Traditional Farm Buildings of Britain

Another second hand book bargain picked up from a National Trust property book stall, this time Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire. 

One of my favourite parts of these NT visits is browsing the second hand book shops and finding these great bargains.

The book is full of both black and white illustrations and photographs plus loads of inspiration for future terrain builds.

Tony

Turnip40 - an update

I've been asked to include additional images of the snail shell backpacks included on two of my 40mm scale Turnip40 miniatures.....

The original Blog post can be found here.

The snail shells were collected from my back garden and filled with Greenstuff before being glued in place with superglue and then painted with the same techniques used on the rest of the figures.

The second figure also uses a snail shell from the garden, but this one is a little more ornate and was painted with a slightly metallic colour scheme.

The shells were both cleaned before use and come from a selection of seaside shells that I picked up some time ago to decorate the seaside themed summerhouse we have in the garden.

A case of using what I had available.....

Tony

Another Hobgoblin for Pax Bochemannica

This particular mini has patiently sat on my to-do shelf for some time and I have finally got around to finishing the painting varnishing the model and decoration the base. I can no longer remember where I got the figure from, but I do know that I had to modify the headscarf with Greenstuff. Other than that I don't recall any other conversion work.

The final image shows the new character - a Hobgoblin Auxiliary alongside a Noman Legionnaire and another Hobgoblin from the original Pax Bochemannica box set. All these figures have been mounted on to 2p coins with the groundwork built up with Milliput.

Tony

Turnip40 - using 40mm figures with the Turnip28 background

Some time ago, I posted details of a scratch built enormous turnip piece of terrain that I had built for the game Turnip28. For more information, see this link. Since then I have searched through my collection of 40mm figures and built this group of Turnip40 characters.

The first uses the body from a 40 HLBS figure of a Napoleonic rifleman and the helmet and crossbow from a 40mm LOTR figure mounted on to a square base and painted in the typical 'grim dark' style associated with Turnip28.

Figure number two uses the body from an old Flashing Blades 40mm Napoleonic Rifleman miniature and a scratch built head or mask. Again painted in the Turnip28 style including static grass tufts.

Mini number three is a real missmatch of bits and pieces. The legs from a Napoleonic cavalryman, body from a 40mm spartan, arms from a 40mm LOTR figure and the turban from a Horror Clix figure. The sword was from my spares box and the painting was just as dark as the earlier models. Of note is the real snails shell glued to his back!

The groups leader is a cross kitted mini using a ACW body, legs from a 40mm LOTR mini and head from the same figure. The spear was from my spares box and once again I have used a real snails shell as a backpack.

Finally we have a 40mm Foundry ACW body and arms with a scratch built carrot head and modified gun. This was great fun to paint as I used a real carrot as inspiration for the head and the belt decoration.

I'm not expecting to convert or paint up many more Turnip40 minis, but who knows - they were great fun to convert and paint.

Tony

Miniature Wargames issue 482

The latest issue of Miniature Wargames (issue 482 - June 2023) has a short article written by me showing how I converted a couple of pound shop bargains in to living space ships (see front cover top right).

The article was never meant as a full tutorial - more of a quick fix.

For more information, you can pick up your own copy of MW from WHSmiths.

Tony

Some book gifts from Sue

Earlier this week, Sue found these three books for me. The first is a booklet on the Welsh Highland Railway and the second is a tourist information brochure about Carcassonne - a real find.....

The final book and its a real tome is this book about early aviation that is just full of both photographs and illustrations that just scream out to be modelled.

Thank you Sue XXX

Tony

Another second hand magazine haul

Yesterday afternoon after a quiet pub lunch, Sue and I drove to Pershore for a relaxing walk and browse around the shops. I was especially lucky with these magazine finds which were picked up in two separate charity shops for just 50p each.

The first three are aeroplane magazines, which I enjoy reading while sitting in the summerhouse and drinking tea with biscuits. Two Flypast magazines and Aeroplane all from 2022.

The second group is selection of railway modelling magazines - BRM, Railway Modeller and one of my favourites, Garden Rail. There is always something of interest in these magazines and once again, I'll leave them in the summerhouse to browse on sunny days.

The final magazine or pamphlet is R100 and R101 - a selection of articles first published in 'The DIRIGIBLE' a magazine produced by the Airship Heritage Trust. This was a real find and something that I have not been able to find out much about. Even so, I look forward to reading about these iconic airships.

A close up of the magazine cover.

Tony

Armoured Satyr for Typhon

After finishing the large Cyclops I searched through my collection of miniatures for another Typhon or Greek Mythology figure and came across this Satyr. The figure has been sat on my to-do shelf for some time and I no longer remember where I bought it from or any details as to who made the mini.

I do know that I have heavily modified the sculpt as the original stood much taller on longer legs which I both shortened and re-sculpted. Apart from that the figure is pretty much stock.

The paint scheme is very rough and ready, but I feel it is in keeping with the Greek Satyr backstory. I have used lots of washes and very little colour which is different from most of my Greek or Typhon collection.

The figure is cast in tough resin and is mounted on a pre-decimalisation penny with the groundwork built up from Milliput. The final image shows the Satyr alongside one of the Spartan Games Hoplites - the Satyr is just over 42mm tall (head to toe).

Tony

Building Wargame Terrain - a very special anniversary

It has been ten year since I self published my first Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No. 1 - Building Wargame Terrain. The book was released in May 2013 after about six months work, producing the tutorials and arranging for the book to be published. The first print run ran out very quickly and two subsequent reprints meant that this guide was the most produced of the three guides written and published by me.

I think of it as a great success, but also believe that knowing what I know now, I would have done it slightly differently - possibly a Kickstarter!

I don't think that this book will be reprinted - at least not in this format. The two following Dampfpanzerwagon Guides - More Wargame Terrain and Models for Wargamers have both been reprinted, but have not been as successful as the first book. All three are now out-of-print.

I sometimes see this and other books or guides written by me come up for sale on ebay and can even report that I have seen some of them for sale in secondhand book stores - now there's a recommendation.....

Thanks to everyone who supported me with this project.

I can't help looking back and not quite believing that it has been ten years. Since then I have produced two books for Pen & Sword as well as hundreds of magazine articles that are mainly, but not exclusively wargaming based.

I wonder what the next ten years has in store?

Tony