Ubique

English Civil War Pioneers, Billhook and firelock - Part 2 of 2

2012-05-15T08:48:00.000+01:00

Again this miniature has been modified from Warlord Games 'Firelock Storming Party' plastic figure, but with this figure the arms were taken from a 'Dismounted Dragoon' Perry Napoleonic figure supplied free in a previous issue of Battlegames.

Before paint

After paint

The billhook shaft was made by trimming down the original musket to form the handle and the head was modeled from a flat section cut from a plastic sprue. From the original firelock figure, the hand was trimmed away from the firelock. Then the firelock has cut into two pieces and glued in position to give the impression it was being held by the left hand. It's not the best or neatest modification (seen from the inside it looks plain awful) but works ok from a distance.

Again this figure is based on a penny in order to distinguish them from regular firelock figures.

English Civil War Pioneers, Pistol and Axe - Part 1 of 2

2012-05-14T16:51:00.000+01:00

The two figures detailed in these two posts are both based on a plastic Warlord Games 'Firelock Storming Party' miniature. Both were actually spares I had standing around (they had been given out free by the nice Warlord chaps at a wargame show).

Original figure - note the length of the axe shaft

Both made to represent pioneers; soldiers who would physically clear the way through obstacles enabling the main force to proceed unhindered. Lightly armed for self defense and speed I've given these figures agricultural implements to help them do their job.

Simple top tip: if you going to have a go at modifying any figure, remember to place diagonally opposite limbs in the correct position i.e. the right arm and left leg forward or visa-versa. It's surprisingly easy to forget this (I have) and end up with a model that looks distinctly odd but without being immediately obvious why.

The first figure involved taking the parts supplied on the same sprue as the figure. The left hand side was made by trimming away the right hand and arm from the standard firelock supplied with the figure. The left hand was cut off at the sleeve and rotated through approx ninety degrees and glued back onto the arm. The arm was then attached to the body and gap under the arm was filled in with greenstuff.

This figure kept bugging me; it simply didn't look 'right' so I left it standing forlornly to one side for a couple of weeks. I wasn't entirely happy with the way I'd positioned the axe. You would normally carry it nearer the axe head (i.e. nearer the centre of gravity - next time you pick up long handled brush/broom you'll naturally grab it nearer to the head, try it and see for yourself). One night, after a sudden rush of blood to the head, armed with clippers I shortened the end of the handle, removed the axe head and removed a fair chunk of the shaft. I then re-glued the head back onto place. Voila - an actual hatchet job (sorry for the dreadful pun).

All new, improved final version

As the figure isn't carrying a firelock I removed the small belly box on the front of the figure. The right arm with the pistol was a spare taken straight from the Warlord Games ECW cavalry box set.

The figure was fixed to a round base (one penny piece) in order to emphasise that they are special troops and not standard firelock figures.

Queen's Sconce, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire

2012-05-09T16:50:00.000+01:00

The town of Newark is located on the intersection of the Great North Road, the Fosse Way and the lowest crossing of the River Trent and hence controlled the gateway to the north. During the English Civil Wars the town was besieged three times by Parliament forces. The first two sieges were relieved by Royalist armies. It was after the second siege that the Royalist forces decided to greatly strengthen their defensive positions around the town.

Modern reconstructive illustration

One of the resulting structures, the Queen's Sconce (from a Dutch word meaning fort) is one of Europe's best preserved earthwork fortifications. The Royalist stronghold is named after the wife of Charles I, Queen Henrietta. There was also a King's sconce to the north-east of the town.

Located on elevated ground to the south-west of the town the sconce provided cover to the town, River Devon (previously called the River Smite) and the main roads.

The third siege began in November 1645 with the Parliamentarian forces being led by General Sydenham Poyntz. Richard Franck wrote in the 'Northern Memoirs' (1658),

"such deep graffs, bastions, horns, half-moons, counterscarps, redoubts, pitfalls, and an impregnable line of sod and turf palisade and stockade every fort so furnished with great guns and cannons that this bulky bulwark of Newark represented to the siegers but one entire sconce."

