My first post (3 Viewers)

[theBaron]

I've got to dig my Schneider figures out, too. They've been in storage since I moved into my current home, back in 2002. I don't even remember what I have painted or not. I was working on a set of Austrians for my uncle, too, as a trade for having fixed a cuckoo clock that I have. He passed away before I could finish them.

Yes, I'll have to dig them all out and see where they stand....

 

[theBaron]

...To everyone else looking in - JP can also be found on www.whitemetalmail.com - and can provide a growing range of castings to paint - at the most reasonable prices around. ...

Oh, duh! I see that you're already an experienced caster! I'll be asking you for a pointer or two

I have the Prins August SYW Prussian molds, too, and some of the 40mm 18-century wargaming range. I haven't used those in a while, either, but I have a bucket of castings awaiting painting.

Prost!
Brad

 

[mensaman]

Hi JP

First of all welcome to the forum mate, And you are only a stones throw away from Plymouth,


Love the castings , Keep up the good work^&grin


Very best wishes Mark

Hello Mark

Many thanks for the welcome - always nice for a newbie! Yes - not too far from good ol' Plymouth, thank you for your kind comments about my castings - I shall indeed keep up the good work ...

All the best to you mate. JP

 

[mensaman]

Holy cow, how did I miss this thread?!

First, welcome to the forum, JP! It's nice to welcome another caster to our ranks.

I have a bunch of Schneider molds, too, a couple of originals in bronze, and then a number of modern reproductions made in zinc alloy by Höhmann in Cassel, and a couple made here in the States and sold by Castings/REB Toys. The originals still make the best, crispest castings, as do Höhmann's molds.

Regarding your mold with the "S and arrow" marking on it, if I'm not mistaken, it's not actually from Schneider Bros., but was made here in the States by a gentleman named Henry Schiercke. He was a German immigrant (I believe) around the turn of the last century, living in New York, and he sold toy soldiers, and eventually, homecasting molds, including Schneider molds. At some point, he commissioned copies of the original Schneider molds and sold them under his own label. In fact, some collectors group the originals and the Schiercke molds together as "Schneider-Schiercke" molds. Though Schiercke's were copies, there was no loss of quality, and they were much better, in my opinion, than the generation of home-grown American molds that they inspired. (This is from memory, from Ed Poole's article on homecasting, in Richard O'Brien's "Collecting Toy Soldiers".)

The series made and sold by Castings are copies of copies, and they're not designed as well as the Schneider and Schiercke molds. They're too big, so it takes longer for them to warm up. Also, the figure is centered in the molds, rather than to have the open bottom of the mold form the base. I've found in casting with those that it takes more passes till the molds heat up and the metal fills the cavity, and the way the base is formed, with a key in one side fitting into the other, is clumsier to use. But here is the URL for the page in Castings' catalog for their version of these old figures: http://www.miniaturemolds.com/ser05__.htm, so you can see a full series of the figures.

I still have a catalog from Höhmann, though I haven't ordered anything from him in over ten years. He used the original Schneider designations, as far as I know.

I have to fire up the pots and do some more casting, it's been a while. I have some castings from the last session, too, that I have to paint. These figures were the ones that drew me into the hobby. I bought a set when I was a student in Munich, and later learned about the origins of the molds. I found one at a flea market, and then found commercial sources for them, and also rubber molds, and then I branched into kits and castings of fully-round figures as well.

Well, I've run on quite a bit. Please do show us more of your work as you go, and if you have any questions about casting, please just ask!

Prost!
Brad

Hello Brad

Many thanks for the welcome and so much useful information. I am sure that the mould I currently is an original Schneider - it is very heavy (probably Steel) I bought it many years ago on Ebay for a song and I am in the process of ordering two more Schneider moulds from Germany in Aluminium which will complete the set. So I and will soon be in a position to produce a reproduction Prussian Guards Band from early 19th Century Moulds. Thank you for the information about the "Schneider-Schiercke" molds - I take it that these were only available in America. The two I have just ordered are from a German Company: http://www.zinnbleisoldaten.com - I do not currently need info about casting but could certainly use help in identifying stuff from time to time so thank you very much for the offer ...

