A Gordon for Me (1 Viewer)

[johnnybach]

This latest pic shows all of the remaining Military Band members yet to be finished. The front row are the ones that I have just put wings onto the shoulders. These have dried out nicely overnight, and the wings are now solidified and have bonded firmly to each figure, so a coat of Ivory paint has now blended them smoothly into the rest of the jacket. Possibly another coat will be required, but then the yellow facing colour will be overlaid to the top surface of the wing - and finally the cross hatching on top of that to complete each one. These figures are not too far from being completed now.

At the rear, you can see the last five band figures, which I have been starting off when I had a bit of spare paint left over on the palette. Each of these has had arms instruments tailored to fit - you can just see the instrument marked on each base between the feet. This makes sure you get the right instrument for each figure when it comes to assmbling. When these ten figures are complete, the 30 strong Military Band will be finished - which is the single biggest element of this project. 42 will be completed - with just 26 to go - unless I add a few more pipers to the eight I originally had in mind! johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

As I am coming towards the end of the figures for the main band - and I am waiting for tiny details to dry before going on - I thought I would start a few more of some of the other elements. On the left are three drummers from the Drum & Pipe band. Note that I have not progressed the detail on the front of the smaller "cheeses drum" - that is yet to be done. I thought I would show the start of the other side-drummer (centre figure. As mentioned before, he is a lot of bits and pieces of colours.

I began with flesh for face, hands and knees - but also washed over the jacket - as this is mainly red. This acts as a perfect undercoat for the Humbrol red (34) that I am using. Next comes the Oxford blue for the kilt - and Ivory white for belts and drum apron. I also use the same colour for plume and headband - plus two small spots to begin the eyes.

To the right are some of the Regimental escort - with the first completed one on the left of the three. The next two show the cross belts that I fabricated for them - and the centre one shows this fitted and painted Ivory. Note also the small bullet pouch which I need to drill and fit to the belt with super-glue.( comes as a general part from Dorset Soldiers on a sprue with a bayonet in a scabbard).

Note the far right figure - with pilot hole on the belt - ready to be drilled. Note also the pill blister pack material used to fabricate belts and webbing. This is really two sheets of aluminium material with thin plastic in the centre. It will bend easily and hold its shape - and glues to bare metal easily. Simple to paint too - as the tiny indented surface holds paint beautifully. It's also free! One coat of Ivory already on - two coats will finish the belts - then, when thoroughly dry, I can paint the bits of red jacket up to the belts which are slightly raised - you get a nice clean edge that way. Note the arm and weapon out in front, partly painted - and the far one cleaned up ready for painting. These can be done at any time - when there is a bit of spare paint on the palette - or done in a batch.

I think that you can just see the fabricated bayonet scabbard on the two figures - just on the left hip. These are made up from a spare piece of an old base - which you can see cut in front of the centre of the threesome. This will make two - and is cut and filed to shape. Camera battery just died - I will turn them and show another pic of this feature later. johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

Battery charged ( don't you just hate it when that happens!!). Showing here rear view of drummers - which shows one with no white piping to edge of the coat - and one just started - third one in is complete.

Others show fabricated bayonet scabbard. ( I used up all the ones I had for the dirk on the Band members!!!). Easy thing to make and to do though. Have used a comb tooth for a plastic one in the past!

On we go - johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

Still not exactly sure why my camera does this colour shift - must be something to do with light at dusk. Still, shows what I want to describe. Here you can see that the bullet pouch and crossbelt have been added to my third figure - which is, as yet unpainted. Also note that the crossbelt is in two pieces - but the join at the top has been covered by an epaulette - made from a tiny piece of milliput, though it is difficult to see now - and is practically invisible once the arm and weapon have been added - as in the completed left hand figure.

I will show how these figures progress in more detail later. jb

 

[johnnybach]

Latest developments are with the two marching Highlanders next to the completed one, showing how the red doublets are being started - and how the crossbelt and pouch shows up nicely on top. Whilst I had the red paint on the palette - I did the headband dashes - from brow upwards on to the bonnet, which will be blacked out later.

