Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Colonial Adventures => Topic started by: FifteensAway on April 17, 2018, 02:46:26 AM
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Added some new photos and thoughts regarding layout for a Boxer Rebellion game loosely inspired by the 55 Minutes at Peking game from eons ago.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yGLYGjkNts0/WtVKs8vidqI/AAAAAAAADwY/Az6fP2qT0G4ImJ_18CmOk1Ab0VdElnjdQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0858.JPG)
Check out the blog if you like:
https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html (https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html)
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FifteensAway, this is good stuff. I'll be following your work. With my post apoc 28mm collection done( though not yet photographed and posted), after a break of about a week I'll be moving to my Blue Moon 15mm/18mm Boxer Rebellion. I'll need all the help I can get with layout. I have two 5 ft x 7 ft tables to work with... I need to put this collection together using just those. When I did my FIW layouts I used the 2 tables twice to allow four different layouts, but those represented four entirely different aspects of the war. This time I'm only doing what I can do on the two tables... kind of excited about getting the show on the road. Keep posting; I'll keep watching. Richard
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What a huge undertaking.
Am sure when it is done it will look great.
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Can't wait to see the painted buildings and walls!
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More!
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Based on the thunderous demand for more, here's more:
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oW7yt1J5MBs/Wtlbco0XZ5I/AAAAAAAADyg/or1zBeRO4dAhvC44IM91SwMyyXnmmp5IQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0881.JPG)
Or maybe it was just Smokeyrone's plea! lol
More photos on the blog, link in OP.
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this is going to be a wonderful game when it's completed. [... I wonder when it will be completed. Not very soon I guess]
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Pretty serious painting queue there. I will be checking in to ensure that they meet your usual quality lol lol
Lon
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FifteensAway, in following your Boxer Rebellion back and forth with ragbones, I note that you are making your Tartar Wall 6" tall. What is your intended width for that wall? As is my norm when doing scratch builds for my projects, I plan to build my wall using Duplos and probably some Legos. What will you be building yours out of... wood (I see what appear to be 2x4s on the table)? What are you using for your canal bridges? I appreciate any help you can offer. This next week I plan to do my initial table layout to see what I can do on tables that are 5 ft x 7 ft. Because this project's terrain involves so many pieces, I am thinking that once I have the basic layout, I will use poster board to make templets of each of the legation's grounds so I will not have to rebuild the whole thing each time I want to work with the layout. Richard
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Richard,
My Tartar wall will be 12' long in total (with as many as three gates) and I expect I will use 1" x 6" lumber for the sides and top (and maybe bottom?). Haven't settled yet on the width but I'd say no less than 3" but might go for 4". I will have to experiment a bit to find what works right. Right now I'm thinking 6" tall but I might go a bit higher if needed to get the right balance with the width.
One thing I have decided - based on photographic evidence - one side of the wall will have a 'solid' wall on top and the other side will be 'crenelated' like a castle. Will have to go back and look at more photos to decide if the wall will be straight walled or at an angle (if at an angle I will run the thin edge of the 1 x 6 through a table saw with the blade canted).
Just placed another order for the balance of the OG/Blue Moon buildings I will be buying for this setup. Time permitting, I will setup and take photographs and post to the blog.
Because of that 12' length, I'll probably 'stylize' the texture of the wall, maybe some plastic bricks such as used in model railroading and then a layer of tinted sparkling compound (to avoid white showing if it chips). Also still investigating how to do the surface of the top of the wall.
With the legations, I used a permanent black marker to label the base of each end of each piece in Alpaha Sequence to facilitate setting up quickly. Does help quite a bit.
Haven't finalized decisions on canal bridges - but I do have at least one aquarium piece I'll probably use. Because of my "U" shaped set-up with 6' of the canal on either side of the open space (4' x 6'), so half a canal on each side, several of the bridges will only be "half" bridges with its matching mate on the other side of the gap.
I have the good fortune to be tackling this project with a gaming buddy assisting - he is painting the first batch of boxers. He also has a 3D printer that might be pressed into service. And I'm awaiting some plastic rickshaws and sampans (maybe - don't know that they'll work in Peking but maybe for field battle games such as the two relief expeditions) courtesy of a kind LAF soul.
Even with his assistance, I'm pretty sure you'll lap me to the finish line with your prodigious rate of production! :D
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FifteensAway, I completed my initial set up of the 5 legations in the discount package. I have IDed the bottom of each piece with its location using a Sharpie, and I have made poster board templets for the 5 legations. I now have some more questions about what you are planning:
1. You are putting the two-story block-house-style building in the British legation in a different place than it is shown on the Old Glory/Blue Moon website. What is your reason for doing that?
2. I have been googling this stuff for awhile and have the movie 55 Days At Peking. This has given me some thoughts on the directions I can go with regard to the colors of the legations... basically beige or tan or light grey with roofs of red or blue tile. Have you made up your mind on the color issues?
3. BRB 103 which I think is the main building in the Japanese legation (I probably should have checked) has a lot of scrolling detail. Have you given any thought as to how that should be painted in terms of color... same as overall building or ...?
I appreciate any insights you can offer. It is really nice to have someone else working this project at the same time I am.
Richard
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Uh-oh, not going to be much help here, Richard.
#1: no reason, just experimenting. I believe there were actually two such buildings in the British legation and both were labeled as student housing - which makes me wonder who were the students?
#2: No decisions on coloring yet but roof colors will vary between blue, green, red, and yellow - the last reserved for Imperial buildings (and likely highlighted with gold). Apparently there is a hierarchy to roof colors at the time - and green was kind of low on that totem pole and thus more appropriate for the legations (?), I think that was the color of the roof of the Tsungli Yamen - which was the lowest and meanest building the Imperial court could find to deal with those smelly, rude foreigners - and doubtless inscrutable. (With apologies for such terminology, not meant to be offensive, just 'period'.)
#3: First not sure what scrolling you are referring to, and, yes, 103 is the Japanese building. On the back of the Russian legation is what appears to be the Russian Imperial coat-of-arms. Wondering if that is what you are asking about?
Wish I could be more helpful. Based on the scarcity of hard information - unless it comes to light - I don't think you can go wrong bringing your artistic eye to the problem. Though I agree beige, tan, and light gray for the walls is workable.
Really wondering about the ruins in the British Legation as modeled by Blue Moon, too? Seems out of place but I'm guessing some research was done to support what they did.
Love to hear input from others that have 'hard' evidence on this topic.
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FifteensAway, thanks so much for your quick response to my questions... much appreciated. I hope you don't mind if I continue to use you as a resource throughout this project. It is rare that I find myself sharing an interest in a project to the degree that we are sharing this one.
Let me return to roof color. Is it your sense that legation roofs would fall in the red and blue range... neither highest nor lowest?
After posting my last set of questions I found a picture in Osprey's Peking 1900 at the bottom of page 83 that appears to be the student house and seems to located as placed by Blue Moon.
In terms of the Tartar Wall, let me ask what is probably a lazy question. Is the crenelated side the same side as the legations?
At some point I think I read something about the ruins located in the back left of the Blue Moon British legation, but can't remember where to find it, and my Boxer prep work took a nap during the last few months of my work on my post apoc collection.
Thanks again for the help.
Richard
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FifteensAway, here's a possible answer to the question about the ruins next to the British legation grounds. In doing a little reading this evening in the Osprey Peking 1900 I found a passage explaining the reasons for selecting the British legation as the main point of defense: large grounds, not directly under the Tartar Wall and good field of fire. On page 57 it speaks to the fact that to enhance the legation's field of fire, they burned Chinese homes next to the British legation... those ruins may represent that effort to enhance the legation's field of fire.
Richard
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FifteensAway, here's a possible answer to the question about the ruins next to the British legation grounds. In doing a little reading this evening in the Osprey Peking 1900 I found a passage explaining the reasons for selecting the British legation as the main point of defense: large grounds, not directly under the Tartar Wall and good field of fire. On page 57 it speaks to the fact that to enhance the legation's field of fire, they burned Chinese homes next to the British legation... those ruins may represent that effort to enhance the legation's field of fire.
Richard
The posting was slow so I clicked a second time, thus the repeat of this posting.
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FifteensAway, what are you using for the Hanlin College/ruins? Richard
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Ask away - just be equally prepared to answer away! Here, hopefully, is a link on the wall question: (https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi-qcvVjdLaAhUjiFQKHdnCAagQjRx6BAgAEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alamy.com%2Fstock-photo%2Fboxer-rebellion.html%3Fblackwhite%3D1&psig=AOvVaw0HTjYdrDshRcacC5pAhK48&ust=1524631647912246). Clearly shows the crenellation facing away from the legations.
If you don't have the Diana Preston book, The Boxer Rebellion, buy and read it. Personally, I think it is the best book on the siege.
Your thoughts on the British legation damaged area may very well be correct. Many period photographs show buildings jam-packed together so that makes sense.
Somewhere along the way I think you asked about the Mongol Market which would be between the British and Russian legation but "outboard" of them, not really in between them. On the same side would be the carriage park but closer to the Imperial City.
Also, try googling Aerial Photos of China circa 1900. Seems there was a French group of balloonists with cameras taking photos. Unfortunately, so far, I've found very few that are well labelled and of Peking and the legation quarter - though one may be a very good image of the Peitang Cathedral but may also be from Tientsin rather than Peking.
I'm still trying to get more information on roof colors myself but as I find more I'll be happy to share.
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Ordered The Boxer Rebellion by Diana Preston tonight. Thanks for the recommendation. My previous reads on the subject have been two Osprey books and The Fists of Righteous Harmony/Boxer Rebellion by Henry Keown-Boyd which is a day to day account. Since it is organized by both date and location it is an easy book to use when trying to track things down.
Richard
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Try again: https://www.google.com/search?q=top+of+the+tartar+wall&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjgsb3NjdLaAhULiVQKHb6rA-sQsAR6BAgAECc&biw=1240&bih=637#imgrc=rRpqYjal6EsYlM: (https://www.google.com/search?q=top+of+the+tartar+wall&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjgsb3NjdLaAhULiVQKHb6rA-sQsAR6BAgAECc&biw=1240&bih=637#imgrc=rRpqYjal6EsYlM:)
That is the link to the page with the photos (again, hopefully). If it works, just explore and you should find the image of the top of the wall. Or just google Top of the Tartar Wall, that's how I found the images.
Notable elements of the image is the width, 30' to 40' wide at a guess, both 'paved' areas and piles of dirt - and a building on top of the wall itself. The challenge, of course, is not knowing which part to the wall is represented. Does show the bastions that extend out from the wall quite close together so I'll need to build many of them for my 12' of wall to remain authentic - but I might space them a bit wide, we'll see.
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Thank you. Richard
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FifteensAway or anyone with the info, why is the roof on the Russian legation missing? That is the way it is picture on the Old Glory/Blue Moon site and the way it is shown in your pictures? I have not read anything that explains why this building in particular came with no roof. Thanks, Richard
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Well, butter my ass and call me a biscuit... That is a very ambitious project.
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I went to Petco today and found the bridges I will be using over the canal. They are 5” long x 2” wide. The opening is 2 ½” wide x 1” tall at its highest point. While the bridges have steps that are more appropriately sized for 28mm figures, I plan to cover those with a sheet of Evergreen Plastic so they will be more road-like than steps. Each bridge is resin (fish tank pieces) and cost $5.99 each. I think they should work fine. I haven’t decided whether to keep or cut off the decorative red balls… still have a lot of time to decide on that.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/958/40967029574_4660e05d9c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25q7JC7)IMG_1728 (https://flic.kr/p/25q7JC7) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Richard, "great minds think alike" so we must have 'great minds'! That's exactly the bridge I have, well, at least one of them.
