The Emperor's Beautiful Daughters. (1 Viewer)

[johnnybach]

Yes they are good castings Fubar. Purchased from my good friend John Parslow ( www.whitemetalmail.com) - and at only £2 per figure (plus postage) remarkable value too. I clean off any "flash" with scraper and file, of course - but they don't need a lot of prep - and paint up really nicely, I think. Hope you like them when I've finished too. johnnybach

 

[johnnybach]

Reinforcements and re-supply have arrived, courtesy of CMB Modelisme. AND a 10 litre box of Cabernet Sauvignon (NOT pictured - as it could cause distress to some viewers of a nervous disposition!). Only 3.000 brushes though - but they will do - We're off again Hurrah!^&grin

 

[johnnybach]

And here I am - putting the new supplies to good use with an update on progress.

 

[aujj65]

Hi Johnny,

You have been busy! About half way to a Grand Battery. These PA castings seem to paint up very well. Do carry on...^&cool :smile2:

Jeff

 

[Obee]

Johnny,

The battery is shaping up very nicely, but seeing the guns 'face on' I can see something that may make them look more realistic.

What I did was bore out the barrels, by drilling the bore in a few mm's and in that way it looks hollow, and can be painted black.

If you don't want to do that a circular black blob of paint at the muzzle does the same.

I can see you haven't finished the gun deatils, and this may be in your 'plan of attack' but keep it in mind.

John

 

[wayne556517]

Reinforcements and re-supply have arrived, courtesy of CMB Modelisme. AND a 10 litre box of Cabernet Sauvignon (NOT pictured - as it could cause distress to some viewers of a nervous disposition!). Only 3.000 brushes though - but they will do - We're off again Hurrah!^&grin

JB mate have you got enough cannons guarding those paints and brushes??
They should be deployed guarding the vino mate............................^&grin
Looking good so far,even to a non-NAP collector.............................{sm4}

 

[johnnybach]

Hi Jeff - cheers for the encouragement - they are painting up nicely.

Hi John - yes - I thought about drilling out - but the metal my caster friend is using is a very hard crystaline-like mix. I have no idea what he uses - but at his prces - I'm not arguing! Small holes are okay, but a test with some scrap proved that larger ones can give a rough edge or even break up - so I think paint is the answer for mine. I did a trial run with a grey/brown mix , as you can probably see, (easier to cover if it didn't work). I doesn't work - so I am going back to black, I think, as I DO have to finish off rims/hubs etc with black before varnishing. I had put that off - as I was running out of varnish and each cannon would use up quite a bit - but now that I have a re-supply - I can go ahead with them.

As to Wayne - yep - my stash of paint is being well guarded - and my box of vino has been started, though it never lasts long enough to require any guards!

No Naps? Well - each to his/her own, but I like them for the Colour of a by-gone era. En-masse, they always look fabulous to me. Like these perhaps? Inspired by the gent above's web-page again, by the way.^&grin . I think that when I have finished, I will have my Cannon firing a Salute, whilst this band marches past - watched over by Old Boney himself - on his horse. I'll post a pic or two of that!

 

[Obee]

I love your picture of the band, the paitworl is great :smile2: and its interesting to see the additional base material used.

Whats that for?

John

 

[Obee]

Johnny,

If you are ever interested in making a 'full band' have a look at an article I had published in Toy Soldier Collector a couple of years back.

http://www.toysoldiercollector.com/index.php?GOTO=22&RNZ=544845

It uses the Prince August Moulds and additional arms and musical insrtuments from makers such as Dorset Soldiers.

I ended witha 30 piece band, seen here

John

 

[johnnybach]

Funnily enough John, I bought some extra bandsmen for this Napoleonic ensemble, last year - and have them in a drawer - awaiting painting. And yes - I had a good look at your band before deciding to have a go myself. I have used duck-head trombone, fifer, triangle and Jingling Johnny Instrument and arms from Dorset Soldiers in the band already - and am planning to add to them. Thanks for your link - but as you may see - with the help of your web-site pics and Giles Brown - I worked out the conversions for myself!

The extra piece added to the bases - was for stability. Some of the pieces which are solid of course, were top-heavy, and some bases were deformed (my caster - yet another John! - is more experienced now) - and I was constantly knocking them over at the slightest touch. I had them pretty closely displayed - so the dominoe effect happened. Swords were coming off them and paintwork had to be re-touched (I pin them now - as you may have seen) - so I modified the bases by adding a longer/wider piece of thin aluminium. They are now much more stable - and don't wobble or fall over now.

Strangley though, these current Artillerymen from PA are much more stable. Don't know why - but at present I'm not having any stability problems - so I will leave them as they are.

I never cease to be amazed how well these quite simple home castings can be made to look - with just a little care and sttention when painting.^&grin jb

 

[johnnybach]

And here's the difference between a cannon with black added to wheelrims, axle wheel covers and various pieces like the trunion caps (there aren't any caps provided - but a coat of paint gives the impression there are). Compare the one on the left - with one coat of varnish added - and the other unfinished ones. Note also the steadily increasing numbers of Artillery-men appearing as they are completed. Below that - another pic with a few more in the pipe-line at various stages of painting - note two more very nearly completed.

 

[Obee]

Johnny,

here I go again, but I can see some paintwork on the gun thats not right, but you may not have finished it yet, so please don't think I'm picking all the time.

You will need to add the dark metal colour all around the top of the trail, like I have done with this MHSP gun.

and in plan view A below (attached to limber)

You can see the band or meatl surrounding the trail and the rivets/nails holding it on.

Also on the views on the right below showing metal band.

