Modelmaking Misadventures: The Ascenscion Island Chronicles.

[Andy in Germany]

Life and work has kind of gone up a gear. This is a good thing for a lot of reasons; several opportunities are coming up, and I do enjoy my work.

On the other hand, it’s wearing me out a bit, and after a day of finding solutions to problems, I’m not always motivated to do the same in the evening, so this week I’ve been mostly painting model figures. The Zeppelin crew have been waiting their turn for some time now, and it doesn’t take much longer to paint several figures in the same uniform than it does to paint just one.

That said, it isn’t a quick process and I have a tendency to lose track of time, then suddenly realise it’s rather ridiculously late, and I have to go to work tomorrow…

[Burgundavia]

Those are Murch's stuff, no? I hear you on the not having enough energy or time. Do what you can do.

[Andy in Germany]

Yes they are; lovely models and slightly addictive to paint.

Thanks for the encouragement. Thing is, I love my family and my work, but I am an introvert, so making and painting is a way to recharge.

[Andy in Germany]

I’ve been painting figures again. Meet the Limpton Sisters: Petunia and Aubergine, heirs to the great Limpton Cocoa empire. They are described by the fashion magazines as “society beauties” which is a euphemism.

Less official sources describe the sisters as “Mildly Psychotic”, but as they are keen to explain, they only shoot people who really deserve it, and never in the house: after all, that would leave a mess for the servants to clean up.



Strangely, very few companies cater for those of us making slightly steampunk alternative 1930’s historical tabletop games, so these figures come from a small company based in the UK. I tried a new method of painting as described by someone on here who is much more proficient than I in this area; instead of dry brushing highlights, I only used washes of lighter and darker colour. For some reason, it didn’t seem to work for me, so I’ll go back to the old methods in future. Fortunately, from normal distances they look fine.



I’ve noticed this happens a lot when making things by hand: a method that works for one person could be a complete disaster for the next. This seems to be the case regardless of skill level or experience, so II’ve learned to find what works for me, rather than what is the ‘correct’ method.

So there: a lesson for life, learned from model making.

[Moriarty]

Those Bloody Women get everywhere! :-)

[Doug ex-em4]

Another totally gorgeous addition to the Ascension Island saga. When you decide you really don’t like that painting style, just send the whole model to me - it’ll fit in my VBCW campaign perfectly. And I’ll pay the postage

Where is the original vehicle from? I’m not an expert but I’m guessing it’s a Bentley? I love what you’ve done to it.

Doug

[Andy in Germany]

Another totally gorgeous addition to the Ascension Island saga. When you decide you really don’t like that painting style, just send the whole model to me - it’ll fit in my VBCW campaign perfectly. And I’ll pay the postage

Where is the original vehicle from? I’m not an expert but I’m guessing it’s a Bentley? I love what you’ve done to it.

Doug

Thanks, Doug. As I said, it looks okay viewed from a distance. If you squint.

The model is a "1929 Bentley" according to the underside. It came to me as a rather battered "Models of Yesteryear" toy from Ebay, with several parts broken and the back seat missing, as my plan was to make it into a gun platform this hardly mattered, and it meant I wouldn't get nasty emails from model collectors...

[FifteensAway]

What is collectible this week is next to worthless next week - so never worry about "collectible" value when you have an actual use for something besides storing it in a dark closet in an unopened package.  That whole scene is just weird to me.  The value is in the use.

Of course, when viewing van Gogh's "Irises", the original, (worth north of 50 million US dollars) I made a quite public comment that it looked a lot like the works of five year olds next door (different display), just a bit more controlled.  And that elicited a few gasps and quite a few knowing titters from the quite deep crowd. In the eye of the beholder and all that.

Nice work combining 'the ladies' and the vehicle.

[Doug ex-em4]

What is collectible this week is next to worthless next week - so never worry about "collectible" value when you have an actual use for something besides storing it in a dark closet in an unopened package.  That whole scene is just weird to me.  The value is in the use.

So true. I recently bought a Corgi AEC bus on ebay. It came in perfect condition, in its original display box with a limited edition certificate (#04799 of 10,000 produced). On the back of the certificate was a handwritten note “present from mum, July 1993” and a name I can’t read. I found it quite poignant. And how much did I pay for this beautifully preserved piece? £8.95 including postage.

At least now it should get some use. It’s designated as the platoon transport for the 47th Ad-Hoc Shock Platoon in my VBCW campaign:
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=147800.75

Doug

[Andy in Germany]

“Being a member of God’s two chosen people groups can be such a burden.” Dr. Solomon Mckinley.

