Hey, I have a lot of questions that pop up from time to time about miniatures assembly and painting stuff.
I'm just starting this thread so I can ask the questions as they come up rather than starting a bunch of short little threads for a question here or there.
So my current question is:
I have a Reaper Minis Angel of Radiance. I finally started messing with her assembly today. Looking at her, I think it would be easier to paint her and her wings separately then attach them. Is it a bad idea to paint the individual parts before assembly, or can I do it in this order?
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You can do your painting in that so long as you think ahead to what problems might come up while your actually mounting the wings onto her back. You definitely want to try and dry if it on her before you start painting at all of course. I'd also suggest pinning those big wings on, and even using a tiny bit of green stuff (or equivalent) with the pins and the super glue to really make sure once you put them on they aren't coming off.
It might be best to get her mostly painted, attach the wings and then do whatever finishing touches your going to do that way you get all of the more messy base coats and the like out of the way where things are safe and don't worry about accidentally chipping the model when it has the detail layers added on.
She actually has a pit in her back and the wings themselves are pegged with rectangular tabs that fit in the square hole in her back. I don't think I'll need to pin them on just because she's already slotted for them.
Super-glue and/or green stuff after painting is OK though? I mean I'll do detailing and touch-ups after they're attached too, of course. I just wanted to make sure the paint coat under the adhesives wouldn't be a problem for structural integrity of the model.
She actually has a pit in her back and the wings themselves are pegged with rectangular tabs that fit in the square hole in her back. I don't think I'll need to pin them on just because she's already slotted for them.
Super-glue and/or green stuff after painting is OK though? I mean I'll do detailing and touch-ups after they're attached too, of course. I just wanted to make sure the paint coat under the adhesives wouldn't be a problem for structural integrity of the model.
Yes, actually, you will need to scrape the paint off of the metal surface you intend to glue. I've seen people use poster tack to cover those spots while they paint, and after painting, they just peel the tack off and voila! The spots are ready for gluing.
I just wanted to make sure the paint coat under the adhesives wouldn't be a problem for structural integrity of the model.Yes, actually, you will need to scrape the paint off of the metal surface you intend to glue. I've seen people use poster tack to cover those spots while they paint, and after painting, they just peel the tack off and voila! The spots are ready for gluing.
Alright. That sounds easy enough. I think I have some poster tack around here. I'm about to prime some minis shortly, her included. (But probably not the wings yet, as I don't have anything to hold them up yet. It's on my shopping list.)
A lot of people paint before assembly.
Ooh, poster tack, that's a great idea! Gotta remember that. I don't usually paint before assembly myself but there are times it would definitely make things easier.
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Painting this book after gluing would be really tough.
Even worse would be painting this guy's face after gluing.
Painting this book after gluing would be really tough.
I've painted her--she's a one-piecer, so no choice in assembly. :) But the book wasn't that hard IIRC.
She's actually in line for touching up (she got temporarily stored poorly and got scratched up) but maybe when I've done that I'll up load a pic.
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Painting this book after gluing would be really tough.I've painted her--she's a one-piecer, so no choice in assembly. :) But the book wasn't that hard IIRC.
She's actually in line for touching up (she got temporarily stored poorly and got scratched up) but maybe when I've done that I'll up load a pic.
I also have that figure...I actually used some fine markers for the book...looks quite effective. I really need to become a better photographer before I put stuff up.
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Painting this book after gluing would be really tough.I've painted her--she's a one-piecer, so no choice in assembly. :) But the book wasn't that hard IIRC.
She's actually in line for touching up (she got temporarily stored poorly and got scratched up) but maybe when I've done that I'll up load a pic.
There are two versions and the version I have has the book/arm separate. I'm glad, I intend to write on it with a fineliner and it should be easier this way.
The kneeling paladin is a pretty odd mini, I can only imagine it being bought for a diorama, rather than a character in a game.