The Siege lasted six months and on 27th April 1646 Lord John Belasyse Governor of the town, surrendered the town under direct orders from the King.

In one of those strange quirks of history the earthwork survived for the same main reason that caused the town to fall - the plague. After the Royalist surrender the Parliamentarian forces withdrew as quickly as possible from the area due to the threat of plague. The locals were ordered to dismantle all the earthworks but understandably failed to do so. Hence the Queen's Sconce remains in such an impressive state today.

A few quick 'interesting' facts:

The sconce covers an area of 1.2 hectares,
It is 9m (29' 6" ) high and 92m (302') wide,
the ditch (at is widest) is 23m (75' 5") wide and 4.5m (14' 9") deep.
Made of earth and gravel from the flood plain of the nearby river, strengthened by timber posts and pegs.
Garrison was normally 20 soldiers but 150 when under threat.
The sconce housed five artillery pieces during the siege two in both the west and south bastions and a single piece in the east bastion.

Although the sconce is easily visible on Google maps, the scale of the sconce still took me by surprise. The earthwork is now the centre piece of a refurbished park, small trees and bushes have been cleared from the ditches and banks. A small metal footbridge directly opposite the original has been installed enabling easy access into the interior of the earthworks.

View from the east bastion looking inwards.

Note the internal earth ramparts.

View from north bastion looking south west

Note the fields beyond the fort. General Poyntz eventually established his field HQ (on the second line of circumvallation) in this area, just behind where the small modern brick building now stands.

View from the west bastion looking north

On the horizon is visibale the spire of the parish Church of St Mary Magdalene. The castle (not visible) is located just to the left of the church.

View from the west to south bastion

Note the modern footbridge.

Inside the tourist information centre, located in the grounds of Newark Castle itself, is a very nicely detailed 1/56 scale (28mm) model of the sconce. It reveals just how formidable the fort must have been during the siege.

Queen's Sconce
1/56 scale model

Interior view of sconce
1/56 scale model

Here's one I made earlier.

This is my attempt at making a similar fortication. Made with the Queen's Sconce in mind, I made this way back in 2009/2010 without visiting the actual site itself.

Desk Snapshot May 2012

2012-05-08T15:18:00.002+01:00

As I needed a quick break from my proper job, here is a picture of my workspace taken late one evening last week. In what will be a highly irregular (as per usual) series this sneak preview picture was taken after a modeling and painting session after which I had been taking a few WIP images for various ongoing projects. As the previous posts detailing the modeling and painting of the latest pirate (fisherman) ogre seemed popular I thought I would make this approach more of a regular feature.

Desk Snapshot May 2012

What will eventually be 'Lord Dudley', standing command figure - modified plastic Perry Miniature.
'Lord Dudley & Standard Bearer', mounted command figures - modified plastic Perry Miniatures.
2000 AD characters: Angel Gang, Judges, Torquemada etc. - Foundry Miniatures.
Plastic Mounted Men at Arms (Wars of the Roses) - Perry Miniatures.
Modified firelock figures - Warlord Games.
1/35 (54mm) scale WWII Russian officer - Miniart.
'Not Captain Scarlet' figures, 'Not the Prisoner' - Crooked Dice.
Pirate Ogre Fisherman.
Allosaurus - Menacing Monsters. Behind this are the recently completed Mega City Judges.
Halo Lego-type figure, bought for a pound from local Morrison's supermarket.
Petard Team - Warlord Games, Canadian Voltigeurs - Knuckleduster Miniatures, Glengarry Light Infantry - (plastic riflemen) Perry Miniatures.

Just of the right of this image (off stage) is the painting tray I normally use, courtesy of my mate Ade.

And yes, I do need to put my paints in some kind of order. And yes, I probably should just concentrate on one project at a time but I get bored too easily. As my dear old nan used to say, "Variety is the spice of life". That's my excuse anyway.

