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.

Celtic Chariots (Hät)

I got these when they came out little knowing that Hät had changed to the new soft plastic. This meant that every part of each chariot was bent to some degree and it took a bit of work to get everthing looking correct. I added reins and rein guides to the yolks.

Teutonic Sergeants (Italeri)

I just love these guys :-D

Airfix US Paras

A great little set. A good range of poses and virtually no flash to speak of. Fun to paint and they have hardly dated at all :-D

Quick Kilt Painting (all scales)

Bloody expensive stuff  but it works wonders!!!

Livonian Knights (Zvezda)

A nice set that has a lot of scope for conversions, especially amongst the infantry.

At the front is one of the crossbowmen from the set converted to a "turcopole"

Hello Oswulf and Jim :-D
Look at some wonderfully painted Crusaders at Yariks Blog Here

Port life

The "hidden" bods from the Linear-b Roman port set.

Zvezda Triarii

The paint on the shields got a bit...er??...dry as I was painting them and ended up a bit rough looking. My excuse is that  they have been using them for dry hill Punic Tobbogan Racing :-)

Teutonic Master II (Italeri)

You can never have enough Boss bods. This one is an Italeri Tuetonic knight who has had a mild operation, a head swop with the kneeing crossbowman fron the crusader set. The old head I used as his helmet (hanging from the saddle pommel) The nag is also from the crusader set with all those tiny tiny  fluers de lys removed. Cloak as usual from toiletpaper. :-)

And heres a fun thing to do on these winter nights....(no pun intended)...The Pyrrhus Project at History in 1/72nd..

Airfix Nato ground crew

West told me to tell him when I started with 20th centuary bods , so here mate...I´ve started!! :-D
By a coincidence Tim Gow of Megablitz and more posted the Airfix USAAF at the same time. Unlike me, who cheated by using a picture to create a dio, Tim  did a proper job of work and made a dio to go with them.. Tim´s Airfix USAAF Ground crew

Teutonic Grand Master ( Valdemar)

A nice dynamic pose. The Rider (big boss) comes in 3 parts as well as the shield and sword being seperate.

Undead Romans

This mob is meant to be the opposition to the sandriders and have the skellie ellie as their heavy cavalry.
A right ugly bunch...but they have ben "undead" for a few centuries so they won´t be looking thier best. :-)

Zvezda Samurai

Lovely sculpts, lovely looking bods but a complete pain to paint. 

 

I would also like to take notice of the fact that I have now got 100 followers!!!!  and to say thanks to you all. :-D  Makes it all worth while...thanks again. 

After the Sandstorm!!!

Lt Tompkins finally manages to locate Colonel Brashford....

"Don´t just sit there man!!!! Dig!!! The horse under me can´t hold it´s breath forever!!! 

Saracen Camel Rider (Italeri)

One of the better bods in the set. His lance is a bit too short but never mind.