Miniature Holder

summerone

summerone

Vassal
Hi, I'm currently either using Blu-Tac to stick the base of a miniature to a spray can lid or glueing small parts (riders, shields etc) to the top of a nail in a piece of wood to create some form of holder. I'm then carefully prying off the model after painting, cleaning up and doing any extra painting as needed once fully assembled. I have many different base sizes and shapes for my models. I'm wondering whether any of the miniature holders available are any good for old, heavier metal models - particularly including those with irregular bases? What do you use, and do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
 
As a recent returnee to the scene, this is one of the things I've wondered about. Along with other things that passed me by. Currently holding things by base or bit I'm not painting, like I did years ago. I don't really trust Blu-Tack except for fitting & posing.
 
Michael Stockin said:
If you are in the UK, you can have this for free if you are happy to pay for postage?


I just hold mine by the base and head.
I paint the head last.
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Thank you, that is very kind - I am in the UK! I'm finding that I'm sometime rubbing paint off parts of the model if I'm changing position of it without some form of holder, and with larger multi-piece metal models I have been worried about breaking/bending parts of them. How sturdy is the Citadel holder?
 
orkwrangler said:
As a recent returnee to the scene, this is one of the things I've wondered about. Along with other things that passed me by. Currently holding things by base or bit I'm not painting, like I did years ago. I don't really trust Blu-Tack except for fitting & posing.
Click to expand...
I definitely don't trust Blu-Tack either, but it certainly seems to be the best option I have at the moment for painting the edge of a base without damaging something! I have found wearing a nitrile glove on my "holding" hand helps, but I feel the need to use a holder for at least part of the painting with most of the models I'm working on at the moment.
 
I haven't really used it much. I painted 6mm then 15mm then 10mm for the longest time.
When I started 25mm a few years back I found them much more cumbersome so bought a painting handle to see if that helped hold them.
For me it just didn't work.

As for paint rubbing off.
I varnish as I go. Finish a colour. Varnish it. Start the next colour, then when done, varnish that.
Helps stop rub. Also helps making slips easier to remove. I always get paint on a bit I did not mean too, it seems easier to quickly remove from a varnished colour than not.
 
Blu-tack (or more non-branded at times) is fine for me. But I do have printed handle I made which I put some LEDs in to give better light but.. I don't really use it much these days as I mostly use blu-tack or just hold the tab (depending on the figure and stuff. or sometimes, a small model vice.

I know some people use things like a thick dowel of wood with a slot (and sometimes a hole for a nut and bolt) as a cheap DIY solution.
 
Michael Stockin said:
I haven't really used it much. I painted 6mm then 15mm then 10mm for the longest time.
When I started 25mm a few years back I found them much more cumbersome so bought a painting handle to see if that helped hold them.
For me it just didn't work.

As for paint rubbing off.
I varnish as I go. Finish a colour. Varnish it. Start the next colour, then when done, varnish that.
Helps stop rub. Also helps making slips easier to remove. I always get paint on a bit I did not mean too, it seems easier to quickly remove from a varnished colour than not.
Click to expand...
Hmm, varnish as you go sounds like a good thing to try
 
I tend to base my models after painting - so they are just on their tabs for painting. I put them in some very simple clamps I made up (another example). I did try all manner of jewellery clamp, but never found any that were light enough for my taste. For smaller pieces I tack them onto something with some superglue (for example, especially shields or backpacks) or if they have a peg mount they go on bits of wood (for example, or here). The only commercial painting grip I use is one from Rathcore (https://www.facebook.com/miniatureholders/) which I do like and use for models where they are already based (scroll down) (although not always) and I need something to grab that base - I like the support bar on them a lot. In general I like my clamps to be quite small.
 
I should add if you have access to a PLA 3D printer there are tonnes of handles people have designed and offered up for free floating about the old Internet.

Finally if you put magnets in your bases, do that before you paint and you could just grab a lump of dowel and pop a magnet of the opposite polarity in the top of that and use that to attach to the miniature. I've done that a few times when I really needed to base my model first (say it was a puddle base I needed to integrate with putty into a larger base). My DIY dowel clamps have magnets at the other end to keep them stable when put down and (probably in the photos) the black bit they are on is just some random steel covered in velour like sticky back plastic.
 
