storage

RUB’ing up the right way

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Having used assorted box files and storage boxes over the years I’ve finally conceded that Really Useful Boxes (RUBs) are the way to go. For some projects I’ve just lined the boxes with non-slip rubber sheet (the woven type stuff you get for putting in the bottom of drawers etc.). This is cheap and for most things stops stuff sliding around. But all my 28mm stuff is on steel washers or MDF with steel paper on the bottom so I’ve lined some boxes with cheap magnetic photo paper. This if fine for the multi figure bases but the 25mm washers get a bit untidy…

Now, Warbases (and others) do assorted inserts for RUBs (https://warbases.co.uk/?product_cat=rub-inserts) either as potentially layered boxes (which I think may still be an option for my 6mm Modern stuff…) or the giant sabot for taking single based figures if various bases shapes/sizes. To be honest, I’m less keen on storage ‘refinements’ that cost more than the box but these do work well and keeping toys safe is good! So, what I wanted, and what Martin at Warbases supplied me, was just the top part of the big sabot.

So I just lined the bottom of the box with the photo paper and stuck the sabot on top!

This gives me the added benefit of keeping the figures in place a little more securely. Here are the Saxons.

The issue I have is the ‘leader’ figures on 30mm bases. As a temporary measure I took another washer and stuck steel paper on one side and mag paper on the other. This fits flush in a slot and lets me hold the figure in place. Not as secure as IN a slot but OK for now…

And there we are sorted. With the bulk of my Normans in another box.

The final issue is the mounted figures on tablet bases. I’m thinking I could either request a full insert sabot for the correct base type or get a half large sabot and a batch of the top parts of the tablet sabots and make up a little montage to fill the space and fit in as many as I can… I shall speak to Martin about the options. But until then they will have to remain in the old box…

I now need more of the magnetic photo paper! You can get it on Amazon/eBay but the best deal is when some of the Pound shops have them…

 

28mm, Altefritzenburg, ImagiNation

Emerging from the Dark Ages!

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After a few months of cracking on with my Dark Age project I hit a break point while we went on holiday to Cornwall for two weeks (and after the hottest summer for decades we were only slightly annoyed that the weather was shit…) and when I came back I felt I needed a little change  before resuming the project. But I wasn’t sure what… 

Over two years ago I started painting the next of my C18th ImagiNation Altefritzenburg regiments. This was intended to be the as then BIG battalions with 36 musketeers and 12 grenadiers. However at the time I had decide to move to smaller units so rather than paint the 12 grenadiers I had primed I prepped 6 musketeers and paint them and 6 of the grenadiers. These sat on table and workbench for a looooong time. Every few months I would dust them! At some point I prepped the 18 figures I needed to make up one of the smaller regiments (30 figures) but again these sat there and got dusted every few months… Until my return from my hols when I decide it was time to finish them! It took about a week but they form the 2nd Altefritzenburg Regiment.

As ever, intending to just finish the prepped figures I felt the need to do the battalion gun and crew and a brigade command stand. The bulk of the figures are RSM (I really like the figures!) with command coming from the Minden range. 

For the battalion gun I wanted to try and emulate what John Ray had done with some of his and have figures pushing the gun rather than crewing it, which looks a little weird when the rest of the unit is striding manfully towards the enemy! I don’t have John Ray’s sculpting skills so just took two of the RSM gunners and bent the arms a little and stuck them behind the gun! You can also see the other 6 grenadiers I had prepped painted as a test stand for what will become the 3rd Altefritzenburg Regiment.

I also regretted the fancy Altefritzenburg flag which is a bugger to paint! What I’ve done is scan the pre-cutout flag and will try and print that for future units and add painted highlights. We shall see….

I’d also wanted to do a brigade stand. The mounted officer is a Minden Austrian and the chap in the greatcoat a Crann Tara artillery officer and the ADC at the back a Crann Tara early French hussar office. Both are lovely figures.

