New Year

Happy New Year to all and may 2015 bring you many wargaming joys.

NSL Panzergrenadier Rifles C

In-between repairing and repainting some Dr Who freebies my boys found with a magazine I managed to finish Rifles pack C. This pack has some similar sculpts to those found in packs A & B but come with closed visors.

The boys were keen to get their Dr Who figures painted and did them as soon they could. The oldest boy used acrylic (I think) and went for a multi coloured look on them. The youngest went for a different colour on each one but couldn't wait to get home so made his auntie paint them with nail varnish !! They smelt lovely.

Anyway thanks for taking the time to read.

Wargaming Girl

I'm a little behind on my wargames reading, just started December's Miniature Wargames and thought I share with you (if it hasn't been already) the blogs of the month. One of my favourite bloggers, Wargaming Girl was given a good write up. Tamsin has a great blog and always something interesting to read, good photo's along with regular new shinny's.
Well done Tamsin and keep up the great work.
For those of you who have not been there here's the link:
http://wargaminggirl.blogspot.co.uk

NSL Panzergrenadier Command and Comms

I managed to finish off the Command and Comms pack last night and with the warm-up this afternoon I was able to spray-varnish them.

I was quite happy with the finished look until I just looked at the up-loaded photos'. I meant to do the belt buckles and the moustache on the single commander has not come out as dark as i thought it had. Oh well back to the paint.

Thanks for looking.

NSL Panzergrenadier Rifles B

I had some time yesterday and managed to finish off the painting and then varnish the figures.

Today I removed the finished based figures from the flat head nails I always glue them to for ease of praying and painting. 

One of the figures was determined not to part from its nail and snapped off at the ankles. A quick repair job involving a pin-vice, superglue, model filler and a quick touch up and it looked nearly as good as the rest. 



NSL Panzergrenadier Rifles A

I've managed to get this pack of NSL done sooner than I thought and I'm making progress on rifles pack B, hoping to get these finished over the weekend.

The figures are sprayed with a German dark yellow, washed with sepia. Vallejo Russian uniform is used on the helmet and some of the armour with green grey on the visor. The rifles were painted with panzer grey (Cote d'Arms) and highlighted with slate grey.

 Thanks for taking the time to view.

Ground Zero Games New Swebian League

After the 28mm Scotland Yard figures it's back now to 15mm with Ground Zero Games NSL.

First up is the Panzer Grenadier Fanbikes (v15-104). They come 2 to a pack and are easy to put together and sprayed up nicely.

A thank you to whoever mentioned the blue tack way to mask when spraying - great idea and easy to use.

 

 

I'm working on the Panzer Grenadier Rifles pack A&B at the moment and hope to have some ready to photograph next weekend.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for dropping by.

IHMN - Scotland Yard 2

I've finally got around to taking some photo's of the rest of the force after completing them a couple of weeks ago.

I'm still not happy with the quality of the photos and I think I'm going to change from the bolt action anti-shine varnish as I'm getting the occaional white specs and it seems to hide some of the highligting !

Here's the rest of the force together.

And one of the Consulting Dective and the good Doctor.

As you can see I'v done the Consulting Dectives Coat in plain grey. I tried the grey hat with a green tweed style but that wasn't for me so I went for the darkish grey coat.

The Chief Inspector and Sergeant

I was happy with these though after spraying the anti-shine varnish the high lights on the brown coat seem to have disapeared !

Special Branch with carbines

and finally the whole force (with the constables)

Hope you enjoy and thanks for looking.

Warfare - Reading (no camera, no photo's)

This morning I made the trip to Reading for the Warfare show. I prefer Sunday to go as it less busy, easy to park and the parking is cheaper.

The show always has a good amount of traders but this year there seemed to be less demonstration/participation games. I had a good time though I felt let down by Peter Pig who I'd assumed would be there for both days but I was told that at the end of yesterday they packed up. I had a list of AWI French that I wanted but instead I spent most of that money with Ground Zero Games. I also picked up some 15mm bits from PSC, the Royal Navy Crew from NorthStar along with some paints etc.

A good show as usual.

IHMN - Scotland Yard

Here are the 4 police constables from Northstar's Scotland Yard set. A nice set with little flash but with some annoying mold lines on the helmets. For the uniform I used Games Workshop Kantor Blue with Nuln-oil black wash. The highlights on the blue seems to have disappeared  somewhat after spraying the anti-shine varnish.

