Restoration of a Hichliffe RHA Gun Team c 1815 (2 Viewers)

[Obee]

This is going to be my biggest project for the year so far.

Last year I bought a set of 5 x Hinchliffe RHA horse and drivers on eBay from a local seller. It was a 'real good' price even though they looked awful, but I could see the potential under the dirt and dust.



From that time I have been on the lookout for the additional parts to complete the set and managed to get other kits of a horse, the limber and a wheel carrier which I will add instead of a gun. I also managed to get the 6 Pounder Gun and crew in action so that is to compliment this set.

This weekend I have started by firstly using paint stripper to remove the paint and to loosen the glue holding the parts and now have a near complete set of horses, when I added the new 6th horse kit.



I assembled and undercoated the limber and have decided to firstly complete the 2 Wheeler horses and link them up to this limber.



Instead of separate bases supplied for the horses I will use larger tinplate base so that they will stay joined when reined together. In that way I will assemble and paint 2 identical other pairs of horses that can be added to make a full 6 horse team.

These are the 2 x Wheelers getting assembled today.



This will be an ongoing project, so keep a lookout for progress reports because this is my trial run before I will do another Hinchliffe set, the 6 horse RHA Gun Team WW1 with 18 Pounder QF Field gun for another collector.

John

 

[Mirof]

You can download the Caldercraft ( Hinchliffe ) Catalogue, with the range produced early 70ies in artillery field
https://www.mirofsoft.com/nostalgia-old-catalog-pdf/

 

[Artillery_crazy]

John,
Loved to see your project on the Hichliffe RHA Gun Team.......:salute:::salute::
Remember that in the pipeline we will apply all these learnings to the Hichiffe RHA WW1 13 OR 18 pdr as well as the German Hichiffe 105 mm Gun Team....:salute:::salute:::salute::

This is going to be my biggest project for the year so far.

Last year I bought a set of 5 x Hinchliffe RHA horse and drivers on eBay from a local seller. It was a 'real good' price even though they looked awful, but I could see the potential under the dirt and dust.

View attachment 260964

From that time I have been on the lookout for the additional parts to complete the set and managed to get other kits of a horse, the limber and a wheel carrier which I will add instead of a gun. I also managed to get the 6 Pounder Gun and crew in action so that is to compliment this set.

This weekend I have started by firstly using paint stripper to remove the paint and to loosen the glue holding the parts and now have a near complete set of horses, when I added the new 6th horse kit.

View attachment 260965

I assembled and undercoated the limber and have decided to firstly complete the 2 Wheeler horses and link them up to this limber.

View attachment 260966

Instead of separate bases supplied for the horses I will use larger tinplate base so that they will stay joined when reined together. In that way I will assemble and paint 2 identical other pairs of horses that can be added to make a full 6 horse team.

These are the 2 x Wheelers getting assembled today.

View attachment 260967

This will be an ongoing project, so keep a lookout for progress reports because this is my trial run before I will do another Hinchliffe set, the 6 horse RHA Gun Team WW1 with 18 Pounder QF Field gun for another collector.

John

 

[blaster]

Hi John,

this is going to be a feast for the eyes...drool...

Rgds Victor

 

[Malcolm Britain]

Hinchcliffe always had the reputation of producing some of the finest figures available. I have to say I didn't like their smaller 30mm figures much when i was a lad but looking back they did have a certain elegance. The 54mm figures on the other hand are super ..just a shame they dont do much fit for the 7YW although the 13" Land Mortar is dated from 1760 and there is some Prussian cannon I believe (?) so that fits and it, along with the rest of these artillery pieces, are pretty much the best Horse & Musket artillery available in this scale unless anyone knows different?

I am really looking forward to seeing what Obee does with his restoration particularly what make of gloss varnish is applied as the final touch

 

[Obee]

I am really looking forward to seeing what Obee does with his restoration particularly what make of gloss varnish is applied as the final touch

This Napoleonic RHA team is for my collection and so will be finished in MATTE but (good news for you and Luiz) the WW1 18 Pdr gun team will be gloss because that's what he wants for his collection.

John

 

[Obee]

Seems that I was having too much 'fun' over the past days, and so I forgot to take some progress pictures.

