Sometime you need to try something NEW

What 2 blog posts in 2 days, has he gone MORE insane ? well the answer is quite possibly! Yesterday I received a parcel.  Not a huge surprise I had sent for one from this company .butlersprintedmodels  I was expecting it and to be frank it was not a company I knew about or had heard of. But I thought "Why Not?" so I sent for some samples. The company had kept me informed so I knew the parcel was dispatched and in the hands of Royal Mail. For those of you who do not know Butlers Printed Models make wargaming pieces on a 3d Printer. They mostly do 20th century vehicles and NOT figures. But I would suggest they are worth checking out. I know I am glad I did. Anyway here are my samples and 1 model cleaned up and primed.

Delivery was very prompt. I ordered late Thursday night and it arrived on Wednesday morning after a bank holiday. Everything is well wrapped and I am confident other deliveries to me will be equally swift.

All prices are correct at time of publication.

Samples:

1 T72 A (Mk I believe). £4.40. 2 Parts. A Standard Soviet main battle tank still seen in 2nd rate units and in satellite nations. BUT for cold war 1980s perfect! This 15mm model was simple to assemble (der the turret goes on the hull) and required next to no work. Apart from paint this tank can be played with straight from delivery. This is deffinitley on further shopping lists as I shall need 1 or 2 more at least to start.

 1 SA13 "Gopher!" Again 15mm and again £4.40. Obviously it comes in 3 parts, and requires some assembly and cleaning up. I have not started it yet but I have high hopes. I needed (I thought) some air-defence and this made a pleasant change from the Zvezda Shilkas . Cost wise it is cheaper and I suspect more robust. Although on the last point time will be the judge.


1BRDM 2 Armoured car. 15mm and just 2 pieced. This required a little more cleaning up. That said the company DO have a video on Youtube and instructions on their website so do not be afraid, you can do it with a little time and effort. More of this model later.

 1 SDKFZ 7 with  quad 20mm (to scale) AA guns. This is ww2 german. It comes in a choice of variants, it come in at £4.13,. I went for the unarmoured deployed option. Of the medels I got this needs the most work but I am hopeful it shall be straight forward and easy. NONE of the vehicles comes with crew but that is an easy fix I suspect. (Looking into it today). Again 15mm and for the price well worth the sligh hassle of cleaning up.

 1 BA 3 Russian armoured car. THIS IS 1/200th or 10mm) I changed scale for 2 reasons. firstly this is for my Spanish Civil War wargames. This cost £2.20 again it comes in a variety so just read abut and then order the one you want. There is tidying up to do but nothing that should put a serious wargamer or modeller off. It most definitely does not put me off. It is about 1/2 the price of a similar Pendraken one so fill your boots!

With the exception of the BA3 armoured car all the models shown are 15mm (or 1/100) for wargaming purposes. BEFORE odering I would watch the Vidio the company has on youtube. ALSO be aware that as they are 3d printed perfect curves are NOT going to happen. But if you can get past that they are great wargames models.

As I only have wargames vehicles that is the only criteria I use to judge them. That side they are perfectly good for wargaming. And as that is what I want I shall order more.

Yeah but I don't play 15mm. Well good news they also make them in 20m and 28mm (but the price as expected does increase. So have a look and you may see what you are looking for. Afterall what have you got to loose.

BRMD2 Armoured Car.

Firstly it took about 10-15mins to clean up. So I would suggest make a cuppa before you start. The Plastic cuts easily ad with a scalpel (no 11 blade if that makes a difference to  you, it makes very little difference to me). I did find the model light so added an MDF base. Although it should not get eaily moved on the table really. To me though a base finishes it off nicely.

 There are only 2 parts so a very quick internet search (If you have NO common sense) will show you how it should look when finished. There really is very little to it. I am confident you will do a good job. It is worth highlighting that there is no accurate curves and they are instead made up of little steps. But the steps are so small that a layer or two if  paint will reduce them dramatically.  As wargaming pieces go you will already have dealt with bigger metal flash issues.

Overall I am impressed and will paint it tonight but expect no issues. I am already planning my next order and maybe get some larger scales to try out. But generally I would buy some items from this company (If you have a reason to) and make the judgement for yourself. I have and I like them

All the best Clint

Pulp Alley started!

I have spent the last few days thinking (No jokes about "burning dust" please!).At the club we do have one player (Peter) who plays Pulp Alley at another club! So I know we are not totally adverse to the idea. (Some people will be no matter what  while others embrace the idea!) Anyway over the last few days I have been thinking we should play "Pulp Alley" at the club. But what kind of PULP I hear you scream in my head. Now there is the rub (misquote Shakespear). I want to do Dieselpunk. BUT I am away from doing this at present just because it will take some time.