I hope this helps,

John

 

[johnnybach]

Hey John - delighted that you can find the time to help me out - as I don't have illustrations that detailed. They are superb drawings. My PA model of the cannon doesn't have the riveted bands on the trail that are shown in yours (The kit didn't have trunion caps either). Maybe PA have simplifiied the mould a bit? I also don't have a limber - do you know if PA make one? I've never seen it on their web-site. I must say, I would love to have a gun, limber and team of horses for (say) a French Horse Artillery piece such as an 8 pounder. Anyone make one in metal, do you know? I have a plastic version - but no horses.

Whilst I'm not making a military model with this one - mine's a Toy Soldier version - I ALWAYS try to make my representation as good as I can - so will add in a band of black around the trail - as you suggest. The touches that I have already done certainly "lift" the model - so the additions can only improve it further - so thankyou for them.

I have seen real Gribeauval pieces however, that have clearly been repainted many times over the years, and the metalwork additions to the trail have been simply overpainted in one colour, which does detract from their appearance. So, if I do miss anything - I could always say - "It's been re-painted!"

Cheers John - thanks again, jb

 

[johnnybach]

I have now incorporated John's (Obees) suggested improvements onto the first two cannon. The one on the left has had two coats of varnish - to the right - just the one coat. I don't know whether it shows in the pic - but there is a definite improvement in the look of the completed guns. Just what I was after, thanks John^&cool

Eleven figures (of 33) have also now been completed and are in the pic - so I'm a third of the way along - with lots more at different stages of development. very pleased with them - so far. jb^&grin

 

[Obee]

I also don't have a limber - do you know if PA make one? I've never seen it on their web-site. I must say, I would love to have a gun, limber and team of horses for (say) a French Horse Artillery piece such as an 8 pounder. Anyone make one in metal, do you know? I have a plastic version - but no horses.

Johnny,

I have a couple of plastic gun teams in my collection.

HISTOREX

ITALERI

and a HINCLIFFE metal kit, thats awaiting its assembly and paint job.

I have also painted a MHSP (Miniatures Historiques de Soldats de Plomb )set,

You may be able to get in France. I paint this makers figures for a fellow collector here in Perth who buys them on ebay, and they are very nice pieces.

John

 

[johnnybach]

I have an Italeri Plastic gun crew and a plastic 12 pounder and howitzer - which are okay - but I'm not all that wild about plastics. I do have the Delprado metal cannon - which is pretty well detailed too.

The MHSP set you painted looks great John - though I would like 8 horses for a 12 Pounder. I believe they sometimes used up to 12 horses when the terrain was difficult. I have been looking around for that set for quite a while - but no joy as yet. I would also like to find all of the other vehicles that went with the guns like ammunition caissons and even a forge, but have never seen a sniff yet. Pity that - as it's a fascinating subject area.

At least with this set I'm making up - I will have a nucleus of a Battery as a start. Thanks for the ideas though John, I'll just keep a lookout for any more additions I could make in the future - but would really prefer metal - if possible.

I have another 5 figures nearing completion, so may be able to add them to the fray - later on today.^&grin

 

[aujj65]

Johnny/John,

Another maker of French Napoleonic artillery and equipment is ATS....not sure if they sell castings?

http://www.ats-uk.net/

Jeff

 

[johnnybach]

Wow! - Jeff - yes they do castings or painted - and they're good quality too. I clean forgot about ATS.

I've just had a look - and I think they have just about everything that I would like.

Ammo Caisson - yes
Supply Wagon - yes
Field Forge - yes
Lifting Gyn - yes
Gun & 5 crew (horse Artillery) - yes
Mounted with Limber and crew - yes
They even have a horse drawn Ambulance!

Oh Boy! Jeff - they've got the lot! And the nice thing is - I have done business with them before, buying castings of my Brewer's Dray - and they are very flexible. In other words, if I want more horses than four, for a gun team - they will probably agree.

Well - I have just revised my ordering strategy for the coming year. That lot will keep me busy for ages. Thanks Jeff - you're a STAR!

 

[aujj65]

Wow! - Jeff - yes they do castings or painted - and they're good quality too. I clean forgot about ATS.
I've just had a look - and I think they have just about everything that I would like.

Ammo Caisson - yes
Supply Wagon - yes
Field Forge - yes
Lifting Gyn - yes
Gun & 5 crew (horse Artillery) - yes
Mounted with Limber and crew - yes
They even have a horse drawn Ambulance!

Oh Boy! Jeff - they've got the lot! And the nice thing is - I have done business with them before, buying castings of my Brewer's Dray - and they are very flexible. In other words, if I want more horses than four, for a gun team - they will probably agree.

Well - I have just revised my ordering strategy for the coming year. That lot will keep me busy for ages. Thanks Jeff - you're a STAR!

That's probably the 10 litres of vin rouge! ^&grin

Glad to be of help Johnny, I am looking forward to seeing the above (or some of them) come to life in the not too distant future. :smile2:

Jeff

 

[Obee]

Wow! - Jeff - yes they do castings or painted - and they're good quality too. I clean forgot about ATS.!

Jeff,

thanks for the reminder too.

I recently got in touch with Nik when i was looking for a Royal Artillery Gun crew for a mortar.

I suggested the types of poses I wanted, and he came up with the 5 castings for me. He even added spare heads in case I wanted to have stovepipe or Belgic shakos.

Thats another project on my 'to paint' list............

When I was in UK in 2008, for the March toy soldier show, I managed to go out to Nik's home and spend a very enjoyable morning being shown arround his workshop/studio and talking about our hobby, epecailly his work with Napoleonic era figures.

Now you have all you wnay Johnny, so get this Battery completed, and go for the teamsters....

John