Painting this book after gluing would be really tough.I've painted her--she's a one-piecer, so no choice in assembly. :) But the book wasn't that hard IIRC.
She's actually in line for touching up (she got temporarily stored poorly and got scratched up) but maybe when I've done that I'll up load a pic.
There are two versions and the version I have has the book/arm separate. I'm glad, I intend to write on it with a fineliner and it should be easier this way.
The kneeling paladin is a pretty odd mini, I can only imagine it being bought for a diorama, rather than a character in a game.
You know what, i took a look at the Jolie mini and you might be right--it might have come in two pieces. but normally reaper has the "puzzle piece" symbol if they come in parts--but I just guess you can't order her book bit separately. I still glued first then painted--didn't have any problems--it doesn't glue on at a weird angle or anything. And yes, I used a micron pen too to ink the book.
The two versions are probably identical mold wise; the cheaper one is just made with a different metal combination that includes lead.
While people are arguing over Jolie, does anyone know what the little imp dude one of the painted images has stood behind her is?
He comes from this familiar pack (I also like the fairy with the book):
http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/familiar/sku-down/14087
And that's not arguing, hon, that's discussing. :) But I do apologize for threadjacking.
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Painting this book after gluing would be really tough.
Even worse would be painting this guy's face after gluing.
I have the praying paladin and am using it in King Maker (I have 3 minis, the praying paladin, a more combat oriented mini and a horsed mini) You do indeed need to paint the paladin before assembly. My suggestion is a touch of gorilla glue on each arm. Not to much or it will bubble out. 1 tiny drop is all I used on each arm and trust me that sword is never coming off.
OK, having painted a few miniatures now, I have to say this:
Holy crap, am I making painting eyes way harder than it should be, or is painting eyes really really hard?
The last couple miniatures I've painted on, I haven't even touched their eyes with the logic of "I'll come back to this" but I don't want to leave them forever that way.
How do people usually go about painting eyes on a 28mm mini?
Very carefully!
Actually, I don't know- I use my finest brush, load the tip a bit, and hope I get lucky.
Maybe a more useful tip, tho: I poster tack my minis to a pill bottle. Much easier to hang on to that way.
Good luck with the eyes.
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OK, having painted a few miniatures now, I have to say this:
Holy crap, am I making painting eyes way harder than it should be, or is painting eyes really really hard?
The last couple miniatures I've painted on, I haven't even touched their eyes with the logic of "I'll come back to this" but I don't want to leave them forever that way.
How do people usually go about painting eyes on a 28mm mini?
The easy way is to do them first.
I will prime, then black-coat everything, then (sometimes - more frequently with the big plates of WARMACHINE Warjacks or if something has lots of tiny detail) drybrush with white to "pop" the edges.
Next comes the eyeballs & skintones. Eyes get white-filled, with little regard for "slop" onto face/hoods/helms/etc. Once you're satisfied with the color saturation (a couple drops of white will usually do it, but I tend to start more beige and use white last), I will grab the #1 or #0 detail brush and just dot on an iris.
Face & exposed skin tones come next, and you just have to be careful around the eye areas. If you're planning on washing the whole skin (or whole mini) with an ink/diluted wash anyways, a little extra white at the borders of the eyes will provide some contrast (and shadow) and make the eyes appear deeper once it's all said & done.
Alternatively, flip that order, and paint the iris color over the whole eyeball, then use your detail brush to cover up the sides with white/beige. If you have good brush control, or are using a mini with ridiculously large eyes (goblins, some of the HORDES figures, and Shalelu from the PF Reaper line come to mind), the end result is a bit nicer than as described above. It does get very frustrating, however, if you miss the center even a little bit, or are off in your iris positioning, you drive yourself mad.
Finally, consider some "arcane glowyng eye effects" from time to time. Dot of white, then thin washes of bright colors over the skintones & eyeballs will hint towards a lit eyeball, and the corresponding glow effect around the socket/cheek.