All the best. JP

 

[mensaman]

Oh, duh! I see that you're already an experienced caster! I'll be asking you for a pointer or two

I have the Prins August SYW Prussian molds, too, and some of the 40mm 18-century wargaming range. I haven't used those in a while, either, but I have a bucket of castings awaiting painting.

Prost!
Brad

Hello again Brad

No worries about missing the fact that I am already a caster - my biggest problem is that I am not a collector even though surrounded by my own castings with only a small office/playroom I am currently getting crowded out my joy is to produce the most perfect castings that I can and sell these in order to fund my hobby enabling me to purchase more moulds ...

Best regards and thank you for your interest and the plug for my website. JP

 

[johnnybach]

Hi JP (mensaman). As I have already ordered a quantity of figures from your Schneider mould 67 (3 figures) as soon as I saw your post - it will come as no surprise to learn that I'll be in touch for these other figures from moulds 65 and 66 - which you have ordered.

How exciting! Can I confirm that it is the ones shown in silhouette below? This will mean that I can have a 70mm Band conprising seven instruments to include a Schellebaum and Drum Major from mould 65; Trumpet, Clarinet and Bombardon from mould 66 - and the ones I already ordered from you original mould 67, Base Drum, Trombone and Tuba(or Ophicleid?). How absolutely marvelous.

Just goes to show what a bit of detective work - and joining this Forum - and where it can lead you! Fantastic - the cheque will be in the post shortly.

Well done JP - and thankyou - johnnybach

 

[mensaman]

Hi JP (mensaman). As I have already ordered a quantity of figures from your Schneider mould 67 (3 figures) as soon as I saw your post - it will come as no surprise to learn that I'll be in touch for these other figures from moulds 65 and 66 - which you have ordered.

How exciting! Can I confirm that it is the ones shown in silhouette below? This will mean that I can have a 70mm Band conprising seven instruments to include a Schellebaum and Drum Major from mould 65; Trumpet, Clarinet and Bombardon from mould 66 - and the ones I already ordered from you original mould 67, Base Drum, Trombone and Tuba(or Ophicleid?). How absolutely marvelous.

Just goes to show what a bit of detective work - and joining this Forum - and where it can lead you! Fantastic - the cheque will be in the post shortly.

Well done JP - and thankyou - johnnybach

Good morning Johnnybach

That is indeed correct, I tried to order them on line but they make no allowances for sales outside of Germany - however I have contacted them by email and now we are waiting for a response from Zinnbleisoldaten so hope fully I will shortly have some good news to impart.

It will be rather nice to be able to offer you the complete set and I am looking forward to seeing how these old 70mm specials will look when painted up by you ...

All the best for now. JP

 

[johnnybach]

Cheers chum, on another tack altogether, remember that Meisterzinnen Musicians mould we chatted about the other day via e-mail? - This one:

Well - I've had a positive response - and have just managed to transfer the payment for it to them - and they are going to post it to me. I wanted them to send it to you - but that was a bit too complex for them ( or a bit too complicated for me to explain with my bit of German!) - so I gave up. It's going to be a prezzie - for putting up with me as a customer!!! - so you will just heve to wait a bit for it. johnnybach P.S. I'll be working out just how many bands I can get out of it - in the meantime.^&grin

 

[mensaman]

Cheers chum, on another tack altogether, remember that Meisterzinnen Musicians mould we chatted about the other day via e-mail? - This one:

Well - I've had a positive response - and have just managed to transfer the payment for it to them - and they are going to post it to me. I wanted them to send it to you - but that was a bit too complex for them - so I gave up. It's going to be a prezzie - for putting up with me as a customer!!! - so you will just heve to wait a bit for it. johnnybach P.S. I'll be working out just how many bands I can get out of it - in the meantime.^&grin

Hello again

That is good news at least you have had a response - I am still waiting for Zinnbleisoldaten to get back to me! Typical efficiency from our European cousins - far too complicated for you to purchase an item and have it sent somewhere else ...

