Grubby tanks German Radio truck. (1/72)

Over the Christmas period (I forget exactly the date). Pete at the club gave me a HEAVILY undercoated Opel Blitz  radio truck that he got as part of a job lot. So he passed it on to me. And this is how it turned out.

I must say I was pleased with the result. Yes parts could have been done a little better and if I was a modelmaker I probably would have. Taken more care. None the less it has come out OK.

Here is a link (Link) to where one can be bought.

I think Peter  will be both pleased and surprised with how it has come out. While I have no current use for it. I do have plans! Ssssh say no more in case they don't come to fruition. Several previous plans have failed to materialise. Still enough of that.

All equipment in the desert in WW2 was used by all sides so it is possible this may be used as British as I have deliberately left all insignia off.

I am in 2 minds whether to put it on a base. for now I will not but do not be at all surprised if in later posts I do! I will see if I can find any suitable MDF 2mm bases at the show on Sunday.
So time will tell if this gets a base or not.

One thing I do know is that there are very few 20mm manufacturers/sellers at the show (I think just 2, but I am willing to be surprised and wrong!)

I have included 4 pics so an all round view might be achieved. It just gives it a better three dimensional look.

Looks wise I wanted it to look used and abused. So I have weathered it appropriately, after all not so many car washes in the Desert! (At least not in war time).

Thanks for looking.

For those going to Broeadside I will be taking some fudge (Made it yesterday) BUT supplies are not inexhaustible so maybe only a taster!

With luck see you there.

And if not take care and enjoy the weather/election/whatever.

All the best Clint

Planned buys at Cavalier. Wargames show.

I will not say this is a hard and fast set of spending objectives. And NOR I will I give exact details. I do want you to look again on Sunday (night) and see the swag I managed to walk away with.

This is Just CURRENT thinking. IF I see a bargain either on a trader stall or the Bring and  buy I will nab it with no regard to what is written here! So Instead some clues.

Pacific theatre of operations.  Some troops to fight Graham. Possibly turning into a campaign MUCH later in the year!

Rogue Stars.
Yes it will be Science Fiction in 28mm and yes it will be able to fit with existing figures. This is the most open category, and the one I am most likely to sway away from and towards a slightly different thing. Partially it depends on the traders there o the day and what they are selling.  But I would expect to come back with something! I know in MY HEAD, but it may well change wen I get there. Partially it will depend on if 2nd City Games is there, as he does tend to carry some interesting second hand figures.

Yes it flies and is old! NO it is not my dreams hopes and ambitions. (You cheeky blighter!). The Markings "might" be an indication of what I am thinking nationality wise. And yes I am deliberately keeping it obscure. Some bright spark will know though of that I am sure. All I will say for sure is some troops with which to fight Matt.


It is unlikely but I will also be after some WW2 ships. Not any old ships but Japanese and American that fought in te pacific theatre. I must admit this is the least likely. I very rarely see ships being sold at a show. 90% of traders are selling ground related items. So this may be a scouting the Bring and buy more than anything (and avoiding over priced space marines!)


Well those are my plans for the show at least as far as spending is concerned. I will show you what I come back with tomorrow when I return

57mm RR and crew in 20mm

Yes one more very slight addition to my Vietnam Conflict project. I really need to get some games with that project this year. Anyway today is a 57mm Recoilless Rifle with three crew.

While the dead figure is by SHQ, (He had been waiting on my painting table for a good 6 months) all the rest are by Britannia. I bought the crew thinking the RR would be included but  it was not. I remember thinking at the time. "Cor! that's a bargain" not realising the Recoilless Rifle was not included. LOL It all makes sense now.

Anyway I went to the 57mm as opposed to a larger calibre as my US troops are not overly blessed with armour, yes I do have some M113's and a Patton but this level of support should be rare on the table top. As a consequence Viet Minh Anti tank should be equally rare. Britannia do make a larger gun but this was much more common and the 57mm while heavy enough to carry through a jungle would be easier.

The crew  consist of a spotter, who could also be an officer, a loader and one other. Giving a 3 man crew. All mounted on separate bases in case the gun or the crew take hits and can no longer fight and have to be removed.

The basing is very simple as well. Starting with a 2mm thick MDF base just coated with sand and painted a cheap acrylic brown. Clumps of static grass and bristles from a wall papering brush make up the reeds. Simple yet effective. And one wall paper brush lasts an age. I have so far managed to do 1 15mm FOW Parachute company and both the US and the Viet minh in 20mm (1/72nd scale) and still have about 1/4 of the brush unused. So considering the brush was only 99p (at the time) a very quick and easy basing product.

