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Magnetising your models 磁石って便利なの？

by David on 2009-05-20 (Wed) 11:26AM

Why would anyone want to bother magnetising their models? There are plenty of good reasons - better stability on movement trays, easier transport of armies, easier grip for painting, weapon swaps, and special effects. Still don't believe me? Skip down to the bottom for some examples.

 

「なぜフィギュアで磁石を使うの？」を考えているゲーマーに答えします。いくつかの便利な使い方があります：ユニットで移動する時も、アーミーを運ぶ時も、ペンキを塗る時も、ウェポン交換も、ディスプレイ用の作品にも助かります。

 

 

Method #1 : The simple version

 

 

You will need 必要なもの:

• Magnetic sheet with adhesive backing (100 yen shop) マグネットシート
• Magnetised rubber strip (470 yen from Gooday) フェライト磁石ラバータイプ（グッデイより）
• Double-sided tape 両面テープ
• Scissors はさみ

 

 

How? どうやって？

Cut and stick a section of magnetic sheet to your movement tray. Then simply cut the magnetised rubber strip into squares, and use the double-sided tape to stick it to the base of your models. Before you stick the magnet square to the base of each model, check the polarity first - you'll find it stronger left-right or front-back, but not both. Easy, yes?

 

マグネットシートを切ってユニットと礼に貼ります。そしてラバーマグネットを四角に切手、モデルのベースに両面テープで貼ります。簡単でしょう？

 

 

Results 結果:

Does it work? Well, the strip used in the photos is 2mm thick (19mm wide), which gives a pull of only 0.37kg. That means that models will stick to the movement tray enough to nottople over or slide on hills, you can't turn a tray upside down and expect models to stay locked in place. But it's easy to buy the materials, and quick to do.

 

２ミリ厚みのラバーマグネットを使うと、たった０．３７ｋｇの吸着力がでます。トレイを逆転したらモデルが落ちますが、テーブルの上で十分便利です。材料が集めやすくて、安い方法です。

 

 

Problems 問題発生！

While Method #1 works well for plastic models on 25mm square bases, it's not so useful for models on smaller bases, or models with insert tabs. Round bases are also problematic, and heavy metal models don't stick quite so well.

 

２５ｍｍのベースには問題ないですが、２０ｍｍベースのモデルの場合には困るよね。それに重いモデルも固定できない場合もあります。

 

 

 

Method #2 : Rare Earth Magnets

 

You will need 必要なもの:

• Hot glue gun (under 1000 yen) グルーガン
• Thin steel sheeting (470 yen for 20x30cm, Gooday) スチール入りのトタン板
• Rare earth magnets レア・アースマグネット (10 yen each)

 

While I have seen rare earth magnets in Gooday, they are packaged in boxes of 5, at about 200 yen EACH! So your best bet is to try overseas. I got mine on Ebay, at about 21 USD for 250 magnets. Beppu's Ring-tail.com also sells them, so you can get them when ordering miniatures!

 

One very useful advantage of using rare earth magnets is their compact size. Mine are only 1mm x 6mm, and can fit anywhere. このマグネットのポイントは二つです：強い吸着力と小ささ。どのベースでも使えます。

 

 

 

How? どうやって？

Getting hold of the materials and magnets was the hard part - now comes the easy part. Simply add a blob of hot glue to the base and carefully push in a magnet. Make sure it's flush with the rim of the base, so the model doesn't wobble. Should take about 30 seconds a model. If you're cutting the sheet metal for movement trays, wear gloves - those edges are sharp!

 

お疲れ様でした！材料をよく集めました！これからは早いぞ　－　ベースにのりを貼って、マグネット一個を入れます。約３０秒かかる。

 

 

Results 結果:

Wow! Each magnet apparently has about 1.8kg of pull on it, which means that you can clip them to the metal sheet and wave it around quite safely. One magnet will quite happily hold a large plastic model in place, but two might be better for metal dragon ogres.

 

すごい強い磁石です！逆転しても落ちないので、なんでも安全に運べます。成功！

 

 

 

Usage #1 : Movement trays

If your models have rare earth magnets attached, there is no way they will EVER fall off your movement trays!

 

 

Usage #2 : Painting grip

An excellent way to secure your models during painting. Simply screw a large steel screw into a lump of wood, and you're done. Try and make the head of the screw flush with the surface of the wood, to eliminate any wobble. I've used a long strip of metal on my painting  blocks (remnants of an earlier project).

 

塗る時は助かります。持ちやすいので、木材のブロックに大きいネジを入れてみて。

 

 

Usage #3 : Army transport

Use some strong double-sided tape (or a glue gun?) to stick a large sheet of the steel sheeting in your army box, and everything will click safely into place. Probably don't even need foam! 

 

金属板をアーミーボックスに張れば、早く全フィギュアを固定できます。

 

 

 

Usage #4 : Wound & effect markers

The rare earth magnets also produce a magnetic field above the base of your model, so you have a 'sweet spot' on each model to which you could quickly attach wound markers. As long as you can find spare bitz large enough (or magnets small enough), you could mount magnets to the bottom of skulls, or create some spell effects - fuzzy green wibbly things for 'remains-in-play' markers, or even animosity.

 

ベースの上面にも弱い吸着力が出ますので、マジックやダメージのマーカーを簡単に付けることが出来る。

 

 

 

Usage #5 : Weapon swaps

If you change your tank armaments between games, you can quickly attach magnets to the major joints, and swap weapons. A quick search of the internet (sorry, can't remember the site URLs) turnd up these images of Space Marine Dreadnoughts with interchangeable arms, Tyranid Carnifex with interchangeable everything, and even tinier magnets used to swap the arms of a Space Marine Commander. NB. Polarity is important if you're using two magnets together!

 

各ゲームでウェポンを交換するあなたに、これは便利！やり過ぎかもしれんネ？

 

 

 

Usage #6 : Special effects

As much as the idea of a floating jetbike sounds cool, it is apparently scientifically impossible to use a mixture of repelling and attracting magnets to levitate a model, without some seriously complicated rotating magnet technology or other wizardry. On the other hand, very thin clear fishing wire could be used effectively to anchor a model to the base of a diorama, and have a magnet above the model (in a tree, for example) attracting another magnet mounted in the roof of a tank to 'float' it. My mind is already spinning through some ideas.... hmm....

 

残念ですけど、磁石のみで「飛んでいる」タンクのモデルが不可能みたいですね！しかし、釣り用のウィヤーを使えばどうかなぁ。。。

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