There's an Old Tribe of Injuns - in Dorset! (2 Viewers)

[Go for Broke]

Hi JB. I noticed this post only today. Yes, it would be an honor if you'd send me your casting. I don't want to sound pushy, but can you paint it too? Maybe put "JB" somewhere on the toy. Remember I live halfway around the world from you in Hawaii. I am more than happy to pay for shipping and of course your painting service. My only problem is I don't have paypal or know how to get the money to you in a form you can cash. If you guide me, I will send you the funds. Anyway thank-you for your offer. You heap good paleface.^&grin

 

[johnnybach]

Hi JB. I noticed this post only today. Yes, it would be an honor if you'd send me your casting. I don't want to sound pushy, but can you paint it too? Maybe put "JB" somewhere on the toy. Remember I live halfway around the world from you in Hawaii. I am more than happy to pay for shipping and of course your painting service. My only problem is I don't have paypal or know how to get the money to you in a form you can cash. If you guide me, I will send you the funds. Anyway thank-you for your offer. You heap good paleface.^&grin

Hey buddy in Hawaii.

First things first - Giles has to get his hands on (a) the hand-held mould - and (b)make sure it works!! Next, I have to get to Dorset (next Spring) and have my lesson - and be successful enough to produce some hollowcast castings.

Secondly - of course I'll paint him for you. Giles mentioned that it was a Cavalryman - but no further details were available - so we'll have to wait and see what turns up. I only ever GIVE AWAY Toy Soldiers to friends - I don't sell them - and when I do, I usually paint the combined letters of Jb somewhere on the figure - or more usually, under the stand.

Lastly - because he will be so light (hopefully! - and thinking positive ) - he won't cost a lot to send - so don't worry about that. BUT - may not be until next Spring - Okay?

Cheers - keep your eye out for the postman next April/May - maybe? Hoka-Heya! Jb

 

[Go for Broke]

Hey buddy in Hawaii.

First things first - Giles has to get his hands on (a) the hand-held mould - and (b)make sure it works!! Next, I have to get to Dorset (next Spring) and have my lesson - and be successful enough to produce some hollowcast castings.

Secondly - of course I'll paint him for you. Giles mentioned that it was a Cavalryman - but no further details were available - so we'll have to wait and see what turns up. I only ever GIVE AWAY Toy Soldiers to friends - I don't sell them - and when I do, I usually paint the combined letters of Jb somewhere on the figure - or more usually, under the stand.

Lastly - because he will be so light (hopefully! - and thinking positive ) - he won't cost a lot to send - so don't worry about that. BUT - may not be until next Spring - Okay?

Cheers - keep your eye out for the postman next April/May - maybe? Hoka-Heya! Jb

I understand completely JB. If it comes to fruition, it would be a pleasant surprise.

 

[Mike Niederman]

There's a 15 second casting sequence here: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/toy-soldiers That's an impressive stack of cavalrymen- I can't imagine trying to untangle them! {eek3}

 

[johnnybach]

There's a 15 second casting sequence here: http://www.britishpathe.com/video/toy-soldiers That's an impressive stack of cavalrymen- I can't imagine trying to untangle them! {eek3}

Cheers Mike - I've been told that it's "just a flick of the wrist" - and there it was. The stack of very warm castings looks much the same when they are taken out of a centrifuge and snipped off the sprue with a pair of snippers - as I've seen that done too. In fact, if you have the Andrew Rose book on Toy Soldiers - they were made on the very machine shown in that book (in the introductory pages) - as that's the one that now produces the castings at Dorset Soldiers.

I hope everything will go well with the procurement of this old hand-mould - and hope Giles gets it working, once again. Would be nice to see a small production of hollowcasts (however limited), once again. You never know, if it gets going - more may be unearthed sometime? jb

 

[johnnybach]

Another recent visit to the Dorset Riviera - unearthed a couple more Native Americans - in need of a little TLC and a repaint.

