I am in the process of making all my models rotatable (in anticipation of receiving my B-wing order). So far I have my rebel ships done and one TIE Bomber, the other TIE's require a bit more work - glueing the magnet to the model without flattening the bottom seems to not hold...

During play the bases won't move if you accidently nudge a model (it will just rotate/tilt the model), and when (dis)assembling them before/after play I don't have to put any force on them. Also in storage they neatly stack because of the magnets

nice

Did you just use a ball baring or is that a magnet on the post?

Mind if I steal your idea and say I thought it up?

I tried doing a similar thing when one of my pegs on my X wing cracked and wouldn't stay in the post anymore. But I didn't like how it could freely rotate left/right just as easily as any other direction. So I ended up scrapping the idea. Have you come up with a groove/slot or something that just allows it to pivot and restrict the rotation?

nice

Did you just use a ball baring or is that a magnet on the post?

No, that's just a steel ball, the ring underneath the model is the actual magnet.

Mind if I steal your idea and say I thought it up?

It's not my original idea either (saw it being mentioned on boardgamegeek - but without photo's)!

I tried doing a similar thing when one of my pegs on my X wing cracked and wouldn't stay in the post anymore. But I didn't like how it could freely rotate left/right just as easily as any other direction. So I ended up scrapping the idea. Have you come up with a groove/slot or something that just allows it to pivot and restrict the rotation?

The magnet is strong enough to cause enough friction to not rotate unless you want it to.

Ooh. Make a how-to, pretty please?

Can you supply links to where you got the ball bearings and the magnets?

Typically people put the ball on the model and the donut magnet on the stand, I have often thought this was a possible better way, as I hate the look of that ball just hanging out under the model..

I did this for a few of my WWI aircraft... and I have done it on one TIE fighter and a Firespray.

Nice job though, looks good.

My God, I've been trying to do this and it just hasn't panned out.

1. Can you link the exact materials you used?

2. Have you tried it yet with TIEs? They're spherical shape has given me problems.

Just Awesome.

Works better if the BB is on the ship and the magnet is on the stand, you can find ships that are magnetized and painted on eBay too!

Ooh. Make a how-to, pretty please?

Can you supply links to where you got the ball bearings and the magnets?

Seconding both of these questions. I already have some tiny magnets lying around from a removable-head mod for a Heroscape Hydra, and the more I see the ball-bearing X-Wing mods, the more I want to try this out!

I'm super interested in doing this for my ships. My only concern is the impact on tournaments. Does this model mod eliminate it form tournament play?

I'm super interested in doing this for my ships. My only concern is the impact on tournaments. Does this model mod eliminate it form tournament play?

I would be pretty pissed if this mod made my figures illegal. I think it is a creative mod. Otherwise I agree with your concern.

Where did you get the ring magnets? Nice creative job, wel done.

Agreed. The ring magnets look awesome.

I think I found some ring magnets at http://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=16

I like the prices on those, now which size and what size ball bearing to use for the stand. I'm seriously interested in modding all my ships with this setup. Great post!

I'm debating whether it's possible to use a more removable setup and modding some of my pegs so that I can choose which approach to take. Maybe have a clear plastic cup for the plastic bit on the ship to sit on, with the magnet on that. It isn't as nice, but it feels wrong to break my ships, even a little.

This looks promising. Should get a better "bite" on the ball bearing.

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=R622CS-S

Ooh. Make a how-to, pretty please?

I'll see about that in the weekend!

One of my X-Wings broke off the stand and I was wondering about a similar mod. Yours is perfect!

Can you supply links to where you got the ball bearings and the magnets?

My God, I've been trying to do this and it just hasn't panned out.

1. Can you link the exact materials you used?

2. Have you tried it yet with TIEs? They're spherical shape has given me problems.

Just Awesome.

1.

The ring magnets I used are the following: http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=R421

The balls are: https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=NSB3

I used regular superglue (even managed to almost glue my fingers together because there was glue on the little bottle ).

2.

I tried yesterday on the TIE Advanced, but its sphere is indeed not easy to get the magnet to stick to. I decided to try again this weekend with a fresh mind and some more tools I still need to borrow from my dad

Works better if the BB is on the ship and the magnet is on the stand [...]

I'm curious why you feel it is better, enlighten me/us with some arguments!

The ring magnets I used are the following: http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=R421

The balls are: https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=NSB3

I used regular superglue (even managed to almost glue my fingers together because there was glue on the little bottle ).

Thank you for the links

Just placed my order for the material. Jumping in two feet!!

http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u626/Charles_J_Gillespie/01c58dc88df0bdee636f133e4c2d741a_zps4d914599.jpg

I've completed my conversion to magnetics.

in anticipation of receiving my B-wing order

I'm not sere this same method would work for the B wing would it?

It should work, you'll lose the engines though, the ring magnet will cover it almost completely I would think.. but it depends on how important that aspect is to you..

in anticipation of receiving my B-wing order

I'm not sere this same method would work for the B wing would it?

You are correct, you do have to do things a little different for the B-Wings. When you remove the post from the back side of the B attach the ball to the end of it. This will allow the b wing to fly side ways. The only other thing I had to do is ruff up the ball so the magnet has a little more bite. Here is the results

http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/u626/Charles_J_Gillespie/f369ab82178e6ac8bcb1f34931031e1d_zps384570bb.jpg