Ideas for attaching 15mm figures for painting...

[JohnnyRockets]

Hi everyone!

My favorite scale for figures is 15mm and as you know they are pretty small.


Could I get a suggestion on how to temporarily attach them to "something" while painting.


In the past I have used super glue, but that was WAY too permanent. White glue comes to mind, but that might even be too strong of a bond for temporary use...


I appreciate all ideas and thank you all in advance....


JR

[Paul]

An old plastic bottletop with a blob of blue tack on top

[JohnnyRockets]

An old plastic bottletop with a blob of blue tack on top

Paul,

I agree, to a point...

When I do this, they seem to come loose at bad times.

Maybe I'm doing it wrong and maybe I don't know what "blue tack" is, but isn't that just the stuff to stick posters to the wall without using tacks or pushpins.

I will try it again tonight, but I always seem to need too much and then the blue tack pushes up around the figure and makes it hard to paint the feet.

I know, maybe I'm making this WAY too complicated, but I might also try a small dab of "hot glue" with the idea of cutting it off with a razor later.

Hmmm... I guess I'm searching for perfection here and this may not be possible...

Thanks.

JR

[Susofrick]

I use bottlecaps (metal) and woodglue. Works pretty good most of the time. But I only paint 1/72.

[Paul]

Ok..then forget bluetack. I mentioned it only because it´s generally known.It´s this stuff btw;


The way I do it. Same method..the bottle top but use Babybell wax...this stuff;

The cheese inside is a bit yukky but you only need to buy one packet of the stuff.
I´ve been using the wax from one packet for holding bods for over 4 years now, from 6mm to 54mm

and it should be available wherever you live
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babybel

[Cameronian]

Bottle tops and pva glue. I use this method for figures from 10mm to 28mm both metal and plastic, no problems. If they keep falling over, then prop them up with a bit of Paul's blue stuff 'til the glue is dry (overnight is the best in my experience).

[JohnnyRockets]

Ok..then forget bluetack. I mentioned it only because it´s generally known.It´s this stuff btw;


The way I do it. Same method..the bottle top but use Babybell wax...this stuff;

The cheese inside is a bit yukky but you only need to buy one packet of the stuff.
I´ve been using the wax from one packet for holding bods for over 4 years now, from 6mm to 54mm

and it should be available wherever you live
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babybel

Thanks Paul! I like this idea! I love cheese. JR

[JohnnyRockets]

I use bottlecaps (metal) and woodglue. Works pretty good most of the time. But I only paint 1/72.

I love 1/72, but find the types of figs that I am most interested in are more in 15mm. Plus I love metal, and most of the 15mm figs in the States are metal and the 1/72 are plastic.

Does the fig come off of the wood glue pretty easily?

[JohnnyRockets]

Ok..then forget bluetack. I mentioned it only because it´s generally known.It´s this stuff btw;
The way I do it. Same method..the bottle top but use Babybell wax...this stuff;

The cheese inside is a bit yukky but you only need to buy one packet of the stuff.
I´ve been using the wax from one packet for holding bods for over 4 years now, from 6mm to 54mm

and it should be available wherever you live
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babybel

I see in your signature: 31 down - 28 to go

What does this mean?

[JohnnyRockets]

Bottle tops and pva glue. I use this method for figures from 10mm to 28mm both metal and plastic, no problems. If they keep falling over, then prop them up with a bit of Paul's blue stuff 'til the glue is dry (overnight is the best in my experience).

SV52, does the white glue come off after the fact pretty well? JR

[Susofrick]

The metal figures come off the glue very easy. Even most of the plastics. Only one casualty. A horse got a leg stuck in the glue, but that was pretty easy to repair.

[JohnnyRockets]

Susofrick,

Great to hear. I like the white glue idea, very easy to find, cheap and will dry nicely overnight.

JR

[poky]

if you really want to make sure they dont fall of pin them.
drill a small hole in the base or feet (both is better) of the figure glue a piece of wire in the hole and stick the wire in a piece of cork, I use the same technique for sculpting figures where much more pressure is needed then wen painting, it more drastic for sure and takes more time. the wires can later be used to attached to bases if its for wargaming or direct to a dio base.
beer and champagne corks are bigger and easier to hold then wine corks

[Cameronian]

SV52, does the white glue come off after the fact pretty well? JR

What I've found with metal 15's is a fringe of dried glue can be left around the base edge, I leave it on to use as a filler when sticking the figure onto its element base. It comes off easy enough with a scrape under the figure's base with a knife. The 40mm caps on milk containers are quite pliable, so simply flexing them breaks the figure(s) free. I mount three foot figures to a 40mm cap, or two mounted. Like everything, give it a try, if it don't work for you, try something else.

[JohnnyRockets]

SV52,

You have given me a great idea! (several actually!)

I really like the idea of using a 40 mm cap (1 1/2 inches), and the idea of putting 3 figures on one cap. This would save time and allow me to paint several at once. What a great idea.

The "pliability" of the plastic cap is also a great idea. Till now I was putting them on wooden bases, but I do not like how this works for me...

Sometimes the "simple things" never occur to me!


Thanks! JR

[Paul]

I see in your signature: 31 down - 28 to go

What does this mean?

It´s the number of sets painted compared to those still to do of all the sets of bods that Airfix ever produced...collected together HERE

[JohnnyRockets]

Super cool, and wow, what a big undertaking!

JR

[Cameronian]

JR,

You are very welcome, most of what I mentioned was gleaned from other folks. If you try the 3 foot on a cap, try to get them all marching the same way round the rim, it's a bit off-putting when painting to find one joker facing a different way

George