The mounted figure, (Crescent), is one that I've been after for quite a while - and is getting tricky to find complete, as it dates from before WW2. mine was minus his tail, when found - and had a few "wear and tear" holes to the horse body. Fortunately, I found the tail in the bottom of the large cardboard box ( matched up perfectly when held to the figure). Very little paint - also meant an opportunity to brighten him up with a complete strip and re-paint - which came out very nicely. Milliput filled the holes - and drilling and pinning replaced his tail to where it had snapped off. It is now more permanent than when originally cast, around the 1930's.

The second standing brave - is a common Britains from their early "Crown range". This one had a compression problem to his left leg, which being hollow, had been crushed in a fair bit at some earlier time - but his two feathers and rifle were intact ( for a change) - as they are usually found snapped off. This one also holds a secret under the base - as it is dated 1907, meaning it is one of the earliest issues - so a remarkable 100 years plus survivor. That's why I "saved" him - he is quite a rarity, because of the cast in date. jb

 

[GICOP]

Another recent visit to the Dorset Riviera - unearthed a couple more Native Americans - in need of a little TLC and a repaint.

The mounted figure, (Crescent), is one that I've been after for quite a while - and is getting tricky to find complete, as it dates from before WW2. mine was minus his tail, when found - and had a few "wear and tear" holes to the horse body. Fortunately, I found the tail in the bottom of the large cardboard box ( matched up perfectly when held to the figure). Very little paint - also meant an opportunity to brighten him up with a complete strip and re-paint - which came out very nicely. Milliput filled the holes - and drilling and pinning replaced his tail to where it had snapped off. It is now more permanent than when originally cast, around the 1930's.

The second standing brave - is a common Britains from their early "Crown range". This one had a compression problem to his left leg, which being hollow, had been crushed in a fair bit at some earlier time - but his two feathers and rifle were intact ( for a change) - as they are usually found snapped off. This one also holds a secret under the base - as it is dated 1907, meaning it is one of the earliest issues - so a remarkable 100 years plus survivor. That's why I "saved" him - he is quite a rarity, because of the cast in date. jb

I'm glad you are keeping this thread going jb {bravo}}{bravo}}{bravo}}

Cheers

Martyn

 

[johnnybach]

I'm glad you are keeping this thread going jb {bravo}}{bravo}}{bravo}}

Cheers

Martyn

Me too M - problem is that it's getting harder to find pieces that I don't already have! And those that I don't already have - are getting rarer and rarer to find - even when they are broken.

BUT.............they can be found, if you persevere. Good job The Commandant ( not French anymore^&grin), bought me Joplin's Big book of Hollowcast Figures, last Christmas. I now know what I'm looking for!!!{sm3} jb

P>S> I've also a few more cowboys underway - so keep an eye out for some of these later.

 

[Buster]

I'm glad you are keeping this thread going jb {bravo}}{bravo}}{bravo}}

Cheers

Martyn

Couldn't agree more Martyn, great to see the Old Tribe in Dorset is thriving and growing in numbers ..... nice work as always jb! Looking forward to seeing more cowboys down the trail. :salute::

B.:smile2:

 

[johnnybach]

Couldn't agree more Martyn, great to see the Old Tribe in Dorset is thriving and growing in numbers ..... nice work as always jb! Looking forward to seeing more cowboys down the trail. :salute::

B.:smile2:

O.K Pardner - keep a-lookin' jb

 

[johnnybach]

I forgot to do my usual "before" pic with these latest finds - so am showing the rest of what I found - at an early stage of their development - which will at least explain partly, what I'm doing with them.

Below, you can see two britains cowboys on either side of the horse. These two had simply lost the moveable arms (holding pistol - and rifle). Giles Brown of Dorset Soldiers sells replacement arms st 40 pence each! So......a simple press fit - a dab of glue and spot of milliput ( if, like me, you don't like loose arms) - and it's just a repaint from then on.

