The Commander Series Forum

I am looking to finally get bases for my 6mm Soviets, I think I figured out the sizes I need but now I am wondering about the material and thickness.

I planning on basing on metal (so that I can line my transport cases with magnetic sheets) and was looking at Litkoaero system of products.

However their metal bases are stickers to adhere to their plywood bases. And I am concerned about the stack up of thickness with 6mm figures.

Anyone base on bare metal bases? Are there other good merchants available? Other options?

I base on metal. I got a sheet of 22 gauge steel and a good set of snippers to cut it. 22 gauge is thick enough (about 1mm) so it won't bend accidentally but thin enough to cut with the snippers. When I buy some more, I might go a bit thinner but I would be happy enough staying with the same thickness. I think I picked it up from Home Depot.

Steel is a bit of work to do, because after snipping the bases, I use a couple of pairs of needle-nose pliers to straighten out the bending that occurs when you snip them. I also use the snips to take off 1 mm from the corners to round them slightly. I then use a Dremel to smooth out the rougher bits and soften the corners. As a final touch, I paint my stands with brown anti-rust paint. I use brown so that it shows as earth on any areas where my field turf does not stick.

Have you checked out Wargames Accessories?
I got a bunch of 1x1 inch square metal bases from them.

http://www.wargameaccessories.com/Products.htm

Scale creep stock metal bases as well

I go the other way, magnets on the figures, but have no problem with either as I use Litkoo thinner bases, so base and magnet are only about 1.5/2mm thick, you ddon't really notice them.

I wish someone (that I could find) did the plain vanilla steel sheet bases in the sizes I am looking for. Litko has a sticky back to all theirs, but they are the only ones I've found so far that also do round metal bases.

I am looking for:
20mm x 40mm for all tank, bmp, etc and infantry stands
30mm x 40mm mortars, artillery
30mm x 30mm recon
30mm round fao, fac
40mm round command stands, including regimental hq

and I figured I'd double up on the stands for a future US force when I get to it.

Not sure what to do for flight stands.... only have a couple Hinds.

All your square or rectangular bases you can get from Wargame Accessories but your desire for round metal bases will not be as easy to fulfill.

Perhaps using the extra thin Litko rounds (wood plus sticky metal foil) or "two of the Litko metal stuck together" back to back might work.

Here is a picture reference for the W/A metal bases.

http://commandoperationscenter.com/products111....

Will

opscrt, love your stuff as always!

I really like the thinness of the wargame accessory bases (or any stand alone metal base), but Litko is the only one that I can find doing round, so I'll likely go the thin plywood & sticky metal base route.


PS. I may steal you box idea!

For round bases, take a square one and snip each corner at the 1/4 way mark (eg 40mm base, cut at the 10mm mark). Then cut each of those corners (8 in total) so that you've got a mostly round base. By the time you file the edges a bit, put some paint, and then some field turf on them, they'll look close enough to round.