More Cowboys and Native Americans (1 Viewer)

[DMNamiot]

I do love seeing you repair these old beauties! Great work and thanks for posting the steps along the way it will help me if I ever get time to do some much need repairs on a few figures l found in various German Flea Markets.

Dave

 

[johnnybach]

I do love seeing you repair these old beauties! Great work and thanks for posting the steps along the way it will help me if I ever get time to do some much need repairs on a few figures l found in various German Flea Markets.

Dave

It's a pleasure to do so Dave - and I hope it does encourage others to have a go too. It doesn't take that long, you know. Most of the time, you're just waiting for paint to dry.

Now - could you please tell Grant (hsm) to empty some of his inbox stuff - as I'm trying to reply to his PM!!!^&grin jb

 

[Markster]

Thanks buddy. What I try to do with these posts - is to show what a worthwhile hobby it can be to buy and repair ( usually for small amounts of cash), some of the older hollowcast Toy Soldiers ( in this case Western ones - but applies to all types really).

I frequently see from other posts - with modern manufacturers - there is often some pain involved in shelling out big bucks these days for modern figures. What I hope I've shown here - is that there is another way of satisfying a passion - without necessarily shelling out the big bucks - and as an add-on pleasure, the knowledge that you have saved yet another "wounded soldier" from the worst fate of all - The Bin!


Glad you like 'em,
:salute:: jb

I have been wanting to do the same thing ,buy some old or damaged figures from flea markets or ebay, right now I have been working similarly with Marx 6 inch figures, I have a lot of really good figures started ( Hope to finish one day ), also wanted to say I love your paint schemes, very attractive !Maybe I can post some photos, how do you go about posting photos on this site ?

Mark

 

[johnnybach]

I have been wanting to do the same thing ,buy some old or damaged figures from flea markets or ebay, right now I have been working similarly with Marx 6 inch figures, I have a lot of really good figures started ( Hope to finish one day ), also wanted to say I love your paint schemes, very attractive !Maybe I can post some photos, how do you go about posting photos on this site ?

Mark

Hi again Mark - Thanks for the compliments and.............. okay - this is how I do it.

First I take pics with a simple digital camera - and then load them into my computer. You will need to sort out Files to store them somewhere in your computer memory.

Once they are there - I usually load them onto the Windows "Paint" to sort 'em out, by cropping or enlarging etcetera.

Once I'm happy with what I now have stored - I uppload them to files on "Photobucket", which is free ( there are other web-sites too, I believe).

There is advice on this Forum on how to do this in the "How to Do" section. It looks daunting at first - but if I can master it - then anyone can.

So.............have a look there at a few of the How To's - and I'm sure you will get there. If you get stuck - maybe PM one of the helpful moderators such as Scott (Britfarmer), who helped me greatly to get started saving and posting pics.

It's fun to do - once you know how - and it also helps with your painting - as the enlarged onscreen pics help to spot errors or ommisions.

Hope that helps - have fun with painting - and I hope to see some of your handiwork in due course. Good luck - jb

 

[johnnybach]

I had a nice little result from e-bay recently, with the two damaged Johillco cowboys pictured below. As I was the only bidder - I got them for a good price!! As can be seen, both had the movable right arm damaged - as the hand was missing. The left figure also had the bottom of his other arm missing, though despite these obvious faults, the condition of both pieces was remarkably good.

These pieces were originally made with the moveable arm holding three different items. The first was a short whip ( the same arm used for their "cowgirl with whip); second was a rifle held at the trail, whilst a third arm held a wire lassoo. Thus, three figures are possible for this item, depending on which arm was originally rivetted on.



As I rather like the whip arm/hand figure - I decided to use the figure with a complete left arm/hand - as the one to simply get a replacement whip arm ( available as a spare part from Dorset Soldiers - and at 40 pence - a Bargain!!) - so a cheap and easy fix.

My second figure wanted two arms replaced - though I kept the upper part of the left arm which is moulded into the figure. I decided to make up a figure that Johillco NEVER made - by replacing the BOTTOM HALF of his left arm, with a modified spare - holding a rifle, whilst his missing right arm was to be replaced with an arm/hand holding a pistol. Again, the spares came from Dorset - and I cut off the top half of the new arm with rifle - and filed each half of the new joint to fit - then drilled and pinned the replacement part in place.

You can see a few pics of the replaced parts below ( Note that I also fixed a Britains cow [No. 508], which had a ragged hole in her hollow body shell, at the same time, which item I also bought in the same auction for a similar bargain price - as I was again the only bidder). Once cleaned up and the hole fixed with the aid of some tissue paper, super glue and a dab of milliput - she is good as new - and ready for repainting - to form the beginning of my new herd!

