'The Cleansing'

 

I've been busy tidying up the wargaming room - ("my husband's toy soldier room") as my wife refers to it ! , ' The Mother of all Cleaning' or 'The Cleansing' ! , think I have got rid of 50% of my rules and rules paraphernalia - the hard back stuff has gone to a charity shop the others to recycling - some I have kept for sentimental reasons but I have only kept the rules I regularly play with . My C&C board games are also much more accessible now ,

The far side of the table is now accessible without breaking your neck - more tidying is due on this side as well.

Then I braved 'under the table' !!! the boxes will be restacked and labled so the ones I use regularly can be found easily - again a lot of stuff has been got rid off - mainly damaged scenery items not worth repairing.

Got some new box files to help the storage situation.

And even had time to set up a game ready for 'S' calling round tonight - a battle report will be forthcoming soon.

The very model of a modern Major General - well in 54mm .

 

I've got around to sorting out the six mounted figures I bought and here they are resplendent in the sunshine. 

I didn't repaint them , just touched up any damage - which there wasn't much and gave them another coat of gloss varnish.

I had to think of a way to add bases to them as they fall over very easily on 'the Tabletop of Mars' . I've tried several different methods , none of which were a success - then I hit on this idea , which I call the 'Carousel' method - I drilled a hole in the stomach of the horse and fitted a cocktail stick , then I drilled a hole in a sutable base which the stick is glued into . It seems to be working so far .

This chap has a rather purple face - to many ports maybe ?

Another view of the 'Carousel' method of basing .

This figure is I think a modern recast as he is solid metal - had to use a bigger base to fit the horse . Someone has taken a lot of trouble adding the flowing feathers to his Topee from thin pieces of metal foil !. These figures will be appearing in various guises of command in the future on 'The Tabletop of Mars' 

A blast from the past !

 

Busy clearing out my cupboards and amongst the rules and paperwork I found this poster, I think it was given away by 'Miniature Warfare' magazine probably in the early 70's in that brief period when Wargaming clubs seemed to flourish and the hobby even appeared in the media (as the media was then - not the modern media) , the odd film or even TV series (Callan) , before disappearing again. I have just noticed that there are two thriving Gaming Clubs in my locality , both specialising in Fantasy and 40k and even a small shop that deals in card and board games again with a heavy bias to the Fantasy and SciFi .

Just noticed this on their Facebook page - queue of fans awaiting the shop to open , evidently a new issue of Pokemon cards (!?) (2) Facebook - It makes me feel old - Oh ! I am !!! - a ever changing hobby !

Wargaming humour No.67

 

Are we in the bottom  photo ???🤣

One of lifes little pleasures .

 

I do like returning from holiday to find a parcel awaiting me ! . I must admit I had forgotten I had placed a bid on some figures on eBay - which I had won !!

Luckily I alerted my ever obliging neighbour who kept an eye open for the postman and kept it safe for me . It contained six old hollow cast mounted Officers - but the interesting thing is each had been converted by their previous owners with head sawps and paint jobs .

I do like second hand figures with a bit of history with them ! . why were they converted - battle damage ? , how many battles have they seen ? . I am going to only repair any slight damage to the paint to keep their individual character and find someway to attach them to bases so they can appear on the 'Tabletop of Mars' . I will report on their progress.

Preparing the next batch of Imagination .

 

Whilst doing a Spring clean (of which more later) I found these 40mm semi flat cavalry I once got from eBay .

So they all got a Dettol bath to remove their paint .

Cleaning off the gunge using an old toothbrush and disposable gloves .

First batch cleaned and based ready for an undercoat.

Next batch, I was short one figure so I cast one up , and mysteriously he is slightly bigger , Think it might be a homemade mould hence the size difference ? , hopefully not to noticable when they are painted and on the tabletop. I have no idea which armies they will be joining yet .

If only I could have bought these .......

 

Found these on Facebook , the hours I spent looking at them as a youngster (1960's) they were in Superman comics etc passed on to me by our neighbour - a quiet bald moustached Postman who you wouldn't think would read that sort of thing. 

I especially wanted these, but I didn't even know what a Zip code was let alone sending a postal order to the USA . I now know they where cheap plastic semi-flats but they were exotic unobtainable treasures to me then.