Standard GW bases and their texture

[Jarl of Wulfen]

Hi guys, I'm thinking of making bases that look like polished marble. Has anyone ever smoothed out the texture from the standard GW base? I'd like to have a fairly flat surface on them for painting. Would building up a layer of green stuff on each be the best way?

[Azaiel]

I would glue thin plasticard to the base for a smooth finish.

Edited August 7, 2019 by Azaiel

[Arkhanist]

I do this for blackstone fortress bases. Quickest option is to sand them in batches.

 

Fill the little hole (if it has one) with greenstuff and let cure. I then sand them flat with damp 100 grit or so sandpaper (I have some with foam backing, you can also get as sanding blocks). You could alternatively use a flat modelling file, but it would take longer! I then polish the surface to get rid of visible scratches with damp micromesh pads - start with the coarsest, then the next one etc, you only need a handful of passes with each pad. Usually I only need the first 3 or 4 grades to get it nice and polished looking. Then just give it a good clean with water to get all the dust off, and it's ready for priming etc.

 

If you want to build up a mixture of texture and flat surface, such as carving marble slabs with visible joins, then the alternative is to build up with greenstuff. Mix the greenstuff and let it cure a little (20-30 minutes or so) so it's less sticky and stiffer, then layer it on the pad and press it down on a damp flat surface, like an old CD with water sprayed on it. Pro-tip - you can use a GW painting handle as a grip to hold the base while you flatten it. Then either carve into your surface with sculpting tools while still soft, or let it cure and cut it with a scalpel if you want sharper edges. It's easiest to cut away leftover greenstuff overhanding the rim when it's cured with a scalpel/modelling knife, and again you can polish (gently) with successive micromesh pads to get it smooth on the surface and where it joins the rim. Wash clean, prime and off you go.

[MegaVolt87]

If its a base, you could use brown/blue stuff I think those are cheaper than green stuff for something like basing.