Royal Horse Guards - Past and Present (1 Viewer)

[johnnybach]

Hi all - Having now successfully moved home and now finished most of the moving in chores - I can now settle in to doing a few more projects.

I began this one before somebody at a certain Photo store got it into their head that they didn't want me any more - and removed ALL of my pics!

Well - okay - so I'll start this project over again.

You may recall that I did a version of the old Britains Set 72 ( Life Guards Past and Present) a while ago. Well - my idea this time - is to do a similar set for the Royal Horse Guards - and to this effect, I have been busy collecting up enough old Britains Hollowcast figures to begin work. As usual, I have benn doing some repairs where necessary - and putting each figure onto a new base.

There will be two sorts of figures in this Set - the first being dressed as the 1837 version - complete with Romanesque helmet - and the second wearing the uniform of 1897 - which is much the same as worn today.

I use the same Britains figures for each - there being Troopers and Officers - with the major difference being that the old head of the original figure is removed - and a new substitute Romanesque helmet head is replaced (NB all spare parts come from Dorset Model Soldiers).

The first job is always to replace any broken or missing parts - and strip, repair and re-paint the "new" figures.

There will be Troopers, a Trumpeter and Officer for each of the two groups - with the 1897 Group having an additional Farrier figure. ( The earlier Group Farriers were not mounted on horseback at the earlier time - using a horse and cart instead!).

So..........here's where I'm at with the 1837 Group at this moment ( below). You can see that I have two Troopers and an Officer completed - and another Three Troopers and a second Officer underway presently. ( Not sure what to do with the second Officer figure??? - as he came along with a recent job-lot I bought from e-bay). I have the Trumpeter to begin for this group - but am awaiting a new stock of spare parts from Dorset as I write - which will include Trumpet and arms - scabbards and carbines to attach and arms with swords at the low carry etc., for the remaining figures. jb

 

[DMNamiot]

Love it! Looking forward to the final show perhaps a musical ride

Dave

 

[johnnybach]

Love it! Looking forward to the final show perhaps a musical ride

Dave

I don't have a Household Cavalry band Dave! I did order one from Yeomanary Miniatures BUT have been unable to raise anyone by e-mail or PM regarding that order.

However, I do have the two Drum Horses of both Regiments, (by Asset) which could beat out a Tempo for them to ride past to perhaps

Once this new set is completed - I'll add them to a parade which will also include the two similar Life Guard contingents. Will that suffice - until perhaps I seek out a set of castings for a Band from a more reliable source? jb

 

[thebritfarmer]

Wonderful, can't wait to see them all together.

 

[thebritfarmer]

Don't Asset make a band?

 

[DMNamiot]

You can always use the hollow cast lancers band WB put out a while back.
Just say that the Household Cavalry band is deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan...

Still can't wait to see them all on parade!

Dave

 

[Ivanhoe]

Hi all - Having now successfully moved home and now finished most of the moving in chores - I can now settle in to doing a few more projects.

I began this one before somebody at a certain Photo store got it into their head that they didn't want me any more - and removed ALL of my pics!

jb

jb;

Glad to hear your move is completed !

 

[johnnybach]

Don't Asset make a band?

They make a dismounted band - but I really wanted a Mounted Band.

Trooper was going to make me one, Scott - supplied from Yeomanary miniatures - but it never came off. I guess I just waited too long - and life got in the way - the way it has a habit of doing.

I know that RP World Models make a Life Guard Mounted Band - as castings - and have been thinking about maybe getting some and making them up. I also tried to bid on an old Britains one on e-bay recently - but lost out - as the owner decided to break up the set and sell them off individually.

At the moment though - I have a load of stuff backed up for completing - so ..............maybe next year. jb

 

[johnnybach]

jb;

Glad to hear your move is completed !

Thanks chum - it doesn't get any easier!

 

[johnnybach]

You can always use the hollow cast lancers band WB put out a while back.
Just say that the Household Cavalry band is deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan...

Still can't wait to see them all on parade!

Dave

I have mounted 11th Hussars band (Cherry Pickers); a mounted Scots Greys band - and a mounted 17th Lancer Band - so I guess either of these could "stand in" - or even better - parade them all!

I'll just have to "move on" and choose another supplier for a Household Cavalry band at some point Dave. But I'll be completing these first.:salute::

jb

 

[DMNamiot]

Very cool I can't wait to see them!

Dave

 

[thebritfarmer]

They make a dismounted band - but I really wanted a Mounted Band.

Trooper was going to make me one, Scott - supplied from Yeomanary miniatures - but it never came off. I guess I just waited too long - and life got in the way - the way it has a habit of doing.

I know that RP World Models make a Life Guard Mounted Band - as castings - and have been thinking about maybe getting some and making them up. I also tried to bid on an old Britains one on e-bay recently - but lost out - as the owner decided to break up the set and sell them off individually.