So what about Western Pulp? Now I think it is a good idea. There is PLENTY of precedence for Western pulp. (Just do a very quick internet search if in doubt). And for this I am READY TO GO. I have about 75-100 painted figures and a model western town. So a standard western game is a possibility! A good and strong possibility.

BUT knowing that Peter (as mentioned above has a Vampire league (I know as I painted it for him) I was thinkin Wild West Horror!

So That is the plan now. Some of you I can tell are delighted.  This also allows other club members with amore historical bent to play  straight cowboys and Indians. (Should they choose, and some will). So I have now started to convert some of the wild west setting to more Horrific than normal.

Ghost town.

OK where to start.  I have started with  a derelict house. Yes this a pre-cut MDF building. (Sarrissa I think). I shall get some more and make them for my Ghost Town (in my head I am calling the town "Bitter-Creek!" but that is  subject to change. ) Anyway the Ghost town does not need many buildings. I think 5-6 is enough As "Pulp alley" is played o a 3' by 3' table and we are not looking for a metropolis!

 While I only have 1 building finished at this stage. I shall add more in the next few weeks.  I already have 2 more to add but at present they are still wrapped and pristine.

My "Pulp Alley rules!

Additionally I have 2 packs of Foundry cowboy Zombies (painted), so they are ready to go. Add the figures from "Draculas America!" and I have enough of a selection to get me going until a player wants something odd.... which is probably straight away!


Currently on the painting table

• 3 Wild west Mexicans in 28mm.
• 1 platoon of 6mm Middle-east Modern troops with transport. (BMP1s or BTR 70s not sure yet)
• 1 unit of 15mm Buffalo Soldiers (9th or 10 Cavalry) Then this force is finished.
• 1 squad of 15mm cold war Russians.  (Just starting these.
• Anything I get side-tracked onto!

Ok just a building finished for today. I am still struggling to get back into painting!

All the best Clint.

A Week has past!

Good Grief a whole week! I am slipping and big time! Yes the wargaming MOJO has gone Yes the painting Mojo has GONE.

Trying to get it back I have painted a few things. Here is an Alternative Armies 15mm Scout bike! not brilliant but as it had been waiting about 15-20 years a relief to get done. No I am still not happy with it but at least it is finished and can (for now) join the other 15mm sci fi figures. Yes I still have some to get done. (Several posts, most for the aliens but at least 1 for the French Foreign Legion (in space).

The "lump" to the left is an old unused part of a robot, but it makes good scatter terrain if nothing else. And it was quick to paint  and easy to finish.

Cold War update. Slowly getting my head around it. in 15mm I shall start on the Russian/soviet force first as that is what I have bought. Sent off for some more stuff as well from an unknown (to me ) company and I hope it will arrive in the week. Assuming it does, happy days and I can start>

Until next time take care good luck and I shall try to FORCE myself to paint as well.
All the best Clint

Most things arrive at once!

Yes I had a spend. NO the Crooked  Dice items have not arrived. But here is what I did get!

First to arrive. (but I was out and had to pick up from the post office today was "OIL WAR". The  supplement for Team Yankee. I have yet to read it  but I am already thinking 6mm when I buy some infantry (that and a few aircraft should be all I need). Maybe a few extra tanks but not as many or as diverse as you might think.

The Force on Force rules are an old set and now as rare as Hens Teeth. That  aside I feel they will make the best use of "The Zone" books by James Rouch.

OKAY so what figures to use. Ehrm 15mm I think! I was hung up un 20mm for a long time but then I discovered TT Gauge model railways and while the buildings are expensive I feel they could be worth the effort! So to try it out I went and bought some vehicles.

And some figures. I suspect the infantry to be Plastic Soldier Company 15mm modern Russian. Anyway bought yesterday from Cavalier Books and arrived lunch time today. And as service goes you cannot beat that.


I also went to my local Games shop and bought a Zvezda Hind. And although this is supposedly a tad small for 100th scale is close enough

While there I purchased a box of Russian vehicles.  5 T64s and 2 BMPS The BMPs can either be mk 1 or mk 2 perhaps very simply with a turret swap. I wil need to open the box and have a look, but fingers crossed!

I also bought a new paint brush. Fingers crossed it will allow me to paint better!
Finally as an impulse buy (or  is it) I got a Wargames Terrain Workshop post apoc car A. Maybe I already have a use for it and maybe it is a gift for a friend! I shall let you Know when the time is right.

Another gift for a friend.
Nuff said  for now but fingers crossed.

D Troop (15mm Pony wars/wild west!)

Here is my latest unit of VETERAN 9th/10th cavalry for Peter pigs "Western" rules.
Yes only 6 bases. (The maximum for a Veteran unit) so not a large unit by any stretch of the imagination.

The models are "Alternative Armies" 15mm figures. Old Table top Games. I used these not because they are the best but simple because they will fit in with the rest of the troops.