Here's a few pics of repairs - so far. Note also that the cowboy with drawn pistol, now has a holster added to his side - as he is holding the weapon in his right hand. I made this out of a spare piece of lead sprue ( that once held various spare horse legs!) The cowboy with whip never had any other weapon - so did not need this modification - he will look as originally intended when first made ( post-WW2 - so possibly dates from early 1950's, until the firm ceased metal production in the early 60's).

Note that I have replaced these movable arms - which are so prone to being broken and/or lost with fixed versions - as the original loose arms are a particular pet hate of mine - and don't seem to add a lot to the figures' "playability" at all. I shouldn't grumble about this though - as without them becoming lost - I wouldn't have so many available to repair!!!

The white patches are milliput, by the way - to be found at places repairs have been made. The arm with rifle was cut to size and drilled, pinned and glued in place. I'll show them again, once they have been repainted. jb

 

[Ivanhoe]

Note that I have replaced these movable arms - which are so prone to being broken and/or lost with fixed versions - as the original loose arms are a particular pet hate of mine - and don't seem to add a lot to the figures' "playability" at all. I shouldn't grumble about this though - as without them becoming lost - I wouldn't have so many available to repair!!!

jb

Nice work, as usual jb !

The "cow" repair is excellent (sometimes I wonder about the 'stories' behind some of that damage)...and your new cowboys are going to be unique 'restored' figures.

Your "Johillco" comment (above) gave me a smile...I have some of their knights, and am forever 'repositioning' their lances.

Sounds like you know which EBay auctions to bid !

Thank you for posting...look forward to seeing your marvelous paint job on these.

 

[johnnybach]

Nice work, as usual jb !

The "cow" repair is excellent (sometimes I wonder about the 'stories' behind some of that damage)...and your new cowboys are going to be unique 'restored' figures.

Your "Johillco" comment (above) gave me a smile...I have some of their knights, and am forever 'repositioning' their lances.

Sounds like you know which EBay auctions to bid !

Thank you for posting...look forward to seeing your marvelous paint job on these.

I should have taken a snap of the cow before repairing it - when you could have probably seen what loooked like an Air-gun pellet sized hole - which had then caused a crack to develop running away from it. Easy enough to repair by gently pulling back out the edges - then poking in some tissue paper which is then soaked in runny super-glue and left to harden inside. When dry, simply put in a small ball of milliput and smooth out - repeating when necessary until you get a satisfactory finish.

When dried out - it can be sanded smooth ready for priming/undercoating and painting.

As for those pesky "floppy" limbs holding weapons. Well...............maybe when they came from the factory they might have held position - but after 60 years or so - they either flop around everywhere, or have been broken off or simply lost years ago!

I always decide how I want them to be - and then glue them on permanently - and lose that horrible, ugly rivet FOREVER! - Yuk!

As usual with e-bay and me - I found these purely by accident - on a rainy day - whilst waiting for some paint to dry. No skill at all - just pure luck! jb

 

[johnnybach]

I started painting my cow ( and two cowboys) yesterday afternoon - and as I proceeded, I began to doubt that my cow - which had been described by the vendor as Britains, actually was by that manufacturer. There were no identification marks on the underside at all - and she was very well sculpted and made - though due to this being my first of my proposed herd - I couldn't be sure.

So, as a bit of evening research .......... out came my trusty copy of James Opie's "The Great Book of Hollow-Cast Figures" - and I settled down for a pleasant search through the pages. Page 189 (Plate 368) eventually provided the definitive answer - and a bit of a surprise.

She was originally made by Pixyland-Kew, between the years 1926 and 1939 - so is actually older than me!! She is described as No.16 Cow Grazing and is between 77 and 90 years old. Apparently, that maker ceased metal figure production prior to WW2, along with everybody else - and didn't resurface after the war ended and restrictions on metal use by the Toy Soldier industry were lifted some considerable time later.

Quite a nice surprise for me - as she is the first from that long defunct maker in my collection.

 

[Ivanhoe]

I started painting my cow ( and two cowboys) yesterday afternoon - and as I proceeded, I began to doubt that my cow - which had been described by the vendor as Britains, actually was by that manufacturer. There were no identification marks on the underside at all - and she was very well sculpted and made - though due to this being my first of my proposed herd - I couldn't be sure.

So, as a bit of evening research .......... out came my trusty copy of James Opie's "The Great Book of Hollow-Cast Figures" - and I settled down for a pleasant search through the pages. Page 189 (Plate 368) eventually provided the definitive answer - and a bit of a surprise.

