great suggest, or any other Silicone Spray Lubricant. However, when you are done, you want to make sure that you clean any remaining oil off so it doesn't interefere with gluing and priming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.