The Hobbit - on audio cassette tapes

I recently had to repair my Mother-in-Laws personal cassette player (she likes to listen to audio books - the ones on old fashioned cassettes which Sue and I pick up for her from charity shops). Having repaired hers, I thought I would try to repair my own cassette player - it has not worked for ages.

I spent about 30 minutes cleaning and making sure all the rollers were in place and tested it with this 4 cassette audio book - The Hobbit. I had intended to just check if it was working properly, but ended up listening to all four cassettes and really enjoying it.

Over the years, I have listened to a number of audio books (on cassette and CD) while down my shed-at-the-bottom-of-the-garden making or painting models. I find them the perfect accompaniment, well that and Radio 5 Live - the sports radio station.

Not much more to add - a great little story tape, one that I really enjoyed.

Tony

Darker Horizons from Miniature Wargames

I recently picked up this magazine from e-bay. Darker Horizons was a one-off publication by Atlantic Publishers - the publishers of Miniature Wargames. The magazine is a 52 page standard format layout and published in Winter 2011 with a cover price of £4.25. Until quite recently DH was featured on the Atlantic Publishing Home page, see this link.

Until I saw this mag. on e-bay, I thought that Darker Horizons was a planned publication. I had not realised that there had actually been a printed copy! Silly me.

The first illustration shows the cover and the second the contents page. for more detail you can 'click' on the image for a larger view.

This introduction was written by Andrew Hubback (editor) and Dave Clubmember. Once again you can 'click' on the image for a larger view and a great read.

(Images taken from the Internet for review purposes only and used without permission - should there be a problem, I can and will remove them)

With the decision of Atlantic Publishing to re-launch Miniature Wargames with Battlegames under the new editor Henry Hyde, the DH title will remain in-house for possible and future Sci-Fi themed publications.

I have not yet read the magazine from cover-to-cover, but the articles I have read have been well worth the bidding cost and postage.

I regret that at this moment there is no traditionally published Sci-Fi/Fantasy focused magazine like DH, with Ragnarok (SFSFW) being published on an ad-hoc basis and others like The Ancible being downloadable only. In the current economic climate I would suggest that there are few brave enough to take a chance on launching such a publication.

For further comments see this post.

Tony

Russian Church

Continuing with my plan to highlight some of my older terrain pieces I have chosen this huge Russian Church. Which I built nearly twenty years ago.

The model is one of my largest pieces of terrain standing nearly 18inches (450mm) tall. The main structure is foam-card with plain card cladding and DAS modelling clay roof tiles. The golden dome was scratch-built by constructing a card skeleton and then wrapping masking tape around the form before cladding with newspaper scraps and uPVA glue.

The building is unusual in my collection, being built on a cardboard base rather than plastic card or MDF.

I based the building on a small 15mm Russian Church that I saw in a model shop in France. I was able to make some sketches and then built the model on my return to the UK. Just in case it is not obvious - the model is a solid construction, no lift-off roof. While the colour scheme was inspired by a small painting from the Russian artist and illustrator Ivan Bilibin.

The miniatures are Alternative Armies, Bog Orc Zombies from the 1st Moldsk Guard (LEU02). See this link.

The images are taken in shaded sunlight on my flock-covered gaming board with a large holiday brochure poster as a backdrop.

Tony

40mm Sharpe and Harper - part two

I have mounted both figures on to a short section of old paintbrush with a dab of superglue. 

Photo One - The Sharpe miniatures has had the right arm completely re-modelled and the expose joint filled with green stuff. As I stated in the first post - the original casting had a very strange right arm that if connected as intended would have looked very awkward.

Photo Two - Harper has had some additional green stuff added to his otherwise thin legs.

Photo Three - I have spray painted the models with a GW Skull White 'rattle-can' taking care to ensure that there is not a build up of paint which might hide the beautifully sculpted detail.

You can also see how the re-modelled right arm is now in a more natural position.

Photo Four - The undercoated Harper

Photo Five - Prior to starting the painting, proper - I have given the miniatures a light wash of Badab Black from GW. I wanted to exaggerate the sculpting to make it easier to paint.

Photo Six - It is unusual for me to paint over a White undercoat, preferring either Black or very dark Brown. The Black wash was my attempt at a compromise.

I think it is apparent from these images, just how very well sculpted this pair of figures are. Jim Bowen had done a fantastic job of capturing the features and uniforms of these iconic characters.

In part three, finally some coloured paint!

Tony

Magazines from Japan

This week I received this brace of Japanese model making magazines from my daughter who has just returned from a short trip to Japan.

Just in case it is not obvious, both are in Japanese, however I find that I can follow the step-by-step articles without any difficulty. Of the two I think Model Art is the better, not by much, but with wider subject matter and an easier to follow format the Model Art magazine had greater appeal for me.

This is not the first time I have received such model making books and magazines from the Far East. I am always fascinated to see how the hobby is taken so seriously in this part of the world. (Although with Japanese schoolgirls climbing over a 1/48th scale Hetzer, maybe seriously is not the right word!)

Model Art - number 868 May 2013
The main feature was on reproducing baremetal finishes on different scale aircraft.

Armour Modelling - number 162 April 2013
Included a couple of interesting step-by-step articles on mainly WW2 subjects.

Tony

The Pledge for May 2013

Towards the middle of April I was looking around to see which set of models I would choose for my May 2013 On-Line Build and Pledge. The obvious answer was a group of Flintloque RifleOrcs and I had started to plan both the models, the background story and the colour scheme I would use.

However as I have already posted - on the 9th of April, Jim Bowen, figure sculptor and miniature painter died suddenly and I decided that I would paint up this pack of Sharpe and Harper from the Graven Images 40mm range of figures sculpted by Jim. (Nap001) For more details see this post.

Photo One - The unopened blister pack has sat untouched for some time. I believe that the pack was picked up from e-Bay.

Photo Two - A close up of the two figures still in the blister.

Photo Three - The models come as a three part kit, Harper is a single casting and Sharpe as a two part. The right arm and sword of Sharpe are a very strange casting and during the build this component was heavily modified.

Photo Four - Sharpe. A beautiful, crisp casting full of fine detail and character.

Photo Five - Harper, another fine metal casting, but again I needed to add some Green Stuff to thicken out both legs.

It is my intention to mount both figures on to a small display base or vignette, possibly with some stone wall or gabion feature. I have been searching through my store of suitable bases (or sockets) and so far I have not found an ideal base. I might have to scratch-build one.

I believe this pack is quite rare and a collectors item. I will be trying to paint it as a display model with as much care as I can muster.

More to follow.

Tony

Trash Bash 2013 - The Computer Mouse Battle

Full details and rules of this years Trash Bash competition are now available here. Last year I built an entry - the Imperial French Aeronef le Louis Daguerre, for full details see this post.

I am still undecided as to whether I will enter this year - for one thing, I don't have a computer mouse.

Check out the links and the fantastic entries from last year - they are very inspirational - scratch-building at its very best.

Good luck to all who enter.

Tony