Dampf's Modelling Page - 6 years old today

February 28th is a special day for this Blog, which today celebrates it's 6th Anniversary. It was back in 2008 that I started this Blog, with a simple hope that I could keep it going.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project and an even bigger thanks to those who have commented. I am sure the rest of 2014 will continue with more of the same.

Tony

The Blog stasts;
Over 9000 hits per month (with the highest monthly total being 11400)
1200 posts
420 followers
400,000 hits or views

West Midlands Military Show - Alumwell

The West Midland Military Show or WMMS will be held at the Alumwell Leisure Village, Aldersley Road, Wolverhampton on Sunday 9th March 2014, for details go to this link.

I believe this to be one of the friendliest wargame shows in the UK and would recommend it as a great day out for anyone with an interest in model making or wargaming. I intend being there for Sunday morning - wearing my grey Dampfpanzerwagon T-shirt. Maybe I'll see you there.

Tony

Dungeons & Dragons - 40 years old part two

Most of my spare modelling time has been taken up with finishing off models for the book. However the previous post got me thinking. "Has there ever been a more influential gaming book or set of gaming books than Dungeons & Dragons?"

I am aware that there may be an argument for both Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, due to the shear volume of rule books sold, but in recent times I doubt that even these outstrip the influence of D&D in all of its guises.

I would be pushed to choose one set of historical rules that have had any where near such and influence and even H. G. Wells with his Little Wars (published in 1913) would have to admit that the phenomenon of D&D has been quite spectacular.

The history of TSR and subsequent owners has been well covered on different sites. But I wanted to once again pay homage to D&D as being the parent of so many great games in hundreds of different languages and genres.

My hobby interests and pastimes would have been quite different - maybe for the better as my Wife would say, without the launch of Dungeons & Dragons.

Thank you.

Tony

Dungeons & Dragons - 40 years old

Earlier today I was reading that Dungeons & Dragons is forty year old. This makes me feel very, very old.

My first encounter with D&D was at a wargames club which held weekly meetings at Swansea University, we usually fought with Airfix America Civil War figures mounded on beermats moved across green dyed sheet. D&D had just been released and the then new roleplaying game was a real eye-opener. The bug had well and truly bitten.

I have owned (and still own) some very early D&D games, but I admit that I have not played the game for what must be twenty years. This is a great shame as my memories of those early games are some of my best gaming memories; moving plastic figures across bare tables, throwing cheap coloured dice and keeping track of the results with pencils (and erasers) on sheets of beautifully drawn and home made character sheets. "Those were the days."

As the years rolled on, I have gamed with many groups, but it was that fresh and new gaming experience playing the early editions of Dungeons & Dragons that has stuck with me and in truth been my gaming and modelling impetus for forty years. For that, Thank You.

Happy birthday and may the next forty be just as great.

Tony

Berliner Zinnfiguren Katalog 1995

My most recent Charity Shop Find; Berliner Zinnfiguren Katalog by Werner Scholtz. 216 pages of black & white with some colour illustrations of pewter flats.

My German is now very rusty - it was never that good! but I am enthralled by the line drawing and bare metal castings featured in this catalogue. And at just 99p - it was a steal!

Here are a few of the very many illustrations featured throughout the book.

Full details of the Berliner Zinnfiguren store can be found here.

Tony

Wargame Terrain Book Two

I am well aware that Blog updates have been a little slow this year, but never fear, I am keeping busy. Over the last week I have concentrated on Wargame Terrain Book Two. I have still to fully decide on the title, but the favourite is, (drum roll please) Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No. 2 More Wargame Terrain by Tony Harwood.

I had intended it to be a step up from the initial book, with articles and tutorials dealing with more advanced techniques or projects, however a recent conversation with my Daughter (who did a lot of the editing and proof-reading of book one) has made me think; just maybe I ought to include a couple of easier or simpler projects as well as these signature pieces. I think that this is a good idea and one worth considering.

What ever I decide, the format will be very similar to book one with more new projects and one or two surprises. I am anticipating another A4 format, full colour book of about 100 pages.

The planned release date is August/September 2014.

In addition I will be repeating the same deal - with the first 100 books signed and numbered. Watch this space for further details.

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I have been thinking about releasing one of the articles from Book One onto the internet just prior to the release of Book Two, possibly via Orcs in the Webbe and wondered how this would be received by those who have bought Book One. My logic, is that it could raise the profile of the release and increase sales. Comments are very welcome from both those who have purchased Book One and those who are new to this Blog. Maybe a Building Wargame Terrain lite? (And yes, I know that I have spelt it the American way).

The production of Building Wargame Terrain was a real learning curve and I would hope that book two would run a little smoother and more importantly quicker. Once again any comments on content or style would be greatly appreciated.

For anyone interested, this is the link to Book One. Watch this space.....

Tony

On-Line Build for February

Continuing with my plan to base and paint a couple of mounted characters for Flintloque, I have decided to work on this model Boar next. The miniature is a highly converted Alternative Armies Boar from the LE009 Verner Von Raucher blister. See this link for details. I converted the miniature some time ago and the original 'green' was sent to Gavin at AA for casting - however the miniature proved to be a very difficult cast and within 6 castings the mould was ripped and destroyed.

