The Secret of my Baking Soda Basing Technique 

He glue, he sand, but most importantly he glue stuff to hand.

Sir, i have to say i have never been interested in this type of crafting, however, after the first minute or so of your video, i was compelled to watch until the end. You have so much passion for your hobby, and sincerity in your words. Nice crafts, good day.

Great advise ... the basing tips not the glue sniffing. It's worth mentioning that baking soda is way less expensive than other basing material you might find at the hobby store. Also, if you buy a big bag of kitty litter and only plan on using a cup or two, the local animal shelter probably wouldn't mind the donation. Thanks Atom!

“Don’t use used kitty litter...” But...but... extra texture! “You can really smell the Nurgle on these models!”

Bloopers! Finally! Love how you don't lose your cool even in such a terrible chain disaster. Btw, I use bonsai clay instead of baking soda it gives you an even more wide particle range

Thank you for this tip! I am doing the hobby since 1984 and with the help of guys like you I am still learning new techniques.. Danke für diene Arbeit! Thank you for your work! Greetings from Germany!

Interesting... A point of clarification for non-US viewers (or maybe just British?). Here, what Americans call ‘baking soda’ is known as Bicarbonate of Soda. What we call ‘baking powder’, often sold adjacent to bicarb, is the same stuff with raising agents in it. It makes your cakes rise. I’m not sure if that will have an effect on basing but to avoid issues, don’t use ‘baking powder’. Another tip is that the stuff usually comes in small tubs like salt, but if you go to the laundry aisle you find it in large bags, usually cheaper. Should last you a lifetime...

Great technique! What I do is I have a big tub filled with various different materials sand salt baking soda kitty litter tiny cork crumbles. What I do is a heavy application of wood glue on the base fairly thick then I put it in the mixture and then level all the material out with a little exacto or pallet knife with the glue when it dries it creates a nice level surface that shows all the variance in basing material then I gloss varnish it before priming and painting

Love your tips! This and the wet pallet video are 2 of my favorite video tips and simple tricks. Thank you so much. I am an old dog (50) learning a new trick (painting & playing) with the added challenge of having young onset Parkinson's disease. Thanks again and keep up the good work

If the last minute were its own series, "Technical Difficulties", I would watch every episode.

this was more comedy than information for me ^^ zero interrest in this craft (just watched some vids on painting for my gloomhaven minis), but your voice and humor kept me on. nice!

I usually skip around in videos like this and pick through information, but I couldn't bring myself to skip a single word of this! Thoroughly enjoyable videos -- thank you!

Should have watched this 12 hours ago. Will be texturing my bases pre primer in future. Great article.

wow very nice video. I have been painting for 26 years and have never heard of using bakingsoda. this is going to be a must try on my next jobs

Just found this video. Love it. I am a miniaturist and use chipboard for furniture, fencing, etc. I use CA glue and spread it with an old credit card and coat it with baking soda. Brush off excess. It is like board. It can be filed, sanded, cut, etc.

I love the bloopers. Makes me feel better about it when I screw up.

As a recovering RC enthusiast, I discovered many ways to glue things together (including fingers). Another thing to try for variations on these effects is to vary the thickness of the CA glue and try other fillers. Balsa dust (or any fine sawdust) and phenolic microballoons can create really cool textures. With thin CA, adding glue to powder is a really cool trick. Please keep the videos coming, your channel is my hobby background music!

Implemented this technique on my first bases, today. It’s pretty close for my first attempt, and looks better than I expected to pull off. I’ve been living in these videos in preparation of painting my first Space Marines. Thanks for the vids.

I am a 100% novice and I’m working on my first two miniature bases. I was about to just go outside and collect the fine dirt, but I’m glad I decided to look the subject up before I went! You brought up a lot of great points and your examples are absolutely incredible.

awesome tip! have used baking soda for years to dry CA in many tasks,.. not just minis and crafts, but never really thought of it as a texturing tool... thanx a ton!!!

Glad you were able to finally make this video without gluing your fingers to the base! From your suggestion a few years ago, I started using this technique combined with GW texture paints and other stuff and it has been really great! Keep up the great videos! ALSO- the lamp in the background is badass.

I want that SHIRT! Had SO much fun playing Car Wars in Jr. High... So many years ago.

Love the outtake/tech difficulties 😂

Superb explanation of this technique, I really appreciate how thorough you are with your advise.

