So, I went on a buying spree and purchased about 400 miniatures from a discount miniature seller. I just got them today and they have very tiny bases, plus they are a bit smaller than I expected. Both of those "problems" would be helped if I could put them on a substantial base. I'm thinking something like a domed disk that is 3/4 of an inch in diameter and up to 1/4 inch in height at the middle. A plain 3/4 inch disk of 1/8 inch thickness would probably be acceptable, but I thought I'd post here to see if anyone knows of any place I can get suitable bases in bulk for a good price. I found a wood craft supply place that sells 3/4 inch wooden disks that are 1/8 inch thick at a price of less than $4 per 100, and I doubt I'm going to beat that price, but maybe there is a source of nearly free base making material that I'm overlooking that someone could point me to.
For example, maybe 3/4 inch diameter cylinders that I can cut into disks? Maybe made from something soft and easy to cut, like styrofoam or floral foam?
Any ideas?
If you can settle for square, you can buy 400 1-inch plastic color tiles for $18 here:
http://www.learningthings.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=LER-0203&eq=&Tp=
That's about 5 cents a tile and one of the best deals I've found for base material. I think your wood tiles are also a great deal (where did you find it) but the nice thing about the squares is that they fit the battlegrid square perfectly (but 3/4 of an inch ain't bad). I also use them for other stuff as well--terrain, marking off area of effect spells, etc. They are a nice heavy plastic, not cheap material despite the relatively low price.
Also, there IS a place that does cheap custom bases, but I can't remember where. Search this miniatures forum (look for ones about bases) as I heard about it here.
You also might try game piece companies (companies that sell bulk pieces for people who make custom board games).
For super cheap bases, especially for larger ones, I've cut out pieces of foamboard in the right shape but that's a lot of work.
I found them here:
The page for wooden discs is here:
I ordered 500 3/4 inch discs for $14 and 50 1.5 inch wooden discs for $3.95. Shipping was $7.50 though...
I will definitely check out your link too. My concern with wood is warpage over time.
I tend to like smaller bases for smaller minis, and the minis I purchased are 24mm minis (almost exactly one inch tall actually) which looked bigger on the photos when I purchased them. They are almost exactly the same size as some very old lead minis I bought back in the 80s, but they look tiny compared to the current D&D plastic mini "standard" size. I may not have purchased them all if I had realized how small they were. But they were cheap, about a quarter per mini at the prices I paid. I guess I shouldn't expect much for that price.
The quality of the sculpting and the plastic is pretty good though. They are "Caesar" brand minis, and their detail and quality are really quite good. I just wish they were bigger.
I wouldn't worry about the wood warping. When you clear-coat your figurers, you'll also be clear-coating the bases. This protects the base from moisture. As long as thee bottom of the base stays dry, you shouldn't have any problems.
I've used wooden bases for years, and have never had a problem with warping.
That's excellent news. Thanks!
I use 1" washers for bases. They're cheap, readily available, magnetic (so I can use Alea Tools discs with them), and they add a nice weight that keeps the center of gravity low and helps prevent tipping (especially with plastic or resin minis).
What do you do about the hole in the middle of the washer?
Heh. That's where it's maybe not so cheap. I took SKR's advice and have been using washers for my miniature bases, but I've been filling the hole with Green Stuff, which may not be the most economical method.
Aih... well, I thought about using pennies... it's hard to beat 300 bases for $3, no tax and no shipping...
But I ordered the wood discs. Unfortunately, they won't be here in time for my painting marathon, so I will have to glue them after I paint. I've got the minis all cleaned up now and am separating them into base colors. Tonight I am playing chauffer for my son's graduation prom and all-nighter or I would have had the base coats all done by now. Looks like that will have to wait until I finally wake up tomorrow...
I either fill the hole with greenstuff, or I get washers with smallers holes--if the mini has a reaper-style "broccoli base," it completely covers the hole.