Cast metal flags ! (1 Viewer)

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

It's 2014 manufacturers please stop releasing figures with heavy cast metal flags. Copper sheet works great. I just got the new K&C 20th of Maine flagbearer. Nice figure, but the flag weighs more then the figure. Breath on him and it falls over. Every ACW manufacturer is quilty of this. I have Flagbearers that I can't even display with out gluing them down or replacing the flags.

 

[Napoleon1er]

I agree. I would even prefer a high quality paper flag to the heavy metal ones.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I don't know whether Edmund's flags are sheet brass or tinplate, they are the best flags in the hobby for my money.^&cool

 

[lancer]

I thought JJD came up with a great solution to the cast flag problem with his resin flags in the Jacobite and Sudan series. Hope he continues doing that as the cast flags are way too top heavy. Figures are just too expensive to be falling over if you look at them cross-eyed. :wink2: -- Al

 

[theBaron]

I thought JJD came up with a great solution to the cast flag problem with his resin flags in the Jacobite and Sudan series. Hope he continues doing that as the cast flags are way too top heavy. Figures are just too expensive to be falling over if you look at them cross-eyed. :wink2: -- Al

I agree, Al. I appreciate the beef about cast metal flags, but with a cast or sculpted flag, a maker can sculpt fine detail onto the flag.

Among figure painters, putty is popular, too, for the same reason. For a painter, using putty allows him to sculpt the folds in the cloth the way he wants.

For me, I can take either cast/sculpted flags, or flat metal, painted. But not printed paper flags. That's cheating. They have to be hand-painted, for me.

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

It's 2014 manufacturers please stop releasing figures with heavy cast metal flags. Copper sheet works great. I just got the new K&C 20th of Maine flagbearer. Nice figure, but the flag weighs more then the figure. Breath on him and it falls over. Every ACW manufacturer is quilty of this. I have Flagbearers that I can't even display with out gluing them down or replacing the flags.

Another answer - is to give such top-heavy figures a decent sized stand. If the stand is big enough - they don't fall over. I frequently paint my own, as I like Colour Parties - and always make sure that the stand is large enough to keep them stable. Even if my figure comes with a small stand - I usually change it for a slightly larger one whilst assembling.

As to making up flags from scratch - I agree that thin sheet brass, copper - or even aluminium, make the best flags ( for me). I agree with Brad - and don't like paper flags on metal figures. I recently saw a tip by another Treefrogger - who used a soda can as his flag "material", on a copper rod for a flag-pole - which sounds like a great idea to me. Will try it out next time I make up that sort of figure. jb

 

[Napoleon1er]

My main problem with anything cast is that it is too thick. I want something that comes as close as possible to scale thickness. That is why I prefer thin sheets or formed cloth.

 

[zblang]

i agree. My K&C AWI flag bearer never stays upright. I finally decided that some redcoat killed him and I just leave him down now!

 

[marco55]

Yes metal flags are bad.They should get their flags from The Flag Dude www.flagdude.com .
Mark

 

[fishead19690]

Another answer - is to give such top-heavy figures a decent sized stand. If the stand is big enough - they don't fall over. I frequently paint my own, as I like Colour Parties - and always make sure that the stand is large enough to keep them stable. Even if my figure comes with a small stand - I usually change it for a slightly larger one whilst assembling.

As to making up flags from scratch - I agree that thin sheet brass, copper - or even aluminium, make the best flags ( for me). I agree with Brad - and don't like paper flags on metal figures. I recently saw a tip by another Treefrogger - who used a soda can as his flag "material", on a copper rod for a flag-pole - which sounds like a great idea to me. Will try it out next time I make up that sort of figure. jb

That was me with the soda can. They bend real easy and will hold the shape you bend them into and stay in that shape. Getting the wrap around the pole tight and even is the hardest part, then just glue it in place and prime and paint. I was able to get an eagle to glue to the top also. Now painting on the detail was another story, I did the best I could but with very detailed flags you might want to go the printer route and save the soda can idea for something easy to paint.


I wouldn,t want to do this with a factory pre-painted figure but if your painting up a casting with a top heavy flag you might want to try gluing the figure to a large washer and flocking the base. the larger base will keep the figure from falling over.

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

Another answer - is to give such top-heavy figures a decent sized stand. If the stand is big enough - they don't fall over. I frequently paint my own, as I like Colour Parties - and always make sure that the stand is large enough to keep them stable. Even if my figure comes with a small stand - I usually change it for a slightly larger one whilst assembling.

