Sunday, 1 September 2013

Scrape, scrape, scrape. Nothing you can glue to.

My poor friend Kevin is having a tough time with constructing his plastics and I read in some sympathy as I have been also madly working on putting together my plastic hordes this summer in order to have them all primed before the rains begin and the humidity makes this difficult.

(You can read his frustration in making Victrix British at: Link )

Luckily most of my plastics which I wanted have been either the Victrix French Guard types which, while tricky, were at least of mostly similar marching poses; or Perrys which are just a pack and head to glue.

However, as I am determined to make most of the armies from plastics if I can possibly do (regardless if they are available in metal),  this obviously means much scraping off of details, adding details or mix-and-match equipment and arms (both weapon AND the body part!)

One can see some of this, admittedly foolish effort, in the photos below. But as I only need nine or so of each type, it is not TOO bad.....


Dutch Infantry of 1815  front view
Dutch Infantry of 1815   rear view.  The minature is made by taking a Perry British body  and removing the crossbelt badge and all the lace,  adding an Austrian Shako head (having scraped off all the detail except for the top cockade and removing the oak leaves) and adding a plume removed from extra stovepipe British shako,  gluing on a French pack, attaching a British canteen and box, and using Victrix French arms (necessary for the cuff-flap)
Orange-Nassau Regiment of the Netherlands Army 1815 (front view)

Orange-Nassau Regiment of the Netherlands Army 1815 (rear view)   This miniature is also based on a Perry British body again with removing all the lace and crossbelt badge,  adding a Perry early Russian Shako head and adding a cut-down plume from a hussar, attaching a French pack, cutting off then reapplying the canteen and box for better placement and using French arms in order to have the French made musket.  This unit's uniform had simple cuffs so I could use some of the many Victrix arms I have but needed to scrape off their large epaulettes.

Well, seeing these photos close up one notices the faults. My reading glasses don't magnify as the camera lens does!  Luckily any malformations should be covered up by my very heavy paint style.  I hope!


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* "Scrape, scrape, scrape. Nothing you can dance to."  This comment from a character in response to the beautiful violin playing in the movie Master and Commander which The Wife and I recently watched again. She likes it despite being a war movie. Must be Russell Crowe in the tight breeches, eh!