You can also use grout for sand and keep it in scale for 28mm figures. That ripple effect works great for lava flows and solidified lava.

So the crusty old brush you used, is BOBS brush (Brushing Off Baking Soda) !!! Awesome video thanks TM.

Learned something new and exciting. Adding depth and flavor to your bases, it's all about lifts and levels as Martha Stewart always says. Really appreciate the video thanks for sharing your discovery. Sealing the model with clear coat will also prevent the baking soda from yellowing.

I've no idea why RU-vid recommended this, but I'm glad they did!

Just started my first minis in yeeeears. Used this basing technique and just primed. Looks great so far!

Great bloopers at the end. That's a really good idea. I ran into the issue of "sand" size/scale on a 1:35 USMC desert sniper team diorama I made back in September of 2018. I ended up using extra fine craft sand. Of course it was still out of scale but what I did helped a little. I used pva to glue down the sand and when I did my sealing coat with watered down pva after misting with isopropyl, I sprinkled a little baking soda over the top while the sealing coat was still wet. It turned out ok but still wasn't entirely happy with it, but it got me a silver medal in the competition. So, I think next time I need to do sand, I'll lean more heavily on the baking soda and use the sand for smaller rock.

Very detailed. Very patiently conveyed and articulated really well. Thanks for that elite knowledge sir.

Vince v and atom should have a podcast together. You guys would be a perfect balance. Everyone from beginners to pros would listen, I'm sure.

Like the glue catalysing idea - In the UK cocktail sticks are round (typically about 2mm diameter) sharpened at both ends but toothpicks are flat tapering wooden sticks, about 30 thou thick.

I have a super fine sieve used for tea leaves that I use to sprinkle stuffs... Works a treat if you want even coverage.

I just tried this last night and got great results first go. So this tutorial was excellent. Going to apply this method to all my GW Middle Earth minis going forward. Thanks!

Watching these videos has helped me in my hobby alot, just to clarify I avoided your first step of sniffing the glue and it worked fine 😉

Best basing technique ever! Ive been using this for my Dwarven dispossesd Sigmar army, it looks fantastic! Thank you Uncle Adam!

Us Armour modellers sometimes use it for creating winter scene dioramas too! It's alot cheaper than paying out krycel for it and if you use abit of hairspray the same way you would with krycel it goes rock solid

I use the baking soda technique (also from building scale models), but what I’ve moving to, came from building scale model dioramas, and that’s a mix of dirt (yes, actual dirt from the yard baked to kill off bacteria and fungus) about 30-40% and grout (non-sanded) about 60-70% using ‘Gorilla’ wood glue. Also I make my own bases with Masonite, the type with one smooth side which makes the underside leaving the rough/“textured” side for the wood glue to adhere extremely well. Using different shades of grout (darker and also lighter than the dirt) gives nice tonal variations and you don’t have to paint it because it naturally looks like dirt and the grout binds the dirt and dries rock hard.

I found a bag of very fine sand at the dollar store (also small green rocks for a fish tank, and larger white rocks that work for boulders). They work great. Use watered down PVA glue to seal it in and make it all solid after adding the sand and rocks.

Sir, you just solved my problem with my minis and basing for grass. I have blood bowl figs I am working on and I live in Cairo, Egypt where there is no hobby shops like the ones we frequent in the US or elsewhere. I can't find static grass or "poweder" grass anywhere. I can, though, find baking soda in large amounts and rather cheaply too. Thank you!

The baking soda/CA glue technique also works as a gap filler. Fill the gap with baking soda, drop a drop or two of CA glue onto it, and let it soak in. When it's dry, it can be filed, sanded, carved, etc. NOT drying wood in the microwave is GREAT advice. I tried it once. It actually caught fire in the microwave. Smoke, flames, melting plastic, and $400 for a new microwave. Strangely enough, my wife thought it was hilarious.

Just use cheap glue. I use Cheap superglue from the cheap store (Dealz/poundland/dollar store). With the Bicarb it will still dry rock solid. Only thing to watch with this is that it can give off a lot of heat during the reaction, you don't want this mixture on your skin, as it can cause chemical burns.

I've always used actual dirt. It's free. I carry around old 'film canisters' - the plastic bottles camera film used to come in - and when I see a little pile of dirt or grit that looks interesting, I scoop up a bit into one of those canisters and take it home. You can end up with a nice 'spice rack' full of various grits and gradients for basing and terrain building.