And, well, Hammers, I'm not quite sure what to say about "Well, butter my ass and call me a biscuit.." Round these parts such a bromide is likely to get you poked, repeatedly and in rapid succession and from a direction you might not be expecting. Just saying' man. And if that floats your ferry boat, sail on, wayward son. :D
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FifteensAway, there I think the bridges will work out great.
I have a question about your use of artillery by the Chinese military. In relation to the Tartar Wall or specific legations, where are you placing your Chinese artillery and how many pieces are you using?
If it is okay with you I will continue our back and forth on our common subject. I have never had the pleasure of working on a project that I could discuss with some who was essentially working on the same project and solving similar problems.
Richard
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Richard, continuing the discussion is of value to me as well as we share our findings and ideas and progress. Speaking of which, here is something I got to enhance the project through the kindness of a stranger (who is a fellow LAF denizen): (https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oP6WvSq7cJc/WuEkYprkyII/AAAAAAAAD0c/XfP4QXZPzV8v-A69PhOjjxXhYTQZjzu7ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0904.JPG)
More on my Boxer page on my blog if you feel so inclined - the page link shifted to the bottom row for reasons I still haven't sorted out.
To your specific question about artillery: haven't come to any firm decisions but I do figure it will mostly be ineffective, especially if Boxer manned. There is debate as to whether much of the fire into the Legation area was just bad shooting or intentionally 'missing' much of the time. I figure most artillery firing into the legations would have been manned by Imperial troops since the Boxers destained western technology (not sure if they thought of artillery as such since its basis was gunpowder, a Chinese invention).
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Those are outstanding and if they are what I think they are very difficult to find and even harder to afford. Congrats. I have a couple things to share that you might be interested in. I'll post here when I have a couple of pictures taken to share... probably this evening.
What are your plans for positioning Chinese army artillery... where and how much?
Richard
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FifteensAway, here are a couple items for your consideration. In looking at photos of the French legation during the Boxer Rebellion I have noticed that there are 2 Foo Lion Dogs at the gates. The only miniature I have found that approximates the size needed is the Foo Lion Dog included in the Zen Accessory pack put out as part of Wyrd’s Malifaux line of figures… that would be the small metal statue figure next to the Blue Moon European civilian in the attached picture. Over the years I have also found several larger Foo Lion Dog style statues at the swap meet and while they are very nice, they are probably too large to be of any practical value with this collection… probably better for my 28s. Also several years ago in preparation for working on the Boxer Rebellion someday, I picked up two packs of Preiser HO scale turn of the century European figures. In terms of size they are pretty good compared with the Blue Moon European figure pictured. I found the Preiser figures years before Blue Moon introduced their 15mm Boxer Rebellion collection. Just thought I’d share… don’t want to be just a taker in this process. Richard
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/975/40809047135_834414a832_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25ba2WX)IMG_1731 (https://flic.kr/p/25ba2WX) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/977/40809047505_38a2fbd706_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25ba34k)IMG_1732 (https://flic.kr/p/25ba34k) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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I'll be checking into those Preiser figures - though fearful of the price (and wondering if they are still available). Recent information at a regional hobby shop leads me to believe that hand painted model rail figures are heading towards a low altitude stratosphere for pricing.
For more Foo Dog style sculpts, swing by a gem and bead show and - if you get lucky - you can find all sorts of suitable items. I have a stash I'll have to dig out for photography and sharing.
If you can get hold of a copy of Miniature Wargames issue 30 from November of 1985 there is an article about the original 55 Minutes of Peking game as put on by the Staines group that is also in Wargames Illustrated issues 26 and 27 (26 just has a photo, 27 has the later article with the expanded game). The issue 30 article marks some spots on the accompanying map for artillery.
I'm off to finish reading the article from issue 30.
I have lots of artillery pieces for my set up but much of it is intended for field battles rather than the siege.
I expect you know about Old Glory 15s and their compatible Boxer figure range. Do you also know about Matchlock Miniatures range? Similar in size but a bit static but does give additional options. There used to be a company called Cellmate Miniatures that also did Boxer figures but in a smaller size. I have a mix of all plus the Blue Moon via Old Glory 25s.
If you can't come up with the article, let me know and we'll make arrangements to get a copy in your hands. There are only black and white photographs to go with the text and the map.
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Preiser are expensive; no question about that. I think the boxes they came in still have their part numbers if you want them.
Are you using BRB-132 for the Fu? From my reading it was the focus of several Chinese Krupp guns.
What other cannon were in use by the Chinese army during the siege? So far I have purchased only three of the Krupp pieces. Since I am not a gamer my total focus will be on the siege so I will not be addressing any of the action outside of that arena.
Last night I attacked the steps on one of the bridges with Milliput (yellow grey/red and white box/my favorite) to give it a smooth road look. I think it came out pretty good. I'll take a picture and send it along so you can see how it came out.
Richard
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FifteensAway, since I was out in my storage shed this afternoon I pulled the two Preiser figure boxes and wrote the part numbers down. The larger of the two boxes is 12045. The small/regular box is 12139. I won't pass along the prices (tags still on the boxes); I bought them years ago and the prices are serious. It would be nice if all the Preisers were sold with the unpainted option... some are, but I don't think that is common.
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FifteensAway, your views about the look and construction of the Tartar War set me to putting together the Duplo skeletons/blocks for my Tartar Wall; no wall detail just the blocks. I decided to jump into this part of the project now because I was sure I would not have enough rectangular Duplos to complete the 12 sections (each 5 inches long) plus ramps I will require for the five feet of wall I will need. As it turned out I was able to put together skeletons/blocks for the 12 wall sections with the Duplos on hand. That drains me of the rectangular Duplos. I should have no trouble finding the Duplos needed for the wall ramps during my swap meet visits. The swap meet will provide; it always has.
Additionally, I’ve begun the process of modifying the Petco bridges by smoothing over the bridge steps with yellow-grey Milliput. One is done and dry/hardened. The other two are done and drying.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/969/27858110998_47b2700a22_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/JrJ6QA)IMG_1729 (https://flic.kr/p/JrJ6QA) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/967/40828165805_a9f1bd42c2_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25cR2gc)IMG_1733 (https://flic.kr/p/25cR2gc) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Well, I've amassed some 'loot' for my China modeling, here is an example:
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OzLIc1M6NzQ/WuJ7VhVWGOI/AAAAAAAAD1E/ft4VJChUTD0Kc5LxpgzMBoRBHZF0nIVhACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0907.JPG)
And here is the link to the blog for more: https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html (https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html)
Richard, dude, that is going to be a LOT of a LOT of Duplo blocks. A couple of well thought out pieces of wood will get your there a lot quicker. But, hey, whatever floats your sampan - or junk if you're more ambitious.
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That's some great stuff. I love the pagodas. For a number of years a woman at the swap meet sold ceramic Asian structures that I expect were intended for garden pot decor. She and they are no longer there. The structures were brightly colored and highly glazed and swap meet cheap so over time I filled a box with them and stored them in a safe place, but unlike you I can't remember where I put the box... probably will find it a week or so after I post my Boxer gallery.
I have all the Duplo blocks for the Tartar Wall done... no detail or surfacing or "railing" or painting, just 12 five-inch-long blocks (lots and lot of Duplos) that stretch the five feet I need. I also still have to figure out the wall ramps... have to buy more Duplos. The swap meet is tomorrow and I may get lucky.
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Amazing work by both of you gentlemen and I will be keeping up with this thread on a regular basis!
@Richard: Is your swap meet the one at the Rose Bowl?
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Mad Guru, the Rose Bowl swap meet is too upscale for me. Also I'm further south in Orange County. The community colleges in this area hold parking lot swap meets most weekend (probably only 3 or 4 exceptions during big holidays). Unfortunately over the years most of these swap meets have become little more than outdoor dollar stores. I'm looking for the old, the cast off and the broken. That is where the treasure can be found. Only one of these local swap meets has remained largely wonderful junk and that is the one I attend. It is the one held at Gold West Community College. Don't tell anyone... our secret. Richard
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FifteensAway, I was inspired by your post to do a serious search for my missing ceramic Asian buildings, and it took some time, but I found them.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/975/41747950911_5dc3000c89_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26B8ak6)IMG_1736 (https://flic.kr/p/26B8ak6) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Looks good and I expect will see them much converted in the not so distant future. My favorite piece is the low covered pavilion on the right.
On the whole subject of artillery you keep asking about, I'm afraid I'm not much more knowledgable than you on the subject - if that. But I do continue to look for more information and will share whatever comes to light.
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FifteensAway, my experience with Lemax buildings tells me that I do not have the talent/skills to cut this kind of stuff... it ain't resin. So any modifying I do will be with Milliput and a paint brush. Honestly, if I thought I could get them to blend with the other buildings and figures I would probably just spray them with Dullcote and keep them as painted, but I doubt that will work. I will need to use some Milliput at the base of a couple to make them more user friendly for 15mm people.
In terms of the Blue Moon buildings, have you decided what you will be using to represent the Fu and Hanlin College? Does BRB-132 play a part in either?
Once again, thank you for posting the pictures of the China loot. If you hadn't not done that I might not have had the motivation to battle through the many, many boxes in the shed, and wouldn't you know it they were in the bottom box, in the last stack behind everything else. That's said, I'm glad I fought the battle. Richard
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FifteensAway, my copy of The Box Rebellion by Diana Preston arrived today. Richard
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I'll look forward to hearing your opinion of the book - and be alert to the section about roof colors. I've been trying to find time to do so myself but life can be a bear sometimes. Especially in spring when the honey-do list gets WAY too long. lol
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Most of my hobby time today was devoted to building the ramp for my Tartar War. It turned out to be easier than I thought it would be... sometimes luck plays a big part in these efforts. I'll take a picture when time permits. As of this moment the only construction I have left in terms of the wall is a water gate and the rims, crenelated and non-crenelated, on the top edges of the walls. I've decided to cheat in terms of the finish I will use on the wall. I originally thought I would cover the Duplos with JTT stone, but JTT is getting difficult to find these days and it would require a lot of JTT plastic stone sheet to pull that off so I'm going to texture the wall with Squadron Green Putty. Speaking of me as a fraud when in comes to the authentic, this collection will be placed on one of my 5 ft. x 7 ft. tables and that rather than history is going to dictate the placement of a lot of terrain. The British legation will of course be the central piece of terrain and to the degree that I can locate terrain properly the terrain will key off of the British legation. I am dedicated to having the Imperial Canal, Tartar Wall, Hanlin College and market properly placed in terms of the British legation. I'll try to get the Fu as close as possible. Everything else will be arranged according to the dictates of the table's size.
I did take some time this evening to scan the Preston book... used the index to read what was available on the Fu. I also noted that Preston offers some nice information on Chinese artillery... a couple of good references to the placement and use of some Krupp guns.
Keep your wife happy and post when you can. This conversation really works for me. I've tried a couple of time with different levels of success to post WIP threads, but I'm not very good at it. Richard
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In terms of roof colors mentioned in the Preston book I may need your guidance. As far as I can tell the only reference made to roof color has to do with the British legation which had a green tile roof. I couldn't find any reference to the French, Japanese, Russian or US legation roof colors. Richard
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My Tartar War still has a lot of detail work to do in terms of adding the water gate, the crenelated and no crenelated "railing" on the top edges of the walls, and surfacing the walls, but completing the construction of the wall's ramp was a big step in the right direction for this project. I included the second picture which is the back side of the lower ramp to show the construction. I should also note that there are three unseen plastic rails that run the length of the surface of each ramp to provide strength.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/963/40933097025_054e363143_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25n7PEa)IMG_1742 (https://flic.kr/p/25n7PEa) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/864/41831425531_42c7583cb0_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26JuZqF)IMG_1743 (https://flic.kr/p/26JuZqF) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Just great work
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Smokeyrone, thank you.
