Movement Trays

Anyone know of an easy way to construct movement trays fer my boyz. as the GW ones are only for the smaller infantry bases?

I make mine out of 1/8" hardboard (available at Home Depot and Lowes) - its like super heavy cardboard - as the base and 1/8" basswood as the edges. The hardboard needs to be cut with a saw. I then glue the basswood edges to the hardboard squares with Elmers glue, spray paint the whole thing green, coat the edges with glue, and sprinkle with flock.

I am thinking of changing everything over to magnetic trays, though, to speed up me set-up time.

Well I have a really good way to make movement trays...

My fiance doesnt think too much of my hobby with my "little plastic soldiers"(as she puts it) but she did give me a great idea for some cheap strong movement trays. Any dollar store sells cardboard puzzles that small kids put together, and they also carry wooden barbecue skewers for shishkabobs. All you do is peel off the part of the puzzle that holds the pieces on and then you just cut out the size of movement tray that you want, plus 3mm extra on each side (for the skewerss) then you cut the BBQ skewers to the right size and glue them to the top edges of the cardboard you cut out. Let them dry and then add flock, grass, sand etc to get the right effect. I have even ordered some flex steel linings for them and some magnets for the bottom of my minis. So you can make any size or shape movement tray and even though it is dollar store cardboard they are quite rigid and strong. It works quite well and only costs about 3-4 bucks a tray (canadian dollars that is!)


Cardboard from puzzles



Skewers for rails, just peel off the colored part of puzzle boards.



5x3 rank tray with rails attatched (just plain white glue)



Shows tray with some static grass, and unfinished



And the tray with some wolf riders ready to smash some guys!

they look pretty good eh?

This post has been edited by WarbossKurgan on Apr 11 2007, 01:16 PM

I use a similar method to Rustycan's, but with cardboard(from cornflake boxes and so forth) and pieces of sprue.
Works good as the sprue is about as high as the bases.
(sprue is also good when building up display bases, when ground needs to be level with the bases.)

I use somewhat the same method as Rustycan but I make mine of the Cardboard from the back of notepads and such.

It's just something that's slightly thicker than normal cardboard from cereal and makes it a bit more sturdy.
See it in action Here:

And here:

(Don't mind the bases, I use different methods now. These are old units)

Grtz
-EM-

This post has been edited by WarbossKurgan on Apr 11 2007, 01:17 PM

I've reduced everyones massive images to a more forum-friendly 640x480.

Carry on!

And to take it to the next level, there are magnetic movement trays...
There are a few on this forum that happens to be experts on that particular kind.

Sorry about the size of the images Kurgan! First time posting pics on here.

And Tanker, and Entertainme, I also tried movement trays out of notepad cardboard and various food boxes but they were not very durable. With the puzzle boards they dont warp with humidity (ie, you leave them in a hot car) and they are cheaper than buying the thin wood from hobby/hardware stores, hell the puzzle board is $1 a board and for that you get 8-10 movement trays. And I have actually ordered the Neodymium magnets from one site, as well as the flex-steel inserts that you cut to size and peel the back off and stick into your existing movement trays.

The site for the magnets is K&J Magnetics Inc the D41s are the ones I ordered.

The Flex-Steel tray inserts you can send in your measurements and they will custom cut them for you, or they sell an 8.5"x11" sheet with a peel and stick back that you can cut yourself for about $6.99 a sheet. And those can be ordered from Litko Aerosystems

I cant take credit for these websites, I actually read them in a post here on DaPaff by someone else, but looks like that post was a victim of the damn hackers of April 1st. So if anyone remembers whom it was, please post here to give them full credit, it was about a week before the hacking incident.

Howdy

I use a similar system as mentioned, but out of plasticard (sheet styrene). I have started magnatizing mine as well. A thin sheet of metal slipped in the tray and neo (rare earth) magnets on the bottoms of figures.

other nice links:

Dr Faust's Movement Trays

GW's answer to 25mm and spiders etc

K&S makes the metal sheets pretty cheaply and can be found on racks at most hobby stores. (NOT k&J the magnet folks, but K&S the metal folks in the red packaging... )

peace

Just out of interest. I'm going to be buying magnets for three armies from the K&J Magnetics strore which Rustycan already linked to. But I've no idea how strong those magnets really are, and therefore I've no idea which size magnets I need to buy. If there's anybody who's used them before and could tell me which size magnets can hold what, I'd really appreciate it. I need to know what size can hold a plastic Orc, a metallic Black Orc, plastic and metallic cav. Thanks

howdy

hmmm... I took all of mine out of the bags so now I don't know how big they are... hahhaha.