Yesterday the 2 horse and driver were undercoated and the painting has commenced.



What I didn't show were the chain traces from the horses to the limber being done, the tinplate base to take 2 horses and the reins, leads cut from metal foil and bit fashioned from wire. I am only using the original base as a support for the nearside horse, he will be fixed to the double base when painted.

The tinplate base was covered with glue, then fine sand sprinkled on and when dry, undercoated with the offside horse in position.



The next pictures should be this part finished and so I can then add a gun for effect before starting the 2 other pairs of horses.

John

 

[blaster]

Wonderful stuff!

 

[Obee]

I got some more done yesterday and today, the black paint for the reins, belts and traces, horse hair. Then the coat of the driver and his face has been painted.



More tomorrow....

John

 

[aujj65]

Hi John,
A great thread to follow. ^&cool
Hinchcliffe made some great models in their time and imho this was one of the best.
Do you have the mounted officer?
This set was on sale at the London show a couple of years ago.
Looking forward to following along.

Jeff

 

[Obee]

Hi John,
A great thread to follow. ^&cool
Hinchcliffe made some great models in their time and imho this was one of the best.
Do you have the mounted officer?
This set was on sale at the London show a couple of years ago.
Looking forward to following along.

Jeff

Jeff,

Thanks for the image of the completed set, and yes, I have the mounted officer ... here he is ...

I also see that there is a standing driver ... didn't realise that, maybe I could use a gunner ???

Anyway, I'll keep posting pics until my set is finished, sometime in the next month, I hope,

regards,
John

 

[mikemiller1955]

I got some more done yesterday and today, the black paint for the reins, belts and traces, horse hair. Then the coat of the driver and his face has been painted.

View attachment 261182

More tomorrow....

John

John...this is coming along very nicely...you're a very talented painter and I'm sure the finished product will look great!

 

[Obee]

I also see that there is a standing driver ... didn't realise that, maybe I could use a gunner ???

I've just checked my Hinchliffe spare gunners, and guess what I found ???



He is a driver, as seen by the lace on his coat, shoulder straps and buttons on his overalls
I'll have to dip him n paint stripper, which will also make the sword, which is French, easier to remove and a huge drop of glue !!!

I haven't seen him listed in a catalogue, nor in any pictures, except the one that Jeff has posted.

He came with a group of badly painted figures, many with missing parts.
You can see he has no left hand, but I have spares, so watch out for his restoration too

John

 

[Mirof]

For information : colours of the canons at that time

 

[Obee]

I'll have to dip him n paint stripper, which will also make the sword, which is French, easier to remove and a huge drop of glue !!!
You can see he has no left hand, but I have spares, so watch out for his restoration too

John

Here is is, lust like a new casting, and surrounded by the spares .....



not sure about what hand to use, with or without a whip ????

John

 

[blaster]

Hi John,

I would think hand with whip would define the RHA driver role with clarity.

Rgds Victor

 

[Hazebrouck]

I would go with the whip as well.

This is looking good John. If you feel the need, once this one is finished, to do the French Horse Artillery I have a few of the figures I would happily trade with you when you are ready.

Scott

 

[Obee]

I would go with the whip as well.

This is looking good John. If you feel the need, once this one is finished, to do the French Horse Artillery I have a few of the figures I would happily trade with you when you are ready.

Scott

Scott,

Oh dear you area couple of months too late ...

In late February I finished my Hinchliffe set ...

I used 2 extra figures to make a complete gun crew of 8 Gunners, and then postioned 2 extras of an officer and a trumpeter (by Amiral the Spanish company) onto the gun position.

I still have a couple of spare Hinchliffe French gunner too if you, or anyone else would like them.

John

 

[Hazebrouck]

John,

That does look good. I did'n't realise that you had them.

I will take you up on those other Hinchliffe gunners then. Will send you a PM.

Scott

 

[blaster]

Hi John,

this got me interested in rereading all my references on British Artillery. I found that the number of lace rows was not standardised and varied in the jackets, from 6 to 24 rows! The reason I was fixated was because I was contemplating making a rocketman myself, but still thinking about it. Too many loose threads my end...

Rgds Victor