Hey all, Has anyone tried magnetizing their infantry (read: Saurus and Skinks)? I did a test model on my Saurus using a 1/16" diameter magnet on both the body and the arm. It didn't take too much time, but you do need to line it up just right. My only real concern is the small gap now between the two pieces. It's not significant, I did a good job of making sure the magnets were flush or underflush. But it is still there. Normally I would put some greenstuff in there to close off that gap, but it would defeat the purpose of the magnets. Any recommendations?
I use pretty tiny 3x1.5mm Neodymium rare earth magnets, one in each corner of the base (I also tend to use Regimental bases which can fit 4 infantry troops in a line) and then standard self adhesive sheet magnets on the movement trays. The rare earth magnets are really strong, but can be a bit fiddly to superglue them to the base corners. They're not that expensive though, you can get 50 for 99p. So that's 25 individual infantry magnetized really strongly for less than £2. Worth it IMO.
I dont think he is meaning bases, but for switching arms/equipment? If so, Jay Try to get your hands on a drill at the diameter of your magnet. Use it to make a little hole in your model (tip: do it by hand) a way to hide the magnet, when doing an arm for example is to make the hole in the torso a little deeper than just one magnet. lets say 1.5 of your magnets height deep. Then you make a hole in the arm that is only 0.5 of the magnets height (meaning that it will pop out) This way you avoid ruining the arm by drilling too deep and your 2 magnets will both fit and be hid inside the torso Hope you get what I am saying, and that it helps!
One more thing you should think about. I tried magnetizing the arms of my 40k dreadnought once. Though the magnets where strong enough, they are in fact round. Thus the arm would not stay up, but would drop down with its gun shooting a crater in front of him. Now these arms are way smaller than the gun, but this is leverage at work. It is possible that it also works like this on those tiny arms.
To save on magnets, you can magnetize a model using only 1 magnet instead of 3 (1 body, 1 for each replacement arm). Instead of placing one magnet in the body and one magnet in the arm, cut the head off a small nail and use that in the place of the second magnet (in the arm).
I really hope your organized and have a very good way of keeping track of all of these little arms and alternates. That could get really annoying trying to transport 30 Saurus Warriors only to find out when you get to your destination that you lost 5 of them along the way. FYI.
Banner carriers also suffer from droopy arm, just with less craters. You could put a little brass pin tin the arm to line up with a socket on the body (if you do it the other way (pin on body) it limits the pose-ablilty of non-droopy arms. For like, when you are just playing with your action figures while you are waiting for Super Hero Squad to start.