Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Adventures in the Far East => Topic started by: Captain Harlock on May 30, 2018, 06:45:38 PM
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Ok, so we decided with afew friends to have a go at Ronin. I have so many other modelling ongoing projects, so another one wouldnt hurt ;D
I chose the Koryu Buntai, mainly because the figures are inspired from japanese pop culture. There are the 7 samurai (some more recognisable than the others) and 2 plus minis. The older looking one Im positive that represents Yagyu Retsudo, the main antagonist from Lone Wolf and Cub. The remaining mini, might be Lone Wolf, might be Sanjuro, Im not sure if anyone does it would be great to know.
(https://www.tabletopempires.com.au/image/cache/data/Historical/Ronin/koryu%20buntai-350x350.jpg)
A samurai is defined by his sword and while the minis are generally very nice their original swords looked way too thick and out of shape to me. They almost look like cuccumbers. So I decided to make my own. Some time back we had a small renovation at our house and we changed all the old electric cables with new ones. Usually the electricians keep the old ones and sell them for scrap metal. Not in this house! :D I immediately appreciated all those meters of copper wire and kept them, thus gaining an almost inexhaustible source of modelling material.
Forging the Katana (almost literaly)
1) I started with a length of copper wire. After straightening it, I hammered it until it was nice and flat all over.
2) I measured lengths for each blade and cut them down to size.
3) I took a file and gave the katana its basic form as a profile. Also I shaped the ''tang'' which would be pinned inside the hand of the mini. Then bent it till I got the right curvature.
4) After the basic shape was set, I had to ''sharpen'' the blade and give it an edge. I kept the blade in place with pliers and with the file, I shaped the edge by carefully filing at an angle.
5) A bit of buffing with sandpaper and the blades are ready to be inserted in the drilled hands of the minis
(https://s15.postimg.cc/w05hpat9j/2018-04-10_18.59.02.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/w05hpat9j/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/64lr6geon/2018-04-11_12.07.43.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/64lr6geon/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/d93kfh6if/2018-04-11_12.46.01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/d93kfh6if/)
(https://s15.postimg.cc/5y823bftj/2018-04-11_13.52.08.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/5y823bftj/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/47p11e3av/2018-04-11_13.52.37.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/47p11e3av/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/uu1hqdunb/2018-04-11_13.59.34.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/uu1hqdunb/)
(https://s15.postimg.cc/hd4j7xcqf/2018-04-14_18.51.29.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/hd4j7xcqf/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/4zwaeh9s7/2018-04-16_14.36.18.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4zwaeh9s7/)
The blades are very sturdy and the only problem is that I exagerated abit on the sharpening part (ask me how I know..)
to be continued....
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Brilliant, that's such a VAST improvement on those already excellent models. I always thought it was the weapons that let them down. Great work!
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I want to represent the 7 samurai. I made some reserch about the supposed colors of their clothes. I have not found a definitive source till now. I checked a Kurosawa documentary that briefly shows some concept art, but it doesnt seem to be about this movie. I ve seen some japanese action figures of the heroes, that might be ok. We will see.. I decided to start from the flesh parts till I sort the cloths colors out
Kambei Shimada
(https://s15.postimg.cc/85zq72slj/2018-05-30_13.18.04.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/85zq72slj/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/9l1avwwaf/2018-05-30_13.17.46.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/9l1avwwaf/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/7ui9ug1wn/2018-05-30_13.17.22.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/7ui9ug1wn/)
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Katsushiro Okamoto
(https://s15.postimg.cc/mrqqv4uh3/2018-05-30_13.37.26.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/mrqqv4uh3/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/nh9j7m5c7/2018-05-30_13.37.12.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/nh9j7m5c7/)
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Gorobei Katayama
(https://s15.postimg.cc/nu0xe4npj/2018-05-30_13.36.15.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/nu0xe4npj/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/tw8k444af/2018-05-30_13.36.39.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/tw8k444af/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/4q7lxmatj/2018-05-30_13.36.27.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4q7lxmatj/)
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What a difference a blade makes....very impressive so far...will follow with interest
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Kyuzo
(https://s15.postimg.cc/3t5s2mm5z/2018-05-28_01.06.42.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/3t5s2mm5z/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/9vdet5kwn/2018-05-28_01.07.01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/9vdet5kwn/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/snp9wcc1j/2018-05-28_01.04.03.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/snp9wcc1j/)
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Shichiroji
(https://s15.postimg.cc/wlcjlx6mf/2018-05-17_16.03.01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/wlcjlx6mf/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/6pst2spdz/2018-05-17_16.02.47.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6pst2spdz/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/xavbyi4nr/2018-05-17_16.02.28.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/xavbyi4nr/)
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Lovely painting on the skin tones :)
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thank you :)
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Great skin tones, I would like to see my Shinsengumi figures painted for you.
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You are doing a great job! I'll be following this thread! Cheers!
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You are doing a great job! I'll be following this thread! Cheers!
Thank you Dino
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Great skin tones, I would like to see my Shinsengumi figures painted for you.
Your Shinsengumi minis are very cool
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Nice work!
I have used hairgrips/bobby pins to make sword blades and being steel they are slightly more 'solid' than copper.
I also replaced the naginata's with steel ones using the Foundry steel spears and hammering a section flat to be ground into the blade shape.
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Nice work!
I have used hairgrips/bobby pins to make sword blades and being steel they are slightly more 'solid' than copper.
I also replaced the naginata's with steel ones using the Foundry steel spears and hammering a section flat to be ground into the blade shape.
Copper wire once hammered can be very very sturdy. For me it combines the best elements. Easy to flatten, it can be bent to the exact shape you need, easy to file shape. Putting on the ''edge'' of the blades there was alot of handling involved and they never bent out of shape. In some cases I overdid it so much with sharpening that I managed to stab/cut myself afew times ;D
That wakizashi of Retsudo is lethal in real life lol
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Heihachi Hayashida
(https://s15.postimg.cc/kokqkxxjb/2018-06-02_17.06.23.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/kokqkxxjb/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/533f15lmv/2018-06-02_17.04.23.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/533f15lmv/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/i78ze0lg7/2018-06-02_17.04.44.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/i78ze0lg7/)
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Kikuchiyo
(https://s15.postimg.cc/kpuoerzhj/2018-06-20_19.19.39.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/kpuoerzhj/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/4g4ibq47b/2018-06-20_19.19.06.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4g4ibq47b/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/zabr9nrw7/2018-06-20_19.18.09.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/zabr9nrw7/)
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Yagyu Retsudo
(https://s15.postimg.cc/gw185qkrb/2018-06-20_19.21.47.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/gw185qkrb/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/45wzsbcpj/2018-06-20_19.21.39.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/45wzsbcpj/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/70055wrs7/2018-06-20_19.27.17.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/70055wrs7/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/co6fwzjbr/2018-06-20_19.26.31.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/co6fwzjbr/)
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Unknown samurai
(https://s15.postimg.cc/6psmm9v2v/2018-06-20_19.12.59.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6psmm9v2v/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/4xznriwc7/2018-06-20_19.15.22.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4xznriwc7/) (https://s15.postimg.cc/yd5c0ot7r/2018-06-20_19.14.39.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/yd5c0ot7r/)
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Captain, the paintjob of your faces is a synonym to perfection :)
Cheers!
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Captain, the paintjob of your faces is a synonym to perfection :)
Cheers!
Thanks Dino!
Although they are far from perfect :)
Now its time for the clothes. By the way if anyone knows who the last samurai is supposed to be, I would love to know too.
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Nice skintones!