"French Colonials"

[Major Weenie]

Trapped in the house for the rest of the afternoon.
LAF members will pay the price by being subjected to another barrage of photos.

Here's a stock Wagames Foundry Belgian officer, but we tend to use him as a French officer of Marine Infantry.


And here's a Wargames Foundry African Askari, panted as a French Tirailleur Senegalais  (No longer certain as to the correct masculinity or femininity after my recent Mexican Revolution faux pas.)


And some Wargames Foundry French infantry.  However, I just noticed that they're missing the blue band on their kepi, and now I am no longer sure if 'Red Trousers & Kepis' ever served in North Africa.  I begin to fear that all of the French metropolitan infantry were from the time of bell top shakos.


And a French officer, also missing the blue band, converted from a Wargames Foundry Zulu Wars British officer.

[Sendak]

Great job on the paint and conversions!

Heh. Good to have a few Gallic heroes to look at.

Thanks man.

[Geudens]

Here's a stock Wagames Foundry Belgian officer, but we tend to use him as a French officer of Marine Infantry.

How dare you, sir!  I call you out!  Letting an officer serving under my national flag desert to ze Frogs! 

Let's settle this here and now: tomorrow morning at six at the usual place.  Weapons will be a crate of Westmalle Trappist beer each; the last person standing wins the duel.  BTW, Chick has agreed to be my second, so you'll have to bring along someone else (and some extra Westmalle...).

Justice will prevail!!!!

Rudi 

Nice work, Dow!

[Malamute]

Here's a stock Wagames Foundry Belgian officer, but we tend to use him as a French officer of Marine Infantry.

How dare you, sir!  I call you out!  Letting an officer serving under my national flag desert to ze Frogs! 

Let's settle this here and now: tomorrow morning at six at the usual place.  Weapons will be a crate of Westmalle Trappist beer each; the last person standing wins the duel.  BTW, Chick has agreed to be my second, so you'll have to bring along someone else (and some extra Westmalle...).

Justice will prevail!!!!

Rudi 

Nice work, Dow!

I'll be anybody's second, I don't mind as long as there is beer involved

[Major Weenie]

Here's a photo that's strikingly similar to the earlier one of French infantry.  Again, stock Wargames Foundry figures.  However, these were in light kit, and didn't have any back packs.  So I made a simple drop mould of the pack from another figure, caste some up, and glued them to the backs of these figures.  I think the pack makes them look a bit more French.

[Gluteus Maximus]

Here's a photo that's strikingly similar to the earlier one of French infantry.  Again, stock Wargames Foundry figures.  However, these were in light kit, and didn't have any back packs.  So I made a simple drop mould of the pack from another figure, caste some up, and glued them to the backs of these figures.  I think the pack makes them look a bit more French.

That's a good idea with casting new packs. I have a load of tribal archers, some of whom were missing arrow quivers, which I got off ebay. I may try the same idea with them, only I don't have access to white metal casting equipment.

Any ideas for cheap, quick and easy alternatives would be very welcome 

[Lowtardog]

Amazon miniatures have shed loads of bits in their site. Not sure of quality as many will be 25mm but for bow cases I dont think that matters so much as weapons

http://www.amazonminiatures.com/catalogue/index5.asp?rName=Weapons

[Gluteus Maximus]

Amazon miniatures have shed loads of bits in their site. Not sure of quality as many will be 25mm but for bow cases I dont think that matters so much as weapons

http://www.amazonminiatures.com/catalogue/index5.asp?rName=Weapons

Good idea!

I agree, the size is pretty unimportant, so long as the style is similar. I'll have a shuftee later on.

Thanks,
Ian 

[Major Weenie]

I don't cast up bits in metal.  I use either 'non-expanding urethane,' which when it first came out in hobby stores was named things like "Liquid Wood," or I use "Hooverite."

Hooverite was invented by a coworker... named Hoover.  He found out that Bondo (a type of automobile body putty for foreign readers) was nothing more than ceramic powder suspended in fiberglass resin.  By mixing Bondo and resin he created a creamy, sort of pour-able Bondo that we then used to cast things.

The urethane can be used for two part moulds, but the Hooverite is a bit thick.  So it might be restricted to drop moulds.

Urethane and Bondo are relatively cheap.  It's the price of the two part, silicone-moulding medium that gets a bit pricey. I tend to set up small projects - back packs etc. - on the shelf.  Then when I'm casting up a major project I use the left over silicone to make moulds of packs, etc.

Did that help any?

[Gluteus Maximus]

It certainly did!

I'll have a look around locally for similar products. I'm tempted to try green stuff or similar for making the small moulds required, as I have a job-lot I got cheaply off e-bay a while ago. I have plans to make and cast larger models, but not for some considerable time.

Thanks very much 

[Major Weenie]

Oh,
I pick up my urethane in Los Angeles, CA from a company named Silpak. I think that they have a web presence.  So they might sell stuff to you online.
Regards,

[Major Disappointment]

You are proof positive that given enough time, money, and a drop mold, you can make anything.

[argsilverson]

For casting small bits like quivers or similar items with one flat surface it is not necessary it is not necessary to have special white metal casting equipment.

You only need some RTV silicon rubber, bit of metal left over from other miniatures or small pigs of white metal, a small casting pot/spoon and a kitchen to warm it up.
Of course a well ventilated area to work. [lead vapours is poisonous], if you have small kids avoid to do homecasting. resins also could be poisonous, too.
Suppliers like Prince August have all necessary tools and pigs of metals.

For small amount of items with one flat surface you may even make moulds from plasticine or chewing gum and cast in plaster. It takes good the paint.

For the French colonials, please see the new Victoria Lamb's miniature of French colonial marine. Very nice and I think a must for all colonial fans.
see the link:
http://eurekamin.com.au/news.php?newsid=EkEAEAElFyHyjOnYBA