A lucky magazine find

This issue of Narrow Gauge & Industrial Railway Modelling Review was picked up in a second hand store for just 50p. The reason it was so cheap is that the cover has become loose, but the magazine contents were all in good order and I'm sure I can repair the damage.

A second hand issue No. 55 would normally go for around £5.00 - if you could find it as the magazine is rarely found on e-bay.

The contents were a great read while flying to Pisa, Italy on a short city-break holiday.

Tony

The Spanish Aeronef - Miniature Wargames issue 481

Issue 481 of Miniature Wargames ((May 2023) features an article written by me showing how I scratch built this Spanish Aeronef for use in my re-imagined Battle of Lepanto using huge steam driven, lighter than air Skyships to re-fight this encounter in a Victorian Science Fiction 'What-if'.

The model used the drop tank from a 1/32nd scale Tornado fighter jet and loads of scrap plastic to built a steam driven Aeronef. The model was painted with standard acrylics and mounted on to a scratch built flying base.

The image above shows the Spanish Skyship alongside one of my Ottoman Empire Dirigibles (or Digs). Full details can be found in the magazine or by searching MW issue 481. Or click here.

Tony

The Machinists Tool Chest - part two

Following on from my earlier post (see this link) I spent the weekend cataloguing and cleaning the contents. The first image shows lathe drills (they have a different tapered shaft from normal drill bits). As you can see I have quite the collection and after cleaning they all look to be in perfect condition. Any standard drill bits were cleaned and added to my tool box.

Image two shows more lathe tools, this time cutting bits. I had quite a few more but here is a selection of the bits, the larger ones were much longer and covered with a protective copper coating.

Image three shows a selection of spanners, the large SNAIL BRAND spanner is over 8 inches long and very heavy. It was marked a 1930's date and there were also military markings on some of the others.

Here you can see the SNAIL BRAND markings and a second with ABINGDON stamped on the shaft. All of the spanners (and rulers are Imperial, with no Metric markings at all).

These tiny spanners are just over 1 inch long and both had military markings from the 1950's.

The final image shows a spanner multi-tool which after cleaning up and oiling works perfectly.

There are lots more tools that need sorting and cleaning (I'm going for a cleaned up look rather than a full 'gleaming' restoration) and I will give more details as and when I get around to it. The Machinists Chest will need quite a bit of restoration and a new front, so will take a little longer.

The Machinists Chest - the gift that just keeps giving.....

Tony

Flintloque/Silver Bayonet cross over - part forty one

The miniatures were painted and varnished before I added some static grass tufts to the bases to finish them off. I think they are perfect as a Silver Bayonet group - A Demon gentleman with his Goblin retinue and I can't wait to see how they behave on the table top.

Tony

Flintloque/Silver Bayonet cross over - part forty

The first real colour on these miniatures was the flesh areas which were picked out and highlighted with a home-made Snakebite Leather mix and white. Subsequent highlighting was done by adding more white to the palette.

The clothes were painted in subdued colours with just one or two highlights. I wanted a more muted colour scheme with these minis. I have used a touch of wash over the flesh areas to define the sculpted detail.

For most of the painting I have used either a Rosemary & Co. Sable/Synthetic mix brush or a GW detail brush as I find it is better for the really fine detailing such as eyes and teeth.

More to follow.

Tony

Flintloque/Silver Bayonet cross over - part thirty nine

With the figures based and the groundwork textured, I undercoated the models with a grey spray-can primer which helped to unify the group.

Next, I gave the six models a basecoat of dark brown acrylic paint which was then lightened to give a Zenithal-style finish and help to highlight the sculpted detail.

In the past this basecoat would have been pure black, but I have adjusted my painting style to be less stark and I now find the dark brown base with highlights to give a better painted finish.

More to follow.

Tony

Flintloque/Silver Bayonet cross over - part thirty eight

It has been some time since I posted about my Flintloque/Silver Bayonet cross over project but a recent visit to The West Midlands Military Show (See earlier posts) saw me pick up a blister pack of The Silver Bayonet Goblins (TSB011) and combining them with the Demon Gentleman (Alternative Armies) meant I could now work on a new group of themed miniatures.

The Goblins were mounted on to 1p coins and the Demon on to a 2p coin. The groundwork was built up with Terracotta Milliput and then further textured with sieved stones and sand applied over PVA glue. The image below shows the group ready for undercoating or priming.

The figures have been used straight from the box with no alterations or modifications (a rare occurrence for me) as I was looking forward to the painting of this group - I have had the AA Demon for a couple of years and been wondering how I could use him. With this group of Goblins I now have a leader and his diminutive followers all ready for action in a game of The Silver Bayonet.

More to follow.

Tony