I had a couple hundred Marvel United minis to fit into storage, and I wanted them to stop colliding in the boxes. Gluing a magnet under every base fixed that, and the method below got the whole job done in about 20 minutes.
Why this matters
Magnetized minis stay put. In a box lined with magnetic sheet, they don't slide or collide, whether they're on the shelf or on the way to game night.
The catch is that doing it one mini at a time is tedious. The fix is the station, not the glue.
The short version
Stick parchment paper to a baking sheet, spread out a bunch of 6x2mm magnets on it (they hold themselves in place on the steel), then work in batches of five: blob of hot glue on a magnet, press a mini down on it, move on. The baking sheet keeps every magnet flat and in position, and the parchment means the glue never sticks to the tray.
What you need
- A metal baking sheet. Magnets need to stick to it, so steel, not aluminum.
- Parchment paper. Keeps glue off the tray and peels right off the minis.
- 6x2mm neodymium magnets. The size I glue under every base.
- A hot glue gun and glue sticks. Hot glue is cheap, so use it.
- Magnetic receptive sheets to line the storage boxes (self-adhesive, and you can cut them to any shape with a hobby knife).
- Storage boxes. I use stackable plastic boxes and a canvas box to carry the stack to game night.
The station, step by step
- Stick the parchment down. Lay the parchment on the baking sheet and use a few magnets to hold it flat.
- Spread the magnets out. They'll grab the steel through the paper and stay flat and in place.
- Work in batches of five. Add a small blob of glue on top of a magnet, press a mini down onto it, then move to the next one. Groups of five because hot glue cools fast.
- "Scooch" uneven or hollow bases. After putting the mini down, slide it forward a little. It spreads the glue and gets maximum stickiness on bases that don't sit flat.
- Fill extra space with more glue. Hollow bases can take a little extra so the magnet is solidly held.
- Peel them off and line the boxes. Once they're cool, the minis lift off the parchment. Stick receptive sheets in the boxes and stand them up.
Why receptive sheets and not more magnets
If the boxes had magnets in them too, you'd have to get polarity right on every single mini, or half of them would jump off. Magnetic receptive sheet isn't a magnet, it's just something magnets stick to, so polarity doesn't matter. Every mini sticks, whichever way the magnet ended up.
Safety notes
- Hot glue burns. Keep your fingertips away from the edge where glue squeezes out.
- Keep a hobby-only tray. Once it's been used for glue and minis, don't put it back in the kitchen rotation.
- Neodymium magnets are strong. Keep them away from small kids and pets, since swallowed magnets are dangerous.
Watch the full tutorial
The full walkthrough of this method is on my YouTube channel.
Watch: Magnetize 200 minis in 20 minutes on YouTube →
Checklist
- Steel baking sheet plus parchment
- Magnets spread out and flat
- Glue gun hot, batches of five
- Scooch uneven bases, fill hollow ones
- Boxes lined with receptive sheet
Next: see how the magnetized minis fit into my whole Marvel United storage system.