A new take on an old favourite

I was too young to have lead soldiers, but they have always appealed to me and this Britains Lancer officer has always been one of my favourites.
The sculpting and the position of the officer in the saddle is very good for a toy and really eye catching.

I was lucky to pick a set up quite cheaply at the British model Soldier Society show a few years ago.
It was in the same day as Salute, so I had a very enjoyable day out  in London.

I have always wanted a Seven  year’s war period figure in the style above, so yesterday I did a conversion job on a S&S Austrian officer. I will paint him today as a Hanoverian officer of IR3a Von Knesebeck. The black facings and silver lace should make a nice finish.
Hopefully I will post the finished figure tomorrow.

French officer conversion 2

Finished modelling and painting this French ADC at the weekend. I am afraid my enthusiasm diminished when I checked my shelves and discovered that I had already made a very similar French officer. Too late to change armies by that time. The flag is made up, not the best but he will do as a staff officer.

Big boy’s Toy

As the title says, it is big! Measuring 3ft x 3ft, I have today completed the printing of my Vauban fort walls. Just the internal buildings, and possibly an outer bastion to finish this 3D print project.
Looking forward to assembling and painting. I will need a Dulux 3inch headed brush!

The figures on the right side(white bastion) give a better idea of scale.
40mm figures on the left, 28mm on right.

A new French officer conversion

This fellow will join the staff of one of my French command units. The flag is brass foil, soldered to the figure for extra support. Still to finish the two hands and sword with milliput.
His right foot will be placed on a mound or stone. I struggle with soldering but using flux seems to be the answer. The flag is of course over scale, but large flags make models.

An old favourite

Yesterday while searching my lead mountain for suitable conversions, I came across an old Phoenix casting which must be well over 40 years old and which I bought in the 1970’s.
This must be an early version as it holds a Lee Enfield rifle. The later models had the SLR.
Painted it up last night and I was pleasantly surprised at the result and the quality of the sculpt.
I think it was sculpted by Tim Richards. Phoenix were probably more we’ll known for their famous (infamous) range of buxom beauties “the Phoenix follies). They were more successful with dolls house furniture, which was a bigger market, but I did like the 30mm range.
More info on the history of Phoenix in the link below.
http://www.miniatures-workshop.com/lostminiswiki/index.php?title=Category:Phoenix_Models

From left to right.
Phoenix 30mm, Warfare Miniatures, Perry, Crann Tara, Willie.
Some of the best figures produced in my view and Phoenix compares with the best.

Hanoverian ADC Painted

Finished painting my Hanoverian ADC, from IR3 Von Knesebeck.
This regiment has very attractive black cuffs and facings with silver lace.

And he joins the staff of General Von Sporcken.

Another conversion

Yesterday I converted the mounted figure below. Still a big learning curve for me. I will paint him up as an Officer for my Hanoverian army. Once again, the style is heavily influenced by AMG and a recent sculpt on the AMG blog.
I will paint him up later and see how he turns out. I think the horse will be dark chestnut which should contrast nicely with the red tunic.

The horses outstretched leg is now beefed up at the top to emphasise the muscle.
Thanks John

Update and some nostalgia

Yesterday and into today was a 26 hour 3D print to complete the gate of my Vauban fort.
This was the biggest item I have printed so far, 200mm in length and pushing my Prusa printer to the limit. The scale is set at 100 percent for 28-30mm, so I have been up scaling to 120 percent to accommodate my 35-40mm figures. Very pleased with the finished print.

The figure on the left is Warfare Miniatures 28mm, the two on the right are my 40mm S&S conversions. The fort works well for both scales.

The third bastion is now nearing completion.


On a totally different note, I started watching the film Young Winston yesterday, which brought me back to my wargaming roots. When I got back into soldiers in the early 1970’s, after a very enjoyable childhood and youth playing with 54mm plastics, then Airfix, (I was just too young for lead figures which were phased out in by the mid 60’s,) the period I was really interested in for many years was the late Victorian era up to 1914, British army full dress period.
I was more of a collector/modeller in those days and joined the BMSS , went to the annual BMSS show and Euro Militaire with some kindred spirits and formed a local BMSS branch for North Scotland.  I had done really enjoyable trips to London visiting John Tunstills Soldiers ship, Under Two Flags, Hamleys, and the many others which traded then along with the fabulous book shops.There was an abundance of nice metal models being produced back then by a number of fine makers, but single models did not really appeal, I liked the idea of collecting and creating regiments en Masse like the many Britains collectors who were around then. It was sacrilege to convert or repaint a Britains lead figure and for a student and someone just starting work and a family they were just too expensive. For me Britains were too simplistic, but I marvelled at some of the conversions and parade scenes that I saw in the books by Henry Harris and Roy Dilley. So last night I took them off the bookshelves and enjoyed flicking through the pages once more.