Pirate Ogre Fisherman, the Highlight - Part 6 of 6

2012-05-04T08:53:00.001+01:00

The final step of the painting technique I employ is the 'Highlight Stage'.

Completed Ogre Fisherman

This stage is obviously when, in order to create a highlight, I normally add a little Vallejo white paint from one of their dropper bottles, or another lighter complimentary shade (with red, for instance, try orange or yellow unless you actually want pink highlights). Depending on what effect you want to achieve, it is during this stage that you can gradually build up the levels of highlight by adding increasing amounts of the lighter shade to the main colour.

I realise that my highlights often appear too harsh or stripy on my photos but under normal light conditions these look far more subtle (honestly, your Honour).

Rear View

It was at this stage I also repainted the fish tails. The previous effects didn't work at all, but with the help of Google Images (praise be) I managed to find a decent photo to copy off. The figure was then given a coat of Winsor and Newton Galeria Acrylic Satin Varnish to seal the paint. I then spray the figure with Games Workshop's Purity Seal varnish which is the only varnish I know that gives a consistently matt finish. Once dry I then finally reapply the Galeria Acrylic Satin Varnish to any 'metal' parts to give them a bit more sheen and give the model an extra contrast.

Although I wasn't entirely happy with a few details, such as where the loop in the chain is joined together (I should have used strips of greenstuff rather than that unshapely blob) overall I am pleased with how the model turned out.

Hopefully these few posts have encouraged readers to have a go at modifying or converting their own miniature. You can, if you're so inclined, produce an entirely unique set of figures. The multi-part nature of these particular range of figures really do lend themselves very well to this process.

I've hit a bit of a impasse (modeller's block?) in regard to the final figure in this pirate ogre theme mini-series so he may not appear for a while.

Pirate Ogre Fisherman, the Wash - Part 5 of 6

2012-05-03T09:15:00.000+01:00

The next step is the 'Wash' (or shading) phase. This stage can to useful to cover up any mistakes made during painting in the block colours. I generally use Games Workshop washes but you can also use artist inks or even a darker shade of the 'block' or main colour used previously.

Ogre - Applied wash

Flesh Wash applied over the areas painted with Tallarn Flesh. I don't apply the wash over all the flesh areas of the figure (which would give the same effect as the 'dip method'. I simply apply the was into the creases or folds of the model. If you use a table lamp during painting, simply hold the figure close to the light and turn the figure to and fro as this will exaggerate the shadows.

I often hold the figure upside down when applying this layer so that the wash will naturally flow in the area that would form a shadow.

Ogre profile - Applied wash

GW Devlan Mud wash was used to give depth to the 'leather' bindings on the fishing rod and Baal red to shade the right trouser leg.

Ogre Rear view - Applied wash

Gryphonne Sepia wash added to the snap bag.

You may note that I have painted the helmet over with a wash of gold paint. This is just a personal preference as I like the effect it achieves. I think it gives a bit of extra 'warmth' to contrast against the 'cold' look of the iron/steel colour components.

As mentioned in the previous post you could easily stop after this level of painting and still have an effective looking figure. But the next simple stage will again help finish off the model.

Pirate Ogre Fisherman, the Block - Part 4 of 6

2012-05-02T09:07:00.001+01:00

The first stage of painting the block phase where the main colours are applied to the model.

Ogre - Block colour (main) painted

As mentioned previously this figure is painted using eight main colours. This could have been reduced even further if the trouser legs had been painted the same colour and the bag had been painted light brown (leather).

At the request of Ade, I gave this ogre the elite 'uniform' of red and black trousers.

A useful tip is to keep a record of what paints you use for particular figures. this is especially useful if you're creating a large unit or army. If not I guarantee you'll forget what exact colours you've used, if at sometime in the future you wish to add the unit and maintain the same uniform look.

