Camp life ACW style

                                Camp life American Civil War Style

I built a couple of bases for my ACW collection a few years back, so after finishing up the Union Artillery that sat for a couple of years half finished it inspired me to start taking an interest in previous projects. 

The tents are from Renedra which is really what inspired it all, I added the pole on the tent with a open front. I may possibly of converted the opening slightly but it that's long ago I honestly cant remember. The canopy over the cooks set up is foil strung across cocktail sticks, I added a lot of converted bits and pieces. 

I used some resin parts I picked up ages ago, they are mainly the sacks, crates and barrels. I tried to add bits for realism, the spares canteen hung up. The rope and even some fresh carrots to help feed the troops. Pots, pans and cooking equipment are from Dixons wild west range. The figures are all Dixon Miniatures, some conversions are mixed in to try and add a bit of realism and movement to the scene. 

The view from the back of the tents! 

Cook serving up coffee, the figures suit the scene perfectly. The cooks had a head swap just to add that bit more Civil War feel. The metalwork over the fire is bent copper rod, the fire itself is from the Renedra tent set. The wood pile is cut up bits of balsa wood with a plastic axe added for good measure. 

Not the best photo but the guy stood with the rabbit is yet again a conversion. The fire is scratch built from small stones and the good old balsa wood off cuts. The drum is from the spares box and the folded up shell jacket is a green stuff addition. Boxes, barrels and crates! What kind of camp would it be without these items. There are lots of bits and pieces that have come together to try and add that bit of extra interest to my collection. 

There are still bits I want to add but only time will tell if it happens! 

So thanks for looking 

   Cheers for now Russ

Dixon Miniatures Union Artillery

                     Dixon Miniatures ACW Union Artillery 

These figures have sat half finished for longer then they should of, despite thinning my collection is still have a few bits and pieces laying around either painted, half painted or organised into regiments waiting to be painted. 

Artillery is something I've always avoided painting, the same with guns and limbers. It could be me just been lazy and avoiding it, but finding these half painted pushed me towards finishing them. The guns are the plastic Perry ones, my wife picked up a box for me a while back. The scaling is 25mm for Dixon and 28mm for Perry so the Guns are head and shoulders above the Dixon minis. I figured that despite this with a bit of clever basing I might just get away with it. 

I raised the front of the bases up so the crew actually stand on ground higher then the guns. Its not a perfect solution but it works! Well in my eyes I've got away with it. 

Its hard to tell from the photos that its raised ground but thanks to a Cork tile cut and shaped its given the desired effect. There as always a couple of conversions, it wouldn't be right not to have at least one. 

I still have the Command base to complete and using at least one of the limbers from the plastic Perry set, will hopefully tie it in nicely to the Artillery pieces. 

All 3 pieces ready to give much needed support. 

Despite only finishing these guys off I'm rather pleased with the outcome. I've painted hundreds of Dixons ACW figures over the years and the buzz is still there. Finishing off the remaining bits and pieces maybe more fun then I expected. 

Thanks for looking, feel free to comment and I will hopefully update my humble blog sooner then later. 

Cheers for now Russ

Empress Vietnam conversions

                      Empress Miniatures 28mm vietnam conversions

 It's a while since I last posted, lack of time is a big contributer and not really having the motivation is another factor. Hopefully what I'm about to post helps make up for the lack of postings. I've always loved converting figures and probaly always will, I suppose you could call me a frustrated sculptor. Creating individual figures is a real buzz and using different parts from various manufacturers is a easy way of doing that. My wife picked up a box of Rubicon US marines for me a while back, bless her she does treat me well. My collection is mainly based around the Empress Miniatures range and I can be a tad OCD about things so I not wanting to waste the gift my wife got me I devised a way of incorporating them into my collection. The parts don't quite match perfectly but they are close enough for me. There are couple of figures which are just stock figures, although to be honest they may have slight bits of detail altered with greenstuff. I was lucky enough to get some figures from one of the lockdown deals and the figures got to be put to use. 

                                       The finished figures 

The lock down deal figures included some character models, Dale Dye and "Joker FMJ"

Dale Dye

I struggled with ideas to start with, the figure really need to look different from the original. Greenstuff and plastic parts to the rescue.

Joker FMJ

Joker another figure which stands out and needed a tad more attention, the head and body needed to part ways just to help change the figure as much as possible. I removed the camera and cut and reshaped the left leg to add a more dynamic pose. Hopefully I've done enough to change the figure enough.

The classic helmet in hand pose

This one again required abit more green stuff and plastic parts. The pose made it slightly challenging. 

Jokers head 

Jokers head needed a body and after altering the leg on Jokers actual body it only seemed fair to give his new body a more dynamic pose. Green stuff ammo bandolier added just to make it look a bit more different from the stock figure. 

Walkie Talkie officer 

Another challenging conversion, the walkie Talkie and head is removed from another Empress figure and with a bit of green stuff and manipulation it fits. 

There is something very satisfying about converting figures, it not only adds unique figures but helps use bits and pieces from the spares box. I'm no sculptor but I reckon once painted they blend in nicely, hopefully they add a bit of interest to my collection. Fingers crossed it wont be quite as long before I post again. 

So thanks for looking, feel free to comment 

All the very best Cheers Russ