That is very kind of you to donate a mould to me (all donations welcome!) and you certainly don't take much putting up with - I wish all my customers were kind hearted like you. Now I am really looking forward to getting my grubby hands on a Meisterzinnen mould for the first time.

Just as a matter of interest - while waiting for an email reply I have been trying my luck at painting - how I wish my eyes and fingers were 50 years younger - I imagine it takes a lot of patience.

All the best for now. JP

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Guys,

If you need a German address I will be happy to be a transship point. Pop me an email or PM and let me know if you need some help. I doubt it would cost much unless the package weighed a lot. But if they are being difficult due to a UK or French Address let me know. Always willing to help out friends.

Dave

 

[johnnybach]

I think that my purchase has been sorted Dave - but thanks for the offer. I can imagine that someone in Nurnburg had quite a shock when a Welshman, living in France part-time pops up on their web-site, writing in a strange mix of Deutsh and English asking to buy a mould and - and offering to pay by cheque from a French Bank - or with an English credit card - and then ask them to send it to England! ^&confuse

No wonder it took a few days to decide whether or not to reply. I can just imagine the conversation......( no offense intended - just a bit of whimsy).^&grin

[Imagine the conversation in the voices of Henry and Minn - from the Goon show - but with German accents!]

Hey Franz, if we say nuddings - do you theenk he vill go avay? Nein Brunhilde - he sounds der persisstunt type. I know - tell him to send der Euros by electronic bank transferings - I bets zey neffer heerd off zat.^&cool

So that's what they eventually said - doubtless after a few meetings und discussion.

But I had - so I did - and it should be in their account by now - so they just have to send the mould (though I failed on the England delivery) - and I will have established a method of buying more moulds from them - if this one turns out to be okay, and I want some more.^&grin

Wunderbar! - Johnnybach - award yourself a schtrong schnifter of Schnapps - you've earned it today. Danke unt prost!

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Johnny,

Now that was funny! {sm4} You have the gift of gab as well! Well like I said let me know if you need some help I know how things can be here.

Dave

 

[johnnybach]

Danke - hic! jb

 

[mensaman]

Hi Guys,

If you need a German address I will be happy to be a transship point. Pop me an email or PM and let me know if you need some help. I doubt it would cost much unless the package weighed a lot. But if they are being difficult due to a UK or French Address let me know. Always willing to help out friends.

Dave

Hello Dave

Many thanks for the very kind offer - I think between a Welshman who lives in France some of the time and an Englishman who lives in England most of the time but has lived in both France and Germany at different times we have sorted it out with Germans ...

All the best to you. JP {sm4}

 

[theBaron]

I have to offer some correction/clarification to my earlier post about the Schneider/Schiercke history, after going back last night to O'Brien and re-reading the chapter on homecasting. Schiercke didn't have copies of the molds made, but merely sold the Schneider molds here in the States, up to America's entrance into WWII.

He translated the Schneider catalog into English, sometimes changing the descriptions to make them more relevant for the American market. For example, a sailing ship, "Schiff" in the Schneider catalog, became "Old Ironsides" in Schiercke's catalog.

There was another firm here that started out selling Schneider molds, and eventually developed its own original molds, run by a gentleman named Sachs.

I was looking for references for the "S and arrow" mark; I know that I've seen it described in one of my books, but I can't find the reference yet. I do know that one of my Schneider molds is marked with the old German trademark/patent stamp, engraved in the back of one half of the mold. But I have to track down the "S and arrow" mark to refresh my memory and satisfy my curiosity.

