Rathcore Extended Paint System

thingiverse

# Rathcore Extended Paint System I call this the Rathcore "Extended" system for painting miniatures because I have taken what [Rathcore](https://rathcore.com) offers and added some features that I wanted. For the most part, that means magnetized "corks". ## "Corks" The [Rathcore](https://rathcore.com) system uses corks (made from real cork) that either grip the base or pinch subassembly wires/paperclips for attaching miniatures to them. These corks are then fitted into either style of holder (tall and short handles). My "corks" are made of 3D printed plastic with holes for magnets on the bottom and a flat surface on top for either poster tack or double sided foam tape, which is what I prefer and what you see in the pictures. ## Magnets I used three sizes of magnets in this project. Partly because I ran out of the first size and I wanted more holding power in the large cork. I don't normally travel with my minis so I rarely magnetize my bases, which is why I magnetized my corks instead. Plus, the corks give a little extra something to hold onto. ### 1 magnet corks 1 magnet corks use a single `8 by 2.5 mm` cylinder magnet, which needs to be glued in place. I prefer this style because it has good holding power with just one magnet. ### 3 magnet corks 3 magnet corks use three `3 by 3.5 mm` cylinder magnets, which are just friction-fit for me with my printer settings. I ran out of the 8x2.5 magnets and have a bunch of these lying around, so I decided to use them up. It takes three of them to get good holding power. These might have been sold using imperial units. I have a lot of 3mm and 1/8th inch magnets of similar size that I can't tell apart anymore. If you go this route and your magnets are a bit too big, just heat-set them with a soldering iron. The large size cork uses three `6 by 3.5 mm` magnets for more holding power on larger minis. I haven't measured it, but I believe it will hold at least a few pounds. ## Subassembly Support The small corks have three sizes of holes on top to fit various diameter paperclip or sewing needles. The holes reach all the way down to the magnets, so the magnets can do double duty holding the cork in place and also holding the paperclips in place. # Rathcore System Please visit the [Rathcore](https://rathcore.com) site and maybe pick up some nice grips and handles if you want to use my extended system. Their high quality real wood products are nicer to hold than plastic 3D printed parts, plus you can only get the brush stabilizer bars from them. # How I use it When batch priming and finishing, I stick a bunch of minis to frosting knives (cake knives or icing knives). I bought a 4-pack from Amazon for $6 USD. Any magnetic metal will do. Next, I pop them off of the knife and stick them into one of the handles for all the individual detail work. I have a sheet of metal on the side of my airbrush spray booth to conveniently hold extra corks and prepped minis that I am not actively working on. It's very handy. If I was to paint an entire army, I would build an angle iron rack like [Brent from Goobertown Hobbies did](https://youtu.be/NKH98iq6Xhg).