UMS "Agram" : Selfmade magnetic grip for painting miniatures < Articles < Hobby

Selfmade magnetic grip for painting miniatures

Borna Pleše, 16th September 2022

For all those who do not like to have more paint on their fingers than on miniatures, holders are a wonderful invention. Whether you're using an expensive model from Games Workshop or an old cork to hold your miniatures while you paint them, you're probably not taking advantage of nature's most fun force: magnetism.

I personally use an improvised holder with a total price of less than 10 kuna (even with skyrocketing inflation), which I responsibly claim offers better ergonomics and safety of use than those for which you will pay many times more in the store.

It is produced from only two ingredients: a wooden figure and a neodymium magnet. No more fastening the base or gluing the figure with patafix, duct tape and similar impractical means. Magnets are extremely practical and if you already use them on the bases of your miniatures, you won't need to change anything in your painting process.

The manufacturing procedures are as follows:

Get a wooden figure (or several) that fits comfortably in your hand. These "man don't get angry" variants are about 10 cm tall and fit in the palm of your hand, have a slot for the thumb and can stand on the table by themselves. They can be obtained from hobby and craft supply stores.

The top of the holder must be flat, so we will "chop off" half the head of this figure to leave a flat surface on the upper side.

Every good executor uses protective equipment. Smart in the head, protective gloves on the hands.

The operation is successful and we have a flat surface. After cutting, you will probably have chips and remnants of wood left on the edges, so just go over the surface and the edges you cut with coarse sandpaper/sandpaper so that they don't get hurt on it.

Take a wood drill bit and drill a shallow hole in the top. An ordinary drill will do if you don't really have a wood drill bit (you'll recognize it by the "spike" on the top).

Try to make a hole that is just as deep as the height of the neodymium magnet (it can be bought in various hobby and electrical stores for less than half a kuna per piece), and the diameter of the hole should be 1-2 mm larger than the magnet. If you drill a millimeter too far, don't worry. The magnet is strong enough even if it is not completely flush with the wood. We made a hole with a depth of 2mm x 12mm because we will put a 2x10 magnet.

Pour wood glue into the groove (karbofix can be found at any hardware store and you probably already have it for other hobby purposes). Place enough to fill the slot completely.

Insert the neodymium magnet and press it so that it sits in the bottom of the slot and wipe off the excess adhesive that will squeeze out, but do not remove too much. You want the glue to hold the magnet on every side except the top, so we made a slightly wider hole. Let the glue dry overnight.

And that's it! You have a holder to which you can quickly and safely attach and detach the miniature without gluing, fastening or other complications. Just keep in mind that the miniature on the bottom of the base must have a piece of metal or magnet facing the right way to attract with the one on the holder. No more colors on your fingers or cramps in your tendons from clumsy and expensive braces. Happy painting!

Latest articles

We visited: Slovenian State Championship in plastic modelling, Ljubljana 16.11.2024.

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	On Saturday, 16.11.2024. in Ljubljana, the Slovenian Nationals in plastic modeling was held. Our delegation performed in several categories.

	  

	After arriving, registering and placing works in the appropriate categories, the most important thing was to meet again and talk with colleagues from other cities and countries such as Slovenia and Italy.

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	It was a special pleasure for us to present and present several copies of our latest edition to our partners and friends from Back to Basics!

	  

	Also a real refreshment is the discovery of the (so far the only) manufacturer of real wooden bases and plinths in these areas - swood.si!

	  

	A little after 11:00, it was time to open the even officially and inspect the exhibits.

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	Given that, after several years of ugly weather, this weekend was sunny, we decided to use that time for a walk in beautiful Ljubljana.

	  

	  

	  

	Kruno: "This year, Slovenian Nationals were also an opportunity to see new and interesting works by colleagues from Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Austria and other countries. An opportunity to encourage your own creativity and ideas, to admire the craftsmanship, effort and skill of people with whom you share similar interests. The day was beautiful, so the walk in Ljubljana was quite legal and filled the impression of this year's Championship. Marko and Vanja made sure that some "precious" metal was attached to Agram's name, so I was carefree and enjoyed the nice trip."

	  

	  

	After sightseeing the city, we returned to the competition just in time for the awarding of medals. Our members won a total of 4 medals - 2 gold, silver and bronze!

	  

	  

	  

	On the way back, our team refreshed itself traditionally at the Reset brewery in Brežice!