She was originally made by Pixyland-Kew, between the years 1926 and 1939 - so is actually older than me!! She is described as No.16 Cow Grazing and is between 77 and 90 years old. Apparently, that maker ceased metal figure production prior to WW2, along with everybody else - and didn't resurface after the war ended and restrictions on metal use by the Toy Soldier industry were lifted some considerable time later.

Quite a nice surprise for me - as she is the first from that long defunct maker in my collection.

Neat jb...sometimes those olde books are the best source.

Got me interested to see if I could find picture on the Net...White/Brown cow in left-center looks to be yours;

http://www.millersantiquesguide.com/items/7635/pixyland-kew-farm-animals-including-three-cows-three/

 

[johnnybach]

Neat jb...sometimes those olde books are the best source.

Got me interested to see if I could find picture on the Net...White/Brown cow in left-center looks to be yours;

http://www.millersantiquesguide.com/items/7635/pixyland-kew-farm-animals-including-three-cows-three/

Yes - that's her alright. Nice pic that one - keep watching for some more from that source - as whilst paint was drying - I've been busy putting some legs back on a Goose and also a Cockerel. One of them is almost certainly another Pixy! I'll repair them first - and then show you later, but before painting.

Speaking of which - here's my Pixyland-Kew, Cow Grazing - and Johillco Cowboy with a whip - and another who looks as if he's on his way to a gunfight! I've restored the figure with whip to almost exactly the same spec as he would have come out of the factory around 60 odd years ago ( but minus the floppy arm, as it's now fixed). The other Cowboy is now armed to the teeth - with holster also added. The cow also looks brand new - and all three look good for another 80 odd years of play out on the range! jb

Shows just what you can do with exactly the same broken figure to begin with - and with the help of a few spare parts and a splash or two of paint ( as my old Pal Obee often says).

 

[nmrocks]

Very Nice JB, you whipped thru that group really fast, what? bad weather??
Ray

 

[johnnybach]

Very Nice JB, you whipped thru that group really fast, what? bad weather??
Ray

No Ray, quite the opposite. The weather here is so warm (25C), that paint is drying very quickly. Means that coats can go on in a few minutes in the morning - then come back evenings and do the next bits etc..................

The cow just used three colours - and the cowboys - just did the top half one day - pants and base second day.

Still working the flats too.

Easy-peasy.

 

[nmrocks]

No Ray, quite the opposite. The weather here is so warm (25C), that paint is drying very quickly. Means that coats can go on in a few minutes in the morning - then come back evenings and do the next bits etc..................

The cow just used three colours - and the cowboys - just did the top half one day - pants and base second day.

Still working the flats too.

Easy-peasy.

Niiiiice!

 

[johnnybach]

Niiiiice!

Had another nice one today Ray - so took a drive down to the South Coast. Had a stroll along the prom at Exmouth - and a nice bag of fish'n'chips for lunch. Delightful!!

Don't know how long this most unusual weather will hold - but will make the most of it whilst it's here.

Here's my last few candidates for repair from the same batch of items as my Cow and cowboys. The larger bird is going to become a white Goose. It arrived minus the legs and feet - so I pinned it to a base with two new paper-clip legs - and modelled thicker legs and webbed feet - to paint when all is dry. You can see a smaller Cockrel where I've done the same thing - but haven't done any modelling of feet/legs yet. Same method though. I think the Goose is from Pixy (I seem to have given him longer legs), whilst I think the Cockerel is by Cherilea.

The two young calves at the rear will join their Mum when painted. They turned out to be undamaged - and at just ONE PENNY for the pair - were my cheapest ever e-bay buy. As they came from the same vendor - the postage was combined. Ker-ching.... Bargain!! jb

 

[johnnybach]

Well amigos, here's a couple more completed repairs to add to this scene. My Johillco restored cowboy is off to the corral, passing Disy the cow and a large white goose and a cockerell along the way.

The Goose is another figure from Pixyland-Kew, whilst the Cockerell is from Cherilea. As previously stated, Pixyland-Kew last produced metal figures pre-WW2 - and Cherilea ceased production in metal in 1961.

Both the the goose and the cockerell came to me originally without legs/feet or bases - so these have been fabricated from paper-clip leg armitures for the legs ( rebuilt with the addition of some milliput) , whilst the feet of both is also from milliput. The bases came from some scrap metal sheet - cut to size. The feet were modelled onto each base after the new paper-clip legs were solid enough to work with, once the glue had dried out thoroughly.

