Magnetic Polarity Issues When Basing and Storing Miniature Figures
Do you try to stick magnet sheet to more magnet sheet for maximum sticking power when you base and store your miniature figures? LITKO advises against using magnets on both the bottom of your mini AND in your carry tray. You are going to encounter problems.
Why would this be a problem? Magnets have north-south poles and flexible magnets will have trouble aligning in just the right way in your storage solution or movement tray. Flexible magnet is typically striped with both polarities (North-South-North-South) in a repeating pattern.
Because of all these north-south poles on the sheet magnet, getting them to line up properly is the real issue. You place your mini in your tray and it doesn't stick!
It can be easy to figure out proper alignment with rectangularly-based figures, but not so much with square-based minis because now you can set them in your tray in two different directions. Circular-based minis are near impossible to get correct. The result is magnetic minis that will not stay put.
Flexible Steel to the Rescue
The solution is to use either steel storage trays or use a product like "Flexible Steel", available from LITKO.
Flexible Steel looks and cuts exactly like flexible magnet so it can be a little confusing at first. The surface is black and rubbery-feeling and there is a peel-n-stick backing on the material. You can cut it with scissors or a hobby knife to get the size right.
You can verify what material you have by sticking it to a known magnetically-receptive surface like a refrigerator.
The Right Way
LITKO offers all of our base sizes in magnet, heavy duty magnet, and flexible steel, so you can use whatever combination suits your collection. You can choose to use magnet on the bottoms of your bases and Flexible Steel in your carry tray or vice-versa... there isn't a right way.
Some hobbyists have been using steel miniature bases for years and their carry trays are lined with magnetic sheet. Others use magnetic base bottoms and line their carry trays with Flexible Steel. Go with what works for you.