	  
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	U subotu, 16.11.2024. u Ljubljani održavalo se Državno prvenstvo Slovenije u plastičnom maketarstvu. Naša delegacija je nastupila u nekoliko kategorija.

	  

	Nakon dolaska, registracije i postavljanja radova u odgovarajuće kategorije, najbitnije je bilo ponovno se susresti i popričati sa kolegama iz drugih gradova i država poput Slovenije te Italije.

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	Posebno zadovoljstvo nam je bilo predstaviti i pokloniti nekoliko primjeraka našeg zadnjeg izdanja našim partnerima i prijateljima iz Back to Basics!

	  

	Također pravo osvježenje jest pronalazak (za sada jedinog) proizvođača pravih drvenih baza i plinthova na ovim prostorima – swood.si !

	  

	Nešto iza 11h došlo je vrijeme za otvorenje susreta i pregled radova.

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	  

	S obzirom da je, nakon nekoliko godina ružnog vremena, ovaj vikend bio obasjan suncem, odlučili smo iskoristiti to vrijeme za šetnju predivnom Ljubljanom.

	  

	  

	  

	Kruno: “I ove godine je DPS bio prilika za pogledati nove i zanimljive radove kolege iz Slovenije, Hrvatske, Italije, Austrije i drugih zemalja. Prilika za potaknuti vlastitu kreativnost i ideje, diviti se umješnosti, uloženom trudu i vještini ljudi s kojim dijeliš slične interese. Dan je bio lijep, pa je i šetnja Ljubljanom sasvim dobro legala i popunila dojam ovogodišnjeg Prvenstva. Marko i Vanja su se pobrinuli da se i nešto "plemenitog" metala zakači uz Agramovo ime, pa sam ja bezbrižno uživao u lijepom izletu.“

	  

	  

	Nakon razgleda grada, vratili smo se na natjecanje taman na dodjelu medalja. Članovi su ukupno osvojili 4 medalje – 2 zlata, srebro i broncu!

	  

	  

	  

	Na povratku naša ekipa se okrijepila već tradicionalno u Reset pivovari u Brežicama!

	  
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Marko Paunović, 20th November 2024

Making a window

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	In this short tutorial, I will briefly describe the window creation process.

	  

	As part of the diorama of Fićek from the National Class, I made a building that looks into the courtyard. I put a "hole" for the window on that wall. After thinking a bit about how and what to make the window frame from, I decided on L-profiles made of plasticard. That way I can frame the hole in the plaster wall (which I have to admit is not the straightest).

	  

	I measured the dimensions of the hole and accordingly calculated how long the profiles I need (to cut them at 45 degrees).

	  

	After cutting, I assembled the shape of the window, then glued it with plastic glue (and finally fixed it all the way with a drop of superglue).

	  

	  

	  

	Then it was the turn of the transverse beams. I cut them out of plasticard 0.5 mm thick. First, I made strips 2 mm wide, which I then cut to the required lengths. After cutting, I glued them using the method from the previous step.

	  

	  

	Finally, I cut out a window shape from the transparent film and glued it on the bottom. Painted the frame and inserted it into the wall.

	  
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	U ovom kratkom tutorialu, opisat ću ukratko process izrade prozora.

	  

	U sklopu diorame Fićeka iz Nacionalne klase izradio sam zgradu koja gleda u dvorište. Na taj zid sam stavio “rupu” za prozor. Nakon malo razmišljanja o tome kako i iz čega napraviti okvir prozora, odlučio sam se na L-profile iz plasticarda. Na taj način mogu uokviriti rupu u gipsanom zidu (koja moram priznati nije najravnija).

	  

	Izmjerio sam dimenzije rupe i shodno tome izračunao koliko dugačke profile trebam (da ih izrežem pod 45 stupnjeva).

	  

	Nakon rezanja, složio sam oblik prozora, potom ga zalijepio sa ljepilom za plastiku (a na kraju i skroz učvrstio kapljicom superljepila).

	  

	  

	  

	Zatim je došao red i na poprečne grede. Njih sam izrezao iz plasticarda 0,5mm debljine. Prvo sam napravio trakice širine 2mm koje sam potom izrezao na potrebne duljine. Nakon rezanja, zalijepio sam ih koristeći metodu iz prethodnog koraka.

	  

	  

	Na kraju sam izrezao iz prozirne folije oblik prozora i zalijepio ga s donje strane. Obojao okvir i ubacio ga u zid.

