As you can see it is still in it's original packaging and in good if not perfect condition. I cannot remember where or when I bought it and it could very well have been in the attic for years.
Any help would be gratefully appreciated.
Tony
The latest issue of Miniature Wargames, issue 500, December 2024 features this scratch built windmill that was built and painted by me. It was commissioned as a celebration of Ian Weekley who built a similar model that was featured in the very first issue of Miniature Wargames, back in 1983. For more information, see this link.
MW issue 500 which is now available to purchase which also includes a free sprue of Wargames Atlantic werewolves.
The model was inspired by the initial article and various illustrations found on the internet as well as images from various books on windmills.
Construction commenced with a simple cardboard box clad in scrap wood (old fruit packing cases) and a cereal box roof. The wooden support or 'post' was constructed from balsawood and textured foam on a cork and DAS modelling clay base. The old mill wheel was cut from 5mm thick plastic card and textured with a scalpel.
The sails were built from wood, card and plastic card while the additional detailing came from either card of scrap wood. The main body of the mill can be turned on the post and the sails revolve on a knitting needle and pen barrel axle.
The finished windmill was painted in less intense colours than I would have usually used as I once read that Ian Weekley preferred muted colours on his wargame terrain. The base has been decorated with static grass and ground foam applied over superglue.
It was a real privileged to be asked to build a model inspired by Ian and I would hope that he would have been pleased with the finished windmill. In addition I would like to thank robh of The Lead Adventure Forum for the help that he supplied in sourcing various articles and images of Ian Weekley's models and articles.
Tony
But first I should repeat that all of the images posted this month are sketches done by me for the purposes of scratch building models for the wargame table or my narrow gauge railway layouts. I have many, many books full of such drawings and have in fact been adding to these during this month when I have been taking part in my own version of Inktober - drawing an image a day for the month of October.
This particular tower was seen on the front cover of a fantasy novel in a toy and book shop in Bruge. I spent some time studying the image while in the shop and then went outside to try and copy the tower from memory, as you can image this was not that successful. However as I stood outside with my sketchbook I saw that the same book was in fact on display in the window! This made it much easier to copy, although I sometimes wonder what the shopkeeper or passers by thought of me sketching book covers through a shop window.
I hope you have enjoyed these sketches and would welcome any comments or suggestions as to what model should be next on my schedule to build. Also if you have used any of the images to build your own wargame terrain, I would love to see them.
Happy Halloween
Tony
I have modeled similar structures in the past and many have appeared on this Blog. Like all the earlier sketches these are structures/buildings from my many reference sketch books showing model making inspiration - that I have NOT yet built.
Tony
It is copied from a small image in one of the early Warhammer Fantasy Wargame rule books. I thought it would be easy enough to model from a large cardboard tube but so far it has remained one of my many 'too-do' pieces of wargame terrain.
As with all of these October 2024 sketches - these are models I have at one stage thought about scratch building and hopefully I will get around to one day - but as the saying goes,
"So many models, so little time!"
My sketch books are a little like my own, personal paper 'Lead Mountain'.
Tony
If there is demand, I could included some of these October/Inktober drawings which have been produced with Pitt pens, Dip Pens and even a couple of Fountain Pens on this Blog, although they are sketches or ink drawings of trees, people and only a few buildings.
Happy Inktober.....
Tony
The building technique of a simple timber frame has lots of hallmarks of early German construction or 'Fachwerk houses' a style of building that I quite like and have copied or used on a number of occasions.
Tony
I do, however like the 'moody' feel of the Mork Borg illustrations and it would make an interesting Silver Bayonet style piece of terrain.
Tony
Just to recap, these sketches are of models that I have yet to build or drawings that I have at some time planned to build. I have many sketch books full of such pencil sketches and one day I might get around to modelling them, although new inspiration and models can sometimes get moved up the 'to-do' list. For example the covered well that features in Miniature Wargames issue 499 - see this link.
My scratch built model articles or tutorials that are seen in many modelling or wargaming magazines usually start off with such a sketch. I find that having a drawing to work from, even though I sometimes deviate from them, is a great starting point.
I would welcome comments and particularly suggestions as to what models I should build next.