The colours break down as follows:
Silver - Metal parts
Dark Brown - Wood
Light Brown - Leather
Black - Trouser leg
Red - Trouser leg
Flesh - Flesh bits (obviously)
Cream - Linen snap bag

Sand - Base

Ogre profile - Block (or main) painted

Note that this stage the right hand is still held in postion with Blu-Tac. This allowed me to paint the areas behind then anchor. If you are so inclined you could stop painting after this stage and the figure would be perfectly acceptable on the tabletop when seen from a distance (and GW tournaments). However with just a bit more time and effort you can transform the figure completely. How? I'll explain in the next couple of posts (what a tease!).

Pirate Ogre Fisherman, the Model - Part 3 of 6

2012-04-30T09:13:00.000+01:00

This stage is where the model itself all came together. I cut the anchor shalf into two pieces and glued both parts into position on the right hand.

Fishing Rod Greenstuff

Note the crude left-handed mechanism. This is the benefit of trying a dry fit (i.e. using Blu-Tac rather than glue) first. A right-handed (i.e. standard) winding mechanism would have meant the handle would point towards the belly plate and made the 'centre' of the model look far too busy and cluttered.

Fishing Rod Mechanism

Handle is made from sprue and the cut-off handle from an ogre club.

The chain mechanism is another item from Ade's spares box. The chain itself is a standard product available from any decent model or hobbycraft shop.

The eyelets for the chain were made from a paperclip bent to form a loop. This was surprisingly difficult to achieve, I had to eventually resort to using a pair of round nose pliers. I drilled small holes into the rod and glued them into place. Greenstuff was then used to cover the joints and made to look like leather strapping by simply scoring the greenstuff with a scalpel and scribe. Fortunately the rough nature of my manufacturing technique fits in ok with the ogre pirate ogre 'look'.

The base now covered with sand. Wood glue was applied all over the base and then sand was poured over and left overnight. These pirate ogre bases have all been kept deliberately plain and uncluttered.

Pirate Ogre Fisherman, the Build - Part 2 of 6

2012-04-27T09:09:00.000+01:00

A fisherman character obviously needs a fishing rod. After a great deal of pondering and false starts I found this two-handed weapon which would prove idea for the actual rod itself.

Fishing Rod (well almost)

The ogres right hand removed and initially covered with Milliput, but I don't think I mixed it correctly as it didn't set so I later replaced it with greenstuff.

Initial Mock Up

Note the use of Blu-Tac to position the hands and arms. This is because I still hadn't determined the final design of the mechanism and thus the final position of the limbs.

I had initially thought of using the 'chicken on a hook' part that appears on one of the ogre sprues, intending to show it as being used for bait. However, I occurred to me the fishing rod could be used as a weapon if it had a decent, and big enough, attachment such as a ball and chain. But seeing as they are pirates it seemed more appropriate to use a bloomin' great big anchor. They had cropped up on my previous ogre pirates in the form of belly plate details and tattoos etc. "What a jolly good idea" I smugly thought to myself but the realisation that I hadn't a clue how to make one quickly wiped that smile off my face.

First I thought to get a piece of plastic rod and heat it over a candle/tea light and bend it form the right shape. There are a few drawbacks to this method as I've discovered in the past. It's actually quite difficult to control the amount of bend without melting the plastic completely and dripping hot molten plastic onto your lap or even setting fire to your home (remember kids, I've made these stupid mistakes so you don't have to!).

Ogre sprue - white lines indicate the cut lines.

Staring at the sprue, (which I often do to pass the time of day) I suddenly noticed the curved corner section. Hurrah, it would be perfect. On the same piece of sprue I then quickly spotted another section that would form the body of the anchor. The white lines indicate the part of the sprue that would make up the main body of the anchor.

Anchor

Curved corner section. The sprue is trapezoidal in section so needed to be scraped with a blade and sanded to round off the plastic.

Anchor shaft

The picture above showns a similar section of the sprue that made up the 'T' piece that forms the anchor shaft. Note the liberal use of greenstuff to fill in gaps and add the pointed prongs to the end of the anchor arms.

Anchor Eye

The eye of the anchor where the chain would eventually link round was taken from another spare ogre piece.