The unit consists of Leader (20 points) and 5 bases of Cavalry (Mounted, long shooter) Veteran figures. (12points  each base) for a total of 68 points for the unit!

Which considering you are allowed 300points in your farce is quite a large proportion.  I just hope the veteran status is worth the points.

Elsewhere I continue to work on my airship/zeppelin. More of this when it has dried a bit.
 So with luck more soon.

Also had an email from Crooked Dice my Kickstarter is now ready for payment. I paied as fast as I could so with luck an UNBOXING next week. Unless I have seen far to many of them on blogs before I receive it!

Until then, take care, have fun and paint IF you get the chance. See you later Clint

Gasbag (zepelin 2)

Yes I know my work bench needs a tidy.

It takes a while and it goes a long time through what I call "The NASTY stage". By that I mean a time of construction where you think it will not get better and it is worth scrapping it! BUT rest assured I shall continue.

At present I am only working on the gas bag. Yes it is not historically accurate. It is a model for wargames and not for a museum. So Who cares?

the basic shape

At this stage I have given it 3 layers of paint/glue and tissue to build up the skin. It is too big to paint in one go for It has to be done in layers.  At present I am repainting with a mixture of paint an glue not settled on a colour just yet but I am hoping/planning a dirty beige!

All I care about at this stage is the look and while I realise a 3 year old would destroy it in second I am hopeful (but only just) that it will be strong enough for wargamers.  I plan for it to have 2 or preferably 3 more coats of paint and glue. By which time it may be strong enough. Which of course mean not even close to strong enough.

Rear end (so far)

The read is always awkward. And being as it has 5 lumps maybe doubly so. Fins, rudder and ailerons need to be added at the next stage and will be discussed then. So at this stage not really to much more to say mostly it is do 15 mins work and return the following day. With luck I should have more to talk about next Zeppelin update.

Until then paint  and blog if you can and I shall get more out next time..

All the best Clint

Just a very brief post today, as most things are drying.

I have managed to finish 2 of these figures. They are 15mm Alternative armies and to make the unit complete and finish. Just 2 cavalry I am afraid. But they add to the unit command and as such round the whole unit out.

I am still a long way from finishing the army. well not such a long way really. That aside it does finish another unit. Strictly speaking it should have a letter A-I on the flag. (J was used for John troop which was usually a recruiting troop so the troops were not fully trained! Or so I am led to believe, but take that with a pinch of salt as it is only what I have been told so may not be true at all.

As yet I have not decided if they will be 10th or 9th cavalry. Both of which were (I believe) called "Buffalo soldiers" by the Indians and both (again so I am told) had white officers!

I do have another small unit started so they will be along soon.


Complete Unit

 ELSEWHERE:

Ok the airship/zeppelin is currently drying and with luck I shall get another coat on this afternoon and allow it to dry overnight. Expect me to be saying that a lot!

6mm Cold war. been buying but not painting but expect that to change very soon. Once post arrives.



Pulp Zepplin (1)

Additional Stretch goals

I had a sleepless night last night. (Not though choice I hasten to add!) As such I did some thinking. (Yes it  did hurt and I am sick of listening to the worlds smallest violin before you ask!) Anyway Long story short. I had an email from Karl at Crooked Dice to let me know that my Kickstarter should be ready to ship in a week or 2. As all the stretch goals are now finished and delivered to his home.

Starting Point

Anyway as I wanted to build a "PULP" board any way I decided to start. And what is more Pulp than an Airship!?  What a Zeppelin? Who in their right mind build a Zeppelin? The answer is NO ONE! But I thought it was worth a try anyway! I decided it would not be all that large, So swigging down the Pepsi I figured 2 2 litre bottles would make a good enough "hull" (I am sure that HULL is the wrong word but until I think of it HULL will do!)


 Needed a nose of some description. So I simply cut a pimg pong ball in half! I am sure there is a better option but I just went with what I had! As with the hull I am sure there is a MUCH better option but I could not wait for that. I NEEDED to crack on!








So using some UHU general addehisive I stuck 2 Pepsi bottles together.  At this stage I have no idea if it will work but am hopeful! It is now about 3 foot long. Judging that to be sufficient I stopped there. At this stage it is all pretty rough but with scissors glue a scalpel and a saw I am not overwhelmed! (That comes tomorrow!).

This afternoon allowing PLENTY of time to dry I shall give it a skin. I ran to the local store (A tescos as it happens) and bought some cheap Kitchen towel. So I will detail my endevours later on maybe Sunday.

Now while I wait for this afternoon to arrive and me to get a little more spare time I have some questions about Zeppelins. I promise not hard ones.