FifteensAway, maps of the legation area in Peking show that near the French and Japanese legations there is/was a hotel by the name of Hotel de Pekin. It is not a structure included in the Blue Moon terrain, but if I can fit it in, I intend to include it in my layout. Before Blue Moon came out with their collection I had been collecting buildings to serve as legation buildings for some time. One of those buildings was the Plasticville HO scale Southern Mansion. Another was/is a wonderful structure once sold by Disney and modeled after the Haunted House at Disneyland. While it is not a true copy of the Hotel de Pekin, it is a large, grand structure of three stories. I was fortunate to find one of these at the swap meet several years ago. I’ve added Milliput bushes around the base to hide its original function which I think may have been a music box or something like that. It is a large structure… three plus stories with the doors and windows that are compatible in size with those of the Blue Moon legation structures. I’ve attached a picture of the actual Hotel de Pekin and the Disney Haunted House.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/982/41854986931_44e0949974_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26LzKpH)pekin-grand-hotel (https://flic.kr/p/26LzKpH) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/904/41854987241_ed15546d2b_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26LzKv4)IMG_1746 (https://flic.kr/p/26LzKv4) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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I tried to post a photo and a link to what may be the hotel in 1900, might be a different hotel close by. Neither worked. I googled Hotel de Pekin in 1900 and it was one of the photos that came up.
I think the one in your image might be post 1900. Have you found evidence of the hotel in that configuration during the siege? Not that it matters if you want to include it, it is a model for personal pleasure, not a strictly historical setup.
If you can document it as standing during the siege, I have a building I can use as a stand-in if I can fit it in. Sadly, no longer available. It is from MBA but they've abandoned their 15 mm range. Same building will be used as the Musketeers headquarters for Three Musketeer games. Someday.
edit: Well, having just consulted Preston's book, it does seem the Hotel de Pekin survived the siege - but I think in an earlier configuration. Oh, and the photo I found must be the same hotel because a little further research suggested it was the only hotel in the legation quarter, referred to as Hotel des Wagon Lits in the photo and that is what I googled. It was only a two story affair and quite ornate, looks to have been somewhat "U" shaped. I'd say your model does a better job of representing what may be an earlier configuration than the one in the photo you found.
edit de edit: Well, maybe MBA might still have some! I just checked there site. It is the Town Hall and the nicest part about the model is it does NOT come in a damaged mode - but roof and tower lift off. If I was flush, I'd buy a couple more but spent too much already with my last Old Glory order. It is rather imposing in its own way.
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FifteensAway, I googled Hotel de Pekin 1900 and the picture I posted is what I got. Because I really wanted to include my Disney Haunted House my big concern was not that the Disney building would turn out to be a match... I was sure it would. What I was hoping to find was that the Hotel de Pekin would provide to be a substantial building (not some version of a B & B) and that it had a European rather than Chinese look. I particularly like the Disney building for this purpose because the doors and windows are of the same size as those of the Blue Moon buildings. Also if the first two floors of the Disney building are compared with the two story structure that is the main building in the Japanese legation, they are the same height. Overall the Disney building is larger because it has three-plus floors and is on a rise, but structurally it works in terms of scale. The Plasticville HO Southern Mansion is larger in terms of windows and doors.
As far as I can tell from my selected reading of the Preston book, the Hotel de Pekin was not of dramatic significance to the siege other than as a staging point for a relief effort.
I just checked the Miniature Building Authority 15mm town hall... beautiful building. How does it scale with the Blue Moon legation buildings in terms of door height, window size and and building height (to roof peak not tower) and depth and frontal width (in inches)?
Keep me/all of us posted on what you find.
Here's an unrelated aside. This morning my wife and I were at Disneyland and saw famed photographer Annie Leibovitz conferring with what looked like a project team. Fun stuff. Thanks, Richard
I just found the Miniature Building Authority 15mm town hall measurements which at 9" x 4" x 10" is larger than I need. My three story version is about 5" tall (ground floor to roof) and just over 7" across the face of the building while the Japanese legation building at two stories is 4" tall and 8" across the face of the building. I should note that MBA is having a sale on 15mm buildings so the town hall is now $62.50 as opposed to a normal price of more than $120. It is a beautiful building, but my Disney building was purchased at the swap-meet price of $7... a lucky find I think.
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After consulting books, maps, and photographs, I've come to the following conclusions regarding building the Tartar Wall for my Siege Of Peking game: If I make it 6" tall I will need to make it no less than 4" wide and 5" might be more appropriate to preserve accurately balanced height and width, but 4" will work better for the following detail. The wall was narrower at the top than at the bottom so straight sides are not in order which give the project a slightly greater challenge but workable, a half inch cant on either side means a 4" top width can have a 5" ground level width and I think that is big enough. There were regular bastions on the wall opposite the legation side wall and they were of substantial dimensions - so big I probably can not build one full size but might be able to suggest one somehow. Also, the small walls on each side at the top of the wall have crenellations facing out from the side away from the legations but appear to be solid on the legation side of the wall. These small walls, if kept to 1/4" thickness on each side means, with a 4" total width, I will have a 3 1/2" lane on the top of the wall. That should allow for some 'fun' action up top. There were a number of small, roofed buildings on top of the wall and it seems appropriate to add at least one, maybe three, to my 12' length of wall I'm planning (these were not mere guard shacks, they were large enough to be modest dwellings). I will model the water gate at a minimum and hopefully at least one of the main gates, probably the one close to the German legation. The one beyond the British legation may be too far down the wall to include but if included must be in a damaged state. At least one photo shows Russian artillery and crew on the wall (post relief) and they look small on the wall. That damn thing is MASSIVE! And getting a wall tower to look right will test my skills, for sure. Maybe Oshiro will take pity on me and create proper 15 mm roofs for such a project!!!! 8)
Not regarding the wall, but the canal should not be straight nor should it have walls on either side of it. If they existed at the time of the siege, the photographic evidence shows they were gone by the end of the siege. At least in the vicinity of the British legation. My challenge is how to represent the angular bend in the canal with only having half of the canal (if that) on each side of the central access 'pit' inside the U-shaped 12' x 9' table (4' x 6' pit) and part of it 'centralized'. I think it can be represented but it will be a bit of a challenge.
Now back to the Tartar Wall. For cladding, I may already have enough of some brick paper to do most, maybe all, of the wall. Since it is - or was - a common item for building California missions for 4th grade social studies (required in California curriculums), might be easy to find more. And if not, I can punt and use the brick paper to suggest wall texturing. Looks like the top of the wall can be either pavement or dirt because photos show both, perhaps results of the siege.
This, of course, is for my wall. War in 15 MM's wall is much further along than mine and he's opted for vertical as opposed to canted walls, no doubt a factor of the Duple Block base he is using. It will be curious to see what we each come up with in the end. I'm not racing though, unlike Richard, I'm not retired. My partner on the project is retired but he has other projects of his own but we might catch up to Richard. Or not. That man churns stuff out at an amazing rate.
Okay, enough eyes have glazed over for now. Moving on.
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FifteensAway, I'll be looking forward to seeing your wall especially your approach to the wall bastion. I've given some thought to adding one to one of my wall sections or perhaps making one that is removable (easier storage). For the roof I would probably go with JTT or Evergreen Spanish tile... I do like plastic for building structures. Today my efforts are far less interesting. I'll be cutting the connecting buttons (for lack of a better word) off the top surface of my Duplo wall sections. Should be done with that tomorrow. Once that's done it gets really interesting. I'll be sanding the surface smooth. I might mention that some time ago I saw the wall construction efforts of what I believe was a LAF member... unfortunately can't remember the name. He was built the canted wall and ramp out of masonite and covered it with sheets of paper stone. Looked really good.
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For me one of the few disappointments about the Blue Moon legations is that the legations were designed with the firing steps attached to the legation walls. I would have much preferred that the firing steps be separate from the walls so that with regard to most of the legations (the British being the exception), one could have the legations in both the siege and pre-siege conditions. That said the discussion we are having about constructing the Tartar Wall brought me to the realization that with regard to the US, Japanese, Russian and French legations I can have them both ways simply by scratch building the walls for those legations... the gates are fine and the main buildings are fine or need modest modification. The British is a different case because the main building and the blockhouse-style building are bunkered up. What I may do in that case is use the Austrian legation building as a stand-in for the main British legation building... no shame, and scratch build or modify the blockhouse-style building. I'll be scratch building the pre-siege walls and the blockhouse-style building with Evergreen and JTT plastic.
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Richard, I've ordered a couple of the legation damaged wall sections - hope to have by end of next week - and am curious to see how workable they are with the various legations. I'll let you know how it works out.
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Looks to me like the Blue Moon damaged legation wall should work with the US, Japanese and British legations.
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Looking great 15
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FifteensAway, as I indicated above I’ve decided to have the legations in pre-siege and siege form. Since the legation walls come with firing steps and the British legations is bunkered up, there is not problem achieving the siege look. The Japanese, US and Russian legation buildings are not bunkered up so not much is required to use them as both pre-siege and siege structures. In looking into this problem the obvious issue is legation walls without firing steps. Those will take time to build but shouldn’t be difficult to achieve. I will be cheating in terms of the main British legation building and using the Austrian legation building in its place as my pre siege British structure. I haven’t figured out how I’m going to do the blockhouse-style British building but the real problem structure appeared to be the gatehouse to the British legation. It comes with sandbagged windows. On Friday I decided to see if I could make a pre siege version using Legos as the structural core and Evergreen Plastic as the detail outer skin of the building. The result is far from perfect but it will serve. The crest over the entrance to the legation gate is made from Milliput.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/829/41035285125_3af3e9bf11_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25w9yBX)IMG_1748 (https://flic.kr/p/25w9yBX) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/961/41035284895_2a6eaad94c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25w9yxZ)IMG_1751 (https://flic.kr/p/25w9yxZ) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Well sculpted, well done!
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Gate is certainly workable but three things struck me - the keystone needs its mates to right and left, there should be a cross bar below the coat of arms (your milliput sculpt), and the top piece seems a bit out of proportion. However, none of those prevent you from moving forward - though I would encourage at least the additional stones to either side of the keystone at the top of the arch.
Like the two Chinese carrying the pole with the large package. Don't recall that setup in the Blue Moon civilians - is it or is it from some other source (like your own creativity, perhaps?)?
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The two figures are from the Two Dragons' Samurai. Two Dragons were the central figures I used when I put together my Samurai collection years ago (maybe 10 years ago), but even then I knew I wanted to do the Boxer Rebellion so a put a couple of these aside.
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Finished the initial texturing of my Tartar Wall sections. I still have a lot of detail work to do in terms of the rims on the top of the wall, the water gate and the painting, but it is good to have gotten the wall this far along in about a week and a half.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/980/28110934438_75de6f9928_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/JQ4Trq)IMG_1752 (https://flic.kr/p/JQ4Trq) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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The project is going swimmingly
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Lot's of work! No doubt, you will Wow us all in the end.
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One of the great things about these projects is not only that I have a great time with the planning and building/repurposing/painting, but after 20 collections completed over a period of 40-plus years, I'm still surprised by how they come out in the end. I think the fun of it all feeds the kid in me and keeps me young.