Once the new parts were fitted and dried out - they were re-painted, though I wasn't keen on the original paint schemes - so I changed them. The Goose still had some remenants of paint which was a muddy brown colour (and not attractive!). I painted him white with an orange/yellow for bill and feet. The cock also had what was left of some grungy white on parts - so I found a really nice colour pic of one on Google Images - and basically copied that. I'm particularly pleased with his legs and feet, which at this size were tricky to model - but came out well eventually. jb

 

[Markster]

Another excellent job !

 

[johnnybach]

Another excellent job !

Thanks Mark - glad you like 'em. Hope your projects are working out okay too.:salute::

Here's two pics showing my latest repair - now completed - on my second "Rodeo cowboy on a steer". I've added in my two previously repaired/converted Johillco cowboys (with whip and with guns drawn) to better show the small size of the Rodeo figure. I've also added in another just completed figure of a Bandit with two pistols (Crescent c.1950's). The Johillco figures are the standard 54mm size, and "Shorty the Bandit" is around 50mm. I hope you can see that the rodeo figure is smaller again, at around 40-45mm size.





Now we come to the maker - which is not that straightforward as you might think - as my castings on this - and my earlier repaired similar figure - were not complete. With this restored figure, I was minus the original head - and my last figure - I was minus the top half of the cowboy's torsoe, as well as the head again.

Snag is - there are two maker's versions of this small figure. There was a Charbens Rodeo Set figure with hat (see below - third from left of the set, on a white steer):




........but there was also a very similar figure by Crescent, where the rider was not wearing a hat (below);



Here's my previously restored figure - with the whole top half of the rider replaced with a top piece made up from broken bits and pieces that I have saved from the bin - again, I have given him a hat. (he's bottom left. amongst some of my other repaired/restored rodeo figures )



So...... you can nw see, that the vital ommision of a head on both of my "finds" of this figure - means that I can't positively say for sure whether the original figure was one or the other of the two possible makers (Crescent or Charbens), as neither had a head when found! w Note that BOTH manufacturers clearly used the same mould to produce their figures - but this mould sharing by staff who frequently moved between Companies at the time was not that uncommon.

Not that it bothers me, that much, as I just enjoy both anyway - and hope you do too. Just would be nice if I could say what the original was, at one time jb

 

[nmrocks]

Well done JB, are some of these figures in any way designated as Mexican cowboys? Kinda have alittle bit of that look
Ray

 

[theBaron]

Well done JB, are some of these figures in any way designated as Mexican cowboys? Kinda have alittle bit of that look
Ray

They would "vaqueros", wouldn't they?

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

Well done JB, are some of these figures in any way designated as Mexican cowboys? Kinda have alittle bit of that look
Ray

Hola - senor! But not really Ray. All I have basically done is to restore the old figures found, to something like they would have been originally - though I have changed what was left of the old paintwork - and (as usual) used mainly primary colours for the "Glossy Toy Soldier" look. I also don't always stick EXACTLY to the original colours - and often adapt figures somewhat. If I ever find a good "sombrero head", I would be delighted to look for a figure to restore that way!

All of the old British Hollowcast Companies did "Cowboys" - and some who did "Mexicans" - usually gave them conspicuous Sombreros to wear. My latest examples come from Johillco, Crescent/and/or Charbens - originally - and aren't wearing Sombreros - though I guess "Shorty"is the closest to that look?

I'm actually aiming to get at least one example of each Metal cowboy figure that I know of - from as many of the old British makers as I possibly can. I use James Opie's Hollowcast book as a guide - and am maybe about 70% there, to date. Snag is, the rarer they are - the more difficult (and expensive) it gets. My method of looking out for damaged specimens works well though, as the greater the damage - the more reasonable they usually get - and I can fix up most anything now - as I've had plenty of practice!

I always have a good root around any markets, fairs etcetera - and Dorset Soldiers Shop, of course whenever I visit - and have a good rummage through old boxes etcetera - always on the look out for any that might do for me to restore or adapt. Then there's e-bay of course, though here, some folks often pay higher prices for good rarities, than I'm willing to go.

As an example - my "Rodeo Cowboy on a Steer" is quite rare as a Crescent figure - and even rarer as a Charbens Rodeo Set figure. I now have two of these - and have made mine up to look "similar" to the Charbens figure - by giving mine a head with a hat on both occasions. Okay, they aren't EXACTLY correct - as I've used whatever heads ( and other bits) I can get hold of - but I'm not intending to pass them off as mint figures anyway. The fun for me, is in the chase - and the challenge to restore the figure to something that look good.

Just my way of having fun with a couple of restorations! jb