In today’s terms, the figures look fairly basic and simplistic, but to me Britains conversions still have a certain style and look that sums up the Victorian era. While not as detailed as modern figures, to me  they have the same style as say a Willie figure has when compared to many of the chunky “Orc” influenced wargames figures which are so common today. Dilley and Harris were collector modellers, creating regiments, brigades, divisions, corps, to create miniature 54mm armies representing the period. This was always the ultimate goal for me, working to build a complete collection rather than a butterfly approach.

Alas, like so many of us, life got in the way of plans, and it is only in the last five years or so after purchasing AMG and being part of the forum that I have adopted a more systematic approach, and those five years have probably been my most rewarding in the hobby.

Johann Heinrich Von Scheither

This is Johann Heinrich Von Scheither, ready to take his place as Inhaber if IR1a Von Scheither of the army of Hanover.
The figure was a conversion job in 40mm, inspired by some of the photographs in the AMG book.
S&S gaiters can look more like boots, therefore in have filed the legs back to make them appear less chunky. Not perfect, but getting better.

What I have done today

Had a good chat with Stuart I. putting the wargames world to right.
With the current lockdown I don’t know when we will meet up again.
It would be nice to think that Claymore will run in Edinburgh in August, but that may prove to be optimistic. Partisan 2 could be good if it is still on. We will all be desperate for company and new war game supplies by then. Stuart is working on his new book and we will put on a demo game to complement it, possibly at Kirriemuir. Stuart has switched the Wild Geese/AMG meet up to November, which I could possibly make if a space crops up.
Added some new figures to my French naval battery. The colour bearer holds the flag of the artillery.
Quite pleased with the casualty figure, having got the idea from a recent magazine.

Austrian IR3 Foraging

A bit of fun for Good Friday as a musketeer from IR3 Carl Lothringen attempts to “bring home the bacon”. 40mm conversion.

Bringing in the bacon

Bit of converting fun today. The figure will be an Austrian private when finished. The pig is a sculpt I
made in another life about thirty years ago.
Still a bit of filing, cutting and smoothing to do.
Looking forward to hopefully painting the porker tomorrow.

French coastal battery

Just about completed my first French coastal battery. Still to add a colour bearer, couple of casualties and equipment, but pleased with the result. All figures are S & S conversions. The coastal fort is printed with my 3D Prusa. French coastal artillery units were common in the 7YW and with the addition of militia can give some colourful combinations.
(The chap in the green coat is an 18th century dandy, visiting just for the action.)

New additions to the library

Just ordered the first two books on the French army in the Seven Years War by Stephen Summerfield.
I wish these had been available some time ago, but better late than never. Hopefully it will boost interest in the French. An array of colourful uniform variations and regimental strengths. Nothing seemed standard with this army.
Now available from Ken Trotman.

On the bench this weeked

The 40mm Vauban fort is making progress with the second bastion due to be completed this weekend. At best it is possible to print one section per day, so it is a long job, but the results should be fabulous.

I changed the colour of the PVA from cream to grey last week, which shows the progress made.

Last year I purchased a batch of 40mm Sash and Sabre pirate guns from Old Glory. They were kind enough to just send me the guns without the pirate gunners. These were purchased with the Vauban fort in mind, so this weekend I intend to assemble the first gun and convert some crew.
I have always enjoyed the artwork of  Eugene Leliepvre, (he illustrated the Osprey French 7YW books), and I want to create a French artillery unit based on his artwork below.
I think it will make a splendid addition to the fort.

Hanoverian regimental gun

The Hanoverian army is currently recruiting its 3rd regiment IR1a Von Scheither. ( sounds a bit like a German toilet, hopefully not pronounced that way).
The dark green facings are very attractive contrasting with the red tunic and straw colour breeches.

I have also converted a Hanoverian regimental gun, but I have used artillery figures, rather than infantry, based on the Stephen Summerfield book, Hanoverian Army of the Seven years War. The light blue tunics with red facings really stand out. This set is based on the Austrian btn gunners recently converted by John R and on his AMG blog. He has made a very nice and an unusual set, and I fancied something similar, the result is below. If you don’t already read John’s blog then you need to start. Every day there is something new and inspirational to wet the appetite.