Tony
Tony
Tony
Tony
Another tower. I have sketched quite a few and some day I will get around to modelling one (or two). This sketch was inspired by an image from the internet, a small tower built in to the side of a hill or mountain pass. I liked the timber framed upper section but I think if I were to build a model, I would need to add some additional window openings or more look outs.
A coloured pencil sketch on smooth sketch paper.
Tony
Once again, I am not pretending that this is a detailed and scaled drawing, but close enough for me and my purposes.
I already have a spare mechanism and with slight alteration, I have to widen the body slightly, it should easily hide an unmodified chassis. I would expect the model to be constructed from plastic card - my preferred material with a 1/35th scale driver donated from some military figure.
Tony
Tony
Once again it is a working drawing with loads of notes and even colouring details added in coloured pencil.
Tony
As you can clearly see it is very much a 'working' drawing with notation and modifications.
Tony
With half the month gone, it should be clear - but ALL of these images are of structures I have NOT built and remain un-used in my collection of sketch books (I have dozens). I could just as easily have had a series of sketches that I HAVE used as inspiration, maybe another month of sketches!
Tony
Cry Havoc had some fantastic 'how-to' articles and I have used both these and the tutorials as inspiration in many of my terrain builds.
Tony
Today, two sketches for the price of one.....
Both sketches were inspired by a historical pamphlet on early Scottish buildings on the Outer Hebredes and in particular a simple mill built into the side of a hill and using a vertical wheel to turn a milling stone that was situated in the upper structure.
I'm not sure how I could model this model as the building would need to be built in to a hill, but it would make a great Burrows & Badgers themed piece of terrain.
Tony
Copied from an illustration found in a book about early farm buildings.
Tony
This early sketch goes to show just how long I have been filling various sketch books with my designs.
Tony
Tony
For more information, see this link.
Tony
The sketch was done with coloured pencils - my new preferred sketching technique. I have a couple more images inspired by the same artist and look forward to scratch building terrain based on them.
It would be interesting to read which of these sketches are your favourites - but not yet as I still have a number to post - stay tuned for more images.
Tony
Maybe one day.
Tony
And now for a bit of fun.....
In a change from sketches of wargame buildings or terrain, today's sketch is circular water tower re-drawn from an illustration in Continental Railway Modeller. I have drawn the European water tower to 1/43.5 or 7mm = 1 foot (O gauge) with the intention of one day building it, but it is way too big for any of my model railway layouts and the wrong scale as I have been working in 1/35th and 1/27.7th scale.
The sketch was done in pen over pencil.
Tony
Today we have yet another roundhouse with a thatched roof. Over the years I have produced a number of similar structures from a wide variety of different materials and for games such as Pax Bochemannica, Slaine and my Pen & Sword book Wargames Terrain & Buildings North Africa but I can still find inspiration for new versions. This sketch shows another variation with rough stone walls and a canopied doorway.
This quick sketch was done with pencils.
Tony
This particular sketch is well over ten years old and although based on the iconic La Belle Alliance is way to small to be an accurate representation of this building. It would be a perfect small cottage model, similar to a number of compact model I have made for Miniature Wargames being about 6 inches long. Maybe one day I will get around to it.
I should also note that I have built models of La Belle Alliance in the past, the first was a master for Grand Manner and the second a highly modified MDF kit for my Pen & Sword book Wargame Terrain and Buildings - The Napoleonic Wars.
Tony
Some time ago, I watched a review on you tube for a game called Mork Borg, for more information, see this link. I found the illustrations in the rule book to be full of inspiration and this Demon Pump is a sketch I produced copying an illustration from the rule book.
I could imagine a similar pump either free standing or mounted alongside a large building, maybe dripping blood rather than water! I would hope that one day I will produce a model of this pump for either Flintloque or The Silver Bayonet.
Tony
Today's drawing was inspired by a simple image of a cottage that I found on the internet. The original was a rough drawn cartoon but had enough going for it to want me to re-draw it in a more realistic form. I particularly like the door and window design.
Tony
And now for something completely different.....
Regular followers of this Blog and readers of the many magazine articles I have written will know that I enjoy sketching various terrain and models prior to scratch building them for example - The Jabberwocky Tower post from last month. As you can image I have books full of sketches of these models but occasionally illustrations that have not been used as inspiration or models that are yet to be built. It is my intention to post some of these sketches during the month of October and give details of when and where the inspiration came from.