Firstly the engines and bomb rack will be external to the gondola! But what else would you like to see in the gondola.  I shall put a cockpit and Matt has suggested some machineguns. But what else is needed bearing in mind it shall be quite small? Please add serious ideas to the comments and I will see what I can manage!

COLD WAR WARGAMING.
As mentioned last time I plan some cold war wargaming. With a bit of tidying up I have a modular desert board. So it makes sense to me to work in a middle east setting. I shall say no more until I get the basics done. But remember you heard it here first! Or forget all about it if you choose.

Oppps i did it again!

NO not a song but feel free to hum it while you read!

Okay the problem. Myself and the club has a LOT of 6mm Cold War era stuff. (mostly Vehicles) that we do not use. So what I am proposing is not a new idea. Very simply it is using these rules (yes I know I like Challenger!!) and swapping scale. Very simply this will allow almost All the club members to participate. Even those player with nothing! If you have nothing you will be lent enough to get you started, although probably a company or two and NOT what you want!

That said I think there is enough Soviet/American and British stuff that can be used that has been "donated" to the club in the past. But if you want something quite obscure you will be on tour own.

The idea is that eventually and this is a LONG way down the road we have enough to play "The Zone!". That may not actually happen But the Idea is there. The next stage is to read the rules and pick a setting! Yes a setting. That will depend on what players want! They may want West Germany (Fudal Gap) Which is the classic Cold war/ Zone setting but  they may well want Canada/Alaska (Shortest route) or even Arab Isreali wars. Only time will tell. And to some extent I shall leave it to them.

Until next time all the best Clint.
Post script: I am supposed to be painting some of my figures but it went wrong. So if I can pull it back they may be next time or the time after.

Three little (well big actually) robot walkers

I have waited for the Salute hubbub to die down. It will not be out of everyone's minds yet, nor would I wish
 
it to be. Personally I am in a wargames limbo at the moment  with lots started and little finished and absolutely NO desire to paint at all.

So I selected 2 old models and painted them for my 15mm sci fi Alien force. While 3 are in the pics the one on the left was already painted and has been seen on the blog before.

These are Brigade Models (LINK) old 15mm figures. So old They no longer have them on the web site. Yeah well forget that as I have some! And am determined to paint them.  So I have 3 of these now and they are actually an easy paint! (Yippee!)

Elsewhere on the painting table I have some 28mm "Wild west" figures. Which I really do need to get done. AND some 15mm US cavalry that I really do need to get done. So those 2 projects are in the works! I shall most likely do the 28mm Wild west next as they are most of the way done. But be warned I may just skip back to 15mm Sci Fi, It's the kind of logic I have at the moment! Or just to be perverse some 1980's 6mm figs that I am umming and ahrring about. You are warned.

Until then all the best  Clint

Sci fi heavy weapons 15mm

Just a quick post of the Astragar heavy weapons. They are of course 15mm Critical Mass Games . At present I have just 1 of these my dilemma (although dilemma is far to dramatic word) is Do I a] have one with each squad or b] have them as separate things. I do have enough APCs to do either so that is not an issue.  It is just that I have an option in the "gruntz" rules and have no idea what will be best. Squad support or a weapons Squad. There are advantages to both approaches. and also drawbacks. Finally I could do both! Doing both seems wrong but I just do not know at this stage.

If you play "Gruntz" and actually know what plays best I would be delighted to know. If you don't play "Gruntz!" (probably most of you still feel free to comment and I shall take it from their.

Finally started some more 15mm vehicles so with luck the next post will be on Sunday.


Until then take care and paint if you get the chance. All the Best Clint

The Hills are alive!

Firstly a repaint. If I knew  what I was doing a re-paint would not be nessercary as I would have bought the right thing to begin with!

Back in February I purchased these 2 hills from "the Scene" in a desert colour! Why desert well I was going to do western desert PBI (by Peter Pig). All that has gone out of the window so these have now been re-painted. They will still remain for PBI but now I am concentrating on the Pacific! (Both 14th (forgotten) army as well as Japanese and American.) As the Pacific islands tend to have "shallow" hills and not steep ones (yes I know there are exceptions) re-painting seemed to be an obvious step.

So now 2 re-purposed hills ready for action. Which is all good as far as I am concerned.




Ok now for the pre-salute orders.  Firstly the Crooked Dice kickstarter has finished. So with luck I shall have those before the end of the year. This is very likely and I can start the new year with some "!Pulp" shenanigans! At this stage I am most keen on the monkey idol scenery piece! I am already looking to use that 2 years hence so the chances are we will all have forgotten about it by then.

Elsewhere my Alternative armies Order has arrived so I can sort out my Peter Pig cavalry army for "Wild west!" As mentioned  previously I am doing 9th or 10th Cavalry AKA Buffalo Soldiers. I really think this would be a grand Ammerican TV series as they fought bravely and are often (at least in the UK) overlooked.