2012-2013 Painting Race

[Jon Suth]

No sooner are we back from Crete than the race begins to get everything ready for the new season in 2013.
As we're going to be away for the bulk of October, I figured that smaller "rounding off" projects would be the way forward.
Hence, to begin with, there is a eclectic selection of different painting projects. My aim is to finish off some bits and pieces for the ACW, more artillery, some extra cavalry and a few new regiments.
Add some more merchant ships to the growing pirate collection and finish off the bulk of the French and Indian Wars unpainted stuff that has been hanging around for a year or more.
When we get back from the US, the rest of year will be devoted to 28mm Anglo Zulu War - I've promised customers to run a two day Zulu event, day one 15mm Islandwana, day two Rorkes Drift (one for one scale) in 28mm.
In the new year, it will be all speed ahead with the Greeks, I've got over 2,000 to paint in five months.

First up, my very first Rapier Miniatures.  I bought eight artillery pieces and crews, the officers are mainly Perry.  Very nice figures, a joy to paint and I highly recommend them - they are a bargain too if you buy the unit packs (not that they are expensive if you don't)  Many thanks to Stephan for the lightning fast delivery.

 







Three packs of Gripping Beast (thanks Lord Sherwell for the id), these I'll use for the French and Indian Wars to lope alongside the Woodland Indians:





Finally, for the first batch of new stuff are three new merchant ships for the hugely popular pirates games.  I got these from Ebay, they are scratch built.  I did quite a lot of work on them, added detail and a proper base to the hulks.  Quite pleased with them.  The figures onboard are Blue Moon FIW figures, all of the pirates are in Crete!







Next up are some loyal Americans and Canadian militia for the FIW, then some British and French regulars.

[Jon Suth]

Cheers for shifting this Hammers, didn't know where to put it as it will be multi-period.

Some vintage figures here for two batteries for the rebs.  Some Minifigs, Garrison and Hinchcliffe and probably others I don't remember any more!





No guns yet, they are on order and due any day.

[Jon Suth]

Have been working on 5 new Confederate regiments, just acquired a couple of hundred Tradition, Garrison and Minifigs that will fit in nicely. Have enough figures in the job lot to make another 4 or five Union regiments, eight more limbers, five more guns for each side, a bunch of skirmishers for both sides and... lots of Hinchliffe Reb shotgun armed cavalry.
Should have the first lot of new Reb regiments done by the weekend.

[Jon Suth]

In the run up to the US trip, I've been inspired to round off the ACW collection.  I'm adding around 12 new infantry regiments, 12 batteries for the union and 8 for the Rebs, ten more limbers, wagons, some more skirmishers, around 120 cavalry and a heap of little vignettes.  Here's the progress so far:







Four new Reb regiments, mainly Tradition, Minifigs and Hinchcliffe.





A pair of old Hinchliffe wagons that have been sitting around unpainted for about 30 years.







Two newly painted Reb batteries now with their guns.

Next up are some limbers and two more Reb batteries, then two Union ones.

[Jon Suth]

Newly acquired Indian Mutiny buildings.  They just need a little bit of work, but really pleased with them:

[Jon Suth]

New batch of ACW artillery and a nice little wood store:













No idea of the make of the wood store, will probably use it for FIW.

[Maichus]

Nice job(s)! 

The wood store is medieval Japanese one from John Jenkins:
http://www.johnjenkinsdesigns.com/JVB03.htm

[Jon Suth]

Thanks Maichus - I got it on ebay - so this is actually the first John Jenkins building I've bought - quite impressed with the detail.  Might have to pick up some of their ACW ones when I'm in the US.

[Jon Suth]

Meet the Spartans!

First shots of the latest stuff - have actually made some progress on the Greeks for the 2013 season despite being side tracked with ACW and terrain (not to mention about 60 ebay sales).  Had hoped to put up the last ACW regiments for the time being, but rain has stopped varnishing.

Here are the Spartan command stands.  The 3 stand base is the Spartan King.  The Spartans have three divisions, each with 5 36 man hoplite units as as well as skirmishers and so on.  The figures are Gorgon and Wargames Foundry.  The bases are by Warbases (their 60mm round ones).  The hoplites will be based up on their 60x40mm bases six figures to a stand.

















Working on two 36 man blocks at the moment, all Gorgon and Foundry with a handful of Vendel mixed in.  Most of the blocks will be Warlord.

[Jon Suth]

A lull in the rain has allowed me to varnish these blokes.  Two New Jersey regiments for the ACW collection.  Will probably return to the ACW sometime in the spring.

[Jon Suth]

Trees have been on the agenda for the past couple of evenings.  I'm making another 500 or so to cover the 45 foot table with the things for the French and Indian War games.  Doing them in batches of around 50-60 as its a messy job and takes up a lot of room - drying time is a issue too, although the old dehumdifier speeds things up.  All of this lot are oaks or similar with the same colouration, there will be other shapes, sizes and hues of green to break things up. 



Twig branches culled from the Cherry, May, Lilac and Holly trees.



Monstrous pile of horsehair and hoghair.



Box of the smaller trees around 5" tall.





Some of the bigger ones, mainly singles but some doubles on each base.



The latest lot of really big ones, about 8-10 inches tall.



Example of one of the finished bases.

For your amusement, here is the pile of crates with the Warlord Greeks ready for the paint table:

[Dr. The Viking]

Urgh!

This is just amazing by the sheer quantity. I'm not American but I'm still amazed by quantity. 


So do the mix of hog/horse hairs go in the tree canopies?

[Jon Suth]

Yep they do, I've been using Botanico Eco Moss - a kind of sisal string bedding material you're supposed to use for hanging baskets. Can't find any within twenty-five miles, so have reverted to the horsehair.
I tear a bit off, roll it up into a ball, dunk it into some green paint/PVA/water mix, wring it out and then drape it onto the twig.  Then I dunk the whole lot into an enormous bucket of home made flock. Shake off the excess and leave to dry overnight.  Should be as hard as a rock by then.  Just give it a quick blast with spray varnish and done (apart from the base of course).
The reason I'm making so many is that the table is 45 x 6 foot and even a couple of hundred are lost on it.

[Dr. The Viking]

Yep they do, I've been using Botanico Eco Moss - a kind of sisal string bedding material you're supposed to use for hanging baskets. Can't find any within twenty-five miles, so have reverted to the horsehair.
I tear a bit off, roll it up into a ball, dunk it into some green paint/PVA/water mix, wring it out and then drape it onto the twig.  Then I dunk the whole lot into an enormous bucket of home made flock. Shake off the excess and leave to dry overnight.  Should be as hard as a rock by then.  Just give it a quick blast with spray varnish and done (apart from the base of course).
The reason I'm making so many is that the table is 45 x 6 foot and even a couple of hundred are lost on it.

You won me over with the  'dunk and shake' part. I've gotta try this at home! 

[Jon Suth]

Dr Viking - wear a pair of gloves when you do it!  I've got a box of cheap latex gloves, the paint mix will be a right pain to clean off your hands and don't do it over a surface that you value - the paint will drip!