The horse, by the way, is a former Johillco farm horse. He had a nasty hole - where the new Dorset saddle now sits - on a blanket of rolled out milliput. He also had a missing lower left leg and one ear! Leg was drilled out and a pin inserted around which milliput rebuilt the leg. Hole patched and fixed - his career as a farm horse is now over - as he is now going to be a saddle horse for my new Trail drive!! He will be a headache for any new owner though (eventually!) - as he is getting a Timpo rider - and Johillco never made a cowboy horse just like that!!!{eek3}

My guy with the experimental check shirt (bottom right - Timpo) will have that shirt changed ( I often mess about with design!!!) and have a lassoo made up for that raised arm. The other headless Timpo cowboy was bought as a donor figure ( which means he was meant to be cut up for spares) - but now the paint is off - I can see he is more repairable than I first thought - so will keep him for a future restoration - when I find a suitable head.

The last figure - is the johillco Native American - now with new tomahawk - as the previous one was snapped off. A spare medieval axe was trimmed down - to become his new weapon - and a hole drilled into his hand to accept the new one.

As usual, any holes found in bodywork etc were filled with a touch of super-glue first - and then milliput was sculpted in to fill them, and trimmed level. Once dry (24 hours) you can sculpt and file this to shape. Note the horse's tail - where I found a new hole whilst repainting ( it shows up white in the pic.). jb

 

[johnnybach]

Nearly finished most of these - so you can compare with the pic showing earlier stages. Note that I have added in two new figures which aren't really repairs, as they are Dorset Soldier original castings that I spotted whilst in the shop recently. I just thought that I would paint them up, whilst I was in a Western mood! They certainly fit in well with the Britains Brothers - with whom they appear to be having a shoot-out.

I'm really pleased with the way that the Johillco Farm Horse turned out as a repainted conversion to a Cowboy horse. His paintwork is not really dry enough to mount the Timpo cowboy - who is lying in front of him - but I will show him later, when all are finally complete. He is now probably a unique piece - as surely there can't be another just like him - and when he gets his Timpo cowboy on board - even more so.

A couple of bases to paint yet - but now almost there.

Here's a couple of pics - below.



Just realised that the Timpo cowboy makes a great "shot cowboy" when lying face down! jb

 

[johnnybach]

And here is my last repaired/converted and repainted figure - now united with his removable rider.

As mentioned previously, this figure is a combination from two manufacturers. The horse was previously a Johillco Farm Horse. It was produced pre- and post- WW2. It was originally, often in a pack with some of their Wire and Metal farm Machines, though never attached.

He came to me as a repair project - missing one rear leg, an ear - and with several holes to the body. As I will be making up a number of figures in the future - for my "Cattle Drive" project, I decided to give him to a Timpo Cowboy - who was looking for a mount - and required a new lasoo which was missing when I found him. This cowboy dates from the 1950's - and also was in need of a new paint-job.

The resultant "marriage" of the two repaired, converted and refurbished pieces, is shown below. I have kept the figures separate, however, as should the correct Timpo horse ever come my way, I can always swap the cowboy to his correct mount. My standing horse can then just be tethered to a hitching rail - or I could possibly find another rider - in need of some attention - and a mount!

Note that as well as fixing the damage - I altered the original horse by adding in a saddle - from (Dorset Soldiers)and blanket (Milliput), which fixed a large hole in his back - and then added harness and reins ( milliput - and strips of a foil pill packet, cut up into reins). The missing lasoo for the cowboy - was a piece of solid core copper wire ( around 1.5mm) - with the outer insulation removed. The copper wire bends to any shape very easily - but hold where you put it. As you can see, I prefer to glue it into the waiting hand, and wrap it around the cowboy's torso - and then paint it in a cream paint ( white is too stark).

Of course the parts of the figure needed some "persuasion" to fit comfortably together - which necessitated a bit of cutting and filing of both elements - but - here is the resultant unique piece, which, I must confess, I am very pleased with. jb

 

[nmrocks]

Great thread here Johnny, the figures look so good when your finished with them and you are correct, the only finish that really makes your work on these come to life is that high gloss!
Ray

 

[johnnybach]

Great thread here Johnny, the figures look so good when your finished with them and you are correct, the only finish that really makes your work on these come to life is that high gloss!
Ray

ndly


Absolutely agree Ray. When all of the old Hollowcasts were first made - they were painted in Gloss. I think that most "oldies" now benefit from a new coat of paint - but there are other benefits too.