Between the nose spray and the flavor crystals this is one of my favorites

this is 4 years later lol. I watch a fisherman that makes wooden lures with lead poured for the weight, he covers it with a deep layer of baking soda and just saturates it with super glue. works as a gap filler.

Love the shirt. Long live Car Wars!

I think I'll use the "ripply look" on forest floor bases. Reminds me of vines or exposed tree roots.

Sand your plastic base prior to PVA glue with a coarse (80 grit) sandpaper and the glue will adhere much more strongly. I've also used a watered down (50-50) PVA glue to coat my baking soda used for snow. Didn't go yellow, but did slightly reduce the 'fluffy' look of the snow.

Thanks for the tip . I have just got back into painting again and this has given me some good inspiration to expand on the bases , giving it even more detail .

It makes sense to texture the bases before priming. Means when you start painting you are looking at the final product :-)

Great advice! For a more textured, earthy look I use spack filler (used for filling cracks in plaster walls) with fine sand/stone/twigs etc pressed into it before its fully sets. Like the CA glue a little goes a long way and its very cheap too.

To prevent baking soda snow bases from yellowing use this recipe. Baking soda, pva glue, cheap white craft paint and water. The amount of water determines how fluffy or flat you want your snow. When you put it on the base you can sprinkle some baking soda from high up to give it a smoother, less cluppy texture if you like. I suggest testing it out before you base your model. Once COMPLETELY dry (4 days) you can then seal it with matte varnish.

Lol at the bloopers. I totally agree about sand mostly looking out of scale. Unpainted sand is even worse. Great idea with the baking soda. These days I use Vallejo texture pastes for the most part.

In Australia, we have access to ultra-fine red desert sand. It's sold through pet stores for reptiles, or if you live in the right place, just go scoop it up/bring it back from a road trip. It's cheap, has about the same grain size as baking soda, and soaks up paint really well. Great for basing AdMech without even painting it!

Where I live the CA glue it’s a bit more liquid, but it has the same results with baking soda, however sometimes there is a strange reaction that causes the both elements to create a strange smoke, which makes me glad that I work with open windows when I do my bases.

I like to use it to fill gaps on models. I have not had much luck with green stuff. Plus you can get super glue of different consistency. I use the thick gel for wider gaps so it doesn’t run before I sprinkle the baking soda on it

I use Vallejo Dark Earth. Very fine grit, takes wash and drybrush well and is really easy to apply.

Gorilla Glue comes in a bottle with a brush too, so you can actually skip the toothpick too.

I am starting a new project and I think you have inspired me to take my bases to the next level.

The flavor crystals really bring out the umani of the terrain

Tips for cleaning up after a CA spill: If you get CA on your skin, run it through running water. Moisture is what normally cures CA, so excess water makes it cure prematurely and causes a weak bond. Makes getting that CA off your hand much, much less painful. Watch out if you accidentally get CA on cotton clothes, though. That thing will boil your skin. And that is not a hyperbole.

The model camera is very good. Loved the bloopers.

oh my god I laughed so hard at your technical difficulties part

Another slice of fried gold. What an excellent technique. Thanks Uncle Atom.

A fine clay based sand is also good, I had the benefit of living in the north west of Australia for a long time and the sand there known as Pindan is awesome for basing 40k and fantasy mini's. the sand itself is used in construction for housing and many other things such as bowls and cups etc. but a good pile from the yard with some heavier particles in it gave a really nice layered look to my bases. (I even took boxes of the stuff with me when I moved away to keep my bases uniformed for years to come) As for the baking soda yes we had a couple of brothers at our local club that used it both also shared a scale model background and I met a sales rep from GW in 99 who used it for his work as well, but he had it in a container premixed with other things like small granular rocks and bits of flock etc.

I love CA glue, after 25 years in the rc car racing hobby I have had many fun gluing adventures, seeing yours was hilarious.

I have one for you when i used to paint GW nids. used UHU glue with a few drops of water. mixed it and it would not only set quickly but you could draw it to make it look like goo dripping from certain nids as well it's a great way to make bases for nurgle esk worlds n such

mmm flavor crystals. Thanks for sharing your tips on basing!

OMG, I did not expect to see some classic Pig Iron minis popping up at 1:24!