I also have a single-sheet catalog of Schneider molds, probably used as a salesman's display or catalog. It's about 40" by 20" or so. I picked it up in an antique market in Allentown years ago. I'll see if I can scan it--probably have to do it in sections, and post the images back here.

Prost!
Brad

 

[mensaman]

I have to offer some correction/clarification to my earlier post about the Schneider/Schiercke history, after going back last night to O'Brien and re-reading the chapter on homecasting. Schiercke didn't have copies of the molds made, but merely sold the Schneider molds here in the States, up to America's entrance into WWII.

He translated the Schneider catalog into English, sometimes changing the descriptions to make them more relevant for the American market. For example, a sailing ship, "Schiff" in the Schneider catalog, became "Old Ironsides" in Schiercke's catalog.

There was another firm here that started out selling Schneider molds, and eventually developed its own original molds, run by a gentleman named Sachs.

I was looking for references for the "S and arrow" mark; I know that I've seen it described in one of my books, but I can't find the reference yet. I do know that one of my Schneider molds is marked with the old German trademark/patent stamp, engraved in the back of one half of the mold. But I have to track down the "S and arrow" mark to refresh my memory and satisfy my curiosity.

I also have a single-sheet catalog of Schneider molds, probably used as a salesman's display or catalog. It's about 40" by 20" or so. I picked it up in an antique market in Allentown years ago. I'll see if I can scan it--probably have to do it in sections, and post the images back here.

Prost!
Brad

Hello Brad

Many thanks for the clarification - I must confess that these old moulds are all new to me but I really like the idea of casting something from the 1900's period and something my father may well have played with as a boy - they do have a certain amount of nostalgic charm to them and I can't wait for my two new moulds to arrive to complete the set of musicians. I would love to have a copy of that Schneider Mould catalogue sheet if that is possible even if it is in bits ...

Best regards for now. JP

 

[theBaron]

It's gonna drive me nuts, till I can find that reference ^&grin

Prosit!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

Meanwhile - the Schneider-men continue to develop. Now these are REAL Toy Soldiers.

I wish now, that I had made a little separate thread out of this fascinating little story. It would have been about an old mould that languished - semi-forgotten - in a Cornish Casters Castle. It was such a lonely old mould. One day, however, it was identified and re-awakened - just as in a fairy-tale. Heated up - and molten metal poured - some brand new (though really very old) castings popped out. They were sent off to an enchanted forest - somewhere in a far away land - where once again, they began to be painted - to reveal all of their old glory - just like an ugly duckling - developing into a beautiful swan!

The fairy tale analogy couldn't be truer in this case, I think. Whilst yet another chapter in the story remains to be written. It will be about these little beauties being re-joined by some more lost members of the original band that was first born almost 100 years ago, whose father was named Gebruder Schneider. :smile2:

Keep an eye on this fairy tale fellow Froggers - and please do cross your fingers - as the story could yet develop to an even happier ending! - johnnybach

And the other side.

 

[The Lt.]

Some years ago there was a lot of hilarity on the forum when Michael (KV) had a bit of a problem with casting figures whilst using a coffee cup to hold the molten metal! {eek3}{eek3} One of the other forum members actually converted a figure into a Kilted Vampire holding an exploding coffee cup of molten metal……I’ll see if I can dig this up. :wink2:

Jeff

Here's the figure of our KIlted Vampire Jeff you spoke about holding his exploding coffee cup created by Fish .

 

[mensaman]

Hello fellow modellers as a follow up to my first post I would like to offer my grateful thanks to DMNamiot for his assistance in facilitating the delivery of my new Schneider moulds and to Johnnybach for his continued advice and assistance - not least for locating the whereabouts of the two missing moulds which complete my set of Prussian 70mm semi-round marching musicians.

Since I joined this forum recently all have been most kind in helping out this newbie.

Best regards to all. JP

Also thanks to The Lt. for his amusing vampire picture showing the exploding coffee cup!