Schutztruppe Askari and Officer (1 Viewer)

[Captkronos]

I just finished this set:

 

[Captkronos]

one more without the scenery:

 

[PolarBear]

Thanks for sharing your German Colonial Africa figures. You are to be commended for tackling one of the rarer subjects made as toy soldiers. I have some of the Beau Geste figures representing this subject.

Here are a couple of enlargements of your photos:

 

[Mitch]

Very nice and shadowing the words of polar bear an area that sadly is not really appreciated or addressed in our hobby enough
Mitch

 

[Captkronos]

Thanks, guys. I've only been at it since December of last year, hopefully I will continue to improve. As a hobbyist and not a business, I can justify whatever more obscure era/regiments I want. I'm always open to suggestions, in fact this set was at the suggestion of a guy on another board.

 

[PolarBear]

Thanks, guys. I've only been at it since December of last year, hopefully I will continue to improve. As a hobbyist and not a business, I can justify whatever more obscure era/regiments I want. I'm always open to suggestions, in fact this set was at the suggestion of a guy on another board.

How about some of the British troops in East Africa during WWI?

 

[Captkronos]

Can you forward some good reference pics or post a link? I've already blown my Osprey budget for this year.

 

[PolarBear]

Can you forward some good reference pics or post a link? I've already blown my Osprey budget for this year.

I have the Osprey on WWI in Africa and will scan pictures and post for you tomorrow,

Randy

 

[Captkronos]

Looking forward to it.

 

[PolarBear]

British & South African Troops in East Africa 1914-18

 

[Captkronos]

Great scans, thanks! I'll put (at least) one of these on my "to-do" list. Not sure which, but I do have a weakness for turbans. I'll let you know as things come together. Thanks again.

 

[theBaron]

Nicely done! Are these in 54mm? Do you use an armature and start each one from scratch, or do you use a mannekin for the basic starting point? And do you sculpt in a putty or other medium, then make a mold and make a metal master, to make a mold to do the multiple castings?

Prost!
Brad

 

[Captkronos]

Thanks, Baron. The Askari started off from a very generic standing/firing mannequin I made. The Officer was done on the hurry-up from armature up so there was no metal master I was building on. I start off with some thin copper wire, then usually use a combination of materials such as sculpey or preferably milliput. If using the tin mannequin I made I just sculpt milliput onto it (of course it takes a long time with drying and adding on). I then cast the master in a two piece RTV silicon. I don't have a spin-caster, just simple gravity pour. My mold is usually held together with electrical tape and rubber bands. These are somewhere "in-between" 54-60mm range. They started out as 54mm, but depending on how the pour goes they sometimes get taller. I seem to naturally make my figs closer to 60mm than 54.

 

[Martin Tabony]

Just to let you know, you can speed up the drying time of Miliput with the heat from a lamp bulb. Be careful though if you heat it to much any tiny bubbles of air that you could have mixed in will expand.

Martin

 

[Captkronos]

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't thought of that.

 

[thales41]

Scratchbuilding like this is very impressive. Please continue to show us your work

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't thought of that.

 

[Captkronos]

Just to let you know, I am reworking my masters for this set to produce a "King's African Rifles" set. It might be a couple weeks (I'm out of silicon), but I'll post the results when done. Thanks much for the suggestion.