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Today I completed the building and texturing of my Tartar Wall. It is composed of 12 five inch-long wall blocks and a two-part ramp. The texturing was done using Squadron Green Putty which was sanded after it dryed. The crenelated and non-crenelated rims on the top of each wall section as well as the ramps are made from Evergreen Plastic. The wall is five feet long and about 9 inches deep at its deepest point which is the ramp area (wall blocks and two ramp sections). On one of the wall blocks I have made a representation of the water gate on each side of that wall section. On the crenelated side of the water gate wall section, I have included a representation of a metal gate. In making the water gate I used as my source the picture on page 81 of Ospery’s Peking 1900 (#85) from their Campaign range of books. The painting remains to be done, but good headway was made this week.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/953/42023254421_cd4574afe7_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/272satk)IMG_1753 (https://flic.kr/p/272satk) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/973/41122574465_ba183e353b_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25DRWGz)IMG_1754 (https://flic.kr/p/25DRWGz) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/907/41122575005_fbdab68f77_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25DRWRT)IMG_1755 (https://flic.kr/p/25DRWRT) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Very nice work on the wall and gate.
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Thank you Hu Rhu... feels good to have the construction of the wall complete.
FifteensAway, I was reading the Preston book today and found that she indicated that the Chinese were using 10 pieces of artillery during the siege... heavily focused on the Fu. I believe the reference is on page 160.
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Well, that's one way to do the water gate - got me to thinking. I do believe I will actually put a 'bore' though my wall to give that hollow look, easier in wood than in duple. Big challenge will be creating the canal below 'surface' level since I'll be creating a portable game, not just a display.
Now that I've finished Fort Laramie and the Sioux by Remi Nadeau, a rather in depth look at the Sioux wars with the army from start to finish, I will be diving back into a re-read of the Preston book.
Many a challenge - various projects on the go, not all of them hobby related like a pending kitchen remodel and then an extreme maintenance SWMBO that can be too much of a challenge at times - to hinder progress on my wall. But it is not ignored. And next Tuesday a shipment is due from Blue Moon/Old Glory25s if UPS keeps up there scheduled delivery date, two packages above a total 60 pounds! Lots and lots of resin and not all for the Boxers. Photos as soon as I can but that might not be until into June, just have to wait and see.
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FifteensAway, really looking forward to your next set of pictures. Also be sure to post any info you come across regarding legation roof colors. I suppose that if there is no documentation of that, I can't go too wrong with whatever I select, but it would be nice to have it accurately done if possible.
With the Tartar War done except for the painting, I decided to turn my attention to seeing if I could build myself a figure/piece/item I can’t find at a price I can/will pay. When Blue Moon 15s put together their wonderful Boxer Rebellion line of figures, they didn’t forget “passive” civilians… great powers and Chinese. What they didn’t include in their passive Chinese civilians pack was a rickshaw or two. There might well be a good reason for that, but nonetheless I wanted one/some. After a long search for 15mm rickshaws on the internet, I came to accept that the only rickshaw that comes close to 15mm is the one by Atlantic Toys for their Chinese Revolution range of figures, and those are simply out of my price range. With that realization behind me, I opted to see if I could make an acceptable rickshaw out of Evergreen Plastic and leftover Old Glory 15s’ wheels. I used figures from the Blue Moon 15mm Boxer Rebellion’s passive Chinese civilian line to pull the rickshaws (I ended up making three) and Preiser HO scale Victorian/Edwardian figures for the passengers. While they still need to be painted, I think they will serve my purposes just fine so I’m working on a fourth.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/962/41329854074_4915948cf7_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25YbiGW)IMG_1758 (https://flic.kr/p/25YbiGW) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Richard,
Quite a nice job on those rickshaws. If I may, which figures are you using for the 'motors' so to speak?
You might consider looking into finding some TT scale people if they make them for the period. They might work better than HO figures - though I know you aren't overly bothered by the scale difference. The OG figures are roughly 1:100 and the HO 1:87 and the TT 1:120 so a bit of a difference either way. Another alternative - and more of a challenge perhaps - are 1:96 people which would be the best fit. Just harder to find and maybe not so cheap. For the TT, I believe Reynauld's European imports figures but at a bit of a price and with something of a wait - and one heck of a wait if they are currently out of stock (surface shipping so months, not days or weeks - and that's only if the figures are made and then get painted for market).
If you know of anyone with a 3D printer you might ask them if they can track down a printable rickshaw model and suitable figures. But only if you want more than four, what you've done will certainly work a charm.
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FifteensAway, I was surprised and thrilled to find that in the Blue Moon Passive Chinese Civilian pack there are two slightly different male figures (x 2 each) walking with hands at their sides that worked perfectly as the men pulling the rickshaws... absolutely no modification was need for either for of those two figure types. As for the passengers, I'm pretty happy with the look of the Preiser figures. My scratch built rickshaws proved very simple to make. When I did the first one I honestly believed I was not going to find the outcome acceptable, but I felt I needed to try. They are not perfect rickshaws in terms of having the classic rickshaw look, but I liked the first one I did so much that I made three more (the fourth is now complete). I'm not gluing the passengers in so I have the option of rickshaws with passengers and empty. Also, there may turn out to be times when I want the seated passenger figures for other purposes. All in all, I'm very happy with how they came out, and I think they will give my pre-siege Peking streets more of the look I want. I think I have at least three of the Blue Moon Passive Chinese Civilian packs (maybe 4; I'm a nut for civilians) and one pack of the Blue Moon Great Powers non-fighting civilians. I also have 4 of the Preiser Victorian/Edwardian figures (I found two more Preiser Victorian/Edwardian figure boxes since posting the first two; one of the newly found Preiser boxes is Europeans with bicycles). Now I must decide what part of my Boxer Rebellion project to take on next. It always surprises me that after more than 40 years of painting figures for these projects, each time I start a new project I somehow feel I have forgotten how to paint. That said, figure painting by me will probably begin this next week unless I decide to paint the Tartar Wall first.
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They look so wonderful! They are very inspiring!
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Miltiades, you would know better than most; it's a fun project. By the way I borrowed the plan for my Tartar War ramp from you. Thank you. Richard
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A little something for Richard - though he'll have to follow the link to get the real reward!
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9L4Rq69sv00/WvdMVi6Z55I/AAAAAAAAD6U/eDmQsMz6xIglQyUhPxdBOTkhXntDx_CjgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0967.JPG)
And here is said link:
https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com (https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com)
I've also made some 'progress' on my Tartar wall. I realized I could use a milled moulding to get my 'tilting/canted' wall effect so I went and bought 32' of the material today. No time today to get the table saw out but I will run it through to cut to the right height and a flush bottom and then glue to a base and top board - and a solid core where the water gate will be for the bore for said gate.
I've also decided I will add four bastions on the exterior side of the wall, two on either side of the water gate and then one each properly spaced on the two other walls to the left and right - and I will forego trying to build those gate towers. As 'consolation' I plan to use a couple of the smaller buildings I've ordered up on top of the wall to add some character. Twelve feet of wall is a lot of wall and could get a bit boring. The inner side will get two ramps similar to what War in 15 mm has been showing as inspired by Miltiades (who was inspired by a certain movie). And, yes, I have a plan of how to add the bastions and maintain the canted angle of the walls - that's why 32' instead of only 24' of the milled moulding.
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FifteensAway, it is an absolutely beautiful building and will do the Swiss owner (I think that is right) of the Hotel de Pekin proud. Your plan for the wall sounds good... far more creative than Duplos, and I really look forward to seeing the bastions. I may have to create another of my Duplo wall sections so I can have a bastion too, but right now I am turning my attention to building the pre-siege walls for the legations. Keep the pictures coming. Richard
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FifteensAway, another question about Miniature Building Authority. In your personal stock of 15mm terrain do you also have the Miniature Building Authority 15mm Academy? Unlike the Town Hall, MBA does not provide the measurements for the Academy. If you have their 15mm Academy, please send me the measurements: height, length (side to side) and depth (front to back). I emailed MBA for the information, but who knows when or if they will respond... I'm not knocking MBA, but I don't know how good they are about working their email. Thanks, Richard
PS I started painting my Duplo Tartar War yesterday. Should have some pics later and maybe the whole wall done Monday or Tuesday. At that point the Boxer Rebellion will go on hold for a couple days while I apply my homemade/daughter made decals to my Post Apos collection.
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Six of the 15 sections of my Tartar Wall are now finished. The remaining nine have been sprayed with their base coat of black, and I should have the painting/drybrushing and highlighting complete by Tuesday. The actual wall and ramp only require 14 sections, but I made one extra wall section/block that is not as long as the rest just in case the fit of the wall on the table proves a little too tight.(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/906/27221012437_06a246ab3a_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HtqNCD)IMG_1769(1) (https://flic.kr/p/HtqNCD) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/827/27221013467_cadacea3bd_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HtqNWp)IMG_1770(1) (https://flic.kr/p/HtqNWp) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/980/27221014677_a45f439f4d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HtqPig)IMG_1771(1) (https://flic.kr/p/HtqPig) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Painted wall sections looking good, Richard. Unfortunately, I don't have the MBA Academy but looking at the windows and doors I'd say the base dimensions are going to be very similar to the Town Hall, both have seven windows spaced across the front and three on the sides. Might not be a perfect match but I'd bet remarkably close - so 4" deep and 10" wide, roughly. Hope that helps.
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FifteensAway, thank you. I think that's a good insight. Today I my attention was pulled away from the Tartar Wall because my daughter sent me four sheets of homemade decals for my Post Apoc collection, and I couldn't resist putting some on the buildings. I still plan to have the Tartar Wall completely done before the end of the week. I went by Brookhurst Hobbies yesterday to buy the Evergreen Plastic I will need to build the internal structures of the pre-siege legation walls. Hope to get them started before the week is done, but it will be a busy week... dentist, babysitting our granddaughter (more fun than a Tartar Wall), annual physical, and breakfast with a buddy just back from Budapest. Post pictures of your work whenever you have them... helps keep my juices flowing in the right direction. Richard
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After finishing the painting of all the Tartar Wall sections, I decided to take a shot a painting the Japanese legation building. I was surfing the web and found a later picture of the building in a significantly remodeled state. What attracted me most about that picture was that it was color not colorized so decided to go with the color it offered even though it probably is different than the 1900 version. My plan in painting these is to keep it simple.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/968/27284160097_00b777e8ef_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Hz1sep)IMG_1785 (https://flic.kr/p/Hz1sep) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/950/27284160437_bfba8c5a0c_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Hz1skg)IMG_1786 (https://flic.kr/p/Hz1skg) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Excellent job, Richard. Looks the part admirably. You are speeding out ahead.
I've now received the balance of my Blue Moon structures - a total now of 25 civilian buildings, two that are one each, one that is three each, and the rest two each. I've also laid in 21 of their different ruins (5 of the biggest and 4 each of the other four to go with some others I already have (not Blue Moon). I also have enough walls and gates to create two large compounds one of which will certainly represent Prince Su's palace. And, not to be forgotten, the last legation building for the British compound, the one that is open and roofed with pillars - but no interior. Going to have to source a suitable clock tower.
I've also decided how to do the Tartar Wall and get the lower canal. I will space the tables apart so that I can insert a "U" shaped canal into place with each side of the "U" capped with an inverted "L" to keep it in place. And then on either side of the open space inside the legation area I'm going to build an "L" that is more of a "Z" but straight with the top much wider than the bottom that can also go below table level - this will give a sense of a depression and the canal. Just have to 'anchor' this in place somehow but without screws or nails or such, likely use some sort of weight that can double as a terrain piece. I came up with this when thinking about how to do the water gate.
