On The Project Bench.

Like most other Hobbyists, wargamers tend to collect a lot of lead that they put aside for a rainy day. I'll paint it when I get around to it, seems to be their usual answer when asked. It reminds me of a famous occasion in my Model Railway club many years ago. We had a member who would always put jobs off saying that he'd do it when he got around to it. So the club layout suffered as a result. Until one day the club President so incensed by his constant shirking went home and created a round piece of plywood to which he printed on it "TOIT". At the next meeting when the member attempted his usual answer the President pulled out his creation and having presented it to him said "now that your have your round toit there is no more excuses for not working is there?"

Speaking of which. I had a brain fade the other day and decided that I needed a larger contingent of Scots within the parliament army. I had for the sake of variety Painted a unit of pike using the Perry Brothers ECW Scots figures. Also on the paint desk nearing completion was two sleeves of Scottish shot. This stalled with the arrival of spring, the better weather and those tasks that DW had organised for me to do over the summer.

With the arrival of the cold winds of June, I returned to the fray and decided to expand my Scottish contingent. In addition to the Unit of Pike and two sleeves of shot I decided that we needed two units of Horse, a unit of Dragoons and a piece of ordinance to round off what should be a handy little force.
I promptly ordered my new recruits. Just as promptly they arrived with in five days of ordering them from England. Possibly a new record.

Pictured right is a foot command set. It comprises of Officer, standard bearer and musician which in this case is a piper. There are six figures per set being two officers, standard bearers and two musicians being a piper and drummer. They are moulded in animated and realistic poses and carry on the excellent standard that we have come to accept as the norm with the Perry brothers minatures.

They can be seen mounted on my spray stick, which is a piece of timber aprox 20mm x 15mm and about 400 mm long. They are held on using Blue tac which I have always found to be adequate for the purpose. When ready for painting I transfer them onto a round piece of  Dowell approx 18 mm by either 40mm or 50 mm long. I use blue Tack to hold them to the rods and have not had many problems of the figure falling off when being painted. I believe that the round dowell gives me the benefit of being able to rotate the figure as I paint therebye making it easier to paint continuously.

Now all I need to do is find the time to paint them. What with our trip to Europe later this year I guess I'll just have to do it when I get a round to it.

Neil W