I find the various kinds of plastic flight stands for star ships, VSF
ships and (potentially) GRAV/VTOL figures to a lesser degree are
unstable (larger figures regularly can be tipped over by contact.)
Short of replacing them with metal stands what do you do to prevent this? I
can see filling the bases with something (but what material?) or gluing them
to metal washers (would this be sufficient?) but if anyone has an alternate
idea please speak up.
Gracias,
> Short of replacing them with metal stands what do you do to prevent
You need more weight at the bottom and/or a broader base. You might
try getting some fairly large fender washers (which have a smaller
inside-diameter than a normal washer would have for the same outside
diameter), and glue the flight stand on top of it.
***
> Short of replacing them with metal stands what do you do to prevent
You need more weight at the bottom and/or a broader base. You might
try getting some fairly large fender washers (which have a smaller
inside-diameter than a normal washer would have for the same outside
diameter), and glue the flight stand on top of it.
***
You are trying to keep your fig and stand's center-of-gravity low, so
that tipping causes it to rise. Filling the base AND gluing a washer to the
bottom would help. Fender washers are good this way, but they also tend to be
thinner, and the more weight on the outside, which has to rise the highest,
the better. Putty, epoxy or otherwise, will help, but that can be pretty
expensive, and even the height of the base's cavity can change the
dynamics of the C-o-G. It might be worthwhile keeping it to the outer
rim
of the cavity, assuming we're talking the cup-base most ships now have.
Widening the base WILL help, as the wider the base, the higher the C-o-G
rises before it starts to fall, but with something like an SDN model, it can
get huge compared to the game table. *shrug*
On another note, the plastics of some flight stands, particularly Evil
Empire's (tm), can be brittle and subject to breakage. Avoiding the whole
nail/washer vs CMD metal stands debate, is there a feeling which of the
plastics available stand up the best? Ways of improving strength and
stability?
Thanks!
The_Beast
Whoops, almost forgot:
Another way to lower the C-o-G is to reduce the weight at the top.
Natch, any suggestions here are heretical.
You can drill out the center of a metal ship, to the point of making it a
hollow, upside down cup. See old Superior ships. This is if you're of the 'if
you can't see it while it's on the table, it's superfluous' school of thought.
You can use ships of lightweight material such as plastic or even folded
paper. Hi, Germy. ;->=
The_Beast
> I find the various kinds of plastic flight stands for star ships, VSF
For the domed plastic hex bases, I use a couple of 7/8 inch outside
diameter fender washers in the cavity of the base. It does a good job of
lowering the center of gravity.
For the plastic slotted hex bases with the T post, I use some small lead shot
glued into the shallow cavity of the base. It does help make the minis more
stable.
If the mini is still tippy, I mount a 1 1/4 inch fender washer below the
hex base for more weight and a larger footprint.
For the GW style flat circle bases, I don't use them but others have used
multiple fender washers.
One of the reasons we've switched some of our larger models to resin -
weighs next to nothing compared to the metal versions (and the castings are
better too!)
Tony
> Doug Evans wrote:
> Whoops, almost forgot:
Natch,
> any suggestions here are heretical.
> I find the various kinds of plastic flight stands
What I do is glue the flight stand on to another stand. I use a masonite stand
painted black with labels for the fleet (example: NAC) ships class and ships
name.
The stands are made for 15mm and 25mm historical miiatures and for my ships I
use 40mm by 40mm for fighters and small ships, 40mm by 60mm for sizes up to Ca
and 60mm by 80mm for large ships. I also double stand larger ships for
stability on the stands.