As the blog reading fraternity will know, I have had an Intermission on the Sassies and the Byz Boys to rehash my old 6mm WWII Germans and Russians- nearly 200 30mm x 20mm bases and I can't say that I'm not sorry to finally see them off for another decade. So now it's back to the two units of Sassy LI archers which are half done.
Good news is that the two units of clibs are complete, just waiting for some decent weather and yours truly being off work to coincide -ha, more chance of nicking the Crown of England, but you never know. Looks like I am working six days this week -straight through till Sunday.
Nose to the grindstone etc.
Mick
Monday 30 August 2010
Tuesday 3 August 2010
On a roll now. All my own work.
Here are some piccies of the small village I made. The little containers on the top are from the old Airfix Wild West set -I think...they are definitely Airfix anyway. Fences are made from matchsticks and the wheel is Irregular? All the rest is differing thickness of card covered with PVA, sand and paint.
Is masking tape the modern papier-mache? Part Three
Here are a few examples of the completed, based and painted palm trees as promised. The picture below shows a base of a couple of trees.
Another shot of the two tree base with an unbased building to give an idea of scale.
This is a picture of all the different palm tree bits I've made so far. I have a few ideas for more to keep each one a bit individual.
The group of trees that featured in the first two parts of this item.
This is a dead palm tree. Basically it's just a small garden variety twig wrapped in masking tape then painted. Masking tape covered one end creating a nice bump as if the earth has been pulled up when the tree fell. The bumps are just small stones glued to the base then covered in the usual way.
You will notice that there are no leaves/fronds, this is because the locals have already nicked 'em to make fencing. Honest, thats what they do with them to keep the desert back in the same way we build sea walls. (Here's the photographic evidence taken by yours truly from the edge of the Sahara in Tunisia).
Now before you go around poo-pooing the whole idea as cheap and nasty, don't forget that these are only meant as a wargaming representation, not as a precise copy. After all, even without the headings I'm sure that anyone could have recognized them for what they are. I suppose for more leaves you could use finer wire (same place and price but obviously a lot more length for your dosh -don't even think about it- the only problem is that when you need quite a few to make it look aesthetically pleasant, less work is definitely the order of the day. I envisage about 25 -30 of the little bu**ers should look alright.
Another shot of the two tree base with an unbased building to give an idea of scale.
This is a picture of all the different palm tree bits I've made so far. I have a few ideas for more to keep each one a bit individual.
The group of trees that featured in the first two parts of this item.
This is a dead palm tree. Basically it's just a small garden variety twig wrapped in masking tape then painted. Masking tape covered one end creating a nice bump as if the earth has been pulled up when the tree fell. The bumps are just small stones glued to the base then covered in the usual way.
You will notice that there are no leaves/fronds, this is because the locals have already nicked 'em to make fencing. Honest, thats what they do with them to keep the desert back in the same way we build sea walls. (Here's the photographic evidence taken by yours truly from the edge of the Sahara in Tunisia).
Now before you go around poo-pooing the whole idea as cheap and nasty, don't forget that these are only meant as a wargaming representation, not as a precise copy. After all, even without the headings I'm sure that anyone could have recognized them for what they are. I suppose for more leaves you could use finer wire (same place and price but obviously a lot more length for your dosh -don't even think about it- the only problem is that when you need quite a few to make it look aesthetically pleasant, less work is definitely the order of the day. I envisage about 25 -30 of the little bu**ers should look alright.
Sunday 1 August 2010
Grassy, tufty thingys
Here is a quick and simple method on making grassy, tufty thingys that all discerning wargamers seem to have as part of their basing protocol. Yeah, yeah, I know the nylon tufty thingys look better but you have to buy them, this way they are completely free, and more immediately to hand.
Cut a small tuft of sisal string and apply a blob of glue from your trusty glue gun to the bottom. Then stick it on a piece of spare card, I use the same card as for my bases. Only the quick drying adhesive of a glue gun works because if PVA or contact adhesive is used, the lot falls over before the glue dries.
When required, a sharp, angled tug will pull the tuft off along with a layer of card, thus keeping it all together. Cutting different sizes and lengths and gluing them down means that you have a ready supply of these totally indispensable items. Now you can use PVA or contact glue.
Damp is better.
Mick
Is masking tape the modern papier-mache? Part Two
8. You will no doubt notice that there is a gap at the top where all the wires are visible. Fear not! Cut a small tuft of sisal string and glue it in, making sure that you cover all the wires. This represents the new growth.
9 and 10. Now is the time to paint your trees. I used khaki for the bark, dry-brushed with khaki-grey and a light brown. The stems, leaves and tufts are painted dark green and dry-brushed with a lighter green.This photo shows the trees with the 'roots bent out so that the whole thing can be glued down. Bend the trunks slightly for a bit of variation.
11. As you can see, I missed out a step. Using a hot-glue gun -one of my favourite wargaming aids- glue the ends of the roots securely down to the base. Once that has set, using masking tape, cover the whole of the root system like you would with papier-mache, (ask a parent or older person if you don't know what papier-mache is).
12 and 13. These are close-up pictures -one slightly blurred, I know, sorry about that- of the base, showing how the wires covered with masking tape actually create small depressions and ridges, breaking up the otherwise flat uniformity. Don't worry about any visible folds in the masking tape, either cover it with another piece or gloop more PVA and sand onto the base.
14. Finally, a picture of the whole base with some small rocks added for effect. When I get a chance, I will post some piccies of the completed article.
PS Sorry about the picture/script ratio, still haven't completely figured it out.
Keep yer bristles damp.
Mick.
9 and 10. Now is the time to paint your trees. I used khaki for the bark, dry-brushed with khaki-grey and a light brown. The stems, leaves and tufts are painted dark green and dry-brushed with a lighter green.This photo shows the trees with the 'roots bent out so that the whole thing can be glued down. Bend the trunks slightly for a bit of variation.
11. As you can see, I missed out a step. Using a hot-glue gun -one of my favourite wargaming aids- glue the ends of the roots securely down to the base. Once that has set, using masking tape, cover the whole of the root system like you would with papier-mache, (ask a parent or older person if you don't know what papier-mache is).
12 and 13. These are close-up pictures -one slightly blurred, I know, sorry about that- of the base, showing how the wires covered with masking tape actually create small depressions and ridges, breaking up the otherwise flat uniformity. Don't worry about any visible folds in the masking tape, either cover it with another piece or gloop more PVA and sand onto the base.
14. Finally, a picture of the whole base with some small rocks added for effect. When I get a chance, I will post some piccies of the completed article.
PS Sorry about the picture/script ratio, still haven't completely figured it out.
Keep yer bristles damp.
Mick.
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