And that lead me to decide to do two gates, one the water gate and another with a ground level gate so I can use the walls in other scenarios, like say an assault on the outer walls. And that means also building a couple of corner pieces and a couple of 'filler' wall sections. Should have all I need to do this with the moulding I bought. Can also use in games unrelated to China.
Been trying to post some photos of the new stuff but it isn't going through yet. I guess I need to clean out my email again.
Yeah! Cleaned the email.
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E0D2tkkjG9U/Wvz3B3uhSaI/AAAAAAAAD64/ofJXv1Q8A04WAsfpd8d_MUp9SZk3IEOZgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1007.JPG)
More here: https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com (https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com)
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That's an impressive collection of structures, but it sounds like you will have a space that will handle it. No question that your water gate and canal will be far more impressive than mine, but I made a decision years ago that the layouts I do must fit on the two tables/boards I have and that I will not build ground terrain that can't be boxed up and stored. That said, I love seeing the more dramatic things that others do, and I am looking forward to seeing how your plan develops. My latest big struggle is/was how to use the legation gates/entrances I have for both pre-siege and siege looks for the legations. It seemed to me that I had one of three choices. The first and most obvious is to made new entrance gates for each legation much as I did with the British legation. That is a huge amount of work. Second is to cut the gates away from the fire step wall... to risky for my taste. The third was to cheat and use the Blue Moon gates/entrances and hide the firing steps with removable shrubs/trees using Legos as a based that I cover with Milliput and then score. It is a process that I use a lot (scored Milliput for shrubs). I got the idea the other day when I was searching the web and found the Japanese legation I mentioned above. It seemed to have lots trees on either side of the entrance on the inside of the wall. Since I know of no pictures of the pre-siege legation grounds, it does not seem completely unrealistic that there would be trees and shrubs along the walls and by the gates. Anyway, today I created two such areas one on either side of the interior entrance to the Japanese legation. It took some time, but wasn't hard to do. The Milliput will harden over night and be ready to paint tomorrow. Because its removable, it will have no negative impact on the firing steps. I will place patches of shrubs along the scratch built walls I am making for each legation thus providing a more unified look and providing a means of stable basing for the walls. I think it will give the legations a nice look before they are confronted with the demands of siege warfare. Richard
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In order to hide the firing steps on the legation wall sections attached to the legation gate entrances I have decided to building removable shrub pieces that can be placed over the firing steps when I am using the legations in their pre-siege state. I did this by building an inner skeleton out of Legos that will fit over the firing steps and then covering the Lego skeleton with scored Milliput to give it the appearance of shrubs/trees. The first one completed is for the Japanese gate entrance. In the attached picture the entrance and walls are not painted yet.(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/971/28308047968_1919397e08_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/K8u9qy)IMG_1794 (https://flic.kr/p/K8u9qy) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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That should work well. There were plenty of trees. However, you may want to include a variety of trunks and perhaps foliage debris piles in the siege variation to help 'link' them better. Not strictly necessary but I think it will help make the connection.
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Good thought. In doing this shrub cover up I was looking at all those firing steps and wondering where did those legations get all the wood used to build them on relatively short notice.
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FifteensAway, many years ago/decades Brookhurst Hobbies was the US distributor for Ian Weekley. When Ian Weekley died, again long ago, Brookhurst put the remains of their Ian Weekley stock on sale… cheap. I bought a lot. Most of what I bought were things that I ultimately used in my Medieval siege collection… a keep, village buildings, a church, and a lot of tents. But in addition to that I bought some odds and ends that fit in the “maybe-someday-I-will-need-them" category. Until this week, last night actually, I had forgotten all about them. Yesterday the mail delivered my 15mm Miniature Building Authority Town Hall. It is a beautiful building, but it will overwhelm my 5 ft. x 7 ft. board given all that has to go on that space; your table area is twice what I am using. Anyway, no regrets about buying the building; it will find use… maybe, like you, with my Blue Moon Musketeers. But facing the size problem it caused I was forced to face the fact that while my Disney Haunted Mansion is great in terms of a general size comparison with the Blue Moon legation buildings it also overwhelms the space I have because it is simply too much building front to back. That is when Ian Weekly and those long forgotten buildings came to mind. I found them; their size is much to my liking and while there is a lot I could wish for in the square building (pictured on the left) in terms of its accuracy, it will serve my need as a placeholder for the Hotel de Pekin… I’ll do my best to make it look good. I think with some small modification I will be able to make use of the other Ian Weekley buildings in this project as well. It’s wonderful how these long ago purchases can find their way back to service an immediate need. Anyway, that’s what I tell myself when I buy things for someday. I managed to get one of the Weekly buildings painted. It will probably serve as my alternate/pre-siege British legation building. I should note that the figures are not mine. I borrowed several Old Glory 15s Boxers from a friend of mine who has a growing painted Boxer force. When possible I like having figures that others have painted or pictures of figures that I’m going to paint at hand as resources to get my painting juices going. Today I also got a large Lego/Milliput hedge made to cover the firing steps attached to the entrance gate walls for the French legation.(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/981/28328956588_4419d74793_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KakiQ1)IMG_1796 (https://flic.kr/p/KakiQ1) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/832/41480785264_163f147b59_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26cvShQ)IMG_1799 (https://flic.kr/p/26cvShQ) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/959/28328957368_975ca2ff50_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Kakj4s)IMG_1800 (https://flic.kr/p/Kakj4s) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Wonderful stuff. I like the idea of the shrubs/trees as a mask. Very simple and yet very effective.
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Hu Rhu, thanks so much for the kind words. I’ve been using Milliput to make shrubs to hide things like roof snow on Lemax buildings or just to allow me to give two of the same buildings slightly different looks. Milliput and Duplos/Legos are a basic part of what I do with just about every project I undertake. Fortunately, I can find my Duplos and Legos at my swap meet at good prices.
Today and yesterday I worked on completing the Milliput-shrub-camo-cover-up of the firing steps on the US legations walls that are cast to the legation’s entrance gate. Unfortunately, before I noticed the error I painted up the “finished” shrub cover only to find that I failed to completely cover the sandbags on the wall itself. Consequently, late this afternoon I applied more Milliput to cover what I missed the first time around. I’ll let it harden overnight and paint it tomorrow. I also did a slight modification to the square Ian Weekley building. It originally had a square flat topknot which looked unfinished. If you are familiar with the Ian Weekley products you won’t find that unfinished look surprising. I often felt that Weekley was intentionally selling products that required more work because he believed his customers should put in some work to make the piece their own. I actually used a small piece of roof from another Ian Weekley item to give that topknot a bit of an oriental roof look. Also when I first painted this building early today, I decided to give it a brightly colored roof. Unfortunately, none of those color efforts worked with the building’s wall colors I selected so in the end, I painted the roof grey… not dramatic but okay. I’m still seriously thinking about using this building to hold the position of the Hotel de Peking on my table. My other thought and probably a better one is to use the Blue Moon Austrian legation building for that purpose. My next task is to begin scratch building the pre-siege version of the legation walls. I used the Milliput shrubs to hide the firing steps on the walls attached to the entrance gates for the US, French and Japanese legations. I made a scratch built entrance gate for the British legation, and the Russian legation’s entrance gate is not attached to walls with firing steps so no hiding firing steps needed with those. I will be building my pre-siege legation walls with Evergreen Plastic, and I plan to use Milliput to attach some interior wall shrubs to continue the shrub theme throughout the legations’ interiors but on a far more limited scale. I will also use Milliput to create some ground cover at the base of the walls in order to make the walls more stable.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/971/42198262042_6aab0f3a22_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27hV897)IMG_1807 (https://flic.kr/p/27hV897) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/970/28371878938_33b272b441_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Ke8i9w)IMG_1809 (https://flic.kr/p/Ke8i9w) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/943/28371879598_347e501e6d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Ke8ikU)IMG_1810 (https://flic.kr/p/Ke8ikU) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Richard, you conjure pleasant memories at the mention of Ian Weekley's name. I used to always read his construction articles with relish. You must be one of Milliputs' best customers with the volume of the stuff you are using! Your thought about using the Austrian legation building as a base for the Hotel d' Pekin is a good one. Easy enough to extend two wings out to get that "U" shape of the version in place at the time of the siege - and then you could save the two front pieces for a separate project or maybe use it as part of this project.
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Weekley was a really important or at least recognized figure back in the day, and I feel fortunate to have quite a lot of his terrain/buildings and tents in my collections. Milliput (yellow grey) has become a really significant element of my work over the years... love the stuff. To be very honest, and why not, I hadn't really considered adding the low rear wings to the Austrian legation serving as the Hotel de Peking. I will give it some thought. The one thing I believe I would do if I did build the wings is that I would not permanently attach them to the Austrian legation building. I would make them so they would simply butt up to that building and give the appearance of being attached... easier to store and would allow me to keep the original building as is. My Austrian legation building is on order so I'll be thinking this through when it arrives and I can actually see what I'm dealing with.
Hope you will be finding some time to work on the Tartar War soon. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. Today I'm adding some Milliput bushes around the base of my square Ian Weekley building to soften the box look, and I'll be painting my extended shrub covering on the US legation walls... thus hiding those sandbags. With that behind me, I will begin scratch building the pre-siege legation walls.
I have a couple questions for you about some of the Blue Moon pieces you may have that I might be interested in, but I'll get back to you on that. Richard
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Well, be patient. Yesterday was a memorial for my mother here in town and next weekend I travel out of state for a memorial for a cousin who passed a week before her which has left little time for hobby activities. However, once back home and into the next week I expect to have more time.
I have been giving thought to the wall and have made some changes. I will build three 30" wall sections, two left pieces and two right pieces and each will have a bastion 18" from the 'gate' end with 6" on the far side of the bastion (or 19" and 7" if I decide to keep the bastions at only 4" along the wall). The bastions will stick out 4" from the wall itself.
As mentioned earlier, I will build two 12" gates - the water gate and a land gate. My challenge now is that I will build two 6" corner pieces and I have to deal with open ends (which need to stay open) when representing the Tartar Wall. Best I've come up with so far is to build a removable 'false wall' to make the corners into 'reverse' bastions on the wrong side of the wall. Still thinking on it.
Did measure my moldings and they will allow the walls to be 5" tall not counting the small top wall and opposite crenellations. Will probably use 1 x 6 lumber for the inner wall, two sides and a top and bottom plate.
Mom's memorial was a moving experience and 12 of her 22 descendants were on hand (others too far a field or without the resources to travel) - along with many more friends, neighbors and so on. A DVD memorial I'm slowly working on in her memory is my other big distraction - and sorting out her final affairs on behalf of the family. Then comes the kitchen remodel that will cause all sorts of household chaos. Like I said, be patient. Progress is made whenever I can turn towards the hobby stuff.
Edit: Realized the better solution for my corner pieces: reverse them to opposite ends so that the 'bastion' element is on the proper side of the wall. Using them the other way around and using a wall section with each will allow games focused on the Hsiku Arsenal or Tientsin perhaps. Versatility is always good in terrain.
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FifteensAway, so very sorry to hear about these very sad events in your life. My parents passed decades ago, but I still find myself thinking I have a question I'd like to ask them or a story about my daughter or granddaughter I would like to tell them.
The planning that goes into these projects is great fun. You may be better at it than I am, but I generally find that once the planning is done and the work begins I discover that new issues arise that need to be resolved. Today I began work on scratch building the pre-siege walls for the French legation, and I gave serious thought to leaving out the rear gatehouse to the legation grounds and just have it exist as wall. Fortunately, I decided to take a shot at building that rear gatehouse, and I am very happy with the way it came out... not identical to the original, but it looks pretty good. I used Duplos to the inner core and Legos to support the roof. The exterior gatehouse walls are JTT Plastic HO scale brick, the trim is Evergreen Plastic and the tile roof is Plastruct. I'll post a picture tomorrow.