Pirate Ogre Fisherman, the Idea - Part 1 of 6

2012-04-26T14:37:00.002+01:00

This is the penultimate pirate ogre I've made for my mate Ade (WargamingForFun) and one of my personal favourites. The idea for this particular model actually came from Ade when we were looking at his (Games Workshop) Ogre Kingdom army. I've already made several models on the pirate ogre theme but I still had a couple more ideas rattling around my brain.

Basic Ogre body
Front View

With this series of posts I hope to demonstrate the step-by-step progress of making, converting and painting a miniature ogre. Apparently the Games Workshop minimum (i.e. tournament standard) to paint and play with a miniature is to use three colours. However with just a bit more time and effort the paint job can be improved enormously using very simple and effective techniques. For instance the model detailed in these posts have, including the base, been painted with just eight basic colours. Hopefully it will also encourage a few more people to have a go at modifying their figures.

I'm not a great painter. I'd like to point out that this isn't false modesty or an attempt at fishing (no pun intended) for compliments. All the figures shown on this blog have been produced using the following relatively simple technique of the 'Block, Wash & Highlight' method (a.k.a. 'Main, Shade & Light'). Don't tell anyone but I actually find painting quite boring. So much so that I have a substantial lead (and plastic) mountain primed and just waiting to be painted. I'd much rather make, modify and scratch-build models and figures etc.

All the parts for this figure came from Ade's bountiful ogre spares box (a modeller's dream). If you need to know precisely what they are, please ask and I'll try and find out.

Once the figure has been cleaned up, mould lines removed etc. the figure was pinned to the base. The belly plate and helmet headpiece were chosen because they reminded me of the 'Tigris of Gaul' character from the 2000 film 'Gladiator' (the one fighting Russell Crowe when he nearly gets eaten by the tiger).

Basic Ogre body
Rear View

As this chap was supposed to be a fisher(man/ogre) I thought he needed to have a few fishy aspects about him. I removed the bones sticking out off the bag and replaced them with a fishtail. I had considered a fish head but, to be perfectly honest, thought tails would be easier to model. Later on I added another tail, mainly because I had left over greenstuff and I didn't want to waste it. Also note the bag still hasn't been glued into place at this stage, just fixed into position with Blu-Tac.

This is a how the bag looks normally

Originally the bag also has a rip with a skull poking through. I cut and sanded this off and smoothed the plastic with liquid poly cement (the type applied with the brush mounted in the cap).

Just another day in Mega-City One.

2012-04-26T14:23:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post for everyone that had their formative years influenced by British comics in the 1970/80's.

Mega-City Judges, Mongoose Publishing

2012-04-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

"The judges are the lawkeepers of Mega-City One, fighting to protect innocent citizens from criminals and scum. Few in number, the judges welcome only the best and the brightest into their ranks, and not all of those survive the 15 year training regime. A force of judges will be very well equipped and able to handle most situations."

That quick overview from the Mongoose Publishing website.

Way back in the mists of time (or for any younger readers: the late 1970's) my older cousin used to collect the comic 2000AD featuring of course Judge Dredd; my older brother used to buy Starlord (the original home of the Strontium Dog character) and I had the Beano and Dandy. Naturally I used to read all the 'big boys' comics when they were literally handed down to me.

These three figures, from the Justice Department Box Set by Mongoose Publishing, are painted to match how my brother remembered the Judges from the comic. I've seen the figures painted up with golden eagle on the right shoulder and the left shoulder pad painted yellow, but my brother wanted both to be the same colour. I later checked an old comic and the rule book from the role-player game and saw the shoulder pads were, in fact the same colour, normally a dark shade of yellow.

The older comics also show the uniform to be a very dark shade of blue (navy?), not black or a lighter shade of blue I've seen in later editions of the comic or models. I assume this is because with black it is difficult to show highlights and shades and still making the image eye-catching. Looking at the uniform now it does seem an odd mix of colours but I still like it (nostalgia is a wonderful thing).

Judge Super Dude (remember him Ade?)

