Various Hollowcasts in Need of some TLC (1 Viewer)

[johnnybach]

JB, I agree with what you say and also they are "one offs" which makes them a little more special! :wink2: ^&cool

You must have quite a collection of Wild West themed figures by now, do you have a group photo?

All the best :salute::

Jeff

Yes - I have a shelf in one of my cabinets full ( actually - overfull) of them now. I don't currently have a photo of them all together - as some are in the UK - and some in France. Last time I went back was on a 'plane - and SOME airlines are getting quite sniffy about what you can take back as hand luggage. Paint etc is classed as a flammable liquid - so that's out! I also read of one guy having to snap off the weapon from a toy soldier - as it had been deemed to be "an imitation firearm" - by some Jobsworth who quite obviously was having a bad day on "You can't take that on a 'plane" day!!! So - I'm a bit more careful of what I take back as hand luggage these days - and wait until I bring my car over on a ferry to take such things as paint, castings and weapon-holding TS's back and forth.

Ferries are a bit kinder - and I will be taking all of my stockpiled "stash" back with me in the spring - so should be able to do one or two snaps then. My photography remains "could do better" though! , - but I'll post some pics next year - okay? jb

 

[aujj65]

Sounds like a plan JB, until then have you got anymore WW themed figures to repair/paint?

Jeff

 

[johnnybach]

Sounds like a plan JB, until then have you got anymore WW themed figures to repair/paint?

Jeff

Just did a re-count on this batch Jeff - and proved to myself that I can't keep correct numbers in my head from going upstairs - to downstairs! There were nine figures in this batch - three cowboys and six Injuns. As you've seen two cowboys and one Injun - that leaves one cowboy to go and another five Injuns. Let's try a little algebra.

If "x" = Injuns
and "y" = cowboys

then x + 2y = completed
and 5x + y = remain to be completed.

Well - that's enough of that!

Happily, all of these x's and y's = on their way - so you should be able to see some more later on today (when varnish has dried). One of my x's is being a bit stubborn though, and taking longer to fix than first expected.{sm2}

As to later on - well - I'm due to visit Dorset's finest when I get back from NZ - so a visit "under the stairs" may unearth some more Wild West specimens in need of a little TLC? Who knows what lurks there??? Giles is still an avid prowler of many local TS venues, swap meets, local shows and the like - and has a good eye - and knows what some of his customers like me enjoy fixing up.

No doubt, as they used to flash up on the screen at the end of the Saturday Matinee "fix" of Westerns.....................................this thread may well be .............. "To Be continued" If I find any more - I'll show them here. jb

 

[johnnybach]

Told you they wouldn't be long.

Here are my three completed cowboys - The three Amigos. Note that they were ALL of the same basic Britains casting.

My latest cowboy, (centre in yellow shirt), has had a head transplant somewhere in his past - and has a rather small hat - which I suspect came from a different figure - but as it's part of his history - I kept it. Incidentally, this figure has the French mark "Depose" under the horse - which indicates that this figure came from a mould from the French Offshoot of Britains - so dates him as coming from a mould dated between 1912-1923 - (when the French Office was open). The moulds were of course returned to the UK - so he was possibly/probably cast a bit later.

Note that I have replaced his missing arm with one made up from spare bits and pieces. The arm and rifle came from my spares box - and was fabricated to fit him. (i.e altered by cutting and pinning to make up this arm/weapon). Now the three cowboys look quite different due to these slight modifications and paintwork.





Below are my completed Injuns, so far. The Johillco red-shirted figure you have seen before. The other standing figure is a bit of a mystery at the moment. He's hollowcast, and has the wording "Made in ENGLAND" down one leg. I haven't seen one just like him before. He's either a Crescent figure - as the legs and stance are similar to others I have seen - or a somewhat rare Britannia Model Company (BMC) figure - as his rifle is the same as others from that Company that I've seen. This London based company produced figures from 1916-1933 - so he's an old one, whichever company produced him. (If anyone can positively ID him - I would like to know please^&grin).

My final mounted Injun Chief is probably my favourite Britains hollowcast Injun. First made over 100 years ago - that dynamic galloping pose is unmistakeable. I have quite a few of this figure now - and this one was in quite a bad state when he came to me. His arm was broken off, he had a compression fracture at the point where his body seated to the horse - whilst both rear legs were broken and just about attached to his deformed base. He was generally "squashed". To repair, he was stripped of paint - all parts removed and repaired - gently bent back into position and pinned back together, with milliput applied to holes and fissures. All original parts were re-used - with no extra spare parts required. Then he was completely repainted - to this point. Quite a challenge - but well worth the effort to get him back to something like his old self, I think.



