Excuse me if this has been covered before here (which I'm sure it has to some
great extent), but I'm new to FT and the list, and had a couple of quick
questions:
1. What is the best way to glue on the bases so that the ship is straight?
I've purchased 4 fleets (ESU, FSE, NSL, Sa'Vasku), and I am now trying to
assemble them. 2. What does everyone use to store their ships? 3. Do you need
more than 1 of any ship type in your fleet? I've purchased 1 of each ship type
in the 4 fleets I mentioned, but do I need more that 1 Superdreadnought in any
given fleet?
Sorry if this is repetitive of previous discussions!
Juxor
Jeff
There has been a lot of good stuff on basing and storage discussed
in the past and it will be in the archives - pointer from the FAQ
On ships you probably need more of the escort cruiser classes than capitals if
you want a standard squadron from each power.
Something like:-
BB BC 2 x CA 4 x DD
CL BC 4 x CE 2 X CL
Again in the archives lots on fleet org etc.
> Excuse me if this has been covered before here (which I'm sure it has
Congrats on your purchase.:) Dunno what the *best* way to glue ships so they
are straight. I just use a superglue to glue the ship stands to the bases and
try and balance them as best as possible when the stands don't fit exactly.
> 2. What does everyone use to store their ships?
I use plastic handgun cases. The foam inside does a great job at protecting
the minis (esp if you take the time to cut/trim some of the foam out so
it
will conform to the minis ;). At GZG-ECC II this past weekend I saw
similar packaging from other people, but the best was from Keith Watts who
took the
same handgun cases I have, but used GW pre-cut foam to put his ships in.
At $10 he thought it was well worth it. But this will only work for medium and
larger ships if you have a way of removing said ships from their stands (Keith
does; he has an ingenius way of mounting his ships to their stands; I'll let
him tell you about it:)
> 3. Do you need more than 1 of any ship type in your fleet? I've
Well, that totally and completely depends on what you plan on doing with your
fleets. I have currently 2 NAC light carriers. I would ultimately like
to get 3-4 more. Will I ever use them *all* in a specific scenario?
Probably not. But I wanna have 'em.:) Other ships I have multiples of, such as
the NSL battledreadnought, I *have* used together in games I've played. I just
picked up 3 of the 'new' ESU heavy cruisers (the class name suddenly escapes
me :-/ ). I plan on using them together in scenarios someday, yes. It
really all depends on what you want to do, what kind of scenarios you want to
play or intend on playing.
Mk
> On 1 Mar 99, at 6:02, Barton, Jeff wrote:
Here's what I do.
Drill out the hole underneath the ship a bit with a pinvice (which you can get
at model shops. It's like a screwdriver but with a drill bit). Then take a
paperclip and using a pair of pliers snip out one of the straight bits. Glue
that into the hole with either epoxy resin (araldite) or superglue. With most
nations ships you can 'lie them on their backs' to let the glue set and you'll
be OK. NSL you have to prop up:). So now you have your ship with a small wire
spike sticking out of the bottom usually a quarter of an inch or so (more is
wise for bigger ships). On to stage 2..
Take a GW (sissss) transparent flying model base - you can get a blister
of about 8 for a quid. Glue it together (there are various 'heights' in the
pack, so you can get nicely varied heights on your models) and paint it black.
Then chop the little bit at the top off. Using your pin vice drill a whole
down into it a bit further than your models 'spike' is long. Put a bit of glue
(again, super glue or epoxy will do) in the hole you've just drilled and pop
in the spike. I usually end up having the ship 'as it runs' and use paint pots
or whatever to keep it level until the glue dries.
This makes for a rock solid join. I think I have had one ship come of it's
base in oohh years, and that was just a case of gluing it back in.
NOTE: I know in the US (and think now the UK) they ship the models with
bases. I've never seen these as I haven't bought any in a while (although I
will be buying some more soon in case Jon's feelings are hurt) so I can't
comment about those.
> 2. What does everyone use to store their ships?
I got some very nice storage cases made by Chessex a while ago. Since the
Chessex / Armoury thing though I don't know what they still make or who
stocks their stuff. You could also look at any sort of toolbox or storage box
that has foam inside it you can cut out to shape. I also bought a standard
toolbox and lined the compartments with foam myself, but that was horribly
fiddly and I wouldn't recommend it.
> 3. Do you need more than 1 of any ship type in your fleet? I've
Well the answer is 'that depends'.There are no 'official' fleet organisations
as yet. In the real world your capital ships (carriers mostly) tend to travel
as part of a battle group with accompanying cruisers, destroyers etc and only
1 or 2 of them. The 'fleet packs' GZG sell seem to have one capital, a
cruiser and 4-5 smallers and follow that model. But if you and the
person you are playing with want to duke it out purely with the heavy iron,
there's no reason why not. It's all down to what you and your opponent agree
on. From what it sounds to me you can make up a pretty good 'group' using one
or two
of your big ships and all/several of your small ones.