I didn't see it mentioned above, but Brushthralls and Coolminiornot are great sites to check out for tips/hints/further information.
[edit:weird, the links don't seem to be working for some reason. Try "www.brushthralls.com" and "www.coolminiornot.com" for the above linked sites.]
I didn't see it mentioned above, but Brushthralls and Coolminiornot are great sites to check out for tips/hints/further information.
I think I fixed those links. They need the http in the URL so they're treated as static links rather than relative links. Will give those sites a look before I do any more painting.
Never thought of painting the center of the eye first, then painting out. Most of what I'm working with right now are 28mm human figures.
I haven't really done a lot of washing yet as I am not comfortable with how thin I'm getting my paint and I don't want to totally kill my paintjob. I've mostly only done it on fabric to show depth. I tend to drybrush too heavy too, so I'm going to have to be more careful about that in the future.
Do you guys seriously paint the fine details with size 1 and 2 brushes? That seems really big for the target. So far I've been trying to paint eyes with a 5/0 brush.
Thanks for the advice.
Is there anyone else out there with a secret for eye painting?
One of my favorite ways to do the eyes i got from the reaper site. I find getting the eyes done first helps to define the figure and if you make a mistake its still at the beginning of the paint and not too hard to do over. link
One of my favorite ways to do the eyes i got from the reaper site. I find getting the eyes done first helps to define the figure and if you make a mistake its still at the beginning of the paint and not too hard to do over. link
Thanks for the link. Checked that one out and will have to try it next time I'm at that stage.
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re: #1 & #2 brushes...
Until fairly recently, I was using "bargain" brushes for my work. Then, I got my hands on some Windsor & Newton Series 10 (student series), and later some Series 7 Miniatures Brushes.
The difference is immense.
Points that stay sharp, bristles that practically drink up paint, and smooth release...what can I say, they're well worth the money (I got a #2 & #1 Series 7 for something like $17-$20 shipped, from Dick Blick).
If you can, I highly recommend you invest in good brushes ASAP....they will make it much more enjoyable to do your work.
OK, so I remember SKR advised in a thread or two getting Future acrylic varnish (now known as Pledge with Future Shrine acrylic varnish) to mix with acrylic paint but I can't remember exactly what the Future was to be used for, or how much was to be used. Was it to thin the paint? Or give it a more even consistency? Or what?
What was the advised mixing ratio, if there was one?
I finally found some and bought it, because I remembered it would be good to have, but I have it now and I'm not sure what to do with it.
OK, after a bit more looking, I did find the thread were Future was discussed previously.
This stuff sounds amazing.
Other possible purchases would be Future Acrylic Floor polish (cheap and effective acrylic agent for mixing and thinning paints),I know Sean basically swears by Future.The first time I used Future, I was astonished by the difference it made. Honestly, I think people should be required to paint their first 10 or so minis with cheap craft paint just to see what it's like, and then be given the same paint, mixed properly with a future/water mix. Suddenly, all your paints have flow and coverage.
I swore by citadel paints for ages, but now? I buy cheap paint and use the bottle of Future I bought 8 years ago. I mix it right in my watercolor palette if I'm using one-off colors, or mix bottles of it if I'm painting an army or a squad or anything really that requires a consistent color palette.
My "first one's free, kid" starter kit would be this:
[SNIP]
* a bottle of Pledge with Future. Generally around $10
[SNIP]
Clean off flash with the X-Acto knife.
Wash the mini with an old toothbrush and some dish soap.
Dry the mini or let it dry.
Prime it with the Krylon.
Paint it with the craft paints. You probably will need to thin them a little bit with water on your palette (an old plastic lid is fine) and need two or more coats depending on how well the paint covers.
Let it dry.
Dip the mini in the Future, shake off most of the excess (it tends to create a film in holes, so blow on it to knock those out). Let it dry 30 minutes.(Some people mix the Future with the paint on the palette to bring out the colors and help the flow and coverage, but I worry that the Future will gunk up the brush... and a Future dip just at the end brings out the colors really well.)