Although I did actually want the uniform to have a satin look the varnish is still wet on some of these photos. The camera was borrowed so I needed to get it back to my friend as soon as.

Shropshire Model Show, RAF Museum Cosford 2012 - Part 3 of 3

2012-04-17T09:27:00.001+01:00

Sci-Fi and Miscellaneous

'Fantastical Fish-Shaped Submersible'
JJ, Pensnett Model Makers Society

The model above is a fantastic steampunk model made by JJ of the Pensnett Model Makers Society, probably one of the best and most proficient modeller's I've ever met. This model won the 'Miscellaneous' competition.

Captain Scarlet

My childhood in model form

Thunderbird 3

A real Dalak transporter

Dalak transporter - note the lack of stairs.

Shropshire Model Show, RAF Museum Cosford 2012 - Part 2 of 3

2012-04-16T09:07:00.000+01:00

Aviation

IPMS Avon

The vast majority of models on display athe show didn't have any bases. The two examples above show just how much better they look when they do have base.

Add Hansa Brandenburg W29
Shropshire Scale Modellers

Albatross
Shropshire Scale Modellers

Harrier Special Interest Group

1:72 Scale
Harrier Special Interest Group

1:1 Scale version
Harrier Special Interest Group

Note the matching real Harrier in the background. It was only delivered to the museum in the last few months.

Shropshire Model Show, RAF Museum Cosford 2012 - Part 1 of 3

2012-04-05T16:36:00.001+01:00

In the glorious sunshine last weekend I attended the (relatively) local Shropshire Model Show held at RAF Museum Cosford. This is one of the biggest model shows held in the midlands (if not the country), the added bonus is that it is held in the various halls of the museum.

I also got the chance to meet up with the chaps from the Pensnett Model Makers Society located in their usual spot under the Messerschmitt 410A-1/U2 Hornisse.

As usual all the displays were very impressive. I even managed to get my spending down; I only came any with a few various bits and pieces, masking tape, drill bits etc. books relating to the War of 1812 and Tamiya's 1:35 scale WWII 'BMW R75 with sidecar' and Miniart's 'RuU2 ssian jeep Crew'.

I've split the posts of the photos of models that caught my eye into three sections - 'Military Land & Naval', 'Aviation' and 'Sci-Fi and Miscellaneous.'

Pensnett Model Makers Society

First up:
Military Land & Naval

North Staffs Model Club

German 80cm K (E) Railway siege gun
North Staffs Model Club

German 80cm K (E) Railway siege gun - Detail
North Staffs Model Club

A34 Comet

'Tide of Iron, Cambrai - 1917'

'Tide of Iron, Cambrai - 1917' - Detail

HMS Exeter

This model caught my eye as it reminded my of an old neighbour, Jim. He was Royal Marine that had served on the HMS Exeter during WWII.

Geoff Taylor's HMS Manchester - Best in Show

The model shown above deservedly show 'Best in Show' in the competition. This was (I believe) largely scratch built and really was 'museum standard'.

Here is a link to a article about the model and far better photos from a local newspaper: HMS Manchester

Necrons, Games Workshop - Family Protrait Part 9 of 9

2012-03-26T08:52:00.000+01:00

Group shot of the happy family complete with pets

Necrons, Games Workshop - Part 8 of 9 Scarab Swarms

2012-03-24T13:53:00.000Z

The first part of the Necrons project Scarab Swarms is now complete and I'm making decent progress with the main figures. Hopefully these should be finished by the end of the week (if I can stay out of the local beer garden, with all this sunshine).

These little ankle bitters were easy to paint up. Primed with black then block painted with Chainmail leaving the low areas black and then highlighted with Mithril silver. Then, using the GW washes added shadow and 'dirt' stains.

Necrons, Games Workshop - Part 7 of 9

2012-03-23T08:48:00.000Z

A couple of close up shots. Along with the ‘officer’ figure this is my favourite figure. You can tell when a figure ‘works’ or not and I think this one does. He looks menacing and there is enough tension in the piece to attract attention plus I enjoyed scratch building the side arm.