And this is how they all look now. Three more to go (2 more Johillco and a Mounted Britains Chief). jb

 

[aujj65]

You are right JB that didn't take long! - a man on a mission! ^&grin These have come out very nice and just goes to show what can be done with a few swapped bits and pieces and a new paint job!

{bravo}}

Jeff

Btw, I am doing a bit of painting myself at the moment - more Sudan stuff! :wink2:

 

[johnnybach]

You are right JB that didn't take long! - a man on a mission! ^&grin These have come out very nice and just goes to show what can be done with a few swapped bits and pieces and a new paint job!

{bravo}}

Jeff

Btw, I am doing a bit of painting myself at the moment - more Sudan stuff! :wink2:

Trying to get 'em finished off - as I have a plane to catch soon.

I'll look forward to having a look at what you're up to in the Sudan!

 

[johnnybach]

Here's a couple more pictures - showing my last three additions to my Birthday present from my eldest daughter.

My last three figures are shown to the front right of the first pic. The two crawling Injuns with tomahawks at the ready are old hollowcasts from Johillco - whilst the last mounted Injun Chief (wearing a green shirt) is another Britains figure. Two of these required a little work.

One of the Johillco crawling figures was minus the top feather on his head - doubtless as a result of some skirmish at a previous point in his career. This was replaced with a metal pin armature inserted in the stump of the feather - and then re-building with milliput. I was fortunate in having a complete figure to match the new one up to. I'll leave you to decide which is the repair - and which is the original.

The mounted Chief figure was missing any weapon in his free hand ( he should have had a raised tomahawk). As I already have a figure like that - I decided to give him a bow. The hand was drilled to accept a fabricated bow (paper-clip, again) - and one fitted - then strung with some fine wire. He was mounted on a stand - and one raised horse-hoof was given a support to the base. (the original figure has one cast in - which was missing from this example). Then they were all re-painted.



Another view (using some welcome sunshine on my window-sill) - shows the other side of my new figures ( shows the bow off better from this angle). I will be looking for a quiver of arrows for him - when I next visit Dorset Soldiers Spares Parts Department ( at the back of the shop). I think they have one which might suit! I've already worked out how to paint it first - then fit it to the figure.



Well - that's my Birthday gift sorted from my daughter! Thank you darling! At £5.99 (plus a bit of postage) - they didn't break the bank - and provided me with a few hours of very pleasant fun, repairing and painting them back to life again!

That will be all for a while from me - as I'm off to see my grand-children shortly on the other side of the World - when there will be little time available for painting!!

Now where did I put my swimming trunks???? See you when I get back............ johnnybach

 

[aujj65]

Have a good holiday JB! :salute::

Jeff

 

[GICOP]

Here's a couple more pictures - showing my last three additions to my Birthday present from my eldest daughter.

My last three figures are shown to the front right of the first pic. The two crawling Injuns with tomahawks at the ready are old hollowcasts from Johillco - whilst the last mounted Injun Chief (wearing a green shirt) is another Britains figure. Two of these required a little work.

One of the Johillco crawling figures was minus the top feather on his head - doubtless as a result of some skirmish at a previous point in his career. This was replaced with a metal pin armature inserted in the stump of the feather - and then re-building with milliput. I was fortunate in having a complete figure to match the new one up to. I'll leave you to decide which is the repair - and which is the original.

The mounted Chief figure was missing any weapon in his free hand ( he should have had a raised tomahawk). As I already have a figure like that - I decided to give him a bow. The hand was drilled to accept a fabricated bow (paper-clip, again) - and one fitted - then strung with some fine wire. He was mounted on a stand - and one raised horse-hoof was given a support to the base. (the original figure has one cast in - which was missing from this example). Then they were all re-painted.



Another view (using some welcome sunshine on my window-sill) - shows the other side of my new figures ( shows the bow off better from this angle). I will be looking for a quiver of arrows for him - when I next visit Dorset Soldiers Spares Parts Department ( at the back of the shop). I think they have one which might suit! I've already worked out how to paint it first - then fit it to the figure.



Well - that's my Birthday gift sorted from my daughter! Thank you darling! At £5.99 (plus a bit of postage) - they didn't break the bank - and provided me with a few hours of very pleasant fun, repairing and painting them back to life again!

That will be all for a while from me - as I'm off to see my grand-children shortly on the other side of the World - when there will be little time available for painting!!

Now where did I put my swimming trunks???? See you when I get back............ johnnybach

Have a great holiday jb :salute::

Cheers

Martyn

 

[Buster]

As always jb, beautiful repair and paint work. Have a great vacation with the grand-kids. :salute::

B.

 

[johnnybach]

Cheers all - hope the kayaking goes okay! jb