You can even skip the Krylon and use Future as your primer (Jodi likes this) though you may initially find it weird painting on the bare-looking metal.
Future dries kinda shiny, so if you don't like that, after it dries you can go over it with a spray coat of Krylon matte clear finish (or, if you're hard-core, you can get some Testors Dull Cote clear spray).
So, from what I read above, Future is fine as a primer coat by itself. What if I do want to use Future as a primer but I don't want to paint on bare metal? Is it a BAD IDEA™ to mix in a little black or white acrylic paint so it's not a clear coat?
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So, from what I read above, Future is fine as a primer coat by itself. What if I do want to use Future as a primer but I don't want to paint on bare metal? Is it a BAD IDEA™ to mix in a little black or white acrylic paint so it's not a clear coat?
You could try mixing in 20-30 drops of acrylic ink (to a one ounce bottle of future). http://www.dickblick.com/products/daler-rowney-fw-acrylic-water-resistant-a rtists-ink/. Its cheap and a bottle will last you a life time, and you can use it to make ink washes. It should dilute better than straight up paint - of course it will still be fairly see through.
My wife uses future on bare metal as her primer.
I've primed a mini with primer, then given it a coat of future just to "hold" the primer more strongly (I also do sometimes do this after a night of painting to seal in the finished stuff, and if I make a mistake later I have a little more leeway in wiping it off without messing up other parts).
I'm sure you could prime a mini with a paint-Future mixture.
*sliced bread looks over at Future and says "OK, now I'm jealous."*
Seriously, it sounds like Future is the one thing you need besides paint and brushes. Can be used as primer, can be used as thinner, can be used as finish.
Is there a downside to using it in any of those situations? Or in using it in all of those situations instead of, say, an actual primer or an actual finish? I mean I get that it "can" be used, but if it is so great, is someone selling the same stuff repurposed (and at a higher price) for priming/thinning/sealing?
I just ask because I want to no the ups and downs before I start priming with it, which I was tempted to do today for my zombie dogs.
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I mean I get that it "can" be used, but if it is so great, is someone selling the same stuff repurposed (and at a higher price) for priming/thinning/sealing?
The Army Painter Quickshade is a repurposed higher priced shader sealer. It's the equivalent of minwax tudor satin or future floor wax and ink.
I'd say the downside is that it's really shiny. As in, "everyone looks very sweaty" sort of shiny.
But if you like your minis glossy, that's not a problem.
And if you don't like them glossy, you can lightly spray a fully-dry mini with a clear matte finish (Testors Dullcote is expensive, but the best at this) to take the shine off.
Well, I've mixed it with some FolkArt skintone I had. (That stuff was really thick, I mixed it down with water last time I used it.)
From the sound of things, as SKR puts it (I hope you don't mind being called SKR), I will not be using Future as a finish on humans, but may use it that way on other kinds of things where "shiny/sweaty" is an interpretation. I could see it making aberrations look cool with that effect.
I still want to get some brush-on matte finish of some kind. I have spray matte finish, but dealing with sprays is very inconvenient.
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I'd say the downside is that it's really shiny. As in, "everyone looks very sweaty" sort of shiny.
But if you like your minis glossy, that's not a problem.
And if you don't like them glossy, you can lightly spray a fully-dry mini with a clear matte finish (Testors Dullcote is expensive, but the best at this) to take the shine off.
I have both Testor's Dullcoat and the Army painter Matte finish clear coat.
I'll try to finish some stuff in the next few days so that i could compare them
So my current question is:
I have a Reaper Minis Angel of Radiance. I finally started messing with her assembly today. Looking at her, I think it would be easier to paint her and her wings separately then attach them. Is it a bad idea to paint the individual parts before assembly, or can I do it in this order?