I am not saying this is my Vietnam project finished, but I think it is for now at the least.

Thanks for looking today and I hope you are having a fantastic weekend!


All the best Clint

A slow boat to china (ok the Mekong Delta)

 The last bonus round on the Analogue painting challenge was "Nautical". As I had set myself the challenge of not buying figures for the challenge but instead trying (but not succeeding) to reduce the lead mountain. I submitted my latest item for my Vietnam figures. The picture gives it away of course but Britannia/Grubby Tanks do a "Sampan!" So here it is in all its glory. I do have very little use for a Sampan as Most of the scenarios I want to play are in country and I am not planning any "Brown Water navy" antics. However I had it sitting here doing nothing so get it painted and submitted for the bonus round.


Britannia do a few other US Vietnam vessels but this (as far as I know) is the only Civil Vietnam boat they do. When I say Civil Vietnam vessel I do of course mean "Target of Opportunity" as I know how many US players will take great delight in destroying something new. Just so they can say that they killed it!

I was going to paint the water brown, but as all my river sections are BLUE it just made more sense to go with the blue water.

The model was a 2 piece casting a white metal crewman and engine and a resin cast hull. A very simple paint job all colours taken from the picture at the bottom which is either fishing or trading. But during the conflict they might just as readily been ferrying supplies or people to the Viet Minh bases to fight the US troops. So they were treated with some degree of caution.

As with all things they did come in a variety of sizes and colours and even shapes. But I just wanted a typical Sampan with nothing outrageous. they were used all over the SE Asia area and have been used (without engines) for centuries.

That is it for today. Thanks for looking and

Bonus round (Epic Fail)

I did come up with several ideas for an epic fail, unfortunately they all revolved around me spending money or making a diorama. Both of which I had decided not to do.

Instead I started to assemble and paint a medevac helicopter. But that took to long and I did not finish it.

So instead I just put in a US soldier from Vietnam covered in a grown sheet as they did with the dead until they could be taken back to camp.

very simple to paint and rather than just miss out I submitted this as an epic fail.

very quick, very simple and easy to get finished. But at the same time although a little dark in subject a Total Epic Fail as far as I am concerned.

The figure is a Grubby Tanks/Britannia model in 20mm (1/72nd scale) and is part of the helicopter medevac set. (More of those in a few  days)

Thanks for looking and more in 2 days.

All the best Clint 

SELWG LOOT

Sorry for the lack of posts. They have been because I was doing something I cannot tell you about. Ok OK I'll spill! I was asked to paint a figure for someone and not tell anyone what it might be. As they will receive next weekend I will very likely post pics then or soon thereafter.

Well the picture says it all. Here is what I got. But most importantly the physical side is not as important as the joy of meeting other bloggers and other people in the wargames community. You can expect blogs of the show from the following bloggers, Tamsin (Link to blog!), Ray (Link to Blog) , Big Lee of the sore shins (Link to his blog ) Whispering Al (You guessed it another blog link.) as well as many more as well and I am sure they will do a very good show report.

So what did I buy, from top left to bottom right-

• 4 28mm Collie Dogs. you can never have enough dogs in a game. From Col Bill stand.
• 1 belt fed miniature that I am painting for Louise.... but she wants no pics just yet! Again from Colonel Bills.
• 1 20mm Huey medevac crew from Grubby tanks You may recall that I picked up a spare Huey at the Skirmish show. Now you know what it will be!
• 1 20mm Sampan again for my Vietnam collection as I have no brown water stuff at all (until now) Again from Grubby tanks.
• 2 28mm scare crows from Crooked Dice. Part impulse buy, part frostgrave constructs. I may not have another enchanter!

So as you can see quite a small haul. But after paying for fuel entrance and food and drinks (OK fizzy pop and sweets!) not much change from £45.

I did not take many pics of the day, but will put them up tomorrow.
Cheers for now Clint

50mm Mortar and crew.

Yep another post.
Today a 50mm Vietnamese local militia force Mortar and 2 crew. The Figurers are from Britannia and quite well sculpted and cast.. Nothing special, but these two just round out my Vietnam Collection. I only have 2 helicopters crew and then I really am all ready to go. We can always keep adding to collections and I am sure I will in years to come, but for now I am just about done. As the Helicopters will mostly be making very short visits to the table and I want to do them for the next Analogue painting challenge!

These two are 20mm (or 1/72 if you prefer). And with that back to painting VBCW figures for Matt. And colonial figures for Pete. (Both Club Members)

SO until next time, have fun and take care.
All the very best Clint.