It's been a while - but here goes again with a few more Knights. This time, I'll be doing a bit more adaptation of my usual re-cast old Selwyn-Smith castings. Here's a pic below - which shows seven castings that I'm going to adapt. It's a bit of a busy pic - but I hope you can follow what I intend doing, as I describe below.
Note that I now invariably take off the original head from each figure - and replace it with a Dorset Soldiers one, especially made to suit these figures. This allows for a separate removable Great Helm to be added to the figure - which then can look remarkably similar to many of the old Courtney figures. Here's a pic below of Cortney's version of Sir Thomas Manny .
(With thanks to Vectis Auctions for the photo).
As you may be able to make out from my original pic - my Selwyn-Smith recast figure is different from the casting used by Courtney, and has a full caparison for the horse - instead of the half-caparison - but will have many similar features incorporated into the eventual figure - such as the removable helmet - and similar looking weapons etc.
I think I'll explain whom each figure is intended to portray - as I progress with the painting - but can tell you that each will be based upon a figure that Courtney originally produced - though mine will differ significantly, of course from his. You can probably make out Sir Thomas Manny KG at front right of my original pic - who is well underway already. I have painted up most of the Coat-of-Arms detail and have just fitted on his shield to his left arm. Note it is, as yet unpainted - as I have glued this to pre-existing fixing studs - and filed them to provide a flat surface. I will prep and paint this in-situ, as I normally do. I leave off most of the separate parts - to make reaching the awkward bits of the bodywork easier, and get the paintbrush into small spaces.
Note that I painted his sword and scabbard OFF the piece - and fitted this just before the shield went on and after the caparison was completed. This sword is another Courtney lookalike part, which is available from Dorset Soldiers again, for the princely sum of 40 pence! I think these parts make a tremendous difference to each figures - and now frequently prefer them to the original cast-in weapons.
Another thing to note - is that I have tried with some of these figures to make some of the horse into a more rearing pose than they were originally cast to represent. This can be achieved through either removing some original horse legs and replacing them in slightly different positions - or even sometimes, subtly bending them sufficiently, to elevate the front legs. The position on the bases of the rear legs will frequently need to change - but bases can be drilled and pinned to suit the pose required quite easily.
This bending of horse legs is what I did with the Manny horse - though I replaced Manny's original mace wielding arm with another, now holding an axe - (as a nod in the direction of Courtney's version). The axe replaced the mace - again by cutting off the original weapon - and drilling the empty hand and glueing in the axe shaft. ( another Dorset Knight spare part).
So....we're off again...........with hopefully what will turn out to be another "Magnificent Seven" for my Medieval collection. Watch this space, as I progress - if you like.
:salute::jb