OK, so nine months later I'm back to the Angel of Radiance (linked in quote above). I really want her to come out well so I've been working on other miniatures in the meantime for more practice.
I have her and her wings primed black and I've drybrushed them with white over the black, which is how I've approached most minis so far. I decided to do her wings in white with a yellow effect or trim so I've painted them light yellow to start, and will go back over it with white, I think. But before I start applying any more paint, I just want to know if this sounds like a solid plan:
1.) Solid light yellow coat. (Applied currently, yellow mixed with Future-thinned white to lighten it.)
2.) ? Should I go thin white coat or should I drybrush white?
3.) Yellow wash? Probably not necessary if I just drybrush white at step two, I guess?
4.) Drybrush white?
Drybrushing intimidates me because I'm bad at it and always get more paint on the miniature than I actually want, so it looks more like another coat than highlights.
What I really want is for her to have the appearance of white wings with a golden "glow" to them so they come out looking angelic.
It also crosses my mind that I might use a gold wash instead of a yellow wash, but that seems more risky.
If you want them to glow, maybe you should use a base coat of gold instead of yellow, and a drybrush of white (or a mix of white and silver) over that?
Well, that's a possibility. I don't want them to come out actually looking metallic though, which I fear will happen if I go with too much metal paint. (I'm bad at dry brushing so I fear I'll get too much metal even on a dry brush.)
I really should use more drybrushing layers, I guess. What I've read seems to really favor applying multiple layers as drybrushings.
I'll never know if I don't try it though, I guess, and I know where I can buy Simple Green if I really don't like the result.
Since I already have the yellow coat, anything I do is going on top of it for now. I'll more than likely try the gold undercoat though, it does have the potential for a cool effect.
There are also pearlescent paints, or pearlescent pigments you can stir into paint to give it a glowy look without being metallic. You can get the pigments at an art store, and I found some in the craft section of my local department/megastore (Fred Meyer, if you have them near you). It's PearlEx brand (you can find tutorial videos on YouTube).
Couple notes, Wolf, based on some experiences I've had painting glowy looking things (mostly fire and a glowing energy bow):
1. For golden-to-white, I'd do your basecoat as yellow ochre, largely because yellow is thinly pigmented, so this gives a deep yellowy color that has better coverage.
2. The trick to it looking smooth--which you want for a glow effect--is to build up in THIN layers, each layer a little bit lighter than the last. Mix some thinner and retarder if you have it into your paint so it spreads well and blends (flow improver like Future "Magic Wash" too, though I omit this myself because I use Reaper Master Series which has flow improver pre-mixed in).
So your first layer would be yellow ochre. Then mix a bit of pure yellow into the ochre and layer that on thinly--do thin layers and paint extra layers if it does not do full coverage, rather than try to blot on one thick layer. With each layer you add, leave a little more of the deepest recesses unpainted (with the darker color showing). Then add more yellow to the mix, layer that on, then more yellow, till you get to using pure yellow. Then from THERE, mix a bit of white with the yellow----by the very end, you will grade up to the point where you will be painting pure white on the highest edges of the model.
This can be a little time consuming, but less than it sounds, honestly.
3. I would drybrush only lightly with the white if you choose to go that way, and only if the feathers on the wings are very feathery and would benefit from a drybrush texture. If you do drybrush on the white, I would still do a final painted highlight of white on the highest edges.
4. If you feel confident, take one of your yellow shades and thin it, and paint it as a reflection on some of the highlights on the rest of the model--where the glowing wings would cast light onto the angel's body. Google some articles about painting glow effects on miniatures to get an idea of what I'm talking about. If you're not confident about doing that, don't--you can end up painting something too-thick a color or in a wrong place and having it look weird (she says from experience).
Thank you both for the advice.
There are also pearlescent paints, or pearlescent pigments you can stir into paint to give it a glowy look without being metallic. You can get the pigments at an art store, and I found some in the craft section of my local department/megastore (Fred Meyer, if you have them near you). It's PearlEx brand (you can find tutorial videos on YouTube).