> Sorry if this is repetitive of previous discussions!
Heck, it's on topic so it's fine by me (not that I have any say in the matter
any more:()
TTFN
Jon
> Barton, Jeff wrote:
...Snip...JTL
> 1. What is the best way to glue on the bases so that the ship is
XXX I use 5 minute epoxy, and place completed ships or other objects
under the 'new' ship for support. JTL
XXX
> 2. What does everyone use to store their ships?
XXX OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware) has some very nice divided boxes, 24 slots,
I line it with thin foam and go. JTL XXX
> 3. Do you need more than 1 of any ship type in your fleet? I've
XXX It isn't a matter of need, its a matter of want! If you get
into 'kit-bashing', you will very likely have multiples of your
favorites. I have been playing for four years and have used only
one SDN, one time. (I prefer small ships.) JTL XXX
> Sorry if this is repetitive of previous discussions!
XXX
Don't be sorry, nobody else is. JTL
XXX
> Juxor
Bye for now,
> "Barton, Jeff" wrote:
> Excuse me if this has been covered before here (which I'm sure it has
Everyone has their own ways of doing things - I use GW bases and remove
the top (narrow) bit. I then drill a 3mm diameter hole in the ship's underside
and epoxy or superglue (depending upon model size) the base. I still have a
few of the old black octagonal bases that came with spacefleet which I bought
when
that game first came out - these are ideal for larger (BB and up) ships.
To keep the ship upright while the glue sets, I find Humbrol enamel paints
tins are almost the perfect height for propping up a model and preventing
'starship droop'.
> I've purchased 4 fleets (ESU, FSE, NSL, Sa'Vasku), and I am now trying
Box files from a stationary shop padded with 2" thick foam from a hardware
shop
- £2-£3 for the box, £5 for enoiugh foam to line four boxes. I cut
specific holes in the foam for each model. This takes a while but is worth it
IMHO.
> 3. Do you need more than 1 of any ship type in your fleet? I've
At the bottom end of the size scale, yes definitely! You can never have enough
escorts since they go 'pop' very quickly. At the top end, my main fleet
currently has 1 SDN, 1 CVA, 1 CVE and 4 BB which should all soon be seeing
action together in a large game. These are about to be joined by another 2 DN,
2 BB and 1 or 2 CVL of different designs as soon as I get the moulds sorted
out
!
I'm lucky enough to belong to a wargames club that has all-day meetings
every other weekend. You can have a HUGE game of FT if you've got seven hours
to play in (10000 pts per side for this upcoming game).
> 1. What is the best way to glue on the bases so that the ship is
I won't repeat the excellent techniques others have recommended, but I will
say that 5 Minute Epoxy will give you a stronger and longer lasting bond that
Superglue. It's a pain because you have to wait for it to dry, but you'll find
that long term durablilty and lack of later "repairs" more than make up for
it.
The basing technique I use is not for everybody, but I prefer it for its
durability and versatility. You can get square brass "tubes" at your local
hobby store. You'll find, conveniently, that they fit snugly into one another.
I put a larger tube in a Citadel flying base (small for most
ships, but their larger size for Capitol ships - keeps them from falling
over). If you want to get even more tricky, vary the height by class (short
for escorts, medium for cruisers, and higher for capitals) so your fleet can
get closer if it needs to without bumping figures. Put a smaller tube with a
very short larger "cuff" on the figure. The cuff keeps the base tube from
dinging your wonderful paint job. Now you have a figure that has a removable
base. Easy for transport, and will virtually never "break" during
play - or otherwise.
> 2. What does everyone use to store their ships?
You can get boxes at hardware shops - flat with lots of subdivisions -
which I think are intended for screws and such. I get 1" foam from a local
futon shop (costs about $1 for a square foot), and cut custom foam holders for
the minis. This keeps them nice and snug. This is a must if you intend to do
any travelling (can you say GenCon), but is not as necessary if you're just
interested in storage.
> 3. Do you need more than 1 of any ship type in your fleet? I've
I think that the mix that Tom put forth was excellent. A rough mix of 1
"Big Guy," 2 "Medium Guys," and 3-4 "Smaller Guys."
> "Barton, Jeff" wrote:
> Excuse me if this has been covered before here (which I'm sure it has
I took this suggestion from the list - not sure who posted it - and am
*very*
happy with it (currently retro-fitting all of my B5 and FT ships.
