Fred's 2014 Painting Diary

[toxicpixie]

Really good stuff Fred. I'm in total agreement on the larger "diorama" style basing - really lets you give them a nice feel. I'm half tempted to rebase my Warmaster but think that can go to the bottom of the to do pile!

I like the lighter wood colours as well - pops really nicely.

[fred.]

Very interesting point about british webbing in WWI. I was considering going with buff but I may look at the dead flesh. I'm assuming it's in GW. Was in the Southport branch about a month ago and the sales person asked the obligatory question, 'And what are you painting at the moment fella?' I received  a very blank look when I replied sword and buckler men from the Great Italian Wars.

I actually use the version from Vallejo Game Colours. I don't think I have been inside the southport GW, but I do occasionally drive last and see if it's still there.

Considering how close Italian wars stuff is to GW empire it's a bit of a shame that there was no connection made. But perhaps we have to remember that there is The Hobby, and just a hobby that  the rest of us partake in.

[fred.]

Thanks to the rest of you, really glad everyone likes these figures, they have have come out a treat.

Toxic pixie - avoid rebasing, it's a bit of nightmare. Though I did  rebase a bunch of WWII stuff recently, and it turned out OK.

[toxicpixie]

Yeah, I don't like rebasing much at all... guess the Warmaster can stay. Sabots would let them fit a different scheme and be a damn sight less work

[Subedai]

Those heavies are great, love em!

As far as I am concerned re-basing is a complete no-no. Luckily, I tend to collect both sides so only if a set of rules says base sizes immaterial or everything is on 60 X 40mm will I give them a second glance, otherwise forget it.

[Hertsblue]

Sometimes it's a case of "needs must when the Devil drives". Having re-activated my 15mm SYW recently I'm now getting complaints from co-gamers that the little singleton bases, held over from my original set of rules that specified casualty removal, are too fiddly. The thought of having to amalgamate figures on to new bases is not a pleasant one.

[toxicpixie]

Sabots? Even just ba sheet of thin but rigid plasticard (or metal paper?) underneath the unit would work maybe? Or go the whole hog and make nice looking ones they slot into with extra terrain effects...

[Leman]

I do rebase from time to time. The biggest effort though was when I changed from Johnny Reb to F&F, as Johnny Reb has the daft system of four bases per regiment but different sized bases with different numbers of figures depending on the size of the regiment. Fortunately by that time I had played Johnny Reb II and III for about 15 years and had got fed up with them as the charge mechanism was remarkably fiddly. Regimental F&F are much smoother.

[fred.]

I use sabot bases a lot - all my bases of figures are magnetised, so a simple piece of MDF or plastic of the right size, with a sheet of metal paper stuck on the top works great.

One advantage of the 40x20mm warmaster basing is that you can slot various combinations of the figures together to make units for different rules fairly easily.

I have made some 40x40mm sabot bases, which have 8-10mm strips down the sides, that allow a 40x20mm base to sit in the middle - this works well for artillery bases.

[Ric]

As a matter of interest, how do you guys go about removing troops that have been based on mdf using superglue? (I've learned my lesson though and only use wood glue now for ease of removal!)

I've got a bunch of confederates requiring a rebase after Longstreet went stale for me!

[Leman]

Stanley knife and the occasional cut thumb. I also have moved to wood glue.

[fred.]

I tend to soak the bases in water, up to around the knees of the figures. This works great for PVA, and with a bit longer tends to work for super-glue too.  Often a bit of leverage helps.  While I mainly use PVA for basing, I often find the odd figure has been superglued, usually one that came loose and had to be re-attached.

Super glue on plastic or metal, then a spell in the freezer can help.

[Ric]

funnily enough ive just done this after reading it on another forum, Let's hope it works!

[fred.]

that photo is really weird 

Its almost surreal with the way the water reflects the light, around the figures.

[toxicpixie]

I read it as "hope it works on orcs" and was very confused as what the figures are! Beer time. Definitely beer time.

[Hertsblue]

My SYW figures are based on artists' mounting board (thick card in other words) but then built-up to the feet with Tetrion/Polyfilla. Easiest way to get them free is to slice the mounting board off with a sharp knife and then "nibble" the filler off with snips. That's not the biggest problem, however. Some of these figures are so old that I can no longer match the flock with which their bases liberally plastered. Which would entail totally re-flocking all the bases. Since only two or three figures in each battalion require amalgamating (but I have some 140 battalions) you begin to see the problem? Sabots would be an answer, but I'm reluctant to increase the depth of the units by using them. I think possibly the metal paper may be the answer, especially as I'm going over to magnetic bases, but 140 of the little so and so's is a daunting prospect.

[FierceKitty]

Sometimes it's a case of "needs must when the Devil drives". Having re-activated my 15mm SYW recently I'm now getting complaints from co-gamers that the little singleton bases, held over from my original set of rules that specified casualty removal, are too fiddly. The thought of having to amalgamate figures on to new bases is not a pleasant one.

I'd complain too. SYW should involve thinking in brigades, not individuals. Who wants to be a sergeant when you can be old Fritz?

[Hertsblue]

Possibly, but whilst they think in brigades they die as individuals.

[FierceKitty]

That's for elegy. Kriegspiel is epic.

[Ric]

Not to hijack the thread Fred, but I soaked those troops for about 24 hours and went though what was easily the messiest job I've had to do in a while, I keep finding static grass everywhere, buy it has worked overall! its the last time I'll use superglue on mdf again for sure!