The pearlescent pigment sounds like something I should definitely look into getting. No Fred Meyer around here, but that just means it will take a little looking. I'd look for pigments before paints so they're more easily mixed, at least to my logic.
In the meantime the recommendation from DeathQuaker seems more time consuming but more immediately practical. (Not sure how soon I'll work on the wings again though. They're there and stare me in the face so sooner than later, I'd guess.)
I won't be painting "glow" highlights on the miniature off the wings though. I am looking for more of just an internal glow/aura than a lightsource effect, like the hint of something more escaping the feathers, not radiating from them. Of course I might change my mind later, but the whole angel should kind of have a "holy" effect, not just the wings. I mean the wings are the distinguishing feature that marks her as an angel, but I don't want them to be more angelic than the rest of her, if that makes sense.
Threadsurrection!
So I have a demon that matches the description of a demon in the Bestiary except he seems kind of small for his creature type. He's fairly big, but he's not nearly as big as I'd like for him to be as a "huge" monster like his entry in the Bestiary suggests.. I presently have him on a "large" base. What I'd like to do is buff up his "size" by mounting that 2" base I have on top of a nice 3" base. The problem I run into is what to use as a round 3-inch base. Any suggestions for what I can use as a base? I still want it to be metal, and preferably affected by magnets, like the washers I've been using for 1" and 2" bases.
The best thing a guy had to offer me at one of the hardware stores was having a piece of sheet-metal cut down to size. I'd rather avoid that if I can help it.
Any suggestions?
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Litko sells magnetic / steel bases in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can also just take a standard warmachine / warhammer base and add metal to the underside. There is usually a gap or void you can fill.
http://www.litko.net/products/Circular-Miniature-Bases%3A-50-mm.html
If there's a Michael's near you, I found some 3 inch square round wooded discs there in the wood craft section.
The Litko link looks like they're square wooden bases that can have a steel "under-base" added, but the base itself is plywood.
I appreciate the offered suggestions but I'm really trying to keep away from woods and plastics, and, well, anything non-metal that isn't actually glue or epoxy to attach the miniature to the base.
One thing that crossed my mind was saw blades, which probably come in 3" for something, but I'd rather avoid a sharp edge if possible, and I'm guessing a saw blade base would run kind of expensive too.
Is there anything less dangerous that might come to mind as a viable circular base? It doesn't have to be aimed at the miniature market. Just... things that are 3 inch discs of steel, I guess?
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Oh. You want washers? You should be able to get a washer with a 3-1/4 inch outer diametre at any plumbing supply place.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/3218/=gt7dfo
OD is the stat you are looking for. ID or Screw Size is the size of the inner hole.
The Litko link looks like they're square wooden bases that can have a steel "under-base" added, but the base itself is plywood.
I appreciate the offered suggestions but I'm really trying to keep away from woods and plastics, and, well, anything non-metal that isn't actually glue or epoxy to attach the miniature to the base.
One thing that crossed my mind was saw blades, which probably come in 3" for something, but I'd rather avoid a sharp edge if possible, and I'm guessing a saw blade base would run kind of expensive too.
Is there anything less dangerous that might come to mind as a viable circular base? It doesn't have to be aimed at the miniature market. Just... things that are 3 inch discs of steel, I guess?
I googled "steel discs" and got this Website. It does not list prices however, you'd have to call them.
My uneducated guess is if you insist on metal, you will have to shell out for it---although the large washers is a really good idea and looks reasonable for the price. That's probably the best you're gonna get.
The only alternative I can think of is the following, which requires some work, and is just a guess as to how to do this more cheaply:
Buy rare earth magnets (such as these, as an example).
Use a roughly 3 inch square plastic lid, like the kind that comes on margarine or cottage cheese containers.
Glue figure to lid.