Any good hobby shop carries square copper tubing that fit snuggly one inside
the other. Buy 1/16" diameters and the next largest. Cut the 1/16"
tubing 1/4 -
3/8" long and glue these to the hole(s) in the bottom of the ship. Cut
the
other tubing 1 to 1 1/2" long and glue these into the base. Make sure
that you align all the rods the same direction (corners at 12,3,6,9 o'clock
for example). This allows the ship to be removed from the base for easier
storage, this really matters with AOG's B5 ships. One suggestion, All glues
are not
equal: The best I've found - and I've tried alot of them - is
Loctite(tm) Quick Tite gel. This has the consistancy of toothpaste and is
*very* strong. I've dropped ships and had the metal bend and break instead of
the glue.
> I've purchased 4 fleets (ESU, FSE, NSL, Sa'Vasku), and I am now trying
Hand gun cases. There are a number of 2 and 4 gun cases for a fraction of the
cost of "mini cases". For real cost savings use pizza boxes with 1/2"
foam glued to the lid and the bottom.
Chan
<snip>
> Failing a dremel, a fine hacksaw blade or a modelling 'razor saw' are
They do, and it does. I forget the X-acto product code for the small
saw blades, but they have a very fine serration. I use these a lot when I'm
converting metal minis, and they cut through pewter just fine. I've also used
them to cut brass tube, and works fine too. I think these are actually better
than a Dremel with a cutting disk, unless you have a
bench-vise to clamp the brass tube in. The brass will get HOT
otherwise, and it is kind of difficult to keep a straight, parallel edge to
the cut with a Dremel. You'll still need to file or sand the edge of the cut,
so
might as well do it with hand knife/saw blade. Takes longer, but I
think you get better control over the cut.
These X-acto blades look like parallelograms, and fit best in one of the
slimmer X-acto knife handles (as opposed to the standard model)... I
couldn't find them in stores, because they are more of a specialty item
(few people use them for anything), but the X-acto catalogue in my local
rail-road specialist shop had them, and the store ordered them for me.
Very reasonable price.
X-acto make a larger saw blade for their knives, with bigger teeth that
is suitable for cutting balsa but *not* metal. These ones are longer, and come
to more of a point.
<<mass snippage of all sorts of things; including someone asking about cutting
brass tubing:>>
Dremel tool w/ cutting disk is the way to go. Use a new, sharp disc and
you shouldn't have any problems with deforming the brass.
If you still have deformation problems or don't have access to a Dremel, try
getting a bit of small dowel or balsa wood to stuff down the brass
tubing - having stuff inside the tube will prevent most or all of the
deformation. I've also heard that plugging one end of the tube and filling it
with sand works, although it strikes me as way too fiddly for very small
tubing.
Failing a dremel, a fine hacksaw blade or a modelling 'razor saw' are
probably the best ways to cut brass. A regular razor knife (X-acto,
whatever) will cause the most deformation, although it will cut thin
brass. (I think X-Acto might make a serrated-edge blade for their
knives.
I seem to recall seeing them; if X-acto does make them, they might
work.)
Hope this helps,
> Daryl Lonnon wrote:
> Chan wrote:
tubing 1/4 -
> > 3/8" long and glue these to the hole(s) in the bottom of the ship.
Cut the
> > other tubing 1 to 1 1/2" long and glue these into the base. Make
I use an Xacto blade and mitre box. You only need to score each side, not cut
through, and it will snap cleanly with a slight bending.
> (My current thought (which I haven't tried) is to buy a cutting blade
> At 06:42 PM 3/1/99 -0500, Chan wrote:
foam
> glued to the lid and the bottom.
Actually, for those of you who drink lotsa caffine in the form of Coke (or
Pepsi?) and Dew... cans of Dew are somewhat "squatter" than most other sodas,
so the case boxes have slightly larger dimensions than those of other cans of
soda. (Coke was the example I saw a couple years ago, though.) So a container
from a case of Coke will fit nicely inside a container from a case of Dew...
just attach foam to the top & bottom (or don't even attach it!) and presto!
instant case.
(At any rate, the above was true as of a couple years ago; one guy I knew had
over a dozen of these carrying cases... I'm not sure if he actually drank that
much soda, or just raided some supermarket for the boxes....)
Okay.... all you dremel and X-acto fans.... ever heard of a pipe
cutter? Little device designed for cutting brass, copper, steel or other types
of pipe? Doesn't crush the pipe (unless you are a bumbler) and cuts pretty
good. Try a hardware store or building supply. Cheaper than a dremel.
My 0.02.
Tom.
/************************************************
> At 12:20 AM 3/2/99 -0500, you wrote:
Yes, but pipe cutters don't work on *square* tubing...
[ducking]
Hobby saw, one with fine teeth. You have to do a little filing to get the
burrs off, but it takes only a few seconds
to cut through 1/16th tubing.
--Binhan
[quoted original message omitted]
Actually I had forgotten that I had one!! I picked it up at the
local flea market for $2.00 and it will cut up to 1/4" thin walled
tubing. There is a little more work reaming out the tube, but there aren't any
burrs on the outside.
Hmmm, gotta check the tool box more often...
--Binhan
[quoted original message omitted]