Again, very sorry for the losses you are experiencing. Be well. Richard
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I began work on the pre-siege walls for the legations. I’m starting with the French legation walls, and decided that I would start by building the rear gatehouse for that legation. In building that gatehouse, my aim was not to build the identical structure but rather to build a structure that is close in size and look. It is built around a core of Duplos with some Legos used to support the roof. The brick outer covering is by JTT Plastic, the doors and trim are made from Evergreen Plastic and the tile roof is by Plastruct Plastic. Once the rear gatehouse was complete I built the corner posts for the rear wall. I’m not doing the front wall or its corner posts because they are attached to the entrance gate and I will use the original walls for that covered with Milliput shrubs to hide the firing steps. I made the rear corner posts with Evergreen Plastic covering an inner core of square Legos. I took some time off from my wall building today to join my wife in a visit with our baby granddaughter… always fun. Once back at the workbench I took on my first section of the French legation wall. Though my wall sections will not be quite as detailed as the originals, I am copying the design and size of each of the sections in the original wall. I am building those wall sections (interior core and exterior) out of JTT Plastic (the brick), Evergreen Plastic (the trim and inner core), and Plastruct Plastic (the roof tile.) I still have to add the Milliput (groundcover) trim to the base of each piece to add finish and support, but that will probably be done to all sections when the wall is complete.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/951/42288082031_828e3d90e9_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27qRtuB)IMG_1816 (https://flic.kr/p/27qRtuB) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/893/42288082321_ac6533990e_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27qRtzB)IMG_1817 (https://flic.kr/p/27qRtzB) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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In building the pre-siege walls for the French legation I noticed that Blue Moon made a very Ian Weekley style design error. The old Ian Weekley castle walls were crenelated which would come as no surprise. The design error was that walls ended exactly the same on each end which meant that you had a double opening wherever two walls came together. The 5" side walls on the French legation make a similar design error in that both of those walls end with the same vertical design feature as they meet on the adjoining walls thus giving the wall a doubling of that design where walls meet. My decision is whether to copy the walls as made by Blue Moon or shorten the side walls by half an inch by removing the unnecessary vertical design feature at each end. I'm leaning toward shorting the side walls.
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I finished work on the pre-siege scratch-built portion of the French legations walls. I will be using the French legation walls attached to the legation’s entrance gate for both the pre-siege and siege look of the legation. In order to do this I have hidden the firing steps under removable Lego-covered Milliput shrubs on the portion of the Blue Moon walls that I will use for both versions of the wall. All that now remains to be completed with regard to the scratch-built wall is to put a Milliput groundcover base on each of the wall sections. I will probably hold off the painting of the legation until I complete all of the scratch building for my Boxer Rebellion project.
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/968/41587550294_af1393ff8f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26mX4Pd)IMG_1819 (https://flic.kr/p/26mX4Pd) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Probably last comment from me for a bit due to travels. Looking forward to seeing the pre-siege setup one day, rather curious how it will look.
My 'non-violent' figures will all be included into my siege game - and then other games that might seem inspired by pulp-like events but not pulp in the proper sense. I expect we will be treated to quite a spectacle. And then get it all over again in down and dirty fire-fight version.
Keep going!
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FifteensAway, if all goes well with my plan, the pre-siege version will offer up a vision of a sunny day in Peking town... I like that sort of stuff. Frankly, I look forward to seeing how you go about incorporating the Chinese "passive" civilians in your active battle layout... always looking for ideas.
Tomorrow I will be starting the pre-siege walls of the Russian legation... that's a lot of wall to make so it will probably take me well into next week to complete.
Travel safely. Richard
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And safely returned home. My setup, being so large, it will be easy to add in Chinese civilians going about there day outside of the besieged area - or trying to survive within the besieged area.
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(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ULAwTfnBRNs/Ww9YnkCs_PI/AAAAAAAAD7Q/MYmbX3NCmFY5zbr8AcEZWSWVBiWvsN-JgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1238.JPG)
Just to give a sense of scale of the wall I will be building. One more photo on the blog:
http://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html (http://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html)
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I'm watching. Looking forward to seeing your Tartar Wall develop. Tomorrow I hope to have the last section of my pre-siege Russian legation wall complete. When that is done I will start work on the pre-siege Japanese legation wall. Lot of work but pretty happy with the way these pre-siege walls are coming out.
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With the construction of the pre-siege walls for the French legation complete, I began work on the pre-siege walls for the Russian legation. Once again I started with the rear gatehouse. Like the French legation rear gatehouse, this was built around an inner core of Duplos and then covered with Evergreen, JTT, and Plastruct plastics. Once the gatehouse was built I turned my attention to the corner posts and the adjoining walls which are now done except for the Milliput base on the right side center wall (the one done with red-brown plastic). I’ll put the Milliput base on later today, and it will be hard before I go to bed tonight. I still am not completely decided on what building I will use to serve as the Hotel de Peking, but rather than narrowing my selection I actually added two more candidates to the list. Both of these buildings are cardstock structures I purchased several years ago at the swap meet for a dollar or two each. I carefully cut the bottom out of both buildings and with that done covered the window and door openings from the inside so that when they were painted they would look more like the other resin buildings I will be using. I textured the exterior with Squadron Green Putty and then sanded it before painting. I like both buildings. In terms of their footprints on the board they may take up too much space (the figures in each picture are Old Glory 15s Boxers). While it is not as attractive a structure, I am probably still leaning toward the square Ian Weekley building because of the space it will use on the board. I’ve added a little Milliput shrub effect to its base to soften the blunt look of its square architecture. It’s always nice to have some options. (https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1728/27615159657_e6016803bc_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/J5fUSn)IMG_1822 (https://flic.kr/p/J5fUSn) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/889/27615160057_89a9b6d2c6_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/J5fUZg)IMG_1822a (https://flic.kr/p/J5fUZg) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr[url=https://flic.kr/p/J5fUST](https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1725/27615159687_0fb4833e11_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/J5fV3T)IMG_1822b (https://flic.kr/p/J5fUST) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1754/27615160267_a9803856a2_z.jpg)[/url]IMG_1822c (https://flic.kr/p/J5fV3T) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1732/42434475862_9cdec804a9_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27DMMhb)IMG_1823 (https://flic.kr/p/27DMMhb) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/893/27615159187_6fde69f664_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/J5fUJg)IMG_1824 (https://flic.kr/p/J5fUJg) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr[url=https://flic.kr/p/J5fV5X](https://farm1.staticflickr.com/893/27615160387_85f76d08d5_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/J5fUST)IMG_1824b (https://flic.kr/p/J5fV5X) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Richard, any thoughts on you doing a tutorial on your process of building things? I'll bet it will be well received.
On the hotel - why aren't you just scratch building something? You clearly have the skills to get what you want in the footprint you prefer. (Yes, that's a hint!) ;)
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FifteensAway, a tutorial on my building process would be to pretend that what I do is far more complex than what it is. People who scratch build in wood and cardstock are working at a more sophisticated level than I am which is why I like plastic. All that is needed for my buildings is Legos and Duplos to construct the inner core which offer both strength and shape to the building. With that done it's just a matter of collecting the right plastics, cutting them to size with scissors and using liquid glue to attach the exterior plastic to the interior Duplo/Lego core... plastic, Duplos, Legos, scissors, a ruler, Plastruct liquid glue, maybe some Milliput and Squadron putty (I always have them at hand) plus time and patience. That's about it.
As for the hotel, I'm not sure. I may try to scratch building a pre siege version of the British legation building and use the Austrian legation building by Blue Moon as the hotel. Right now it's just good to have some options to consider while I work on the pre siege legation walls. With the pre siege French and Russian walls complete, I just started on the Japanese rear gatehouse and rear walls today. Lots of posts to do with this one but the walls are much easier than those of the Russian legation.
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The pre-siege walls for the Japanese legation are now built. All that remains to do to them is to add their Milliput bases. Hope to have that done today. I now have built pre-siege walls for the French, Russian and Japanese legations. I’ll be starting work on the pre-siege walls for the US legation compound tomorrow.(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1747/41639205115_64a02be2b8_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26rvNZz)IMG_1833 (https://flic.kr/p/26rvNZz) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Looking good, Richard.
I managed - in 97 degree heat at the end! - to cut out all the pieces needed for building the 12' of the Tartar Wall. I decided to 'cheat' a bit on the geometry by using square columns at the outer corners of the bastions and similar on the two corner pieces (which will double as bastions depending on how they are set up). It may be a cheat but it will save a ton of work. Also cut out 42 'siege ladders' for the Boxers in the vein of the Staines' Wargamers WI article of yesteryear.
Would be posting some photos but a bit of an issue getting them to load from phone to computer, perhaps later in the day.
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Nothing wrong with a little cheating on one of these projects to save on the work load. That is exactly what I did when I created the Milliput tree/shrub areas next to the legation entrances. I probably could have built those entrances and those additional walls, but given the fact that I saw nothing to say that there were no trees and shrubs next to the entrances, I decided to go with an approach that would allow me to use the entrances I have and save myself a lot of time that can be devoted to other aspects of the project.
Late this afternoon I got the Milliput bases on my Japanese legation walls so tomorrow with be dedicate to starting work on the US legation's pre siege walls.
Looking forward to pictures of your Tartar Wall as work progresses. Richard
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(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oYHsmLrhCXs/WxXRkrlhJuI/AAAAAAAAD7g/o76n7lpOVYcZm0EMf7T_u5WXxFFYgah_wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1272.JPG)
And the link to the blog: https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html (https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html)
Substantial progress this past weekend and a bit of challenge with getting the photos from phone to computer now resolved. Three more new photos on the blog of the wall.
This one shows an unfinished gate section with a Blue Moon building on top (it won't actually go on top of the gate section).
Oh, yes, those are actual Blue Moon PAINTED! Boxer figures courtesy of Gary B. who is along for this rather wild ride.
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Richard, I was browsing this thread looking to see if you've posted any photos of your wall with any of the Blue Moon buildings - didn't find one. But did find where I'd said I was ordering a damaged wall section or two from Blue Moon. On Sunday I was able to see how they fit and they only match to the legation walls that come as separate pieces - they DO NOT match to any of the specified nation legation walls or the Chinese walls. So, I can use them for damaged sections of my "German" legation but will have to find other ways to represent damaged sections of the other walls. I expect I'll follow Hollywood's example and create some 'scrim screens' to represent damaged walls or maybe some sort of 'destroyed state' drapery to lay over a 'destroyed' section of wall. Hmm, that last thought is tempting - and probably a lot easier, maybe some tulle painted black (or bought black?) might do the trick.
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I don't have one of the damaged walls by Blue Moon, but would I be correct that the problem is length rather than height? If it is length rather than height you could cut one of the original walls so that it is two pieces rather than one with one of the pieces the length of the damaged wall then you just plug the piece you need in when needed. To be honest that's not the approach I would take... lack of courage. I would simply building a plastic section of wall so that the plastic section plus the ruined wall section are equal in length to the original section. I've done enough of these now to know that it wouldn't be hard. The exterior of most of the walls can be reasonably matched using JTT O scale brick (97423) the interior skeleton would either be 255 or 256 Evergreen square tube... depends on the thickness of the wall. The tile on the top of the walls is JTT HO scale Spanish tile. If you are doing the wall for the Japanese legation you would need to use JTT HO scale Random Course Stone for the exterior of the wall. To make the firing steps I would use one of the Evergreen V-groove sheets (4125 is good) for most of it and other Evergreen pieces as needed for side support and planking. If you need a stone look use some JTT O scale Random Course Stone. If you decide to make your own ruined walls make the rubble out of a mound of Milliput (yellow grey/the red and white box) and score it using an old tooth brush (a little rough on the teeth and gums if you use the one you actually brush with) and chop up some random plastic bits to stick in the Milliput. I do all my cutting with scissors and a little hobby.
