A bit of basing !

 

Have noticed that several of my fellow bloggers are busy basing/rebasing figures and this has encouraged me to base up the Lancers (.: Just when you thought it was safe to go back onto eBay. (tonystoysoldiers.blogspot.com) that have been waiting for bases for quite a while .- note to self - Hot Glue Guns when switched on produce VERY HOT glue !! (ouch) (Mrs K on hearing the swearing says "what have you done now !") Results to follow on next post.......

A glimpse of mass production figure painting from the past.

 

No ! - not a picture of Mrs K busy painting my figures ! but a photo from Facebook , annoyingly I can't remember where I stole it from , so can't tell you  anymore info . Think she is painting Cowboys and the Cavalry look like Lifeguards , probably the Britains factory from the 1930s-50s ? going by the hairstyle and dress.etc, hate to think of the lead toxicity of the paint being used ! 

I've been to see Napoleon on the silver screen .

 

Well I took myself to the cinema to see the latest film - Mrs 'K' said it was not her sort of thing so I went alone and took advantage of my Pensioner status at the box office.

A clumsy attenpt at a selfie - I lack the dextterity and have short arms for this sort of thing - note the tub of popcorn a must have on a visit to the cinema and of course almost eaten before the film starts as usual.

The film starts - I must say I enjoyed it - it's NOT Waterloo ! as a lot of people are unfairly comparing it I think. Very moodily lit and the settings looked right , I didn't start button counting when it came to the uniforms and the battle scenes where a bit 'rugby scrumish' I'm afraid but overall it was a great period piece and I would watch it again . 

A contemporary view of Napoleon - I would say it was a brave attempt at a massive subject which  was always going to be a bit crammed onto the silver screen .8/10 I think .

Toy Soldier in Art No.10

 

I'm told the young people call them memes (!?)

PS wait till she finds how much he spends on them 

PPS and how much room they take up in the house 

PPPS or how much of his waking time is taken up thinking about them 

 

Just when you thought it was safe to go back onto eBay.

 

Several posts ago I said I didn't need anymore 54mm figures , then I happened to notice the above figures on a 'Buy it now' option on eBay , they were about £24 ! , I couldn't resist and immediately bought them ! . I think that the low price and 'But it now' option was because the seller was not generaly a Toy Soldier dealer and just wanted a quick sale .

I had never seen the classic Britains Lifeguard figure with a lance before and assumed it was a modern conversion .

I asked for more information on the 'William Britains Toy Soldier Collector' Facebook group and was told they where part of the above set 'Musical Ride Household Cavalry' issued between 1954 - 1963. I'm rather pleased with them but will need to add bases to them if they are to take place in tabletop battles .

I came across this quotation which is perhaps a bit to close for comfort for myself ..........

Toy Soldiers in Art No.9

 

 Never happen!, 

1930's German Toys .

 

Found on the 'Military Toys from our Childhood' Facebook group , Would say German 1930's - click on photo to enlarge.

Starting painting my 40mm SYW-ish .

 

Started painting up my 40mm homecast French SYW , it's been a while since I painted any of these figures and I don't think I've got the shading right on these figures , hopefully the next batch will be better. These will be varnished when I get them all done.

Here's the rest undercoated ready , sadly the undercoat shows up the casting inperfections - hopefully a coat of paint and a couple of coats of gloss varnish should hide all the mold lines.

Fruits of the castng pot .

 

Having 'fettled' my mold I brought my casting pot indoors (it being cold outside in the shed) and started warming up my metal in the kitchen - my wife passed me by and said "you won't burn the house down will you !?" * 

After a few false starts , I started getting some good castings - the Godess of Homecasting smiled on me and I have enough figures for a small unit now. 

*you'll be pleased to know I didn't .

A return to folly (sic)

So I have decided to add another unit of infantry to my 40mm Homecast SYW-ish collection . It's been ages since I cast any figures up so this will be a nice change of pace . I've been cleaning up some of the castings and adding a couple of vents to one of the molds which wasn't casting properly . 

It will be a company of the Volontaires Estranger, a unit of French Light Infantry with rather acttractive green facings . The molds are a selection by Prince August. I hope to get the other castings done in the coming week.