jimmyzimms wrote:
Always meant to ask, did you 'de-plinth' the figures to mount on the bases? The textured polysty seems to be unbroken. If so, how do you feel they hold up? For myself I've just resorted to strategically placed rubble to hide the fact
It depends on where the models are going to be set. If they are going into thick Green Stuff I use a side cutter to snip off excess plinth. This ends up with irregular shapes, which helps as the eye is looking for the standard circle when looking at a stand of infantry. Once the model and base are painted (separately), the model is set in the base and I use liquid GS to fill in the gaps. Then paint the GS appropriately.
If the model is to be set in thin GS (e.g. roads) it's the same as above, but shave off as much vertical plinth height as possible with a craft knife. I do it after trimming with the side cutter so there's as little metal to shave as possible. I rest the model on a cutting mat, with the plinth perpendicular to the mat, and shave bit by bit. Sometimes setting the model in blu-tack with the plinth sticking out helps. I try to avoid shaving where possible - one slip and the model is toast.
If the model is to be set on something like the tractor above, the plinth comes off entirely. I cut as much off with side cutter and knife as possible, ending up with only what's directly below the feet. Then cut that off too. It's slightly easier than shaving, but then it means I have to pin the model to whatever it's set on. This involves drilling with a 0.3mm drill through the bottom of the foot and up the leg which is rather fiddly.
It's all a bit time consuming, but I think making those telltale circles disappear really helps with immersion. I broke quite a few SM models honing the techniques, but only 1 SoB model. I think that's the right way around given the SoB cost a lot more!