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Richard, you are right - I could rebuild the walls. BUT! This is already too massive a project so I'll find other ways. Though might try a cast of an existing wall and then 'destroy' the casting. Or maybe another trick up my sleeve which I can't reveal publicly at this time...maybe.
Did realize an easily corrected miscalculation on the wall bastions which will need buying in some more moulding to cut to match - my 'matched' pieces that but up against the wall were a bit narrower than needed. Easy fix but a little more time.
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Always more to do. When I begin one of these project I like to guess/project how long it will take to complete. After all these years I'm usually in the ballpark in terms of time, but it seldom take less time than projected and often more. When I did my 28mm spaceport the amount of time actually nearly doubled because so much became available during the projected that hadn't been available during the planning. Anyway, I ramble. Good luck. Post pictures of the Tartar Wall when you can.
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Fantastic! Looking forward to see more!
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FifteensAway, the wall is looking good!
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(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RNH9q5u-3R4/WxidjO9G_5I/AAAAAAAAEAI/mjrtJFnz7pcaOhOnaKVG4FL2g1DGAgXrQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1276.JPG)
The link to the blog again: http://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html (http://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html). With a little luck and a lot of effort on other higher priority tasks (real life stuff), I'll start gluing the walls together this weekend.
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FifteensAway, I noticed that your placement of the buildings in the US legation compound is different from what is shown in the Blue Moon picture. Have you found period pictures that have guided you in your placement of those buildings? I've been looking, and I can't find a picture from the period to guide me.
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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_-_Peking._American_Legation.jpg (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_-_Peking._American_Legation.jpg)
I guess, if it works, I'll let the above link be my answer to your inquiry.
It is abundantly clear to me that a great deal of artistic license is necessary to set up the Legations in a 'historical' manner. Is the image from the time of the siege, before, or after? Since little or know damage, I'd say before. But with so many Marines, I'd say after. From one map of the legation to another, things move around - including whole legations (like the Dutch one, for example). I do try, to the extent I can, to use photographic imagery but it is a limited resource. I doubt there are ten people alive on the planet who would know if your set up was correct or not.
I wish I could find more of the French aerial photographs of Peking in 1900 - assuming there are more - and I suspect there are. Or maybe a way to enlarge the photo showing the Forbidden City with the legations in the background, that would be very cool.
This link has actual photos of small parts of the Legation area (damaged) and even one of Legation Street if not the legations themselves:
https://www.google.com/search?q=aerial+photographs+of+the+Peking+legations+in+1900&client=safari&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:Ca0dR5jEC2N7IjgFT4ThdQ9aifXyiPZPJQ-gzLk329JiBYobzJEGevAfS1zsV4slEgwqBEjyrDup9WQa8ill7c75KCoSCQVPhOF1D1qJEWReiQnH4d8oKhIJ9fKI9k8lD6AR4xkBPDEiXAIqEgnMuTfb0mIFihGolriGa-ZzPioSCRvMkQZ68B9LEYtzW14clW90KhIJXOxXiyUSDCoRZF6JCcfh3ygqEgkESPKsO6n1ZBHgnsVQnGTFWSoSCRryKWXtzvkoEVA5bMFD4BEZ&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjoxI_o7cLbAhUFE3wKHfcnCYUQ9C96BAgBEBg&biw=1240&bih=633&dpr=2#imgrc=_ (https://www.google.com/search?q=aerial+photographs+of+the+Peking+legations+in+1900&client=safari&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:Ca0dR5jEC2N7IjgFT4ThdQ9aifXyiPZPJQ-gzLk329JiBYobzJEGevAfS1zsV4slEgwqBEjyrDup9WQa8ill7c75KCoSCQVPhOF1D1qJEWReiQnH4d8oKhIJ9fKI9k8lD6AR4xkBPDEiXAIqEgnMuTfb0mIFihGolriGa-ZzPioSCRvMkQZ68B9LEYtzW14clW90KhIJXOxXiyUSDCoRZF6JCcfh3ygqEgkESPKsO6n1ZBHgnsVQnGTFWSoSCRryKWXtzvkoEVA5bMFD4BEZ&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjoxI_o7cLbAhUFE3wKHfcnCYUQ9C96BAgBEBg&biw=1240&bih=633&dpr=2#imgrc=_)
The internet opens up wide possibilities - and sets some hard limits.
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FifteensAway, that picture of the US legation compound is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
My work this week was focused on constructing the pre-siege walls for the US legation compound. This was by far the most difficult of the wall constructions because the tile tops on each wall come to a central peak rather than a single slope that is the case with the other tile-toped walls. The other problem was the fact the US legation’s walls do not form a simple rectangle, but have a few walls at odd angles with others and those were tough to bring together. Next up is the fifth legation, the British. It is the largest, but the walls appear to be rather simple in their construction.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1760/40852045220_4b6a9e74a0_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25eXpMf)IMG_1834 (https://flic.kr/p/25eXpMf) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Looking good. With your wall and five legations and only a 5' x 7' table - and your hotel, however that turns out - and any other buildings in the mix, you are going to have a crowded board. What astonishes me is your drive and accomplishment in creating two sets of the same board, one pre-siege and one siege. Even with any compromises you make, that is an extraordinary above-and-beyond level of effort. And you are easily one of the few across the planet who regularly goes above-and-beyond and I think this time you are going above-and-beyond even yourself. Keep going, many of us will be thrilled with your final achievement, I'm certain.
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FifteensAway, thank you so much for the kind words... you are always very generous. I may have mentioned earlier that I don't think I realize how demanding building the pre-siege walls for the five legation compounds would be. I'd like to think that I will complete the British legation walls by the end of next week... could be a little longer. With it done the construction of all the pre-siege walls will be complete. I think it will have involved a month or more of serious work, but as I come to a close I glad I did it. When I set the collection up I will do it on two 5 ft x 7 ft tables. One will be the pre-siege table with the city undamaged and one will be the legations under siege with lots of city destruction. I'm hoping I do the figure painting some justice, but the big attraction for me is all the great structures. I'm really drawn to that kind of thing. Even with my Little Big Horn collection I made a big Indian village. I think the two table/before and after approach to the Boxer Rebellion will allow for a very smooth photo session and an interesting result in the end.
By the way, yesterday I got my last significant shipment of Blue Moon Boxer Rebellion structures. That included the Austrian legation building which is likely to be my Hotel de Peking (very nice piece... as you know), and the Mission Building from the British legation. Last night and this morning I worked on unbunkering the newly arrived Mission Building for use with my pre-siege British legation... looks pretty good so far.
Richard
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Pictures from the Old West sent... hope you got them. While searching for the buildings I found a dozen nice unused 15mm barricades (probably originally from my Rorkes Drift project) that will now find their way into Peking. A successful search on more than one level. I'll get the list of what's available at Brookhurst when I visit tomorrow.
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No pictures in PM, no pictures in email - were they snail mailed?! lol
Glad to here you plan to set up two tables - will be a lot easier to move figures and buildings back and forth and save a lot of time.
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The pictures were sent. They may have been too big to go through. I'll post them here.(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1744/41785167125_7117439201_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26EpUpX)IMG_1836 (https://flic.kr/p/26EpUpX) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1740/28811689958_ceb4040ddc_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KTZrD9)IMG_1838 (https://flic.kr/p/KTZrD9) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1738/41785167305_851b83eec6_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26EpUt4)IMG_1839 (https://flic.kr/p/26EpUt4) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1747/28811690338_87c8d5d948_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KTZrKG)IMG_1837 (https://flic.kr/p/KTZrKG) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1731/41785167535_3348061dd7_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26EpUx2)IMG_1840 (https://flic.kr/p/26EpUx2) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Sir, thank you for posting those photos of your Old West buildings with the ruler, it will help me make some decisions. Also, especially the saloon, it is nice to get some 'spotlight' photos of your work - the signs stand out better in these shots than in your Old West gallery shots (at least for me with my aging eyes).
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As I wrote in my response to your PM that apparently didn't get through, I've contacted Brookhurst. They still have buildings in stock. I'll stop by there today, and they'll check to see which ones they have, and I'll post a list for you here.
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I stopped by Brookhurst today, and they checked their stock of buildings for the western town:
#5 Outhouses (2) 1 in stock
#21 Jail 2 in stock
#22 Store 1 1 in stock
#23 Store 2 1 in stock
#24 Saloon 1 in stock
#25 Livery Stable 3 in stock
#26 Add On Outbuilding 3 in stock
#27 Wood Cabin 11 in stock (I didn't use this one)
#28 Roof and Sidewalk 2 in stock (I made my own out of Evergreen plastic)
#29 Water Tower 11 in stock
#30 Station 0 in stock
#40 Troughs and Tie Rails 6 in stock
#73 Small Farmhouse 3 in stock
#74 Church 2 in stock
#75 Large Farmhouse 4 in stock
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True to your character Richard, very generous of you to not only take the time to ask but to get - and post - such a detailed description of Brookhurst's holdings. Thank you, sir.
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Happy to help out. I should have noted that at the time I did my town I don't think the two farmhouses were available nor was the church. I may add the church to my town one of these days.
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Richard, in line with adding to your town, over on the Old West board I have a thread asking about the comparison between Peter Pig and Stone Mountain buildings - with input from the designer of the Stone Mountain buildings. Looks like they will work together., the Peter Pig and Stone Mountain. I'd recommend getting your farm houses and church especially from Stone Mountain, better models and more appropriate for US Old West - in my opinion at least. I posted similar measured photos to yours on that thread.
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(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vx20wI2HY1U/Wx32gMnqEeI/AAAAAAAAEBk/0nCRgIGGGdkn0tOey0Kn4aLF37HSGym1wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1292.JPG)
More on the blog, link in an earlier post or three.
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This is looking good. You are moving right along. You may just drag me kicking and screaming into making a bastion.
