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Sunday 27 July 2014

Claymore 2014

Claymore 2014 is almost upon us.



This coming Saturday, 2nd August 2014.

Details at:

http://seswc.co.uk/2014/06/claymore-2014/

The usual suspects will be there.

35 traders at the last count and heaven knows how many demonstrating clubs.

I will be running a stall selling items from the wargaming estate of my recently deceased best friend and wargaming buddy Iain Holt. All proceeds will go to the charity Combat Stress.

http://jim-duncan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/iain-holt-rip-1955-2013.html

http://www.combatstress.org.uk/

There will be many bargains to be had. Come and have a look, you know you want to.

Friday 25 July 2014

Invisible Town Found

How many times during a game set up in a built-up area have you lost track and sight of one of your figures?

Watch 'Old Gummy' disappear' out of sight backing down this alley.

Going...
 

... going ...

... gone.


All you can do is stand up and see if you can find him again.

Where is he ...


... here he is.


Now, if you are like me you'll have knocked over your pint, dropped your dice or put your back out.

There must be a better way.

Here is my solution.


Transparent buildings!

OK, I know I said 'invisible' but it made a better headline!!

Old Gummy backs away, I can still see him.


No hiding place (cue memories of an old TV program).


Such a simple idea. Draw a simple building, in outline, print out on overhead transparency acetate sheets, cut and glue, et voila!


Such a good idea made me build a whole town.


There's the Western Bank, very rob-able.


The Grand Hotel.


Gunsmith and Telegraph Office.


Funeral Parlour and General Store.



Some of the graphics are a bit 'bitsy', I did this several generations of software ago, (80's).


OK, I'll stop 'rabbiting' on now.



I found this 'Invisible Town' in my loft a few days ago. It's been there for twenty plus years. I wonder if it will ever be seen again :)



Tuesday 22 July 2014

Ruined Cottage and Barn

I finished off a pair of part-built ruined buildings that I had found amongst my chums stuff.

A cottage


and a barn.


They are cast in fairly thick plastic, possibly resin, the maker is unknown. Size-wise they are useable with 15mm or 20mm figures.

I strengthened up some of the joins and added ridge tiles made from thin card ( a business card) covered in superglue. I also beefed up the base which was thin card (cereal packet) with some stiffer card and added some scenic terrain items with household filler (spackle), some strips of balsa and some resin bricks.


The figure here is a 1/72nd Valiant Miniature or 20mm if you like. Note the hand painted 'Resistance' poster.


I think they look quite nice, modesty prevents me from mentioning the 'cool' paintjob and these will be on sale at Claymore unless one of my chums snaps them up first. I would price them at £20 each or £30 the pair if you are quick.

Monday 7 July 2014

British Tommies 1944/45



One of the part finished (actually very much barely started) collections I found amongst my recently deceased best friends figures was a box of 1/72nd WW2 British Infantry by Valiant Miniatures.

http://www.valiantminiatures.com/product/vm001-british-tommies-1944-45/

He had started a few of the figures with a view to having a platoon ready to use with Chain of Command which we had both bought.

http://toofatlardies.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25

Chain of Command is a brilliant ruleset so I thought it would be a good idea the finish off the platoon by making up the rest of the figures and painting them to a standard that Iain would be proud of.

I finally made up a complete infantry platoon comprising HQ and three rifle sections (Corporal, Bren team and Rifle team) plus a few supports i.e. 3" mortar, Vickers medium machine gun, medical orderly, anti-tank gun etc.

I'll let the following pictures tell the rest of the story. These figures will be up for sale soon through my usual contacts. They are based on steel pennies so can be handily stored in a magnetic based box.








Saturday 5 July 2014

I can see clearly now ...

A few showers of rain have shifted most of the pollen.

A further visit to my doctor and a follow up visit to an optician have suggested I have an eye infection on top of severe hayfever.

A couple of days on antibiotics and voila ...

... I can see clearly now!


I have potted a few perennials in the garden and tufted a few figures in my games room.

Whoopie doo!