This is a very rare metal model.

Below I have included images of the original sculpt. My intention is to mount it on a square wooden base (similar to the earlier Ram) and then look around for a suitably aggressive rider.

Tony

On-Line Build for January - part five

Yes, I know it's February! However this particular On-Line Build (or Pledge) has taken me a little longer than I had expected and I still have to find and paint a suitable Flintloque rider.

Both photos show the resin ram, painted and varnished. I just need to 'flock' the base and it will be finished. Not much more to add; the detail painting has been restricted to the saddle and bridle, while the base has been 'washed' with Citadel washes. The Gloss Varnishing was then over-painted with Galleria Matt Varnish.

I will update when I have a rider figure that I want to both convert and paint.

Tony

My Local Gaming Store/Stores

I regularly visit Waylands Forge, Birmingham and for some time have considered it my Local, Friendly Gaming Store, picking up various modelling items, some second hand bargains and even the odd larger purchase, such as a board game or book. There is no doubt that any visit usually ends up with me buying something and usually meeting a gaming friend or local character.

Since Christmas I have also found Worcester Wargames, Worcester and a gaming store much closer to Droitwich and one full of great gaming inspiration and second hand bargains. The store is not new, but has recently moved to its current site and is new to me. I wish everyone involved every success in the new venture.

Then today, Sue and I decided that we would visit Stourbridge. A town centre that we have been avoiding during the building of the huge new Tescos Superstore. However, now that the store and carpark are complete I must admit that we both enjoyed our walk around this old town centre. Just as you exit the main Tescos entrance, I saw a new gaming store called Titan Games. I was aware that there had been a new model making store opening in Stourbridge but was not aware of a new gaming store and both of us were pleasantly surprised at both the professionalism of the staff and the store layout. If you are not aware of this store, please give yourself a real treat and pop over to see what they have on offer.

This got me thinking (never a good thing), are other gamers seeing a renaissance in local gaming stores? And if so what do you put it down to?

I'll try to frequent all three as well as my regular visits to Parabellum, Birmingham (see earlier post) and look forward to seeing how the two new stores develop. Good Luck to all concerned.

Tony

Wayland Forge 
Unit 2 Fletchers Walk, Birmingham B3 3HJ
Details

Worcester Wargames
Unit 2 Crown Passage, Worcester
Details

Titan Games
31 Lower High Street, Stourbridge DY8 1TA
Details

Carry on Camping

As if by magic..... Orcs in the Webbe has just featured another of my modelling Masterclasses, this time how to build tents. Carry on Camping was first featured on Barking Irons Online back in October 2011 - but had been lost to the Internet when BIO was closed down last year. It is now back (Huzzah). For full details go to this link.

I have added a couple more photos to illustrate the finished terrain pieces. I know that Craig Andrews (Editor of OITW) is planning on uploading more of these lost Masterclass articles over the next couple of months.

Tony

Orcs in the Webbe - a list of published articles by Tony Harwood

Craig Andrews - editor of Orcs in the Webbe has been kind enough to publish a number of my articles, tutorials and short stories on the New Orcs in the Webbe electronic magazine. I have included this link to the whole list, please pop by and check them out. Craig is attempting to upload at least one new or re-published article per week, so the page content is continually changing and growing.

You can access all of my articles by going to this link or follow the latest updates here.

Tony

Blast-Tastic, Bristol

I will be attending Blast-Tastic on Saturday 4th October 2014 and have arranged to have a display table showing both miniatures and terrain boards for my 40mm Flash Gordon collection. This will be the first time that the whole collection would have been displayed in one place, so am looking forward to the comments. I chose to take the 40mm Flash collection as there is already an Aeronef game planned and being put on by Steve Blease.

Full details of Blast-Tastic can be found here.

Hopefully, I will see you there.

Tony

Parabellum, Birmingham away day

Yesterday, Sue and I had a short trip into Birmingham. I'm afraid the weather was very poor, with strong winds and heavy rain. After a short trip around the Jewellery Quarter I called into Parabellum, 54 Vyse Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18 6HR and had a short chat with Mark. I had intended having this visit prior to Christmas, but various things meant that this was the earliest occasion I was free to visit.

As usual, we proceeded to put the world to right and I was able to catch up on gaming news in and around the West Midlands as well as seeing some new plastic models. Unfortunately, knowing that Sue was waiting in the car and that the weather by now had turned even worse I was not able to spend as much time browsing the shelves as I had hoped.

I did make arrangement to meet up again at The West Midland Military Show 2014 which will be held at the usual venue - Aldersley Leisure Village, Aldersley Road, Wolverhampton on Sunday 9th March.

The journey home was brief, we didn't stop off anywhere, but proceeded to drive back to Droitwich Spa; home for a quick lunch and settling down in the warm. I'm not sure if this is just age catching up with me but this cold and damp weather has me not wanting to go out!

For anyone not familiar with Parabellum and living within driving distance of Birmingham, I can recommend this old fashioned (friendly, local) modelling shop as a great place to visit. It has some of the best stocked shelves in the West Midlands; crammed full of plastic kits and modelling tools as well as being a hub for loads of Midlands based model makers.

For full details go to this link, while for details of WMMS, click on this link.

Tony