Here is a great tutorial on how to magnetize resin and plastic bases for miniatures with all the sizes you’ll need and tips to make it easy!
Rob has magnetized basically every miniature he owns and has been doing it for years. So if you’ve been looking to get your miniatures bases magnetized, this will cover all the tips and tricks, along with all the sizes of magnets you need and where to get them. That way, you can get your army magnetized in no time!
There are some major differences between magnetizing your resin bases and your plastic bases, so we’ll show you how to do both. Let’s get into it!
How to Tutorial: Magnetize Resin & Plastic Bases For Miniatures
The video above focuses more on storing your minis, but it has some good tips, and we’ll show what you need for the base magnetization. Also, if you want to store your minis for cheap, the video is a must-watch! Or, you can see more about how to do it here.
WSteel Sheets & Storage
No matter whether you have plastic or resin miniature bases, you’ll need something for them to magnetize to! Best of all, these metal sheets are easy to customize by cutting them with tin snips or metal clippers if you need special sizes. You can grab these metal sheets here or at your local DIY hardware store in the HVAC aisle under metal ducting.
They are fairly affordable, and Rob just mounts them to his storage case with 1″ double-sided foam tape and Duct Tape around the edges…
No matter what you choose, they are all pretty easy solutions, but if you don’t have cases for your minis, Rob just uses these Clear Cases (you can get them up to 6″ tall) as it’s cheap and takes a few seconds to get the metal sheets inside.
How Can You Magnetize Resin Bases for Miniatures?
There are two main options here. First, Squad Marks has tons of pre-cut magnets that work great for miniatures with resin bases. They have them all the way up to 50mm, but generally, you don’t need too much over that size.
So for the bigger minis, you’ll have to cut your own, but we’ll cover that in a second. All you have to do with the Squad Marks sizes is peel and stick them on your minis’ bases. It’s really that simple! So if you just grab a steel sheet from above and the Squad Marks’ magnets, you can literally be done in minutes.
As you can see above, they fit really well and are actually a hair smaller than the bases, which is what you want.
Then, if you don’t want to grab theirs or need to cut them out for bigger minis, you can grab a refrigerator magnet sheet and cut them out for yourself. Again, just like Squad Marks does, you want to cut them a little smaller than the base.
That way, you don’t have to come back and trim anything later. They are also strong enough that they don’t have to cover the whole base. To do this, simply put your base down, trace around it, and cut the line, so it’s not hanging over. As you can see in the pic above, it’s not all the way to the edge.
Just to note, talking about the base sizes, there are tiny differences in companies’ resin bases, so be sure to measure out and not just assume it will be the exact perfect size. It’s often the tiniest tolerance, but it can make a huge difference.
What’s The Best Way To Magnetize Plastic Bases?
Plastic bases have a little gap between the ground and the center “roof” of the bases, like the one above. So, all you have to do is glue a magnet in that open spot. Rob recommends using the Magnet Baron ones because he’s never had any problem with them. It’s really simple, you just glue it in, and you’re ready to go. The main thing you need to watch out for is which size magnets you’re using.
Here’s a quick reference sheet to go on with the diameter measurement listed first.
- 1/4 x 1/16 for lower 25-27mm.
- 3/8 x 116 for 32-50mm bases (2 for 60mm) and more as needed.
- 1/2 x 1/16 for the really big bases like 130mm.
The reason you only want a 1/16 height is that these diameter magnets have enough pull to keep your minis on the metal, and this way, they won’t interfere with playing. And maybe more importantly, if you use a bigger magnet, you can actually have too much magnetization and damage your minis when pulling them out (or that snap to each other).
But if you stick with the sizes above, you should be good to go; just remember, if it’s not holding for bigger minis, you can always add more magnets to the base.
Product List For Magnetizing Miniatures Bases:
- Metal Sheets For Clear Cases (you can also get HVAC tin sheets cheap from your local home improvement store)
- Double-sided tape
- Clear Cases
- Squad Marks Magnets
- Refrigerator magnet sheet
- Magnet Baron Magnets
Which do you prefer to magnetize, resin, or metal bases on your miniatures?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
