Pendraken Miniatures Forum

Wider Wargaming => Genre/Period Discussion => Firelocks to Maxims (1680 - 1900) => Topic started by: fsn on 28 January 2023, 06:09:15 PM

Title: The Headless Child?
Post by: fsn on 28 January 2023, 06:09:15 PM
Just painting some Napoleonic civilians.

(https://files.ekmcdn.com/89204c/images/-n-npx2-n-19th-century-european-civilians-2280-p.jpg?w=660&h=9999&v=2262021-164918)

I have a question. What is going on with the woman on the right? I see in front of her a pair of legs and a body and a bow tie ... and no head.

Is this a "once seen ... can't unsee" or is this woman really toting around the decapitated body of what is presumably her offspring?

Thank you.   
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Leon on 28 January 2023, 06:49:17 PM
That's an odd one, I'll need to check the mould there!  When you're cleaning up the figures for production moulds it's weirdly easy to miss the big things as you're looking for small stuff.  In the past I've missed a completely AWOL backpack on a figure because I was looking for fingers and sword hilts...
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: fsn on 28 January 2023, 07:32:18 PM
Oh! Really not the answer I expected.  :(

I just assumed I was looking at it wrong.


C'mon, I can't be the first one to have painted some Napoleonic Civvies?



Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Big Insect on 28 January 2023, 09:16:36 PM
It will be like those miss-stamped coins - worth a fortune as Leon will have corrected the error & all the others will come out with a smiling head on them.
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Leon on 06 February 2023, 02:25:40 PM
We've checked the mould on this and it looks like just a miscast, so you've got a limited edition headless child there...!  I'll get a couple of replacements out to you asap.
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: DecemDave on 07 February 2023, 09:58:28 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/LfEgmMj.jpg)

Might not be such a limited edition!  My first problem was finding which lead pile-let I had stored them in.  [KGL - its obvious innit!!?]

I think the problem is that the area between the ladies hands could be interpreted {to my ageing eyes anyway} as a hollowed out neck. hence headless.  And even a quick ink daub left me none the wiser.  But I think you could also imagine a flat cap over a squat little face. With her hands holding him by the ears.

Do we know what the sculptor intended?

Maybe a special "headless children" category in the painting competition and we will see what the expert painters make of it?   
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: fsn on 07 February 2023, 12:12:44 PM
Quote from: Leon on 06 February 2023, 02:25:40 PMWe've checked the mould on this and it looks like just a miscast, so you've got a limited edition headless child there...!  I'll get a couple of replacements out to you asap.

No problem. No need. Thank you anyway.
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: DecemDave on 08 February 2023, 12:30:33 PM
Now black primed and light grey drybushed.

Definitely headless    ;D

(https://i.imgur.com/PdZoOwD.jpg)

Perhaps the code should move to the fantasy section?
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Leon on 08 February 2023, 02:12:52 PM
I'll do some more digging and find out what's happened here.  I wonder if something was stuck in the mould and it's worked it's way out since these were purchased?
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Gwydion on 08 February 2023, 04:26:22 PM
Great for a Dickensian* rpg -
'Now then young Cratchitt, that's what'll happen to you if you ask for a pay rise!'

*(or maybe Sunakian come to think of it :D )
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: fsn on 08 February 2023, 04:41:38 PM
Quote from: DecemDave on 08 February 2023, 12:30:33 PMPerhaps the code should move to the fantasy section?
Techno's Night Terrors?
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Techno 3 on 09 February 2023, 12:36:52 PM
OI !!  ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: flamingpig0 on 09 February 2023, 03:14:42 PM
Quote from: Leon on 08 February 2023, 02:12:52 PMI'll do some more digging and find out what's happened here.  I wonder if something was stuck in the mould and it's worked it's way out since these were purchased?

I thought it was part of the new sci-fi range. It had been genetically engineered to fit up chimneys
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Leon on 09 February 2023, 03:35:50 PM
The casting guys have checked this one better today and it's a dodgy mould unfortunately.  The kid's head must have got lodged in the master mould and all of the master castings were headless.  I'll need to find the master mould, get the head out and spin up some replacements for a new production mould.
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: fsn on 09 February 2023, 05:37:53 PM
Sorry Leon.

Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Leon on 09 February 2023, 06:04:41 PM
Quote from: fsn on 09 February 2023, 05:37:53 PMSorry Leon.

Not your fault!  I blame the kids themselves, so excited with their new fangled sticks and whipping tops that their heads exploded.
Title: Re: The Headless Child?
Post by: Techno 3 on 10 February 2023, 07:18:53 AM
If it's quicker...bung me a master metal down, Leon, and I'll put a new head/face on it.
It'll only take a few minutes. (It'll take me longer to mix the putty than it will to give it a new head.)

Cheers - Phil. :)