The rest of the box is progressing well and should be finished next weekend, though I don't think I'll get anytime as it's my girls 8th birthday on Thursday and her party on Saturday. And she's my princess. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Chinese Villains

Here are the latest four figures for the Chinese faction, Dr Fu Manchu, his pretty assistant Fao Lo Sue, their body guard and another henchman. All figures from Ironclad Miniatures.

Next up will either be the Budda and the Temple dogs or IHMN's Scotland Yard Company (though I don't fancy the checks on Holmes' cape).

Thanks for looking.

Games Workshop

Earlier this year I went in to the local (Aylesbury) branch of the store - well tried to but on the first attempt on a Monday it was shut and the second attempt on the following Tuesday it was shut too. I needed a couple of paints so went back the following Saturday and it was open. I was surprised how few people there were in the shop and only one assistant. I've been back a few times through the year and it's always been quiet and I just assumed it was an Aylesbury thing - the Kingston upon Thames store was always heaving when I lived there 11 years ago.

On Saturday I took the boys to a party in Highwycombe and took the chance to pop in to that branch and it was completely dead with one member of staff. I noticed that it was also shut all day Monday and Tuesday.

Is Games Workshop dying a slow death or is it going strong on the internet?

I've never been bothered either way by Games Workshop apart from easy access to paints (and a few boxes of 40k imperial figures in the 90's) but it always seemed a good starting place in this hobby of ours.



More Foundry Pirates

I've had little time over the last few weeks to progress with the latest group of Chinese pirates but yesterday  I finally managed to varnish and and finish them off. This time a less uniformed look.

Sorry about the picture quality



I've still got 4 more Chinese to paint, Dr Fu Manchu, his pretty assistant Fao Lo Sue, their body guard and another henchman. Hope to get these underway next weekend.

Thanks for looking.

Delivered

When I returned home from work yesterday there was a package waiting for me. My order from Amazon had arrived.

I've had a quick look at Sleeping Dragon, Rising Sun and it's up to the quality expected. On The Sevens Seas - now that was a very pleasent surprise - lots of photo's of painted miniatures (all Northstar) and some great illustrations (from Osprey's).

I think there's an urge to paint more pirates rising !

Foundry Pirates

After a weeks holiday in Devon I thought I'd be right back in to some painting but it was two further weeks before I could really get going. 

I've had the full collection of Foundry pirates for 15+ years (mostly unpainted) and with the imminent release of On the Seven Seas from Osprey along with IHMN what better time to get some Chinese pirates painted.

I've another group to paint up - not sure of the colours yet but possibly a less uniformed look.

Thanks for looking.

The final Mexicans and a flypast

And here they are the final Mexican figures.  These are both character packs.

Big Pedro followed by the Priest and his donkey.

That's it for the Mexican's

Flypast: I was in the garden late Sunday afternoon and I heard a distinctive sound and there it was - a spitfire but that wasn't all. There was a roar of a multi engined plane coming over low and the Lancaster came right over my house. What a fantastic sight.

Mexicans with dynamite

I'm nearly at the end of this little project - all figures are now painted and based, I just need to by some new batteries for my camera and take some pictures of two characters and then I'm done.

Here's a picture of some hombre's with dynamite.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tank Museum trip

I decided to combine taking the oldest lad, Regan, to the Tank Museum and a visit to a wargames show today and with a 5 hour round trip we went to Bovington. Regan had a great time finding out about tanks and how big they were and he came home with some more soldiers. Me - I too come home with some loot.

Just a few photo's of the day - the rest Regan wanted to be in.

A great D-day game

And now a few pictures of the main attractions.

My loot - a  PSC Panzer III, a couple of packs of Ainsty Castings (for my next project and  some paint.



A great place for a show to be held though the traders seem to be down on the last time I went 6 or so years ago.



Mounted Mexicans

I finally had some time over the last week to finish these few bases of Peter Pigs Mexican's mounted pistols and mounted rifles.

I'm a bit dissapointed with the picture quality. The shading and highlighting doesn't have seem to have come out well (especially on the faces) in the picture but on the models it's as I wanted it. I'm not sure if it was a light problem as one of the flourescent bulbs had blown. 

Anyway thanks for taking the time to look.

a small delivery

On Tuesday the postie delivered the small box below and to my surprise it was for me  (I know I had ordered it but the turnaround was very quick).

