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BUILDING
A MAGNETIZED ARMY DISPLAY BASE
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Click the images
to see larger versions. |
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Add Some Texture. Slather
wood glue onto the foamcore with an old brush while carefully
avoiding each of the washer holes. It's okay to place
glue near the lip of a washer hole, but it's a better
idea to give each one a bit of breathing room. In terms
of the area underneath vehicles, you can leave most of
it alone. After all, it's out of sight underneath the
vehicle. The most important thing here is to leave an
exposed area of foamcore about 1/4" all the way around
the base. Why? Because the main picture frame probably
has a slight lip that will grind against the sand. Just
trust me on this one, kids. A final bit of advice: glue
and spread sand in manageable stages so it doesn't dry
up on you. |
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Pre-Primer Work. We're
almost ready to paint at this stage, but some minor prep
work is necessary. First, shake off ALL the loose sand.
Use an old tank brush to really get into the recesses
of the washer holes and eliminate as much excess sand
as possible. Next, the exposed foamcore needs to be sealed
so that the spray primer doesn't eat away the innards
of the foamcore. With Chaos Black, paint the inner edges
of each washer hole. You don't have to be perfect, just
slop it on there and get good coverage. |
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Prime, Paint, Flock.
Yup, pretty self-explanatory. Paint the tray so that it
matches your bases and then add static grass (or don't
– it's your call). Remember to paint the exposed
foamcore lip with a reasonably subtle, earthy color like
Scorched Brown or something. |
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Seat the Display in the
Frame. Excited yet? You're nearly there! Carefully
line the inside of the main frame with a tiny line of
wood glue (don't overdo it). This glue will accomplish
two things. For one thing, it'll make sure the inner frame
stays put when it dries. Secondly, it'll act as a lubricant
when you seat the inner frame, making your life a wee
bit easier. With the line of glue laid down, line up all
your arrows on the frames and press that sucker into place.
With the display firmly seated, secure it in place for
good by hammering a nail at an angle through the inner
frame and into the main frame. It's OK if the nail gets
bent a bit and you have to mash it into the frame, it's
all out of sight – so long as the nail is doing
its job. It's a really good idea to place the main frame
onto some soft material so you don't scrape it up when
you do all this hammering. |
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