It was nice to get back to something for this project. It’s unlikely the C18th chaps will see the table before Ayton 2020 but it has got me thinking about exactly what I want from the project so I’ll be sorting what units I want to do (eventually) and offloading the surplus. It was quite scary the amount of unpainted C18th lead I have….

So what next? More C18th? Return to the Dark Ages? Or something a little (or not so little) different? 🙂

border reiver, shows

Border Reiver 2018 – Gateshead

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Popped down to my local show today, Border Reiver at Gateshead Stadium. Not a huge show but some good traders there and it’s always good to support the local show. Spent a lot of time chatting with people and managed to be quite restrained with purchases. I’d wanted to do the tabletop sale but didn’t get my act together in time – maybe at Battleground….

There was a reasonable spread of games (demo and participation) including by my two local clubs: Tyneside Wargames Club and Whitley Bay 3D Gamers. The former doing some ancient naval action and the latter delving into the realm of the samurai!

My purchases were rather restrained. Some more trees from Andy at Last Valley, some Artizan Viking Hirdmen from Colonel Bill, some rather lovely Viking Shieldmaidens from Footsore, and some paints. I was very careful this year. Last night I checked all the paints I was low on. There were six. I then checked the ‘spares’ box and there were new bottles of ALL of them. Needless to say I still convinced myself I was running out of Dark Prussian Blue so bought a bottle and now have two spares…

Nice to chat with lots of people as well though I didn’t natter as much as I usually do…honest… I could have bought more but I’m trying to be sensible at the moment…

A good day then and thanks to the Border Reiver chaps for organising it all!

A few more pics in this gallery. 

Whitley Bay 3D Gamers - Pike & Shotte Japanese Sengoku Period

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28mm, AAR, dark age

And there’s more!

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Following the altercation at Eadric’s hut Brother Simon continued to make his way south towards the monestary where he spent so little time. As the stream wound round again he started to cross at the ford. Only to be confronted by three Normans, obviously not common soldiers.

Simon de Bouc Majeur had got word from the surviving sergeant of the recent bloodshed, and pushing ahead with his hornman and cousin David la Salle he too appeared along the path to cross the ford.

Sensing there were more soldiers in the area, Brother Simon, after the formal introductions with his namesake, said he had seen strange travellers, dark skinned, who, after brief words he had seen leave the path and head northwards.  David ordered the horn be sounded to summon their men!

And Simon, ordering the monk to be on his was, was a little bemused to see the large club the man of God had concealed behind his back! 

But sensing that even a monk might need to protect himself in these troubled times he let him go and awaited the arrival of his men. The hunt was on!

These are three Crusader Miniature Normans that Simon (Goat Major) sent me along with the monk figure. Although already nicely painted the style didn’t really fit with mine so in the Dettol they went and yesterday they were painted and today based.

Nice figure and easy to paint. Three more characters added to the story!

 

28mm, dark age

And a few more bits!

I seem to be on a bit of a roll at the moment. Back for the Lion Rampant game at Ayton last year I needed a few ‘command’ figures for my Normans and in the end decided I would create The Brotherhood of the Swan as some religious forebears of my C18th Savage Swans! I chose the Perry 1st Crusade Hospitaller command and just painted the three and added three Conquest plastic Normans to give me my six figure Lion Rampant unit. I’d intended making them up to a six figure Hospitaller unit last year and bought the figures but they sat in a box until this week! And now have the six figures for my completed mounted Brotherhood of the Swan!  I have some of the Fireforge Foot Templars and think I can do foot versions of them as well at some point!

And to round off this session, Simon (Goat Major – go see his blog!) sent me some figures recently and amongst them was an old monk. A bit of Googling ID’d it as Citadel C03-19 Priest with Club, 1983. So this has been painted up as Brother Simon, a travelling monk, currently providing religious ‘advice’ to the local population and always happy to discuss any matter and often bring the conversation to a rapid conclusion with his trusty club!

It’s a nice old figure but I found the face hard to paint without the benefit of modern sculpting detail. 

So, a little more progress. Some more Normans next!

 

Musings of an easily distracted wargamer