Stagecoach - The Sequel (1 Viewer)

Anyway, - just when you may have thought the film has finished - along comes a trailer for the second movie. I had considered making this a separate thread for this - but on reflection - have included it with this present one. It's called - "The Buffalo Soldiers", so you can see how it links in with my previous offerings

This movie is more of tribute to those brave lads of the 9th and 10th US Cavalry - some of whom you met earlier, out on patrol and saving the Lourdsville Stagecoach - without which Ringo, Curly and co., may not have survived their trip. This movie is all about some of their chums, back at the camp-site out in the desert plains - and preparing a well deserved cup of "joe" - as I believe they called it.

This part of their story will involve a dozen casting, which I bought from from Nick Albanese of Watertown WI in the USA, so are really on home territory - and was my very first Transatlantic purchase. Here they are below, still mostly in their seperate packaging, as they came out of the box. (My thanks go out to Randy[Polar Bear] not only for helping educate me about these old American soldiers - but also introducing me to Nick - and helping me get started).

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Really nice castings these, with fantastic detailing - and highly recommended. Nick is semi-retired now, and an ex US Navy man - thoughstill keeps his hand in by selling castings produced for him under his "Camp Randall" label. I think that they may have quite a high tin content, as they are quite a "hard" casting - though still easy to work with, as you can see from my next pic below, around whom, much of my camp-fire scene will unfold. Here, one of the old-timers in the outfit, will be boiling up his cawfee pot of joe, whilst the others will be trying to scrounge a cup! A scene that many ex-soldiers of any generation will easily relate to. I know I did.

As you can see, I have decided to put him on a home-made base - which I am trying out for size with the pieces for this casting.

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As you can see, he is sitting on a rock - and watching his fire boil up his pot - whilst contentedly taking a puff or two of baccy from his corn-pipe. I decided to pin him to the rock, which has been firmly cemented to the base with epoxy glue. This will ensure he remains fimly seated for eternity. Note the hole drilled in the rock - and the pin placed where the sun will never shine again! Ouch!!

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This next pic shows some painting getting underway on my painting desk (excuse the usual clutter) - which I think shows Joe ( the cawfee maker) starting to take shape - with a few of the rest of the cast also developing. Note also the Native Indian Scout, down on one knee and the Buckskin Jacketed Commanding Officer - who will also be part of my group.

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I will post more pics as they develop, so that you can see how they are coming along.

Adios for now pardners............johnnybach
 
Great painting and assembly Johnny. I followed your series and look forward to you painting more of Nick's Buffalo soldiers. Nice western theme. John
 
Hi John - thought that you might like them! Great fun to do - I just had to watch Stagecoach again half-way through - and might need to watch She Wore a Yellow Ribbon again soon! Glad you're enjoying them - show us some of your Western collection sometime perhaps? I might be able to pinch a few ideas, I'm sure. jb^&grin
 
Great new episode on the "Wild West" theme, JB.
Looking forward to see how you get these fine troopers coming alive.
Konrad
 
Yo - Konrad, I'm still at the "sorting out arms" stage with a few of them, in order to get the poses that I want. There are some really nicely cast pieces here - though some of them were ACW figures - so required a head change to turn them into Buffalo Soldiers. Nick very kindly included some extra choices of head, when I explained to him what I wanted to do, but that means, of course, that a bit more work needs to be done with the drill, file - and my old friend - a little milliput - mostly for arms and weapons though - as the head usually just pops straight in. I like your analogy "bringing them to life", as that's just what it is for me.

To be honest - I like it that way - as just straight painting of cast pieces can get a bit - doh! A bit more work first - means a bit more interest - as most figures at the end won't be "exactly" the same. I'll try and show you what I mean - as we go along, with some of them. Here's an example below.

Here, the central figure and focus of the scene, is Joseph (well - it's Xmas!) brewing up his pot of joe. This figure - and the Officer behind (attracted by the aroma of Joe's cawfee) are as intended by Nick. Tonto, the Indian Scout however, has had a right arm change. He is reaching out towards the pot - unaware he is about to burn his hand on the pot. The guy on the right - who has succeeded in scrounging a cup from Joe has also had an arm change to hold a cup.