As to making up flags from scratch - I agree that thin sheet brass, copper - or even aluminium, make the best flags ( for me). I agree with Brad - and don't like paper flags on metal figures. I recently saw a tip by another Treefrogger - who used a soda can as his flag "material", on a copper rod for a flag-pole - which sounds like a great idea to me. Will try it out next time I make up that sort of figure. jb

The problem is compounded by the position of the flag. Heavy flags work if they are positioned straight to the figure's body. Once the flag is hanging out at an angle gravity takes over. The only way you could display it like its shown in the photograph is if you glued the flag to the figures head. It will not stay in this position. As predicted this figure took a header overnight. I may actually return it, which would be a first for me.

 

[marco55]

I agree with the paper flags but the Flade Dude also does cloth flags.
Mark

 

[GICOP]

Never had a problem with my Trophy flag bearers falling over





Cheers

Martyn

 

[johnnybach]

View attachment 144686

The problem is compounded by the position of the flag. Heavy flags work if they are positioned straight to the figure's body. Once the flag is hanging out at an angle gravity takes over. The only way you could display it like its shown in the photograph is if you glued the flag to the figures head. It will not stay in this position. As predicted this figure took a header overnight. I may actually return it, which would be a first for me.

Put it on a wider base - and it should not fall over. Rocket Science - it ain't! jb

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

Not in this case. The flag flops over and hangs way to the left. You would need a base the size of a man hole cover to keep it standing. Don't get me wrong the figure is nice, but it should be able to stand on its own.

 

[theBaron]

Never had a problem with my Trophy flag bearers falling over





Cheers

Martyn

Your photos provide a perfect illustration of two points made above, Martyn. Those figures are designed with each flag positioned back across the figure's center of gravity, maintaining balance. And they have bases big enough to provide additional stability. Very well thought-out.

Prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

I agree with the paper flags but the Flade Dude also does cloth flags.
Mark

To my eye, cloth is even worse than paper. There's no cloth with a weave fine enough to look good in our scales. And they're still printed, rather than painted by hand.

I do recall seeing a thread once, somewhere in cyberspace, on using architectural cloth of some kind, a drafting cloth, for making flags. The painter who demonstrated the technique noted that the material comes with a coating on one side, which he removed by soaking in hot water. Then he cut pieces to the desired dimensions, primed the material and painted his flags. His goal was to achieve folds and creases that looked like cloth, by using cloth.

Prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

...I recently saw a tip by another Treefrogger - who used a soda can as his flag "material", on a copper rod for a flag-pole - which sounds like a great idea to me. Will try it out next time I make up that sort of figure. jb

...That was me with the soda can. They bend real easy and will hold the shape you bend them into and stay in that shape. Getting the wrap around the pole tight and even is the hardest part, then just glue it in place and prime and paint...

I've thought about trying that technique, too. I have a small stock of aluminum from beer cans, Guinness, which I ripped open (after enjoying the stout, of course) to get at the widgets inside (save those for scratchbuilding something). I can also use the material for pieces on scale models, like aircraft fuselage panels that have been removed for maintenance (eg, cowling panels).

You could also do what I like to do, glue up pieces of foil, using CA glue, to laminate the flag, as in these examples:







Prosit!
Brad

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

Exactly what does the widget look like in a can of Guiness ?

 

[johnnybach]

I've thought about trying that technique, too. I have a small stock of aluminum from beer cans, Guinness, which I ripped open (after enjoying the stout, of course) to get at the widgets inside (save those for scratchbuilding something). I can also use the material for pieces on scale models, like aircraft fuselage panels that have been removed for maintenance (eg, cowling panels).

You could also do what I like to do, glue up pieces of foil, using CA glue, to laminate the flag, as in these examples:







Prosit!
Brad

Nice ones Brad.

Another good material for flag making - from a rather unlikely source - is from pieces of "blister pack" that encase some medical pills. Some of these packs are made from a sandwich of material - with a piece of plastic in the centre filling - with two thin metal pieces providing the "bread" for the sandwich. This material cuts with scissors or craft knife - is flexible enough to shape - and stays in the shape made up. It paints up nicely too, with the small "dimples" in the material - suggesting woven cloth.

Here's one I made earlier - Joan of Arc with her Jhesu et Maria banner - made from such material, with a staff made from Copper rod from the Hobby Shop. Note that I also arranged the flag so that it DID NOT hang out to one side - thus making the figure potentially more balanced. The figure also has a solid base - so the lightweight material is unlikely to cause balance problems. Just needs a bit more thought at the design stage - as the admirable Trophy makers did. jb