Hi, Guys.

I am almost finished with my MAZ 537 tractor and trailer. When finished, it will be about 24 inches long. I usually just put my softskins on a simple wooden plaque that I purchase at a craft store, stain, and varnish, but I am not having any luck with a plaque or base that should probably be about 26 inches long by 4 inches wide (or thereabouts). And as I look around at the ever-growing number of tractor/trailers in my stash, it appears this will be a problem for some time to come.
I really only want the base for use at meetings and shows, as it allows the model to be repositioned without picking it up. I am not at the point where I want to make dioramas, nor do I have much space for a base much bigger than the truck itself. And I'm not interested in a Lucite display case, though they are nice. Just looking for a base, really.

How do you guys display your tractor/trailers? I have used a "better" piece of pine that I cut down and stained, but it looks like a piece of wood I stained, not a "display." I am not a woodworker and do not have the tools to do much in that direction, but if you have suggestions on how to make a simple display base, I would be very interested.

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Gary

How fortuitous. I just finished putting an extremely light coat of plaster on this ceiling tile earlier this evening. Edging will be done by my neighbor who is a better woodworker than I. My woodworking projects all tend to made from 2x8s and 2x10s...
Ceiling tiles are obviously very lightweight, they're easy to carve ruts into, (or foxholes, or whatever) and of you run piano wire run into the legs of your figures, they're very easy to place on the base. Of course they come in large rectangular shapes as well, and are easy to cut in to any weird shape you might need. (We did Texas once.)

Well, I like to display my models on a finished base, but I have a full woodshop. However, I was not so fortunate all my life to have the woodworking tools and space I do now. In those days, I usually went to one of the big box stores (aka Home Depot or Lowes) and picked out a nice piece of finish wood (such as oak, maple, or alder/beech/cherry, depending on where you live) in the width and length needed. Finish wood has already been smoothed and sanded, and is ready to use in cabinetry or furniture applications. Ask them to cut the length you need, they'll do it for free and give you the remnants. Get a small hand sanding block (in the paint section) and a can of polyeurathane varnish of your choice, along with a disposable brush. You can also pick up some tack cloth. When you get home, give the length of wood a quick sanding with the block, wipe it down with the tack cloth dampened in a little lacquer thinner, let it sit out overnight. Next Day, give it a coat of the polyeurathane varnish. I'd stay away from fir or pine, as these are soft woods that can be prone to warping. An alternative is to paint your length of wood with spray can enamel (your choice of color), sanding between coats. Another alternative is to find a plastics supply company, and buy a length of plexiglass in a color of your choice, but this can get expensive. Hope this helps.
VR, Russ

I have been thinking about this because I'm going to build a Dragon Wagon and one thing I've been kicking around is to use two bases. One under the tractor and one under the trailer wheels with a space in between.

Cool idea
Works fine for the display cabinet but maybe not so well
for going to shows where the primary use of the base is as a
tray to simplify moving the model on/off tables, for judges
to be able to handle it without touching the model et.c.
/ Robin

Steve Zaloga offered a new approach in one of his builds for Military Modelling. He visited a big-box hardware and construction store and discovered plastic corner molding that looked like wood. It came in eight-foot lengths, and could be cut in a hobby miter box with a hobby saw, and glued using model cement. He could create a base with any dimensions he liked, and then glue a sheet of plexiglass to the bottom for strength and stability (I suppose heavy styrene sheet could also be used). It could be painted with hobby paint, and a wash could be applied to bring out the simulated wood grain, if desired. A styrene top piece could be glued in place, and the ground cover applied to that.

Yeah and think how it would be if I display a tank on it like I'm planning to do. But if you are restricted on space you've got to get creative.

I'm not sure my methodology of bases will directly help but it might prompt some ideas.

I model mainly MBTs and APCs and any number of smaller vehicles in 1:35. I use mainly 2 x sizes which are based on the DIN paper sizes of A4 and A3. When I restarted the hobby around 15-20 years ago (having then joined a club) I realised I would need a transportation medium to facilitate attendance at shows. By using these sizes I could then utilise photocopying paper boxes to transport my models in. By inverting the boxes, the lid would take the base and the box body proper would allow antennae clearance and protection - or at least the protection that cardboard alone can provide.

The bases themselves are constructed from 12mm MDF which I now have produced via my local model shop. They come with a chamfered edge; I then sand and stain and ultimately varnish the MDF and end up with quite a smart base; this takes a bit of effort and several coats and re-sanding. I then apply whatever groundwork etc - often using tile grout as a basis - emplace the model, figures etc and finish off with quite a smart engraved brass plate in one corner.

If I wish to display a smaller model, say a Scorpion, BRDM or Land Rover I use a 8" square base which easily fits into an A4 sized box.

The A3 sized bases I save for larger models such as the heavy tanks of the 50s/60s such as M103, Conqueror etc, and I normally add another supplementary model alongside these such as a Jeep or similar. There is ample room on an A3 sized base for both and any figures I might want to use.

The boxes will require replacement from time to time but these days I just scrounge them from a local printers (hitherto whilst serving in the Army it was a simple matter just to go to the nearest photocopier and pillage accordingly).

I hasten to add that I only attend 5 or so shows a year so there isn't that much wear and tear; one advantage is that my display table looks quite smart and enables me to organise something that looks neat and presentable (I hope!)

Another aspect is that the sizes forces me to consider what works and looks right - reduce any clutter (which might not work) and get it attractive. I must admit there isn't much room once a 1:35 scale MBT is ensconced on an A4 base but to my mind a model looks better on a base.

I will have to consider larger bases once I tackle the Soviet Kondensator in 1:35; I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do that but have considered perhaps 2 x A3 bases - transported separately as described above - yet secured in situ with dowels. We'll see.

So Gary, probably not much of a solution herein but somewhere along the line it might help someone somewhere(!)

Brian

I build a lot of ship models and they are long and narrow. Without having to use woodworking tools, I do this: I buy the nicest pine plank (no warps, few knots), usually 8" x 10', from a DIY store. Using a hand saw I cut off the length I need and finish it with sandpaper. If I want to be fancy, I buy decorative moulding, or 1/4 round strips, cut lengths with 45 degree mitered corners being careful they line up evenly around the sides of the pine plank length. Glue with carpenter's glue, or nail with fine finishing nails. Finish with a stain and/or varnish of your choice. I usually make bases in advance outside during summertime to avoid smells and messes indoors.

For custom wood bases larger than you can get at the craft stores I do what Biggles suggests. Lots of molding styles at the DYI stores in both 1/2" and 3/4" sizes depending on the thickness of the board you select. Also, you can stack other moldings to make a raised platform if that gives the right look.

A simpler, and cheaper solution I also use is to buy some ready-to-assemble picture frame pieces on-line and a piece of 1/2" foam core board at a craft store. I spray texture or paint the board then 'glue' it in the frame using household caulk from the back. I use caulk because some glues melt foam core. This makes a rigid board, lightweight, and easily finished to the desired color/texture. http://framing4yourself.com has a wide selection of wood and metal frames I have used before. Be sure to match the rabbet depth to the board thickness you intend to use.

Some great ideas here! Thanks, everyone, I appreciate it!