You may be able to see, that Tonto's arm didn't fit at all correctly, and a bit of milliput has been smoothed into the joint - to make it seamless when painted. The big guy with the cup also needs a bit of attention at the joint - though this one was a much better fit.

Anyways up - that's what's happening at the mo - glad you're enjoying the development of the scene from the second feature of the Saturday Morning Matinee performance. I'm just off to get some sherbert and a bag of crisps - hope you get some too. Yee-hah!^&grin

Yore ol' pal...........johnnybach PS Have a cool yule pardner.^&cool

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Whilst I'm at it - here is another simple twist on a head change. In each case below, the figure was initially the same casting as the figure on the right wearing a kepi. On the left, you can see that a head change gives the figure a stetson hat - instead of the standard kepi type. I have also added a neckerchief to the figure on the left - made from rolled and shaped milliput. This does two things. Firstly it helps conceal any noticeable joint - and also adds a bit more interest to the figure. In many pictures of Buffalo Soldiers, you will frequently see them wearing one of these neck scarves, no doubt to help keep trail dust out of mouths and neck creases. These neckerchiefs were often made from material of a different colour to the regulation yellow - as worn by the earlier Officer figure. Not sure what colour to paint this scarf yet. See front and back views below.

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Last one for a bit - La Commandante advises that Xmas Eve duties - which includes walkies for Feebers - must now take a higher priority than "Playing with your Soldiers!".

Wot! ( I thought) - "playing?" There's some serious decisions need taking here - will the neckerchief be to the front - or to the rear?

Below see two Standard Bearers ( |Oh yes - forgot to tell you about those), who have now been given some too. You see, if I convert one - and like it - I sometimes get carried away.

"COMING DEAREST!" Bye for now..............johnnybach:D

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Lookout - a Stuka has just arrived on the scene! I just knew that I shouldn't have gone for a walk! {sm3}

Oh! - it's Wayne! Hey, you outback soldier - don't you know they haven't been invented on this thread yet! We're still in 1870 here. Take your pesky div-bomber and go and bomb Santa's grotty Grotto or something! :mad::

Haven't had my nip yet cobber - Maybe later. Have a good one - and stop getting me into trouble with the mods!:D^&grin
 
johnnybach said:
Lookout - a Stuka has just arrived on the scene! I just knew that I shouldn't have gone for a walk! {sm3}

Oh! - it's Wayne! Hey, you outback soldier - don't you know they haven't been invented on this thread yet! We're still in 1870 here. Take your pesky div-bomber and go and bomb Santa's grotty Grotto or something! :mad::

Haven't had my nip yet cobber - Maybe later. Have a good one - and stop getting me into trouble with the mods!:D^&grin
Click to expand...

Ok i have to NIP out for awhile so will take my Dive bomber and go................^&grin
Trouble is half the fun................:D
 
Well - be a bit nippy then - Santa's on his way - and you don't want to miss him!;) jb

Ruddy Sky Pilots!
 
Sorry about the "evening" light - but thought there should be enough light to show how these are developing. Head down - is definitely the way to go with these figures, as they require a lot of handling to paint details that I want to show. The central figure brewing the coffee is nearly complete - as is the Indian Scout. The two rear Standard bearers - one for each Regiment ( 9th and 10th) are completed to their pants - and Colonel Nathan, (centre) just requires detail to finish. So, by tomorrow - I should be about half-way to completion of the twelve.

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Once again - apologies for pic. quality - I'll try again in daylight tomorrow. Here see my two Standard Bearers nearing completion - whilst the Colonel, Joe and the Indian Scout are completed.

Have a look at the two figures on the right (which have a lot to do on them yet). They were exactly the same figure to begin with - but by changing one of them by removing the original head with kepi - and adding one of the spare heads provided with a stetson, and then adding a neck-scarf, I have changed his appearance to "mounted order". I have the carbines just propped in place at the moment - but you can see that with a slight change of arm placement - the carbine can also be positioned slightly differently if required. This means that I will now have two different soldiers in my final group - which ought to make it a bit more interesting when it is all completed.