Eric said:
I should add if you have access to a PLA 3D printer there are tonnes of handles people have designed and offered up for free floating about the old Internet.

Finally if you put magnets in your bases, do that before you paint and you could just grab a lump of dowel and pop a magnet of the opposite polarity in the top of that and use that to attach to the miniature. I've done that a few times when I really needed to base my model first (say it was a puddle base I needed to integrate with putty into a larger base). My DIY dowel clamps have magnets at the other end to keep them stable when put down and (probably in the photos) the black bit they are on is just some random steel covered in velour like sticky back plastic.
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Don't have a 3D printer but I have been increasingly tempted by them. never used magnets with miniatures either, but it's something I've come across a few times now since my return to the hobby and will definitely look in to it. thanks again!
 
For actual miniature printing resin printers are the better bet and I'm amazed just how cheap a reasonable printer is these days (or secondhand - for instance I keep thinking I should sell my Elegoo Mars 2 to make some space as I have another larger printer and realistically that would only sell for £50-60 these days). That said I'd still say "3D printing" itself is a hobby, there is still quite a bit of faff with resins, gloves, solvents and respirators, endless cleaning and whatnot involved ... The PLA printers seem to be preferred for large terrain items and more general "things" (like a painting handle for instance), although you do tend to get thicker layers with those printers which are more noticeable.

Magnets are great! Being able to transport models without them needing to actually sit in anything - all that foam busy rubbing away at your paint - is great. Well that is assuming you have suitable strength magnets for the models - us old lead-heads tend to need slightly more beefy ones than these youngsters with all their plastic ;)
 
Oh, depending on things, FDM (PLA) printers can be a pain with layer heights cause of how they work. Though depending on the nozzle side and material you can improve things. I normally use a 0.4mm (which is kinda standard) but got a 0.2mm, and mostly print in PLA+ or PETG these days, ABS can be easier to clean layer lines due to using acetone to melt the surface a bit. You can use a paint-on resin with PLA,PLA+,PETG which does decrease details cause it basically creates a layer which you can sand easier.

You can still do miniatures, and I do the odd one but the detail is limited, but better for tools, accessories etc then using resin. Resin printers need to be really well ventilated area to use.
 
Brother Meredith said:
Those Citadel holders are designed primarily for round bases, I find them a little awkward to use with square bases. As I tend to paint in batches, the time spent putting them on and off the holder is a bit of a waste…
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I find that their old version works ok for 20mm & 25mm square bases, at least.

IMG_2026-09-01-194234.jpeg

When I'm batch painting (i.e. rarely), I'll often break out my Redgrass painting handle. I have the original v1 design and find it pretty good. It's small & light, has swappable caps with 360° rotation, and the base of the handle is magnetised. Their original orange mounting putty is not much cop though. It's not really up to holding heavy metal figures in place & sticks where you don't want it to. I find it leaves residue on the filler in your slotta bases, for instance. Nothing a lick of paint & a spot of matt varnish in advance won't fix but a PITA all the same.
 
If I ever get around to sorting out our garage I was thinking I might have earned enough good will to be allowed to drill a large hole in the wall, add a fan and purchase a couple of printers to put there... though I might need to redo all the flooring in the house first too.
 
Citizen Sade said:
@Eric, what sizes & types of magnets are you using? Also, do you have any recommendations for suppliers?
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https://www.first4magnets.com/ has been my go-to for many years now, they have always seemed fairly priced and have been helpful when I've had queries. Generally either 6mm or 8mm diameter and 2mm thick N42 neodymium seem to work well with Citadel slotta bases. My last lot of marines seem to have the larger 8mm magnets, but others have 6mm ones. Just tried a 6mm one on the radiator and he seemed to stay put happily, but I was probably getting paranoid so went with some 8s or maybe I just had those to hand? :)

I do try to get all mine round the same polarity just so if I am using another magnet (such as in a clamp) there isn't any faff, but generally they are going onto metal sheets for storage.
 
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