Back after a short pause for DIY duties

Back again having tiled the bathroom floor with those self-adhesive tiles - of the 24 tiles I laid only 4 (!) went down uncut, the rest having to be cut/trimmed in various ways !! . Nothing in the bathroom is parallel or square on - it must be about 20 years since it was last done and I'd forgotten the horror of it all ! . However I have been busy casting and painting - and varnishing ! , a Unit of Prussian Hussars - the 1st Regt. Life Hussars - the mould is actually meant to be a British Hussar - but a Hussars is a Hussar so I'm rather pleased with them.

Next a Battalion of Landwehr - these are the standard Prussian mould but I 'green stuffed' to make them into the longer coat worn by the Landwehr . The Prussian General is a rather nice Hinchliffe figure provided by 'S' the proprietor of all things Hinchliffe .

These are rather strange portly chaps from a mould I got off eBay - the are Prussian Jaegers , but Prince August don't do them now so I assume they are an old out of production model - odd chaps but I like them.

To counter these here are some French skirmishing .

French Light Infantry - the 1st Batt. 2nd Legere . Because I'm only using 12 figures per unit I'm cracking on getting them done and a simple 'toy soldier' paint job helps as does a gloss varnish to cover up all the mistakes.

The 2nd Batt. 45th Ligne overseen by another excellant Hinchliffe General, again cast up and provided by 'S' . Prince August don't do General moulds so Hinchliffe are the closest match . Time to set up a game and play with these figures on the 'Tabletop of Mars' .......

Peter Cushing - a Wargamer with Style !

 

Now that's painting figures with style ! - that's whats wrong with the hobby - a lack of dress sense !

Found these on the Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook page . A different era sadly lost - but I wouldn't want to wear a tie to game !

Wargaming humour No. 36

Me when I walk into a Games Workshop store for some paint ! 

 

More from the Casting Pot .

 

Had another go at casting today , this time cavalry , a couple of moulds I got from Prince August in their recent sale . I find you get the best results from casting if you use two or three moulds at a time which gives them time to cool , you need them warm to get the best results - but not to hot - a sort of 'Goldilocks' moment .

This mornings sessions results - three Hussars and their mounts . They are described as 'British Hussars' but they are vauge enough to do as French and with a little tweak - Prussians .

One I did earlier - the French gun and crew painted up and newly glossed , working on casting the other gun and crew to make up the Battery - more photos of painted stuff on the way.

What's the plural for a group of moulds ? *

 

Prince August was doing a 3 for 2 sale on their 25mm Napoleonic moulds , so I had to pick up a few more that I needed ! . This afternoon I had a go at casting from the French Artillery moulds . The crew cast well as did the barrel and the carriage - however the wheels were a right pain ! . Casting spoked wheels in homecasting is notoriously difficult and it took me numerous attempts (and much bad language) to get the two I wanted .

The finished gun and crew ready for undercoating . I will be using these figures for the Prussians as well - with suitable conversions .

*sadly there doesn't seem to be one 

The earliest toy soldier !?

 

Found this on the Interweb, it's in the Walters Art Museum and is a bronze model of a knight about 800 years old and is assumed to be a toy - the measurments are 37mm x 43mm x 17mm so would mix with 28mm modern figures .

The lance is a modern extra , I think it is rather cute and reminds me of 15mm Peter Laing figures .

The Author as invisioned by AI

Messing about with AI , and as it sees me !?