Firstly - the amateur painter nowadays, has a considerable range of modern materials available - including modern non-leaded paint in a larger variety of colours than the original painters had. Secondly, most workers painting the original figures were paid very small amounts of money - mostly on a piecework basis - and frequently at home. Time was literally money to them - so the painting was often not of the best quality, as they were paid on how many they had completed.

Amateur painters - like me - don't have those time pressures - and do it for fun. We can, therefore, make the best effort we can to get a nice finish, regardless of time spent on each figure. I also often like to make a few additions, when repairing, so sometimes a new holster or knife get added to the figure - or a new weapon is substituted where the original has gone missing - all of which makes them just that little bit different. My one-eared, three legged with holes Farm Horse - who returned as a Cowboy Horse, is a case in point.

I've said it before - but it also bears repeating - the thrill of saving something that may have been destined for the rubbish dump - and returning it to the fold as a restored Glossy Toy Soldier (okay Cowboy^&grin) - is something you can't put a price-tag on. It's just one of the nicest feeling there is!

So glad you like 'em. jb

 

[trooper]

I well remember sending many of them to the Happy Hunting Grounds with my trusty 177. If I had only known what they would have been worth today. Trooper

 

[johnnybach]

I well remember sending many of them to the Happy Hunting Grounds with my trusty 177. If I had only known what they would have been worth today. Trooper

Ha-ha! I think I may have found some of your assassination attempts Trooper!. That small indentation - which usually removes the paint - is unmistakable and comes in either 177 or 22 guage!

Easy enough to fix nowadays, thanks to various epoxy type putties - of which, I use Milliput. And yes, I rarely have to pay more than £1 or so for my wounded warriors - and have loads of fun repairing, restoring, converting and repainting - and all the while, seeing them come back to life once again.

So..............I guess many thanks are in order to the many "White Hunters" out there - who may have inadvertantly contributed to my present day hobby!

Cheers Trooper - just glad you didn't use a twelve-bore!{eek3} jb

 

[trooper]

Re: There's an Old Thttp://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forumribe of Injuns - in Dorset!

No 12 bore, Johnny, just the 177 and a few penny banger fireworks as grenades! Trooper

 

[johnnybach]

Re: There's an Old Thttp://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forumribe of Injuns - in Dorset!

No 12 bore, Johnny, just the 177 and a few penny banger fireworks as grenades! Trooper

Ouch!

 

[johnnybach]

Here's another repair - and at least the tail came from Dorset!!

I spotted a rather damaged Rodeo Bucking Bronco on e-bay last week - and it was one I've been after for quite some time. (Come from Charbens Rodeo Set, he's around 45mm scale, by the way, so a bit smaller than normal 54mm figures). He was attracating no offers - so with less than a day to go - I made the owner an offer. After a bit - he accepted - and to cut to the chase - he arrived a few days later. This is what he looked like.



And this is what he's supposed to look like - compare with this example - found on the Internet.



He is supposed to be stood on his front legs only - with a front hoof straddling a small base on each side edge. They are thin legs - so unsurprisingly - he had been snapped off just there (look - no hooves at front). He had also lost his tail - otherwise - in pretty good nick.

After cleaning off all old paint I was back to a casting again. I made a base first - somewhat thicker than usual - to make it robust. I then drilled up into each front leg to about 4-5mm, and glued in a small piece of cut paper-clip. Once set, I positioned the figure ON the base - and drilled holes right through the base ( thus making it less likely to snap off at an edge again.), leaving about 2mm of pin showing above the new base ( and leaving room for a hoof to be formed). Glued in place - it was left overnight - the piece was solidly fixed in place by next morning.

Next came a small hoof formed and glued around each small front pin - made from milliput. I also added a Britains replacement tail ( no Charbens duplicate found) which resembled the general shape of the old one. Once all of this dried out - he was cleaned up and painted in gloss - as originally - with a few small stylistic changes.

The result is this absolutely delightful little piece - good as new - once again - and I'm really pleased to have him!!! jb