But I'll find my millimeter ruler and give it a try. But for example the giant is held by TWO small magnets and as you saw, holds up just fine. So one magnet for plastic and two for metal is what you need. Rember that they need to be short enough to fit under the base.

I'll update as soon as I measure.

peace

Hey Saimon, I have that info for you, but I probbly won't be able to get it to you until after the weekend. I have a big Indy GT that I have to travel to San Fran for in about 16 hours and I am way behind schedule

Rustycan must have gotten those links from a post I did a couple of weeks ago that got nuked in the Chernobyl Open April Fools Day Debacle (hopefully we have learned a valuable lesson on mucking with the forum...). Their were lots of pretty little pictures and info on magnets, strengths, rubber sheets impregnated with steel, etc.

The D41 work well for my plastics, but I can't recommend them for metallics - I'll tell you right now that they won't be strong enough. The D41's hold ok and allow you to take models off the sheets easy enough, but you'll want bigger, or thicker, or stronger for a unit of metals.

I have to get some when I return so I'll revisit this then to make recommendations after I try some out.

- Q

I'm surprised your D41s won't hold metal figs... they are rated at over 3 and a half pounds of pull each.

I went with the "surplus" magnets that are close in size to the D41, the ZD1... they are rated at 2.88 lbs pull each, and I was using them to hold a metal space marine dreadnought together, and modularized the assorted arms (all metal) for it. The only thing wrong with my setup was that I wasn't experienced enough on the whole magnet-using thing, and I didn't properly attach the waist mount - so currently the lower magnet is stuck in the socket in the torso, where it'll likely stay for a good long time...

Anyways, the ZD1 or the D41 should be plenty to hold a regular metal mini in a movement tray. If you want to be able to skid the trays across the table without the models coming loose, or hold them upside down or 90 degrees to vertical, then you'll probably want something stronger.

As a point of interest, the ZD1s fit 2 thick in the hollow under the GW bases and sit flush with the bottom - so if you want to do the work, you can glue one under the base, and the other to the tray at the appropriate spot, and then you have magnet-to-magnet bonding, which should be enough to hold even metal black orcs at 90 degrees without falling out - but I haven't tested this... a lot depends on how much weight is at the top of the mini, which will determine the shear force acting on the mini. It's easier to hold the magnetized mini when upside down than when perpendicular to gravity.

So yeah, I've rambled enough. Waaagh and all that rot, time for bed.

Ok, thanks for the input guys. Some helpful info there. And yes, I'm indeed looking for magnets strong enough to hold the model atleast on a 90 degree angle, maybe even upside down. And yes, they are supposed to be moved around the board without getting all loose and out of formation.

Actually, the store I've intended to buy the magnets from is the Power Magnet Store. Getting them from inside the EU helps alot when it comes to postage costs and customs costs. Anyways, I'm guessing they are the same stuff in both stores?

I've thought about getting two different sized magnets, which are basically the two sizes you described. D6 x 2mm Disc - Grade N38 for metallics and D1/4" x 1/16" Disc - Grade N38 for plastics. I've no idea if those will do the job, but that's why I'm asking you guys . So, will they do the job or am I just going to get a load of junk that I'll never need?

Queequeg, I saw your post before the hacking. Just viewed through it quickly. It looked like it had a lot of info, and now I'm ashamed of not reading through it more thoroughly. Good look to you for the GT and have a nice trip

Anyways, thanks for all the input guys Much appreciated.

No problem, Saimon

I would write to them at the Power Magnet Store and ask for samples of each. Let them know what you intend and I'm sure they will accommodate Try them out! You also need to remember that some bases the slot runs down the middle, and a disk with too wide a diameter won't fit without hacking up the base. Too thick and they won't sit flush. Too stong and two models with be more attracted to each other than the ground they stand on

Boss, even thought they are rated 3lbs, they are not that strong when it comes to the steel-impregnated sheets I used from Litko. I would safely say that is the issue.

The magnets will attract to each other with great force, and to other pure metals with as much vigor. I have used sheet metal bases before, but they are ugly, and when cut to size you have a VERY sharp edge to deal with. Not only that, it can unglue from the base you adhere it to as well. But that is the kind of hold we are talking about.

I have seen some people use neodymium magnets that are so strong that they can't lift the model off the tray, snapping it in half or just damaging it unless they slid it off - even then with difficulty. You have to find that middle ground.

Unit of 36 Night Goblins - those are metal Netters on the corners of the front rank - But I would NOT give this a shake when upside down. They would drop...




K&J Magnetics D41's




Hacked Cav base to accomodate a mag




Package of custom-cut steel-impregnated sheets for my tourney army from Litko Aero - Peel off the backing and stick them in place! Attractive when units start gettting wittled down by combat.



This post has been edited by Queequeg on Apr 13 2007, 01:46 PM