Schmied's Farm AWI WIP (Update 18.01.14 new pics finished pieces)

[mikedemana]

Intact Ral Parth paints! I am jealous, sir!

Actually, you can obtain them again, but via flea markets or shows attended by Iron Wind Metals. They are the inheritors of Ral Partha's metal, molds, and paints. I mentioned to them awhile back how much I missed their paints and they said they had tons of them still left over. If you are in the U.S., I recommend contacting Iron Wind and letting them know what you're interested in.

http://www.ironwindmetals.com/d/index.php

If you are unsuccessful getting what you need through them, send me a PM and I'll try to put you in contact with the guy who usually takes the paints to the flea markets....

Mike Demana

[FramFramson]

Sadly, I'm in Canada, but it would be interesting to see if there's a way to still come by some of those. When I first got into minis, I bought all Ral Partha and loved them, but my grandiose plan for getting into 40k turned out to be a huge failure, so my interest waned.

I didn't abandon minis entirely, getting into some silly prepainted stuff. 10 years later, none of my old paints were much good anymore!

[Barry S]

Lovely work as usual.

Fram - It probably doesn't help much, but Ral Partha Europe sells a range of paints. I'm not sure if they're the same as some of the names are different to the ones I still have.

http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/miniature-paints-c-54.html

Cheers,

Barry

[Admiral Benbow]

Lovely work as usual.
Fram - It probably doesn't help much, but Ral Partha Europe sells a range of paints. I'm not sure if they're the same as some of the names are different to the ones I still have.
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/miniature-paints-c-54.html
Cheers,
Barry

From the ralparthaeurope-site: "The popular range of 'Miniature Paints' liquid acrylics, specially formulated for use on metal miniatures. They are supplied in 18ml plastic pots with a screw cap, all colours priced at £1.25
(these are not the original 'Partha paints')."

 

Btw: the Partha paints were really good paints at their time, and I still like to use them, but with so many good quality ranges of acrylics on the market today, you don't really need to get them at all.

[Barry S]

Dur - I can't believe I missed that... It's written even in a different font colour 

Cheers,

a rather embarrassed Barry...

[thebinmann]

amazibg

[FramFramson]

Btw: the Partha paints were really good paints at their time, and I still like to use them, but with so many good quality ranges of acrylics on the market today, you don't really need to get them at all.

I agree on that. My current crop serves me well enough and I have no complaints of note (and certainly nothing that couldn't be addressed by some other modern contemporary paints).

The main thing I miss nowadays is a few unique colours that used to be in the old Partha line, most especially a few of the metallics (like their beautiful brass, which, like real brass, was a sort of greenish-gold).  '

Anyway, mikedemana let me know that he has the email for this fellow, so I can always ask to see if he's ever in town. If so, I can always peruse the stock for those few unique colours I'd like to get again.

[Admiral Benbow]

In the meantime:

Finished the grouting on the chimney using pastels and isopropyl alkohol; works nicely including a good weathering effect, I think:





Everything of the workshop was then glued down firmly, a slightly hazardous action as both the roof construction and the chimney AND the bellows needed to be placed simultaneoulsly. All accessories were then added from back to front. Small detail items like hammers, tools etc. will follow soon.











The plan is to leave the roof partly open, as if it would be in the process of getting new shingles. So I will use a slightly modified colour for those shingles, looking a bit more "new". This way I'll get more light into the workshop ...

The church was also painted but is not finished yet. It's a nice kit, but there was some warping which I realized too late, so I need to live with it now. Thankfully it's not that obvious. Base with fence also finished, so it's coming together soon.





I want to include some nice trees to the farm and church and some more for the table, so I had some prepared. I think it's most important to find some nice and realistic looking twigs, and for me the best and most durable material for the small branches is rubberised horsehair. Tearing the stuff apart and cutting small pieces to be glued down with woodglue is the first step. This is what you see here, too much material:



When the glue is completey dry (leave it overnight), start to cut and tear the stuff with scissors to thin it out and try to get a realistic branch structure. I did it here on the next pic, but even after getting this photo I cut more horsehair down for more "fluffyness".





Then on to scattering the branches with two different coloured materials, a dark one from below, and the light tone from above. Similar to painting a miniature ... And I will heartily recommend to not use hair spray, spray glue, wood glue or whatever, but the one-and-only-glue for all scatter materials - Scatter-Grip, available from Antenocities Workshop. The stuff is as sticky as it gets and will not harden but remain sticky, so what will come into contact with this stuff will stick forever! (Including fingers, tweezers, toothpicks and of course other trees, so keep them separate; I use cheap freezer bags)





For me those trees look as natural as it gets on a wargame table, and they can stand some handling, too. There was a left-over piece from cutting the trees apart, and instead of throwing it away it was converted into a small woodcutter scene. Could be used as objective marker or something like that.



To be continued ...

 

[Captain Blood]

Looking very good indeed Michael 

[Eric the Shed]

Wow... Those trees

[gamer Mac]

Trees are stunning

[von Lucky]

Very impressive. The thought behind the model / terrain brings a heightened level of realism.

[Mindenbrush]

Excellent scratbuilding and quite a few tips to bookmark 

Have you considered the Fenris Games new shingles? FSame format as the Wild West ones (strips) but in .5mm styrene
http://www.fenrisgames.com/shop.html#!/~/product/category=2457557&id=16079262

Possibly a lot closer and cheaper that sending all the way to the US.

[Dr. The Viking]

Oh boy oh boy!!!!

[Zafarelli]

That truly is a piece of art. I really like that little woodcutter scene. Never let anything go to waste