Napoleonic Conversions (1 Viewer)

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I recently pulled out a box full of Del Prado Napoleonic cavalry I had forgotten about. I pretty much bought one of each when they were first issued in the UK, before they were available in the States. Postage costs were horrible. Anyway...I was never quite sure what do with one of each cavalry unit from every European nation, particularly given that the figures represented troops spanning a 20 year period. I have always focused on collecting British, French, and Prussian 54mm metals (generally for an 1815 Waterloo diorama). Of those, well scultpted Prussians are the hardest to come by...there are a few, but not a huge selection.

So, back to my ridiculously long story...After sorting through the box and extracting what I could use in my dioramas, I was left with about 20 or so Del Prado horsemen that I know I will never use. I thought of selling them and reinvesting the money, but also knew that the resale was terrible on these particular figures, even though the sculpts are excellent and the painting reasonable.

Instead, I decided to bash and convert as many as possible into a range of cavalry that would work with 1815 figures and some units I was already working on. I do a lot of drop casting myself, and as any of you that cast know, there just aren't any decent sized appropriate horse molds for Napoleonic cavalry. The Del Prado horses are ideal and usually easy enough to convert.

I am currently working on converting 9 French lancers from various of these figures, but just completed a Prussian Uhlan (Selisian) Trooper, bashed from Del Prado's Officer, Brandenburg Regiment 1813 and horse from Trooper, Russian Guard Cavalry 1805 (shown on top)

The photo of the conversion shows two Del Prado Prussian Leutzoy Cavalry, 1815 in the background (from what I can see, these are actually painted correctly as the 3rd Selisian Regiment). I wish the photo were a little better, but I am pleased with the result.

 

[aujj65]

Well done indeed! You wouldn't think it was the same figure.

Jeff

 

[thebritfarmer]

Very nice, I have often thought of buying a few DP to mess around with. I may just do that

 

[fishead19690]

Great job!!! Great idea and choice of figures also, I need to do some Prussian cavalry. I did a few polish lancer conversions with the Del Prado figures.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Wow...Nicholas...pretty talented work...your energy is amazing...everytime time we talk...you have finished and started a new project...these are quite spectacular...I had to study them close to make sure you weren't lying about the conversions...hehehe...they are really worked over...great job...you have some very beautiful unique figures now done pretty cheaply.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Thanks, Tim. Those subtle differences turned a single figure into a whole range, very nice...

I bashed these two Polish Lancers out of 3 different Del Prado cavalry, who all started out, neither French nor lancers.

I have seven cheveux-leger lancers (6th Regt) to complete tonight, just waiting for the putty to dry on the shabraques.

Great job!!! Great idea and choice of figures also, I need to do some Prussian cavalry. I did a few polish lancer conversions with the Del Prado figures.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Well, no fancy diorama for these...they're still on the work table, and now I am just fiddling with touch ups. But these are the 7 cheveux-leger lancers (6th Regt) I have been working on converting from some Del Prados. I can hardly remember any more what any of them were when I started, but none of them French and none of them lancers. This was a challenging project, but I thought my Britains 4th Lancers needed some support, and I had already started two squardons of 6th lancers, and the 4th and 6th are so close in their livery, it is hard to tell who is who when they are massed. So here are a few pics of the conversions.

 

[fishead19690]

Nice job Nick! You,ve got me wanting to start chopping up my Del Prado collection! I need to find some cheap ones, maybe some already broken so I don,t feel as bad about chopping them up.
Keep up the great work and lets see some of these guys in a diorama????

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Well Tim, I had a trip over to Hobby Bunker this past weekend, with their customer appreciation sale going on, there is no better time to pick them up, and they aren't far from you...that is, of course, if there is anything left...I picked up quite a bit of Del Prado for just that reason!

 

[fishead19690]

Well Tim, I had a trip over to Hobby Bunker this past weekend, with their customer appreciation sale going on, there is no better time to pick them up, and they aren't far from you...that is, of course, if there is anything left...I picked up quite a bit of Del Prado for just that reason!

I stopped in that Saturday also, it would have been nice to have met up and shot the bull. Maybe in the future we,ll have to hook up there with a few other forum members on some weekend check out the store and do lunch around the corner in the little pub behind the store. We have done this a few times before and its always been a fun time.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I stopped in that Saturday also, it would have been nice to have met up and shot the bull. Maybe in the future we,ll have to hook up there with a few other forum members on some weekend check out the store and do lunch around the corner in the little pub behind the store. We have done this a few times before and its always been a fun time.

Wow, I wish I had known you were going on Saturday; nonetheless, we can meet anytime. That is a good spot. I'd love to meet some of the forum members, and if there is a pub behind the shop, now there are 3 good reasons to go!