At the rear are the five bandsmen - who now have a lot more fiddly detail added. Red seams to jacket arms, black cross hatching to socks, white piping to epaulettes. Just buttons to finish off - and these will be ready for a coat of varnish - could be later today. johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

The five latest bandsmen are now painted (except for bases), but I am waiting for them to dry completely before varnishing. I use Humbrol gloss varnish (at the moment). The very last thing I do with these bandsmen is apply buttons to the spats (black on white). For this, I use a Misubishi unipin fine line water and fadeproof pigment ink pen. This is great for the tiny buttons - but takes at least 24 hours to dry - OR with brush varnish - it smears. SO - better safe that sorry - WAIT.

Incidentally - a tip here. When doing buttons, do the top and bottom ones first. Then judge the centre and apply that one - then you can fill in the gaps easier - in my case, two each between the top and centre - and then another two between centre and bottom - have a closer look and check them out.

Front rank shows development of my new pair of Highlanders - and side drummer - which are progressing. I am in dire need of new 3X000 brushes - so am going to try to find a new model shop on Friday - as my old one has closed permanently - Anyone out there know of a good artist supply shop/model shop around Mont-de-Marsan or Eauze areas?

 

[johnnybach]

It's been raining, ( at last - hurrah!) for the last two days, ( first for 3 months!) - so I have had loadsa time to do a bit of painting instead of gardening.

The result is - the last of the thirty Military bandsmen have had a lot of attention today. Here they are out in front of my " driers" in the background. All of the Oxford Blue part of the tartan , Humbrol (104) has been overlaid with green (102) - whilst other bits and pieces have been touched up too. Once these last five bandsmen are done - I feel that I will be well on the way with this project - as this was always going to be the most tricky part to finish. (Incidentally the white is Ivory(41) - less harsh than white.

Once they are eventually completed, I will do a photo of the complete 30 strong band. johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

I was going to wait until I had completed all 30 of the band before taking another photo - in case you were getting fed up with them in installments. However, I regret to say, inside me there still lives this 7 year old little boy - who still can't resist playing with his soldiers - as soon as he can.

I then took a photo - which I couldn't resist sharing - so here are 25 members of the Gordon Highlanders Military Band (c.1865) - with the Drum major of the Drum & Pipe Band taking control - whilst they await the last 5 members to arrive - which could be by next week.

You can recognise the newest members, by the way, as I haven't varnished their green bases yet - if you look closely, they are still matte green ( and not quite dry!)

Hope you like 'em as much as I do - so far! ^&grin johnnybach

 

[MapleLeaf]

This is AWSOME Johnny
SIMPLY AWSOME
Maple Leaf

 

[thebritfarmer]

TA DA !!!!!


Maent yn edrych yn wirioneddol wych mewn grŵp, gorymdeithio ar hyd a chwarae alaw hwyliog!!

Hope that makes sense {sm2}

 

[aujj65]

Yes of course we like them! {sm4}

These are looking very ship shape and it is interesting to see that you use a mix of gloss and matt for your figures. Cheating really isn’t! :tongue:^&grin^&grin

{bravo}}

Jeff

 

[johnnybach]

Thank you guys - I think they are coming along nicely too (diolch yn fawr Scott - Cymraeg?). Thanks for the thoughts.

Jeff - Nah! - its not cheating to use any paints - as long as they come out glossy in the end, who cares how you get there - I don't!

Not sure about awesome - just very pleased they are looking a bit like the figures in the book that started this whole idea off ( see page 1). I am now getting quite excited - as I'm on the last five of the military Band - though I still have a lot more to do after that! But THESE are the real reason I started the project - they only wore the white doublet for a few years - and I hadn't seen this era really shown off anywhere else ( I'm sure somebody did - but I had never seen them).

I think glossy bands look best in big numbers - so that's why I'm pressing on with these last five: (see below). I have been pecking away at these for the last week or so - in the hope that they could get finished sooner. Always the same when you are nearing the end of part of a project - but musn't get impatient and rush them.

After this element - comes the Drum and Pipe band - and Regimental escort - so plenty to do yet, before the whole project is finished. Just couldn't wait to play with them - as Scott alluded to earlier - in another tongue - clever lad!

Thanks all^&grin - johnnybach

 

[thebritfarmer]

Nice one Johnny, no I am not Welsh. I cheated and used a translator, glad that I made sense as they are not always the best

 

[johnnybach]

Ha! - thought so - must be honest - so do I these days - I haven't actually used the Welsh Language for a lot of years now - I may be even better at French ( Gawd 'elp me). But I understood the meaning okay - and thankyou for that - much appreciated!