Glue some of the rare earth magnets to the bottom of the lid.
You has magnet base!
You could do it so the figure's on the top of the lid, and the magnet's on the bottom, but you will need to find a way to make it sturdy.
The way I'd do it is probably flip it over so the "top" (flat part) of the lid becomes the bottom of the base, the part that is in contact with the table.
Glue the miniature to the inside of the lid, roughly centered. Put the rare earth magnets around the figure.
Fill the inside of the lid with glue and sand, or whatever basing material you like, and decorate. This will both reinforce the lid and make it look awesome.
The thin plastic will provide little barrier for the magnetism.
Thanks again for the links, guys. These are more what I'm looking for.
Those steel discs DeathQuaker linked come in 1/8 inch thickness. That's how thick my current bases are with two washers glued together, so they'd be pretty perfect. Bet they're more expensive though. Apparently listing prices on their website is too bourgeois for the manufacturer though. Oh well, I might call them tomorrow to check. I would like to know.
Ok so, from Robert Hawkshaw's link, washers up to three inches (and above) do exist. That link has washers up to five inches.
I was in Home Depot and when I told them I was looking for washers at three inches, or any comparable round metal circles, they didn't seem to have much to suggest other than they could cut some sheet metal down for me.
Having the metal cut would have been like $10 by itself, so that didn't work at all.
Those washers on the link look like a 10-pack of 3" washers costs less than $10, so that's probably exactly what I want. It's still less than $1 a washer. Of course if they're as thin as my current washers, I did mention I'm gluing two together, so that would put them at over $1 per miniature, but how many miniatures will I need with 3-inch bases anyway?
As long as I know what to look for, I can check more locally. There's a locally-owned hardware store that can do special orders if it's hardware that exists and I'm willing to pay for it. (They're a bit more expensive than the big-box hardware stores.)
The butter lid idea sounds cool for a base for a diorama or show-piece, but I'm going to keep looking at washers and metal discs. I think they seem more durable.
I Googled fender washers too, I think that's what the 1" and 2" ones I already have are. Big flat washers with relatively small holes. So I guess that can help in describing them to a hardware shop guy. "I'm looking for 3 inch OD (outside diameter) steel fender washers."
Probably check on the steel disc pricing tomorrow.
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Reaper Miniatures
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On the subject of washers - Nickels are just shy of being a 1" circle (being .8") and cost only 5 cents each, a bit cheaper than "just under a buck". For larger figures, obviously, this won't work, but for character figures, sure.
3" diameter circles - the mini CD's are 80mm, or 3.14 inches. You can get a pack of 50 on amazon for $24 (making them about 50 cents each). I know our local Big!Lots store (if you have those where you live) often has packages of them for $10.
On the subject of washers - Nickels are just shy of being a 1" circle (being .8") and cost only 5 cents each, a bit cheaper than "just under a buck". For larger figures, obviously, this won't work, but for character figures, sure.
3" diameter circles - the mini CD's are 80mm, or 3.14 inches. You can get a pack of 50 on amazon for $24 (making them about 50 cents each). I know our local Big!Lots store (if you have those where you live) often has packages of them for $10.
The one-inch washers don't cost anywhere near a buck apiece. I think I got a bag of 25 for around $2.70 after tax. Of course that still puts the bases at like $0.22 per base (since I use two washers) or something, which is significantly more than a nickel, but the washers I'm using more closely resemble a quarter in size, so for the same effect I'd have to use two quarters and that would be $0.50. Even if I were wanting something nickel-sized, I just can't bring myself to use money that way, even if it is the more cost-effective option. I think I saw where you mentioned it as an option in another thread elsewhere. Also, I don't think nickels are magnetic, and I like that about the washers.
As for the 3-inch bases, I need so few of them that I'm not afraid to spend a little bit on them. I did forget to call that one place today to inquire though. I'll have to remember tomorrow. Not like I'm in a rush.