Ulundi - Alfred's conversions

What should I write? Dr. Frankenstein at work again:-)

When Alfred starts working he ususually doesn't stop with less than 1000 figures. So I hope to get 10.000 figures on the plate!!

Here the range of photos he sent. Enjoy them - and maybe you find inspiration too

mould for casting metal heads to put on the plastics

I am really wondering what he does with the big knife here:-)

Converting with a soldiering iron. Something he teached me some years ago. After melting 10-15 figures it worked!

Radetzky 1848

Ok, I wrote that the next post will be Alfred's Zulus.

But now Massimo came in between and sent the photos of the latest set he made for us.

This is the Austrian Fieldmarshall Radetzky in the campaign of 1848/49 in Italy together with the first figures for his army.

The first set in a range of the first Risorgimento in Italy which can also be used to fight the Hungarians 1849.  We wanted to increase the Hungarian range and also start on the big project "Europe 1848-78'. More sets will follow soon.

Here the photos of the first set

Ulundi is comming closer

On the 17th November starts the second Dioramica, in my eyes the best exhibition of 1/72 dioaramas in Germany. A lot to see there and a chance to meet most of my hobbyfriends.

Our subject this year is - as I have written several times - the battle of Ulundi 1879.
With only 4 1/2 month left I have to rush up painting. So far we passed the mark of 6500 figures and if I take all my 24th foot and change the facing color another 800 British can be added to this total.

So now starts the organisation of the diorama, how do we show it, how much space to we get (thanks to Patrick a lot!).

One thing is to glue the units on bases, arrange the formations of them. Converting figures as not every pose in the plastic sets is usefull.

For example we want to show the Zulu attack on the square when the cavalry were all inside.
We only can use the resting figures, even should think about converting them into dismounted ones.

The Zulus have to be arranged into regiments too. A lot of white-shielded veteran regiments stood in reserve position, so a lot of HAT figures to paint as the older sets have no waiting figures etc. etc.

So I took a look at what I have done the last month and made some photos from the collection. I just opened a few of the boxes we used for Isandlwhana years ago, but there are more of them. Just to boost around a little with my own collection before I show the photos from Alfred in the next post:-)

Masion du Roi

Our Italian hobbyfriend Christiano sent me these photos of French Musketeers.

Wow, what a great paintjob!!

I asked him how he has converted them and I got this photo which made me speechless. No idea how to make such a "jacket" with my clumbsy hands...

A nice little ACW diorama

Massimo sent me these photos of a little diorama with his own figures. Are available in the shop btw:-)

I wish I could paint in this style...

The Russo-Turkish war 1877-78

Maybe I have already written on this blog that the Franco-Prussian war is one of my favorite interests?:-)

With Massimo starting to sculpt figures for the subject I thought about for which war I could use them too. So the first thought was 1864 against Danmark and 1866 against the Austrians.

Another thought that came to my mind was changing the head and you have a Russian infantryman for the Russo-Turkish war.  The uniforms between the Prussian and Russian armies looked not much different (ok, we had no cossacks), and the Turkish mostly had Zouave style uniforms.

So I think there will be another range at Hagen will be for sure expanded into another period.

In the past I safed this series of photos from a wargame. Sadly I haven't safed the link for them. When I have it right, I found them on the Miniatures page. Maybe someone can help indentify who made these armies?

BTW, converting the Strelets Russians with a Pickelhaube might give you some more Prussians too.

Seeing these Ottoman troops I remember Hank's diorama of the battle of Silistra 1853. I think I have to search out his photos too...