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Better pic in daylight.


Note: Found the two horses in a Car Boot Sale - and have been looking for an excuse to use them.

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Latest update shows the complete cast of twelve. The rear five around Joseph (coffee maker) are complete, whilst those in the foreground - looking from left to right - give a good indication of how they are painted - mostly from the head down. As I use Humbrol Enamel paints, they need to dry between coats - which takes a time in winter (dry quicker in summer).

Those three to the front left should be completed today - with a bit of luck. I found that the Sergeant's left arm, holding a carbine - which is at his feet, didn't have sergeant's stripes, whilst his left arm does - so had to model them in milliput and attach. The other alternative would have been to file them off the existing arm - and make him a trooper! (but didn't want to do that). The two on far right have just been cleaned up at present. I think this clearly shows how they progress from casting to painted, if you look across. jb

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Those are going to be some fine troops to display soon, JB.
You sure are fast {eek3}
Might have missed some explanations in one of your threads, but here it seems that you are painting straight on the white metal.
Don't you use any primer?
I always thought that a good coat of primer should always be applied, once for giving a better "gripping" surface for the colors and second to prevent paint chipping?
However, going by the amount of fine looking figures you are showing us, it seems that your way works just fine :wink2: ^&grin
Konrad
 
Hi Konrad. No, I don't very often use a priming coat, especially as here, when there are very fine details to be seen in the castings. I have tried using the brush on types - but they always seem to me to swamp the figures - and cover some of the finer points. I much prefer to apply two or three thin coats of paint on my figures, allowing it to dry well between coats. [ Note that I have always used Humbrol].

I really took my cue from the old Britains figures - which were some of the very first figures I had as a boy. If you look at some of those - they never had priming coats either. I suppose it's also because I simply didn't know about priming coats when I first started painting; plastics first - and then metal castings, about 14 years ago. I didn't have anyone to ask back then - so just didn't know any better. It came as quite a surprise to me a couple of years ago, when I realised others were using primer, so I got some - and tried it. I still have a tin in my box - and have tried it a few times - and still do use it for large flat surfaces - but just can't seem to get on with using it on figures.:confused:

I always clean off my castings really well, and sand/file off any casting lines etc, and I also undercoat with "sympathetic" colours for some colours. For example, matt "flesh" is a great undercoat to use for "red" - when the final coat really does look "redder" (hope that makes sense). A wash of matt pale grey is also good before applying White or Ivory, I've found.

Whatever the rights or wrongs about it - that's the way I do it - and they seem to look okay to me. And no - they don't chip easily, because I always seal everything in with a coat of Humbrol Gloss Varnish after I have finished painting and the paintwork is thoroughly dry. Then, when that coat is thoroughly dry - I use a coat of Tamiya Acrylic Clear X-22 - to give a high-gloss finish (I think you may have just found out about that - or something similar). My very first attempts are still in my cabinet - some 14 years on - and haven't fallen apart or deteriorated yet - so I guess I'll continue with my way of painting them as I always have.

my paintwork seems to be taking any age to dry out between coats on these boys though - must be the weather! Lovely little things to paint too. Hope you'll like the end result, when I get there. I'll post a pic of developments tomorrow - in daylight - so I don't get the "Sodium Streetlight Look".

All the best for the New Year chum........... johnnybach
 
Eight of my original twelve "Campfire Scene" Buffalo Soldiers are now complete, and are shown here (a couple need the bases varnishing). Of the remaining four, two are well developed - and two have yet to start.

When all are complete, I hope to show one patrol going out - and another just returned to their camp, with a few, like Joseph and his chums, just getting on with making a pot of joe and generally "hanging out". Clearly, the aroma of the old cawfee pot is creating an interest with some too.

Fast forward the scene from the 1880's to any "exercise" being held today, almost anywhere, and I wouldn't mind betting, you would find very much the same sort of scene - in "getting a brew on" as we called it in my time (though the brew was tea - with us!). Maybe the uniforms and weapons might have changed a bit - and maybe not quite so many flags would be about, perhaps!

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