	  
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Marko Paunović, 11th November 2024

UMS Agram Appearances in October 2024

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	Modelling Cup Crna Kraljica 2024

	05.10.2024.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	Days of Technical Culture 2024

	18.-19.10.2024.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	 

	Modelmania @ Foto Video Show 2024

	26.10.2024.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	
"
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	Maketarski kup Crna Kraljica 2024

	05.10.2024. nastupili smo na Crnoj kraljici u organizaciji HUVM. Pored prezentacijskog štanda, naši članovi su se natjecali i ostvarili zapažen uspjeh (svi naši natjecatelji osvojili su barem po medalju). Čestitke!

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	 

	 

	XIII DANI TEHNIČKE KULTURE 2024

	18. i 19.10. 2024. smo sudjelovali na XIII danima tehničke kulture u organizaciji Zagebačke zajednice tehničke kulture.

	

	

	

	

	U petak smo održali tri pokazne demonstracije maketarsko-minijaturističkih tehnika (Ana, Marko i Sebastijan) te sudjelovali na Tribini u organizaciji SUPTK i DPTK sa prezentacijom o minijaturističkim i maketarskim radionicama koje organiziramo.

	

	

	

	U subotu nakon službene ceremonije otvaranja smo prezentirali novu knjigu u izdanju UMS Agram - Minijaturizam u doba nakon Corone te održali dvije serije Back to Basics radionica. Polaznici su obojali svoje prve figure! Nakon oba dana došlo je vrijeme i za zasluženu relaksaciju naših volontera!

	

	

	

	

	

	

	 

	MODELMANIA @ FOTO VIDEO SHOW ZAGREB 2024

	26.10. smo nastupili na Model Mania Zagreb sa prezentacijom naših programa:

	- Advent u Agramu

	- Back To Basics radionice bojanja minijatura za najmlađe u Čitaonici i Galeriji VN, 09.11.2024.

	- Izložba minijatura i maketa Agram 2025

	- Black Queen Hobby and Miniature Painting Competition by UMS Agram

	a za najmlađe smo organizirali Back To Basics radionice bojanja minijatura.

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	
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Marko Paunović, 4th November 2024

We visited: FESTUNG KUP 2024

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	Naš Vanja Ilijev je nastupio na ovogodišnjem FESTUNG KUPu u Slavonskom brodu.

	

	

	

	"Ugodna atmosfera uz dosta hrane i pića, klasika za Slavonski brod"

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	

	Vanja, iz naše riječke podružnice, je osvojio:

	1. mjesto diorama u 1/72,

	2. i 3.  mjesto za figure u 1/35

	3. mjesto 1/72 mlazni avioni

	

	 

	Čestitke Vanja i hvala organizatoru na super organizaciji!

	Fotografije u punoj rezoluciji pogledajte na našim društvenim mrežama.
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Krunoslav Belinić, 24th October 2024

Seb's Top Tip

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	Lately I've been scavenging a lot of "natural" materials for my projects and I noticed these blue, hollow electric wires scattered on the ground near a manhole, where electricians had been working in my neighborhood. I brought a few with me home, and cleaned them up, as I thought they could have some hobby use.

	

	The wire turned out to have two uses once I had coated them in super glue to make them harder and stiffer. First use was as a sculpting tool - I used the smallest one of the three to poke small dots in the back on my greenstuff snail, to create texture in its skin.

	

	Secondly I cut up the wire, and superglued them together in a cluster, so serve as coral reefs for the basing of my marine inspired Turnip28 army.

	
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	U posljednje vrijeme tražim mnogo "prirodnih" materijala za svoje projekte i primijetio sam ove plave, šuplje električne žice razbacane po tlu u blizini šahta, gdje su radili električari u mom susjedstvu. Donio sam nekoliko sa sobom kući i očistio ih jer sam mislio da bi mogle poslužiti za hobi.

	

	Pokazalo se da žica ima dvije namjene nakon što sam ih namazao super ljepilom kako bih ih učinio tvrđim i krućim. Prvo sam ga upotrijebio kao alat za oblikovanje - upotrijebio sam najmanji od tri kako bih ubadao male točkice u stražnji dio svog zelenog puža, kako bih stvorio teksturu njegove kože.

	

	Drugo, izrezao sam žicu i zalijepio ih zajedno u klaster, tako da služe kao koraljni grebeni za bazu moje vojske Turnip28 inspirirane morima.

	
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Sebastian Søgård, 22nd October 2024

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Association of miniature collectors, modellers and tabletop wargamers "Agram"

Selfmade magnetic grip for painting miniatures

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