Last figure to be completed.

Necrons, Games Workshop - Part 6 of 9

2012-03-22T08:40:00.000Z

Last but not least, this is the final figure which I was 'forced' to modify. I made the left arm from spare plastic sprue.

The right hand and base of the gun was taken from a spare ACW arm. At first I made the gun in the style of a double barrel shotgun but this didn't 'look' quite right so I stuck another two barrels on top. Again this looked too basic. Seeing a circular moulding on a sprue I thought this could look like an ammo magazine case. I decided to place the case on top to look like an old Gatling gun rather than underneath like a Thompson sub-machine gun.

This set is now more or less complete. The only thing left now is to fit the green plasma barrels and finish with a protective varnish.

Necrons, Games Workshop - Part 5 of 9

2012-03-21T08:59:00.000Z

Thinking that I’d very nearly completed painting and constructing the Necron figures (see below), I was a bit taken aback when I realised that there was an arm missing. Well two really. One that I’d used to create a modification by cutting off a hand to use on another figure and the other arm went missing after I’d dropped my parts box. Ho hum. This means that I will have to cut and carve another right hand. I’ve found a spare set of plastic arms (holding a musket) from a Perry ACW mini that I think I can use.

Necrons, Games Workshop - Part 4 of 9

2012-03-20T09:08:00.000Z

In order to create an effect of a plasma gun GW provide twelve plastic rods (that appear florescent green) rods which form the barrow of the weapon. Several of these rods split when I was removing them from the various sprues. One broke clean in two and looking awful when I super-glued it back together. Slightly depressed and not knowing what to do as an alternative, I stared at the sprue for a few minutes. Then I noticed that one long side of the spruce was free from markings so I cut a section out and thinned it down to match the others. Surprisingly the plastic didn’t look too bad. It then occurred to me that I may be able to use the same material to create a light-sabre type weapon to replace the sword I had planned for another figure. First I removed the hand and handle from one plasma gun and then made a pistol from various different square and round section plastic rods.
A replacement handle was cut out from plastic card. To achieve the correct look with the plasma gun for the light sabre figure I simply cut away the right hand and hollowed out the handle.

Necrons, Games Workshop - Part 3 of 9

2012-03-19T09:15:00.000Z

I mocked up one model to represent an officer figure. I have to work on the right arm and tweak the hand of the left arm (to make it left handed!). I might replace the sword with a light-sabre type weapon.

Looks a bit like Eddie of an Iron Maiden album cover.

Necrons, Games Workshop - Part 2 of 9

2012-03-16T09:19:00.000Z

To make this figure stand out a bit more I've altered the pose slightly. The left leg has been cut at the hip and the knee and then pinned at a different angle to enable the foot to rest on the block. I may reverse the arm holding the weapon from right to left so the arm is resting on the knee.

Another more obvious addition will be to add a couple of extra blades to the end of the weapon; a Gauss Flayer apparently.

Necrons, Games Workshop - Part 1 of 9

2012-03-15T12:55:00.000Z

In my youth I would often see how quickly I could complete a model, the faster the better I thought. Nowadays I spend a bit more time planning ahead. Some of this is simply mentally picturing how to complete the minis, a mental dry run. Without wishing to sound odd I can often ‘see’ the finished article before I start, or at least have a very good idea how it will look. It’s a pity I can’t rapid prototype using my mind power alone.

An example of this process is the Necron miniature bases. From the start I had wanted to give the notion of the Necrons walking across a scarred industrial wasteland. I had assumed that all of the miniatures were made up of identical parts until I came to prepare the bases. Checking the figures again I was pleasantly surprised to discovery that there is a large amount of variation possible. With several arm options and separate bodies every model can have a different pose.

Raiding the scrap box enabled me to produce a number of special ‘one off’ bases. The figure standing on the crushed and twisted structural steel section is a good example. This was made from standard plastic ‘H’ section heated over a candle and then flattened into shape with a metal needle file. Interesting odd shaped bits of plastic were used to replicate distressed metal. Using thin plastic rod I cut half a dozen small pieces to equal length and then scattered them to replicate spent shell cases. Small scale metal chain and plastic card complete with 'bullet holes' and rust stains will add to the overall look of desolation. Reminds me of a foundry I worked in once.