Right now I have returned to the the pre-siege British legation walls. I say returned because I actually began this part of the project by seeing if I could build the British legation's entrance so it is done in terms of the construction phase. This morning I finished the construction of the small building (maybe a jail/brig or ammo bunker) in the tiny gated courtyard. Building that pretty little gate will not be easy. I have also complete the construction of the inner core (Legos) of the British legation's rear gatehouse and I hope to be well into putting its exterior plastic skin on it by the end of the day. One of the big decision I made about building the pre-siege legation walls for the British legation's compound is that I will be doing a bit of cheating. The Blue Moon original has only three large wall posts as part of the wall construction. I am going to add an additional eight so I will be building eleven of them in total. My reason for doing this is that without the posts bringing the walls together at the many corners will be a real pain. Ultimately this will save me time, headaches and a lot of Milliput. My geometry stinks. I've got the 11 posts' inner cores (square Legos) together and ready to be covered. I hope to have them completed sometime time tomorrow. I have an eye appointment early in the morning and my wife and I will be spending so time with our baby granddaughter in the late morning so I'm not sure how much hobby stuff will get done on Tuesday. I'll post some pictures when I have a few more things done. Keep going on that Tartar War all those bastions. Richard
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The habit I have developed in the process of scratch building the pre-siege legation walls is to build the structures cast as part of the original resin walls before building the walls themselves. In the case of the British legation I began by building the legation’s entrance. Once I knew that I could scratch build a structure that complex I moved to the construction of the other legations: first the French legation, second the Russian legation, third the Japanese legation and fourth the US legation. With those completed I returned to working on the British legation. Thus far I have completed (in addition to the legation’s entrance) the small peaked roof building located in the small interior courtyard, the rear gatehouse, and ten wall posts. My next task is to scratch build the gate to the small courtyard. Once the gate to the small courtyard is done, I will begin working on the walls themselves. To keep each of the wall sections a reasonable length, meaning a length not longer than the length of the JTT plastic tile I will be using, I plan on building the British legation’s pre-siege walls in 19 sections.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1741/27894322327_316a4ef49d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/JuVGcR)IMG_1854 (https://flic.kr/p/JuVGcR) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/891/27894321957_712af531f1_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/JuVG6t)IMG_1855 (https://flic.kr/p/JuVG6t) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1722/27894321697_3ec11fb543_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/JuVG1Z)IMG_1856 (https://flic.kr/p/JuVG1Z) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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So, at the rate you are going, you'll be done, what, next week?! lol Okay, maybe not until the end of July, maybe August. :D
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FifteensAway, things are moving along pretty well though after tomorrow work on this project will shut down until next week because Thursday is my birthday and we have places to go and people to see. Also starting on Friday and moving through the weekend my focus will be on the photo session for my 28mm Post Apoc collection... looking forward to that. It will take a day to set it up, a day for the photography and a day to put it all away. I'll be a tired old guy.
Late this afternoon after my morning eye appointment, some quality time with our granddaughter/grandbaby and my afternoon zzzzzz, I did find time to build the small interior courtyard gate. Because I relied on Legos for the basic structure, it will be sightly larger than the original (about 1/2" wider and about an 1/8" taller), but it came out pretty well; wasn't an easy piece to make. I'll try to remember to post a picture of it tomorrow if I remember to pull myself away from wall making.
I'm really looking forward to your progress on the Tartar Wall bastions... I've been thinking about them a lot. Richard
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Last evening I completed the construction of the gate to the small inner courtyard of the British legation. Today while getting ready to start the walls for the British legation I realized that while the main entrance gate I built for the British legation matches the original Blue Moon main entrance gate in height I had forgotten that the Blue Moon entrance gate is on a raised base and so mine was short by comparison. Since all my wall measurements are taken from the Blue Moon walls this was going to be a problem so my work this morning began by raising my main entrance on a base of Milliput. Once that was done, I completed the construction of the front wall of the British legation and one additional wall section that will become the wall section on the rearmost wall section on the right side. Still have to add the Milliput bases. That will probably do it for the week as the next few days will be birthday with friends and family and photo session-related work for my 28mm Post Apoc collection (Between LA and Las Vegas).
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1728/41885147605_9836aa570f_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26Pfk8k)IMG_1859 (https://flic.kr/p/26Pfk8k) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1742/41885147405_3f16518c77_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26Pfk4T)IMG_1860 (https://flic.kr/p/26Pfk4T) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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I’ve been away from the Boxer Rebellion project for a few days while I worked on the photographing of my 28mm Post Apoc Gallery. Hopefully the photos for the Post Apoc project will be posted before the end of the month. Yesterday I had some time to work on the pre-siege walls for the British legation and completed the small inner courtyard of the British legation compound.(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1765/41098408300_fe2f917b7d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25BJ5Wy)IMG_1872 (https://flic.kr/p/25BJ5Wy) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Moving along, Richard, moving right along. And not to be outdone this time, here is a photo or so of my progress:
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yhBaJ9JmZaI/WynMlyq2dFI/AAAAAAAAECU/uWwYNrTNUUkskrD_o9L86JCY8pnmfoVfwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1312.JPG)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FDaLVA-a8tw/WynMnp9cbkI/AAAAAAAAECw/WLzUhR5yqNsgGTE8IfFDpN-U0_2kritZACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1324.JPG)
And the link to the blog for your convenience, numerous more photos there: https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html (https://steeplechasingzebras.blogspot.com/p/boxer-rebellion.html)
Now, ask yourself, why are there pachyderms in Peking? :)
(Full disclosure: there are four panels not yet glued to the long walls as I decide where, exactly, to position the bastions - and then cut out an opening at the top of the wall before gluing in place. There was at least one significant action on a bastion on top of the wall, maybe more.)
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FifteensAway, that is impressive.
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I’ve completed the last of the pre-siege British legation walls… the last of the five legation pre-siege wall projects. By the close of the weekend I hope to have the Milliput bases on the pre-siege British legation walls. I’m a little tired of building at this point so once the Milliput bases are complete I think I’ll start painting some figures for the project. I should note that the main British legation building shown in the attached picture will not be part of the pre-siege version of the legation... too bunkered. I will probably use a somewhat similar Ian Weekley building.
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1820/42226070544_0ccd1b4929_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/27knDD3)IMG_1875 (https://flic.kr/p/27knDD3) by Richard Garretson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/158632126@N06/), on Flickr
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Richard, looking good. There is a Blue Moon building in the Boxer range you might use to replace the "too bunkered" building:
https://www.oldglory25s.com/images/15BRB-111.jpg (https://www.oldglory25s.com/images/15BRB-111.jpg)
Save on more building. It has metal columns to support the roof so sturdier than it looks.
My next project is to build ramps for my walls.
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Looking forward to the ramps... that's a remarkable structure you have got going for you there.
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Looking forward to the ramps... that's a remarkable structure you have got going for you there.
Seconded! I love watching other people's terrain projects and this one looks to be a beauty. :D
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FifteensAway, I finished up the Milliput basing for the last of my pre-siege legation compounds (British) so that brings my scratch building of any consequence to a close. I plan to start painting figures this week. With that said, my contribution here comes to a close, and I will now take my place as an eager viewer of you progress. Let me say once again (I'm sure I said this on an earlier page of this thread), I am really enjoying the experience of working on the same project, with basically the same core materials at the same time as another person who appears to be as crazy as I am. I will continue to applaud, ask questions, and share something I have found. I decided to post a thread of each of the five legations' pre-siege wall project I have completed... someone else might want to do the same and a concise record of my efforts (good and bad) might be helpful. Look forward to watching your progress and knowing you are a willing source of information when I am at a loss. Richard
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I am currently 'distracted' by prepping the Blue Moon buildings for painting - I've cleaned the generally minimal flash off of all the legation compounds, walls, and the currently owned ruins. I'm contemplating ordering some more ruins from them but no final decision yet. Still need to clean all of the Chinese buildings. Then on to washing in a VERY mildly soapy water (run water first, hot, add a drop or two of detergent to a gallon or so and swirl with fingers), then rinse and dry. After dry, prime with a flat white leaning off white. Then comes adding some 'color' to the walls without over powering the off white. (Hints and tips gladly accepted.)
I have decided I will use five different tile roof colors: red, green, blue, yellow, and brown. Maybe orange for number six - that way each legation can have a different color. Excepting for the British legation, haven't located any specifics so artistic license is given full (well, reasonable) rein.
Slowly starting to 'see' the vision of ramps for the walls. I'll probably build two that come down from the top of the wall and meet close together at ground level. Since I'm building towards a game, this allows a defensible place for the Legation forces should the wall get overrun. Though if that happens, quite a disaster for most of the legations. RETREAT to the British compound, north end if you please!
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I'll stay tuned.
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FifteensAway, I hope your thoughts on ramp development are progressing. I just finished my first week without building walls of some type for the Boxer Rebellion collection. It was my first week of painting 15s in nearly two years, and it began slow. These time gaps always leave me with the feeling that I have forgotten how to paint in the scale I have been away from for a long period. Fortunately I finally picked up the brush and began re-establishing my feeling for painting 15s and as this week ended I had 36 Boxers completed, and I'm pretty happy with the way they came out. Looking forward to seeing your ramps. Richard
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Decisions made regarding the ramps - and the bastions - and I even set up the Dremel with the right tool for cutting the walls to fit the bastions. Afraid that's as far as I've gotten. Just busy with higher priority real life stuff. And then there is the pending kitchen remodel and more that's going to be very disruptive. But I keep moving forward whenever I can steal a moment or two.
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FifteensAway, thought I would drop by since we haven't talked for awhile. Based on previous postings by you, you're life is pretty full right now with non-miniature things. For the last month my hobby time has been given to painting Boxers. As of this morning I have finished painting 222 Boxers... all Old Glory 15s and Frontier. I have about 30 more (ballpark) Frontier and Old Glory figures to do before I shift over to painting my Blue Moon Boxers with some Old Glory 15s sharing their bases. I'm having a good time back in the 15mm groove. Look forward to seeing you having time for the Tartar Wall project once again. Richard
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I had a very pleasant surprise today. As indicated in a previous post all of the Boxers I have painted thus far have been Old Glory 15s and Frontier. Today I prepped the first batch of Blue Moon and when I opened a pack of the Boxers with swords, I discovered that all 30 figures in that pack were different... no two exactly alike. I wasn't expecting that.
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Not every Blue Moon pack has all unique figures but they have the most profound diversity of sculpts within their ranges of all I am aware of - and usually by a very broad margin. They must have some very fast sculptors locked up in a dungeon somewhere working desperately for their freedom.
Check you PM, by the way.
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FifteensAway, I have a question for you regarding the Blue Moon Boxer command pack. In that pack there are figures with four musical instruments: a drum, symbols, a traditional horn/like a brass trumpet, and something that looks like a horn made from a gourd. It is the gourd-like piece that I don't understand. It does not appear to have an opening where the sound would be expected to come out. What do you know about this? I could use the help. Hope thing are going well with you. Richard
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Well, I don't have specific knowledge but I'd consider these points: I've never seen or heard of a gourd as a 'wind' instrument (but as rattles) and from the looks of the figure on the OG25 website it looks more like a conch to me and I have seen conchs - or sea snails, if you like - used as 'wind' instruments. I plan to paint mine based on the conch concept. I'd pull out my own figures as a double check but they are behind a 6' x 6' x 20' pile of kitchen shelving in my garage waiting to get installed in our now gutted kitchen. Fun, fun fun.
Hope that information above is helpful.
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Thank you. Richard
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FifteensAway, I just thought I would drop you a note to let you know that today I finished the last of my Boxers. I now have 501 figures in my Boxer force. In the next day or so I will be starting my Chinese regular troops. If you haven't seen it, there is some nice uniform and flag information about the Chinese army during the Boxer Rebellion period in the Foundry publication entitled Armies of the Nineteenth Century: Asia. Pages 61 and 63-65 are of particular interest. Hope things are going well with you. Richard
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Richard, thanks for the update and glad to hear you are making progress. Still no access to my figures but that should change next week - but unlikely I'll have much time to work on them until later into September, maybe not until October. My challenge will be keeping focus because I really want to get to work on my AWI figures - awaiting an order for some replacement figures to fill out some units and maybe expand some in size and some more appropriate guns. If I were able to keep a dedicated focus for a solid year and churn out figures and a prodigious rate, I might finish them off. More realistic that it will take several years. Keeps me out of trouble, mostly. ;)
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Finally getting back to 'actual' work on my Boxer project! Well, only laying out a part of the plan for the ramps but at least that is real progress. The remodel is done and in the rear view mirror, the drip to Disney World is behind me, not much left on mother's estate, so time is freeing up. Who knows what distraction will interfere around the corner, life being like that. But I really want to make forward progress. Was too rainy a day hereabouts to pull out the power tools and start cutting wood but I did clear part of the gaming table as a working space.
Only disappointment with Disney World was that I didn't find any new animals for my African Plains - I was hoping. Oh, well. Had fun!