I've spent most of mu hobby time this month prepping and priming quite a few batches of figures before it gets too cold to do them easily. Chief among them were these 96 A&A (armorum and Aquila) Phalangites, along with six British Cavalry units, 4 Spanish Infantry regiments, and some wagons. By the way, I see that A&A has a special discount deal for the month of November, so if you're interested in their products, now is probably a good time to check them out!
I have to say that both the sculpts and castings were exceptionally clean - I think there was minor flash on only a small handful of the 96 figures seen above. Attaching the pikes (made from 18 and 20 gauge Floral Wire from Michael's; fortunately I had plenty on hand from building my Renaissance armies), and the design of these figures made it exceptionally easy to affix them to their open hands using Loctite Ultra Gel Control super glue. Gabriel turned me on to this product when I had to make onsite repairs to my Spanish pikemen at Historicon this summer, and I love it. It really does allow very precise application of small amounts of the glue, which is perfect for our needs.
I use Tongue Depressors to glue my figures to for painting (they are in plentiful supply in the office, and very inexpensive). I use clean ones, LOL, but reuse them for painting purposes many times before they are no longer usable. Only a very few of the figures have the shields cast on (see front left, for example). The rest will have to be glued on as well. This leads to a question. Should I glue the shields on now, before priming them? That will make for a much better bond and more secure attachment. Or should I leave them off, making painting the figure and the shields both much easier, at the cost of a less secure bond when they are glued on at the end of the painting process? Decisions, decisions!
It looks like I'll be hosting a big Field of Battle game here the Sunday after Thanksgiving, based upon the Battle of Dennewitz, 1813. Prussians and Russians and Swedes, oh my!
Quite a horde of bare lead to prime, Peter! Good foresight to prime before it gets too cold. I try the same strategy but have found that I can prime in the garage even in the dead of winter. The vapors and residue do not dissipate as quickly as in the warm months, though.
ReplyDeleteAs for your conundrum with attaching shields before priming/painting or afterwards, I prefer afterwards since it allows better access to the figure. Also, I can prime the shields different colors if needed. I always use epoxy for shield attachment. Staying attached is no problem even if painted beforehand.
Good luck with your winter projects and your Dennewitz game!
That's the way I have always done it myself, but I do sometimes loose a shield or two, which is what had me thinking about whether a change of strategy was in order.
DeleteI CAN prime in the middle of the winter just as you describe, John. Our garage is attached to one side of the house, and if I do it when both of the cars have returned to it from a trip the Engine heat also warms up the garage modestly. Still, I really have to do it on a warmer, sunny day if it is not to take forever for the primer to dry. Of course, using spray varnish in the winter is an even greater problem. Sometimes I just have to do that quickly in the basement!
We are looking forward to the Dennewitz game!
Awesome project you have going on here Pete! I second Jon's recommendation, work on the figures and shields separately. fasten/join shields to your foot figures after all lead pieces are primed/painted.
ReplyDeletecheers,
Good to have conformation form another veteran, Phil. This is probably the most shields I have ever done at one time, so I figured I would consult the collective wisdom before just doing things the same old way. Priming time tonight! :-)
DeletePeter, I normally do shields separate and use two part epoxy to glue. I also brush on a glossy clear coat using any of the brands Michael's carries. Later, I overspray with Testor's Dullcote to tone down the gloss. Both clears are done after mounting onto bases.
ReplyDeleteTanks, Edgar. I usually use super glue, but not as durable as epoxy. Depends upon the model and how well the shield attaches to the shield arm. These guys will definitely get the Acrylic "Magic Wash" after they are painted, which also includes a pre coat and post coat of clear acrylic spray. I may or may not hit them with Matt or satin finish after that - I don't mind a semi gloss finish.
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