One criticism I have of this box set is that the bases supplied are way too small for these figures (20mm dia). Or to be more pedantic, the legs of the figures are too widely spaced. If one foot is placed firmly within the circular base then the other foot almost entirely clears the edge. Both feet will overhang the edge if not positioned carefully leaving, in my opinion, not enough contact to secure them properly. In order to be safe I decided to pin all of them. This is a relatively easy, if a little long winded, procedure and gives the mini a little extra stability. I used a hand drill to produce a small blind hole, the same diameter as a paper-clip, into the ‘foot’ of the miniature. Then cut off a suitable length of paper clip. Bend the metal into a loop with a longer length of metal at ninety degrees to the loop, pass this though the plastic base and glue the miniature into position.

Alumwell Wargaming Show (WMMS) 2012

2012-03-12T16:52:00.120Z

Last Sunday was an unusually warm and bright spring day here in the sunny West Midlands. So what better way than to spend a few hours before the local pub's beer garden opens than to look at (and buy a fair few) hundreds and thousands of figures and models. Sad but true. This is the closest event to where I live (exactly ten miles according to Google). The venue, oddly called 'Aldersley Leisure Village' is actually a modern sports hall just to the north east of Wolverhampton. Parking is free if you can find a spot. I also got to meet up with Pensnett Model Makers Society, who I hadn't managed to see at all this year due to personal and financial reasons.
A number of games caught my eye but in my buying frenzy I forgot to take more photos. Here are a few of the ones I did remember to take.

Shrewsbury Wargames Society always put on excellent terrain This always appeals to my model making interests.

Shrewsbury Wargames Society

Wyrley Retinue's 30 Years War Battle of Steinkirche,

Wyrley Retinue's Battle of Steinkirche

Wyrley Retinue's Battle of Steinkirche detail

In no particular order here's list of what we purchased (and I don't think this is even a complete list):
Knuckleduster Miniatures - '1812 The American War' range:
Canadian Voltigeurs,
Glengarry Light Infantry,
Glengarry Light Infantry Command,
US Frontier Militia Officers,
US Frontier Militia Musicians and Flagbear,
US Artillery Crew,
Gen Brown & Colonial Gardiner,
US Mounted Colonels
Baccus 6mm Franco Prussian War:Bavarian Infantry Booster Pack
Imperial French Infantry Booster Pack
Western Europe Large House

Crooked Dice:Timelift Security (not Captain Scarlet)
Federated Security (not Federation troops from Blake's Seven)
The Men from Tomorrow (not the Prisoner)

Fireforge Games:
Teutonic Knights (hard plastic box set)

Trent Miniatures:
Prince Rupert

Perry Miniatures:Yorkist command & Warwick on foot,
Liveried Billmen,
Men at arms/Knights standing with polearms,
Pack of Bills,
Mercenaries WoTR box set,
Woodland Indians Stockbridge tribe

Foundry Miniatures:Mean Machine (2000AD
Torquemada (2000AD)
Tech Judge (2000AD)
Fink Angel (2000AD)
Chief Judge McGruder (2000AD)

Menacing Monsters:
Allosaurus
BattleFlags:
Saye and Sales Regimental flag

Paints:
Various horse colours
Navy Blue

I wouldn't normally list purchases but I'm curious how many of these projects I'll complete (or even start) before next years show.

For more (and better quality) photos take a look that these sites.
Belisarius show report - I had actually recognised Belisarius from the latest issue of Battlegames that I had received the previous day. His figures feature on the cover. I'm afraid I must have given the poor chap the impression I was a mad stalker.

Will's Wargaming Blog

28mm Heaven

News from the Front

I did actually take more photos but I'll be posting these eventually onto the Pensnett Model Makers Society blog page.