Tile grout works great too (very fine powder). Easy to get various shades, it's very cheap and pigments can be added if desired.

used this for years started using backing soda and superglue to repair guitar bridges then went to use it on bases. works great. :)

That clip at the end was a killer. Hahaha

You had me at "flavor crystals!"

Love the "Car Wars" T shirt by the way!

I should be in bed, but here I am daydreaming about baking soda bases to make tomorrow. It'll be that or @Midwinter Mini's coffee option

Dude, I almost fell out of my chair when you said "flavor crystals" in cat litter! 😂😂😂

I just ordered some painting supplies to finish off my 3D prints, I can't wait to try this! :3

Oldschool Car Wars. Nice shirt Atom👍

I like the ripple effect that you complained about actually. Maybe if painted right it can look vines on the ground, or maybe some type of roots extruding from the ground

Love the out-take. And the CarWars shirt.

Great vid! For snow baking soda+PVA+fine salt will stay white for a long time.

If you do want to use sand still you can get bird sand from a pet shop, literally costs £1 in the UK for about a kilo. It is SUPER fine. If you want to skip the gravel you can also get it with bird grit in it, which is ground up seashells, really small bits that are still small but a bit bigger than the sand.

I knew the flavor crystals were making the cat candy better.

New shirt idea: I'm not a baking soda scientist. Also, BSI has a fantastic brush on CA that never get's the bristles hard. It's by far my favorite CA glue. Works great for applying the glue to the base for putting on baking soda.

I sometimes go to a large pet store to buy kitty litter, they have a little jar of each brand so you can see what they look like before. There's so much difference, some brands have a much finer grit than others. There's also different kinds, the clay stuff that clumps together (that's what you want), the kind that doesn't, the hippie kind that's made from organic corn husks or something like that and the really fancy all crystal smell absorbing stuff (expensive, but it has decently sized crystals that could look good for some bases?)

I'm just happy to see that his CA glue cap was glued on too. I've been doing this for 20 years and I still can't prevent that from happening.

And we thought it was just for baking...listen, I have been watching and listening for a couple of years now and I have grown to appreciate your unique ways of presenting yourself....at first I thought..."....a long diatribe and monologue on modeling stuff(well, miniatures)??" and guess what?..I have come to enjoy and appreciate your words of wisdom, seeing I have done this wonderful engagement for over 50 years and have tried to think I have much more to learn, and guess what I was right! Uh one thing though, you have got to get some better holders for your glasses...I think I counted over 57 times you reached up and adjusted them...Naw, just kidding, but a fun thing to notice....Thanks again for you great insight, unique presentation style...Take care. DH

I’ve been looking for some good basing techniques to use on my more important models (captains, wizards, psykers) and this gave me some ideas.

I like this technique, very effective!

Tried this after seeing it in your other video. Works great. Thanks for the tip.

I used pva and fine quartz sand so far and it holds on to the bases. I have not knocked of the basing mechanically so far. However when stripping the paint of a model with propyl alcohol, the pva will just fall off, which can be an advantage if you want to overhaul a miniature completely. The ca glue is more chemically resistant. In fact the only solvent that will destroy ca is acet one, which unfortunately does dissolve plastic as well.

Ive been using pva and water for muddy looking bases and lava craters. It takes a bit longer to dry but its still pretty easy.

I was thinking while you dusted that base: use a flour sifter or sieve to get great, even distribution! Baking soda is food grade, too, so it wouldn't matter if you use one from the kitchen to get the job done. Also: fantastic Car Wars T-shirt!

I like to use tile grout it drys rock hard has a good sandy texture great as a bottom layer use with cork to make great hills thanks for the tip Adam

The ripples look really nice

The pixelated technical difficulties screen with the cheesy 70s ish music was a nice touch. Very funny....

What if you were to use a sifter, like you use for powdered sugar, to get a more even sprinkle of the baking soda on the base?

Have you tried PVA glue with Corn Starch yet? Another use for Corn Starch is to mix it with 2 part epoxy to make a very nice material you can kneed and sculpt into shape and sand. Just wet the tools or fingers. Works great. (Super Glue will get brittle after time, especially when using catalysts. And its kind of expensive when you are basing 100+ miniatures. But it does look good..

I tried this on a piece of terrain and was happy with the result. I then tried it on an Assault Marine. I think the scale thing is a problem. Yes it's too scale of the miniature but to our eyes it doesn't look as good. I believe it's the same principle as edge highlighting and shadowing on miniatures which you have talked about.