Attaching Miniature Bases

Once you prime your miniature and remove flash and mold lines, you're ready to attach it to its base.

Some Miniatures Don't Come With a Separate Base - They Should

Most miniatures I buy come with a separate base. Those that don't, should. Miniatures for which the base is part of the entire miniature cast tend to tip over. The bases of these miniatures tend to have too small of a footprint for the size of the miniature, so they fall down easily.

If you plan to use your miniature in wargaming or with a roleplaying game such as Dungeons&Dragons, you'll want to make sure you mount your miniature on a stable base.

Many manufacturers sell separate bases. From Games Workshop's "Slottabases" to more creative bases sold separately, you've got a lot from which to choose.

If you already have a base or you're happy with the one that came with your miniature, click here to skip ahead to deciding on a color scheme.

How To: Learn How To Create Custom Oak Bases for Under 25 Cents Each

How To Attach a Base

Use a good quality super glue to attach the bottom of the miniature to its base. I have found that the thick consistency "crazy glue" works the best. Its strength is that it can fill in small gaps. That's also its weakness. You have to be careful not to get it into areas where you don't want details filled in or obscured.

The biggest nuisance about super glue is when it gets on your hands. It can be difficult to remove and irritate your skin. For this reason, it's a good idea to know how to remove super glue from your skin (or other objects) before gluing.

How to Remove Super Glue

Few things can be as irritating as getting super glue all over your hands or your work. Also called crazy glue or cynoacrylate adhesive, it can be a nightmare to get off.

How To: Learn How To Remove Super Glue from Your Hands or Furniture

How To Make Super Glue Dry Faster

If you can find super glue accellerant spray at your local hobby store, this is a lifesaver. Just apply super glue to your miniature parts and spray the accellerant on the joint area. Within 10-15 seconds, even thick super glue sets tight.

Without it, you may find it very difficult to keep miniature parts together without moving, which weakens or prevents altogether the bond from adhering properly. This can cause a buildup of glue, which can obscure details (especially with thicker crazy glue) and cause a real mess.

Next Step - Select a Color Scheme