As we have seen in the last few months, Ascension Island is a dangerous place; quite apart from all the gang warfare, political intrigue, heists, chases, and extortion going on, there’s the danger presented by being on a tiny mountainous scrap of land in the middle of thousands of miles of the Atlantic Ocean, so a hospital was required.

The first hospital on Ascension was built around 1829 when the Island was developed to support the Royal Navy, particularly the West Africa Squadron, which was on the front line of the fight against slavery from 1808–1856. In my world, it was expanded in the 1920’s because of the increased traffic through the Island, with an ugly prefabricated second wing.

A tiny hospital on a tiny island is not a very attractive proposition for aspiring doctors, so after the Royal Navy gave it over to civilian use, probably with a sense of relief, the facility has been “managed” by a fairly long line of incompetent doctors, usually embittered and close to retirement. Then Dr Solomon Mckinley arrived.



Mckinley is a giant of a man, standing at 6’7″, and has a personality to match. Born in Glasgow, he was a consultant doctor in a large hospital in Northern England, but under the government of Oswald Moseley and Edward VIII, being Jewish made him a target of the Auxiliary Police, and he ended up exiled to Ascension. Here, a lifetime’s experience and enthusiasm has been focused on the few wards under his authority and has revolutionised healthcare on the Island; patients now have a good chance of leaving the hospital more healthy than they went in.

He is also a former college heavyweight boxing champion, which several of the more boisterous tourists discovered to their cost when pressing their attentions on the nurses. Captain Bryant’s Royal Navy Police soon discovered that if called to the hospital, they were unlikely to be rescuing the staff…

[Andy in Germany]

What is collectible this week is next to worthless next week - so never worry about "collectible" value when you have an actual use for something besides storing it in a dark closet in an unopened package.  That whole scene is just weird to me.  The value is in the use.

Of course, when viewing van Gogh's "Irises", the original, (worth north of 50 million US dollars) I made a quite public comment that it looked a lot like the works of five year olds next store (different display), just a bit more controlled.  And that elicited a few gasps and quite a few knowing titters from the quite deep crowd. In the eye of the beholder and all that.

Nice work combining 'the ladies' and the vehicle.

I don't really understand the collecting scene either.

On the other hand, as I know I'm going to pull the whole thing to bits, respray it and add all kind of "customisations" I feel marginally less guilty if I start with a battered wreck. Cheaper too...

[Andy in Germany]

On the back of the certificate was a handwritten note “present from mum, July 1993” and a name I can’t read. I found it quite poignant. And how much did I pay for this beautifully preserved piece? £8.95 including postage.

Doug

Poignant indeed. I sometimes wonder what will happen to my models, so I try to keep the amount of items down, and make them relatively easy to dispose of.

[Andy in Germany]

Another of the “minor” characters of Ascension this week. Meet Jack O’Sullivan, fifteen, arrived on Ascension six years ago after stowing away on a coal ship.

“Arrived” is a rather genteel term; he was discovered just as the ship had left Liverpool, and was unceremoniously dumped on the quayside in Ascension. Since then, he’s worked as a boot boy, messenger, and now sells newspapers to the wealthier patrons of the Island.



O’Sullivan has a reputation for being first with the news: not only does he have the latest editions of most major papers each morning, he’s also the go-to person for anyone wanting to know what is happening in Ascension’s constantly evolving political and criminal scene; for a price, of course.

O’Sullivan is named after one of the Editors of the “Workers Dreadnought” a long defunct English language newspaper from the early 20th century. The figure was very kindly sent to me free by @Moriarty of this parish...

[Constable Bertrand]

A blower Bentley with rockets.. amazing! 

I don't think it is possible to be more cooler than that!

[Moriarty]

Another of the “minor” characters of Ascension this week. Meet Jack O’Sullivan, fifteen, arrived on Ascension six years ago after stowing away on a coal ship.

“Arrived” is a rather genteel term; he was discovered just as the ship had left Liverpool, and was unceremoniously dumped on the quayside in Ascension. Since then, he’s worked as a boot boy, messenger, and now sells newspapers to the wealthier patrons of the Island.



O’Sullivan has a reputation for being first with the news: not only does he have the latest editions of most major papers each morning, he’s also the go-to person for anyone wanting to know what is happening in Ascension’s constantly evolving political and criminal scene; for a price, of course.

O’Sullivan is named after one of the Editors of the “Workers Dreadnought” a long defunct English language newspaper from the early 20th century. The figure was very kindly sent to me free by @Moriarty of this parish...

And a grand job you’ve made of him!