Iron Heel Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 There are so many great base inserts from Wyrd that you'd think they make it easy to take off the base tabs...not so much. Wyrd, Please begin incorporating thinner, easier to remove, base tabs from future figures. I think that they can be thinner than they are now while also being strong enough for their original purpose. Thanks! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omnivision6 Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 Really? just cut and clip them off carefully. No need to ask wyrd to change all their molds for something that can be achieved with proper modeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonn Agram Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 (edited) I think Iron Heel was talking about future castings, obviously Wyrd was not going to do all of their molds all over again... and his idea is not a really bad one either, because on some models (especially female ones) with thin legs it can be a problem with feet snaping at the ankle if one exerts a little too much force.. anyway it's a little (easily) solvable problem, that might be caused by an oversight so why not mention it... Edited February 16, 2012 by Demonn Agram Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omnivision6 Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 Meh. Ill just disagree and move on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 I do sympathise with the problem of getting tabs off carefully, though with some time, care and a gentle hand you can get them off without snapping ankles. I sometimes use a dremel to cut away the tab where it attaches to the foot so that it's thin enough to go at with clippers. Just to raise a technical point, the tab thickness might be limited by the need to get metal to flow cleanly into the moulds and fill all the bits properly. The thinner the tab, the less the flow and so more miscasts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micahwc Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 Recently I have started using custom basing for all my models, but before I just glued them into the base and added stuff to them. Several of the casts have tabs which are physically too large to fit into the slots on the bases. Some require having the tab trimmed because they are too long to fit in the bases. Some are so high that the tab sticks through the base completely, which keeps the base from lying flat. If you cut the tab off completely none of these are problems, but if you are just glueing them into the base they make it difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierowmaniac Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 But then those people who don't want base inserts or want to model there own base will complain that the inserts are too thin. Anyway I'm currently using resin bases and cut away most of the tab using a couple of my modeling tools, but leaving a small rectangular pin shape, which I can then pop into a drilled hole in the base. Yes Ive got too be a little more carefull, but I don't think its that hard to work around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonn Agram Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 I do sympathise with the problem of getting tabs off carefully, though with some time, care and a gentle hand you can get them off without snapping ankles. I agree with you, I pinned my Von Schills to the trees I in turn pinned to the base through the inserts, but I'm also aware of the fact that not everyone is as skilled as (this might sound smug but after over a decade of pinning, converting etc. - I'll allow myself to be ) me or (*smugness off*) other painters/miniaturists with a lot of experience. why not make it easier on them if it doesn't bother the casting process (the techincal points Mako made..) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tattyted Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 TBH if your biggest complaint about wyrd models is the thickness of the base tab........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harbinger Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 Recently I have started using custom basing for all my models, but before I just glued them into the base and added stuff to them. Several of the casts have tabs which are physically too large to fit into the slots on the bases. Some require having the tab trimmed because they are too long to fit in the bases. Some are so high that the tab sticks through the base completely, which keeps the base from lying flat. If you cut the tab off completely none of these are problems, but if you are just glueing them into the base they make it difficult. First thought was siding with those that felt no change was warranted, as all you need to do is be careful and apply a tad bit of effort to cut them off. But now that think about it; you have a very valid point that Ive run into a few times. Still I would rather have to do a bit of trimming on a over sized tab then run risk of it being too thin and easily snaps off. TBH if your biggest complaint about wyrd models is the thickness of the base tab........ ^^ best thought on the entire matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the imp Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 Invest in a good pair of wire-cutters. I've had no problems removing my tabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malandres Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 I use gale Force Nine cutters and although they are expensive considering 'lesser' brands but I have never had any issues with removing tabs or parts of model that I am converting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micahwc Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 I got a pair of cutters from harbour freight which work great for cutting. They also carry dental probes, Gorilla brand super glue, and tiny magnets. All are cheaper here than at a hobby store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tattyted Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 Hobbycraft - Draper wire cutters £4, 5x 1mm drill bits for £3.50. Add a bone saw for about £7 (Gale Force 9 one is good, GW one is rubbish) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malandres Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 A lot of GW hobby products are pretty poor...cutters, saw, vice, pinning drill, drill bits, the list goes on, I have not had a good experience with any of them..