Miniatures and stuff I'm currently working on

Click on the pictures for larger versions.

First, here are a couple shots of my workbench and all the stuff on it.

The fleets I have in progress are (from left to right), the Decados minis for Hollistic Designs Noble Armada, the Quellaris fleet from Kallistra's Space Dreadnought 3000 line, and some old Imperial ships from Space Fleet, GW's old space game before Battlefleet Gothic

I've just started basing my minis a new way.  I've used barrel clasps in the past to attach the mini to the base so I could take them apart for storage and travel.  This meant I had to cut off a bit of the post and glue on the flat end of the barrel clasp and then used epoxy around the connection for strength.   This didn't always work and sometimes the post was crooked, etc.  So here is my new method:

I drill out the post hole in the mini with a 5/32" bit (4mm) and glue in one side of the barrel clasp (with the connecting wires in the example removed.)

Using the bottom of a normal hex flying stand, I glue in a couple of 7/8" fender washers to add some heft for the smaller ships and to lower the center of gravity on the rest.  Then drill out the post hole with the same 5/32" bit.

Now cut off about a 1" of tubing (aluminum or brass works) and this will be the post. From the next size larger tubing (3/16"), cut a 1/4" section to use as the cuff.  Brass tubing is best since the aluminum is too soft.  You will have to file out the inside of this cuff since cutting forces some of the material into the middle and it won't slide on the post tube or the barrel clasp without it.  You should be able to find the tubing at any decent hobby or train store.

Then all you have to do is assemble the pieces into a nice looking base that will quickly dissemble for storage and travel.

I've picked up a bunch of old minis recently and I need to get some of that old paint off.  So after looking at all the posts on the Usenet miniatures newsgroups on stripping paint from minis, I'm using Pine Sol.  I also picked up this plastic containers at the local Big Lots discount store.  They are flat so the minis lie on the bottom nicely so I can use less Pine Sol, and the covers snap down with a gasket so they seal well and I won't smell up the house with pine.  The larger one even has room for a Super Galactic Dreadnought from Starfleet Wars/Galactic Knights to lie flat.

My first batch of minis is soaking.  I'll let you know how it goes.....

OK, I finally got those minis out of the Pine cleaner after a month of soaking.  That was way to long and the pine actually ate into the plastic of the container.  I'll be better next time and get them out after a day or two.  The paint came off pretty easily with a toothbrush but some of the detail was hard to clean so I did what a could and left then until I had more time.   When I got back to them, I used a dental tool I had lying around to get to the crevices and as long as you could get to it, the last bits of paint came off easily.  The person who had originally painted these minis didn't really clean up the seam lines and the flash before painting them so there were more spots for bits of paint to stick and I now know that I have some metal clean up work to do before I start painting them.