Diolch - means thanks - to save you looking it up!! Always hwyliog I hope chum, johnnybach.^&grin

 

[johnnybach]

Latest pic shows that I am coming to the end of the Military Band - as these are the last 5 being developed with their instruments /arms ready to be put on - once the faces have been developed a bit more with moustaches /eye/hair added though red to finish on some before that in the usual way described earlier.

Next across are two more of the Regimental escort Highlanders. The next figure along is a bit more interesting - as he is going to be the Sergeant. I am either going to have him with weapon at the slope, like the others - or maybe at the shoulder. Note that he has been altered to show a fly plaid. I did this by using the musician figure - with which you will be familiar by now, but removed the plaid across the chest (and back) by surgery (craft knife and file - which took ages!). I will paint on his red cross belt - and then decide on which arms to use. Because he is that bit different, I am tempted to go for the shoulder. (Bullet pouch to add yet, with that belt too).
Note that I used a primer coat on his central section this time - as a justification coat - to check that I had got the surgery correct - without any imperfections or blemishes to the doublet showing through - then gave him his red coat.

The last figure is a side drummer from Drum & Pipe band being developed. I tried painting the kilt first - but might regret this - as the doublet above is so "bitty" , I might be handling him too much - and need to re-do the kilt. Forgot my usual maxim - work from the top down. Just had paint left on the pallet whilst he was stood about - so used it up - rather than waste it.

 

[johnnybach]

Getting a bit busy again here. To the left are the last 5 musicians. Not far off having arms and instruments attached. To the right are three of the Regimental escort. The sergeant at the rear will have to wait awhile for his weapon - as it is still in England - along with his left arm! I overlooked the fact that I didn't have one - as I used it up playing around with another figure. OOOps!!

So started off a few side drummers instead. That's the beauty of a large project - you always have something else to do - until the end...............and then............ well, just get on with it.

I have to take a bit of time now on making sure every piece is done properly. There is now a tendancy to rush towards the finish of a part of the ptroject - and it is easy to miss something. jb

 

[johnnybach]

I have been working on two of the marching Highlanders today - and am at the point where I can assemble the arm holding the weapon at the slope. You can see from the pic below, that the two figures in the centre have had the loose arm (mostly pre-painted) attached to the body over the post cast into it by glueing with gel cycroanalayte (super-glue). This is left to set for a few minutes to bond firmly, and then a small piece of milliput (two part epoxy putty) formed and moulded into the space left by the arm part. You can see from the original casting figure and arm on the left, how large the hole is. This needs to be filled and the putty shaped to blend in nicely and form the finished arm - as in the completed figure on the right. I actually run a little super-glue over the milliput once it has been shaped - and leave it to dry - as it helps set it and make it ready for painting quicker. I will re-paint in a few hours - blending in the paint to the rest of the arm and body.

 

[johnnybach]

Last new pic for today - this one shows the arms/instruments fixed in place on the last five figures of the Military Band. I am using a new product bought at the new model shop that I found south of Bordeaux. It is a slightly gel form of Cyanocrylat Glue of German make called "Robbe Extra Speed Dick" and comes in a handy 20 gramme squeezy bottle with a nozzle. Although strangely named - it's superb. Doesn't run like my old product - and sticks far more quickly without the usual runs. Highly recommended - if you can find it

Behind the five musicians are the marching Highlanders, now with the arm holding the weapon at the slope re-painted again.

Still some work required on both sets of figures - but both are well on their way towards completion. Next job for the band are fabrication and fitting of wings - should be a doddle now - as am very familiar with that job - having made and fitted twenty-five pairs so far. Everything coming along nicely.:smile2: jb

 

[johnnybach]

I managed to make and fit the wings to the shoulders of the 5 remaining bandsmen last night - which meant that the glue had set off solid by this morning and I completed the job with a swipe of filler under each one. That's the last of this particular modification - shame that - as I was getting quite good at it now - after 30 practices! Coat of paint on those later.

I also fitted the left arms and gave a first coat of paint to the arm joint, of the two marching Highlanders at the back - so these will just need finishing now with bits and pieces like buttons etc. Things are going well. I will probably continue with the rest of these Marching Highlanders with rifled musket at the slope next - and save the Drum & Pipe Band for last - for the simple reason - I don't have the Pipers yet - they are still in Britain - but I will be picking them up at the end of the month. jb

 

[johnnybach]

Bandsme's wings have noe had one coat of Ivory - and blended them in with the arms and body. Might be a bit repetative - but these are the last ones for this band.