Painting and Making Tray Update

Chaos abounds with the prospect of an imminent house move. The painting tray seems to have gone into "assemble bare plastic model" mode as an antidote to the "house move" stress (see below):

A bucket load of the Perry 'Renaissance' Plastics on the left (near enough two and a half boxes of pike/shot/crossbow and one box of archers/halberds) destined to be my Renaissance Swiss Impetus Army. I will have to dig out some mounted Knights from somewhere at some point, but right at the moment I'm concentrating on 'two legs'. To the right is a bunch of GW 40K flying Tyranids (Gargoyles) I put together with my eldest son for fun.Lurking in the shadows at the rear are some more old GW Empire "Handgunners" destined to be Renaissance "Harquebusiers" (released from a fate worse than death IMHO). See below for a closer look, undercoated with the Vallejo equivalent of Scorched Brown = Charred Brown:

The Holy Roman Emperor (HRE) Charles V is getting some attention, but it is a slow burner not gaining much traction and in need of some inspiration otherwise I will still be without a "general" stand for my next Impetus game (see below): 

Fear not fellow 'treadheads' 20th Century mechanical devices are 'mentioned in dispatches' too (see below):  

I now have a flotilla of four RN Tribal class destroyers in 1/1200 scale to attack the KM Bismarck at night and I picked up a wonderfully weird 1/72 HaT German assault gun that I didn't even know existed (a Pz III chassis that carried a150mm Infantry Gun StuIG 33B) in plastic from a Easter trip to Edinburgh and a visit to Wonderland Model shop on Lothian Road (***** = 5 Star). That's next up to be 'glued' together. 
 
PS Hope the leg/ankle is healing 'NZ Paul' (Plastic Warriors)

Worse and Best of eBay Experiences

The 'low': Buyer Beware - I got what was sold as per the photograph, but I misread the sellers description:

I had this item on a "watch list" thinking it was a Games Workshop Empire Cannon suitable for my Renaissance armies. I logged on to see the seconds ticking down on the auction and nobody had bid .. gulp .. 99p and it was a retail value  of a tenner. A split second decision was needed and I saw no other bids so I went for it. Only then did I realise for my 99p (+£2.50P&P) instead of a "full" sprue of an Empire Cannon, it was just the 'extra' bits left over. Arrgh! Too good to be true and it  was. It's OK for a bit of colour to a diorama for a quid but not for £3.49 (although it did come in a lovely big package!). An eBay low.

However there was also an eBay 'high' (see below):

"Finally" I get two 1:1200 Tribal destroyers and boy are these authentic Airfix oldies (should be good quality plastic in there). This means I have the kit required (but not all painted) for the Vian versus the Bismarck night attack. In total this cost me £5.20 including P&P, at £2.60 a destroyer I am happy enough at that as it officially closes my 1:1200 collection. (Although I may have to give some thought to scratch building HMS Rodney, HMS Renown, HMS Sheffield, HMS Ramilies and HMS Victorious .. sorry did I really say I had finished?)

;)