Buco Model Base range review

This week, guest reviewer Marko returns to take a look at some of those all important display plinths.

Over to Marko...


Living in Croatia, a small country with an even smaller miniature (pun intended) painting community, I am frequently faced with shortage of various hobby materials, supplies etc. Not having a proper model store (apart from one LGS), I am forced to turn to online stores for my supplies. Nowhere is it more noticeable than when acquiring bases and plinths for my dioramas and/or models.

For my dioramas I recently turned to Ikea and its various picture frames which work quite well. But that doesn't solve the problem of plinths for my busts and large scale models.

Fortunately, my Google-fu search found a great solution in nearby Hungary – Buco Model Base.
 

They produce quality plinths and bases of various shapes and sizes, mostly from MDF but with some parts from "proper" wood. The use of MDF helps bring the price down and the international shipping is also affordable, ranging from 5 to 15 Euro depending on the amount of articles you order. For instance; I've ordered about 10 plinths and a couple of bases for dioramas for 7 Euro shipping. The packages are carefully packed so your plinths and bases won't get damaged during shipping.
 




Plinths for figures (flat top ones) and busts (slanted top) come in several different versions. Black MDF ones, Walnut with MDF base, Poplar with MDF base, Oak with MDF base and a cool looking Knotty Poplar with MDF base. Sizes also have a range (3,5 x 3,5cm, 4 x 4cm and 4,5 x 4,5cm) and their prices range from 4,22 Euro to 5,91 Euro, which is really affordable.

The quality is really high, however there may be some small mistakes in the final finish on the wooden parts. MDF is perfect as would be expected. However, the plinths are not heavily lacquered with shellac like the top premium plinths which explains the relatively lower price.
 


Bases for units/dioramas come in several sizes and any colour, so long as it's black. They are basically a solid block of MDF. But they do come in two different versions: Minimal and Solid, with the difference between them being the tapered bottom of the Solid version. There are four different shapes – rectagonal, octagonal, circular and oval while the sizes range between 10 x 7.5 cm and 15 x 15 cm with prices ranging from 6 to 10 Euros.

Again, quality is really good and their sturdiness will ensure protection from warping so you can even build your own dioramas straight on the base.






Finally, we come to their Diorama Base range. They currently come in three sizes: 15 x 15 cm, 20 x 15 cm and 30 x 20 cm with prices ranging from 10 to 13.5 Euros. They are basically a black MDF frame with MDF supports and an HD Styrofoam filling. This enables the modeller to make their dioramas on several levels, even going under the frame which is really convenient if one is making a river or other water feature.
 


These two are examples of their bases which I made. The Mad Max diorama is a 10 x 15 cm Minimal Base while the Krieger bust is placed on their flat top Knotty Poplar plinth that I painted black because I thought the black would suit the grimdark look of the piece better.


Thank you for the review Marko.

You can find Buco Model Base on social media on Facebook and Instagram so don't forget to check that out.


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