Italeri 1/32nd Romans

Apparently this set is no longer made so I´m going to have to get my hands on a few more if my plans are going to become true. The basic Infantry bods ahve been converted, arms, legs repositioned, necks twisted etc. I can´t remember where the Centurions Head came from...:-

Airfix Waterloo Highland Infantry

One of the bods showing the great effect which can be achieved when you use Thistle Tartan Paint  

Airfix Waterloo French Imperial Guard

Just to show that even painters like me CAN get better :-D

From a few years ago….

...from a couple of months ago 

Scratch built A . P. U

Using bits and bobs ...kinder toys, A vierling from an unknown anti aircraft set, bits of old tank track and a cassette box.

The arms move as well! :-D

Hello Marc. To see some pretty spectacular AFV builds look at his blog Dr. Matchboxes workbench

Basing Bods

This is how I base my bods and nags.
Tools needed,
1. Thin blade, Carpet kife but remember, they are sharp so you older people, supervise younger model makers!
2. Scissors. The slightly curved nails scissors are good for cuttingaround small discs.
3. Tinlid/old CD,
4. PVA = woodglue,
5. Sharp/fine sand, 
6. Toothpicks,
7. Coffee stirrers, 
8. Drink bottle tops
9.   Babybell wax/Bluetac
10. Round plastic bases.  I make them like this but other similar objects or even squares could be used.

A plastic disc gets attached to a bottle top with a blob of babybell. 
A nag or a bod gets glued (woodglue is fine) to the base and it´s left to dry. When dry,  the bod / Nag can be base painted and painted or the basing can be added and the painting done afterwards. I tried all combinations and with each system, it makes no difference to the final result.
Basing
From left to right

1. I put a bit of woodglue onto the tinlid/old CD and add sand, mixing until it becomes a paste. As Goldilocks says,* Not too runny and not too thick..but just right.

2. The paste is then added around the base of the Bod/nag.  To cover as much of the original base as possible I add some PVA with the tip of a toothpick and then sprinkle sand over it.

3. It´s best to leave it all to dry for at least a day. When dried I paint the base dark brown, the drybrush with a lighter brown. Add random blobs of PVA (again with a toothpick) and scatter static grass over it. 

4. Using a thin blade the "sand base" gets seperated from the plastic disc and glued to a bit of thin card. The card can be sourced from cereal packets etc. Leave to dry..usually this takes about an hour. 

5. The edges of the card gets painted mid brown.

*Actually it´s about how hot the porridge is.

Airfix Waterloo French Artillery

Another set of Airfix bods and the last artillery set  (from purely figures sets that is)The uniform blue looks a bit bright and I´ve been informed that grey horses wouldn´t have been used to pull gun carriages. What really worries me though is how do those nags survive with big wooden stakes stuck in one side of them!!? ;-D

Airfix Astronauts

I don´t know about you but having all those visors looking at me gives me the creeps :-D

Medieval Wine Merchants

Again with kind permission from Alex a set of Wine merchants. These will first come out in Resin, later in metal and will be available from Valdemarminiatures.

Just look at the face on that guy...brilliant!!

Someone looks happy with his job  :-D

Archers and stakes (Zvezda)

Did these pair for a bit more variety on the battle field.

Curved Air (Stampe SV4C from heller)

I got it into my head to make the plane on this this album  At first I thought it was a Gypsy Moth on the cover,  but after asking about on a couple of forums,  I was told it was a Stampe SV4C. Then I asked where I could get one and one really nice guy said he had one but it was a bit broken and I could have it for free if I wanted. I would like to say yet again what a generous act that was and I am endebted to him for helping me to realise my project.

 And this is what she looked like when I received her :-D Fuselage snapped, both wings broken in two, a lovely restoration!!!

Welcome Steve from  Paintsplats. A great painter and sculptor of some very original subjects

Caeser Mitannian Mariyannu Chariot

Great name eh? Try saying that when you´ve had a few :-D ( looks like it´s chariot week here )

Scratch built Celtic Chariot

Tried to make a copy of the model of a celtic chariot in the celtic museum in Hallein, Austria.  It isn´t a 100% sucess but near enough.
The horses are from airfix as is the driver. the "beserker" is from the Italeri Celtic cavalry.