At the moment though - I have a load of stuff backed up for completing - so ..............maybe next year. jb

Give then a shout, they were going to out together a mounted set in State dress for me a couple years ago. I think they have to use the arms from the state dress walking band added to the body of the mounted drummer in state dress and then choose a horse.

 

[johnnybach]

Give then a shout, they were going to out together a mounted set in State dress for me a couple years ago. I think they have to use the arms from the state dress walking band added to the body of the mounted drummer in state dress and then choose a horse.

If you are talking about Yeomanary Miniatures Scott - I have tried to get a reply on this subject by e-mail and by PM here on Treefrog many times - but failed to get any response at all. I don't think that Brian is in business any longer - so I've written off my order for a Band - and my deposit! jb

I tried Asset too ( Alan was the sculptor for their figures) - but Anne told me that someone else had already tried to attach the walking band arms and instruments to the body of the Mounted Trooper - but that didn't work out either. They just wouldn't fit, apparently.

I think that Dorset can also make me up a band - as well as World models - so when I have some time on my hands - I know where to go to get some castings.

I'm just sorry now that I didn't push harder a few years ago - as I would have loved to have had the band from the hands of the maestro - Alan Caton - or as we all knew him "Trooper". jb

 

[thebritfarmer]

It was Asset I was talking about, ah well. **** those musicians arms ! LOL

 

[johnnybach]

Band notwithstanding - here's an update on the present project.

These are the rest of my old original Hollowcast figures which I've been collecting over the past few months. All of these have their original heads - and have all now been put on a stand, and are more or less now ready to begin painting.

There have been quite a few minor repairs to be made to get this far - but nothing more major than a few leg and body hole repairs to horses. A frequent repair necessary is to fill in holes at the rear end of the horses ( usually one or both sides of the horse - just below the tail. These are minor casting flaws - and easy to repair. It's an easy fix with a bit of tissue paper inserted - then some super-glue run into the hole (which glues the paper inside the body of the horse), and then, when dry - about ten minutes later - fill with epoxy putty (I use Milliput). When dry - just sand back to shape

It's a bit of a chore to repair and make up a stand for each - so I've been doing just a couple per day - but now the fun can really begin - when the paint starts going on.

See you later - jb

 

[johnnybach]

Here are a couple of pics - which shows how far I have come with this current project. I'm showing the 1828 Royal Horse Guards figures - which I have now completed. They include 5 Troopers, one Trumpeter on a Grey, and an Officer and Guidon bearer. I will need to repaint the horse bases - as I'm not altogether satisfied with the finish - but the figures are okay, I think.

I must admit that it has been a bit more difficult than first imagined getting this far - with the earlier Victorians especially. You may note that I have also added in - a Guidon bearer. I added this figure, simply as I had fortunately managed to gain one of Britains' "Officer" figures in a a job-lot. The bearer is a Senior NCO - and I have given him here, an Officer's mount - complete with shabraque to the horse which was correct for this time period.

I must also admit - that finding pictures for the early Victorian RHG, was far more difficult than I first imagined - and I have had to take a few more liberties with some of the details of certain figures - such as the Trumpeter and the Guidon bearer in particular . I'm pretty certain, however that they won't be too far from the reality of the time - and if anyone has pictures they can show me to show I'm wrong - I'm quite prepared to repaint them - IF necessary.

Hope you enjoy them ( this far )................to be continued with the later Victorian group...............jb

 

[thebritfarmer]

Right, wrong or otherwise I think they look just splendid !

 

[johnnybach]

Right, wrong or otherwise I think they look just splendid !

Thanks Scott - nice to know you like them too.

Here's a pic that I found of a Trooper c.1828 - that I used as a guide.

 

[johnnybach]

I have been working on a couple of my RHG figures - and have now completed the two rather more specialised Troopers.

Both are from the end of the Victorian era - in line with the Life Guard figures I made up for my version of Set 72.

The pair of figures are the Trumpeter - and the Farrier - (see pics below). Both figures are really conversions from the original Trooper figure. To make them look more like they were from 1898, I have added a scabbarded carbine to the horse. This is an easy addition, requiring nothing more than drilling a hole in the appropriate place on the horse - and glueing in the Dorset Soldier spare part. Rather more complicated is the addition of a sword hilt to the empty scabbard on these figures. You have to make a small cavity just at the top of the empty sword scabbard, and glue in the top of the sword. I make a small bed of epoxy putty in the cavity - and disguise the joint with another tiny piece of rolled out putty. Done with care, this all vanishes when painted.

The only other different additions are the arm for the Trumpeter with Trumpet and banner - and the rather nice arm with Farrier's Axe. ( once again these spare parts came from Dorset Model Soldiers). These just slot onto the stud which Britains cast into the figure, which only requires trimming down so that it sits below the hole in the top of the arm casting, and glueing in. Once set, another small piece of putty is sculpted into the hole to fill it - and once trimmed and dried - painted into the rest of the figure. The Trumpeter rides a Grey, of course.

Hope you like 'em. jb

 

[thebritfarmer]

Wonderful JB, love that grey !