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustcrusher Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 I use gale Force Nine cutters and although they are expensive considering 'lesser' brands but I have never had any issues with removing tabs or parts of model that I am converting +1. I lost patience shopping for one locally and didn't feel like waiting any longer so I got the GF9 heavy duty cutters and they work great. To be fair I've had some models where the tab was thin and barely worked (like Sybelle) and some where it wouldn't even fit in the base without trimming (Miss Demeanor). I guess my take is keep them somewhere in the middle- thick enough to be functional, thin enough to be easily removable, all dependent (of course) on how much this can be controlled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Since we're talking about base tabs I'll toss in what I'd love to see. Malifaux is my first game that's used the premium bases with the raised lip and I've found it a hassle to trim the base tabs before I attach them to the base. I know I could just clip them off or whatnot, but I'd like to be able to just take the minis and glue them to the bases without having to worry about covering the models' feet with sand when I base them. This would also be good for newbies as I often see them just glue their models to the base without thinking about basing later on. My suggestion is for Wyrd to make a gap between the feet and the tab and add a spacer under the feet so that you can glue the model to the base without having to to muck around with clipping or sanding or whatnot and whenever you want to base your mini you don't have to worry about burried feet. Its probably not a great idea, but I just wanted to toss it out there. So since I'm at work and my tool are limited here is a crappy sketch and a crappy pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tattyted Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 bbb Surely you could get the same effect with a needle file or a sharp knife and just file/pare down the flash a bit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Yes, I already do this, but this was just a suggestion to make things easier. Not that it's even hard, but just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harbinger Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Thats not a crazy idea at all; and your right for those into fast basing of glue and sand (which inartistic types like me love) would work perfectly. Issue I see though is those type thats dont even paint the minis. Or those that just glue them into the bases to be able play and going to paint latter. I fear it might be too weak for that, especially on minis like collodis dolls and gremlins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 You'd be reducing the point of contact between the tab and the model by having the lifting tabs in the opposite direction to the main tab. So you'll risk them bending and snapping off the tabs. In casting, you'll also have to get metal to flow through a smaller hole, or you'll need such huge spacers that the models will all be wearing platform shoes! The spacings a good idea, would really simplify things for those that do their bases last (not me, I do mine separately then pin the model onto it. Makes the base easier to work on, and the model stand on it properly and not in it). But I'm not sure it's quite that simple to do in casting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 You'd be reducing the point of contact between the tab and the model by having the lifting tabs in the opposite direction to the main tab. So you'll risk them bending and snapping off the tabs. In casting, you'll also have to get metal to flow through a smaller hole, or you'll need such huge spacers that the models will all be wearing platform shoes! The spacer would be an extension of the tab, so the point of contact between the mini and the tab would remain the same. The spacer would just be slightly smaller than the footprint of the model to lift its feet up over the lip, but have something sit flush with the base so you don't sink the tab deeper than you should and end up with buried feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker8 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 The spacer would be an extension of the tab, so the point of contact between the mini and the tab would remain the same. The spacer would just be slightly smaller than the footprint of the model to lift its feet up over the lip, but have something sit flush with the base so you don't sink the tab deeper than you should and end up with buried feet. But then it would effect people that may want the mini to set below the lip, or sets to high or low for what people want at that time, and will add additional problems for people that want to remove the tab completely since even flush cut cutters wil have issues in slipping into the junction where the step and actuall tab intersect instead of cetting at the point they desire. To make it easier to position a mini with a tab at the level you want in the slot of a base it's as easy as puting a slight s shaped bend in tab so it will hold the mini in place while the glue sets. Give the tab a bend and see how it holds, adjust as needed, it's worked for me for over 20 years with all sloted bases and tabbed mini's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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