It was a Crusties starter deal from Ground Zero Games with a couple of extra packs.

 A nice load of figures with a couple of packs of walkers included.

The extra packs were a pack of Mounted Scouts and a pack of Scuttler bugs.

At first glance the figures seem to be clean and crisp and are great figures,

Hope to get all these Crusties undercoated by the end of summer and painted - when ??

Highs and low's

Nothing much has happened on the painting front over the last month with building work continuing and my own decorating about to start. Hoping to get some painting in tomorrow whilst I listen to the England game.

My home village of Chinnor seems to have a great number of flypasts by both current military helicopters and older planes though on Sunday I heard a twin engined propeller plane but couldn't get outside in time to see what it was. Today I was disappointed to find out it was a Dakota.

This evening I was on the drive when I heard a high powered prop engined aircraft somewhere near and I spied what looked like a P51 Mustang and from where I was it looked and sounded fantastic. A shame I didn't have the camera to hand.

Just watching the local news and a report on the return to Normandy by the veterans 70 years on - a fine group of brave men who return yet again to remember their friends who didn't return home. Very humbling.

Thanks for taking the time to read,

Lack of progress

Well it's been nearly three weeks since my last post and that's mainly down to problems with the laptop but a good blow seems to have sorted it out now.

There hasn't been to much progress on the painting front but I did manage to get some more PeterPig Mexican's painted up. This time it Mexican pistols.

I'm working on some mounted Mexican rifles and pistols at the moment and given some time hope to have them done in a week.



Salute Haul

It's been 3 years since my last visit to Salute and it seemed to be bigger. I entered the hall about 11.45 and the bags and free figures had just gone but there was no queue.

There were so many traders to see and as I didn't know I was able to go until that morning I didn't have a plan or shopping list. This meant less time to look at games, though what I did see looked good. I did stop off and chat to one of the gamers from the Jersey Privateers Games Club. They had a nice 15mm WW2 game with FOW miniatures and some lovely scenery. Good effort and nice chaps (though I'm biased as I'm and islander myself).

As for the haul here it is

Apart from the obvious there are a couple of extra vehicles for the NSL and a couple of packets of extra troops for the GZG NAC I painted earlier this year.

Overall I enjoyed the show and was impressed with the amount of traders though some of them need more space (Empress for example) and there seemed to be space available. My only gripes would be that the light in the hall was poor and I was amazed to see that the parking fee had nearly doubled in 3 years to £15 (criminal).

Fortunes change - now off to Salute.

I've had some money for my birthday so have some funs available to go to Salute. Bit of a rush but I should be there by 11 !

More Mexicans

My latest little project is coming along nicely with the next group painted up and finished.

I have another group prepped, undercoated and ready to start on whilst listening to the football tomorrow night.

Below are the latest painted Peter Pig Mexicans foot/rifles.

  

Thanks for stopping by and for any comments you leave.

15mm Mexicans

In between builders and decorating the garage and the children I managed to fit in a little painting.

I'm working on some Peter Pig 15mm wild west Mexicans.

 I started on the villagers, both male and female, and have 5 bases ready to go lead by the lady below.



The cacti were painted 18 - 20 years ago and were Peter Pigs I think. 

Thanks for taking the time to look.

As March slips away...........

.........I've fallen behind with my my plan for this years painting but some of it couldn't be helped, like having to paint the inside of part of the garage or making a pirate ship for the boy for a school topic. I opted to use the plans from 'Lengends of the High Seas' to make a sloop and my boy seem really happy with the result but he hasn't played with it since it came home from school and I left the sail off and left him plenty of room for his soldiers.

I'm hoping to have some pictures in a couple of day's of my latest little project - Peter Pig 15mm Mexicans.

Thanks for stopping by.

Old & New Viking commander

A couple  of years back I painted up a 15mm Essex Viking army. I was happy enough with the bulk of the army but the commanders base didn't seem to have the right look to it as you can see below.

I picked up a packet of Donnington New Era Viking command at show over a year ago but with the drilling of hands etc I put it on the back burner.

This was on my list of things to do this year and I've just finished it.

First up the Essex version



and now the New Era version



and both together 

As you can see I decided to raise the ground so the command seem to be overlooking the rest of the troops.

Thanks for taking the time to view.

Dan