State of the Collection - 1st Video Blog!

Hi folks, a quick mid week blog post for me based on something I worked on at the weekend. Egged on by Paul to try out video blogging, and with the new felt table cover to try out, I decided to lay out my painted collection and do a bit of an overview of everything!

The video is a bit long and I could have prepped more (and remembered where the mike was throughout) but you get to listen to me say 'hey ho' several times in my Scottish brogue, so it's not all bad!

For those of you not keen on shaky camera work...

Let me know what you think of my first video blog! Constructive criticism welcome!

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6MMRPC Finished: Ambulance Jeep (Battlegroup Overlord)

Third revision of this post, this time while I'm in a calmer state of mind and using a new app called 'Blogsy' which seems to do a lot more than the official blogger app. Like putting links in, resizing pictures, captions, linking to Picasa, etc.

Anyway, the model! 

This was a conversion of a Battlefront mini to resemble a 20mm model by Milicast. It's been given the same markings as my Ambulance Halftrack, making it part of 176 Field Ambulance, 51st Highland Division. The 'crew' figures are from Skytrex, and not Peter Pig as I stated earlier.
Modifications to the jeep included adding the stretchers and simple frames to hold them and adding Jerry cans and other stowage.

I was a bit sad that the front stretchers more or less totally covered the Red Cross on the bonnet. These were created using plasticard and are perhaps a bit out of scale. But I decided to use them anyway, leaving just a hint of the Red Cross underneath.

I've included pics of it alongside some of my other little creations, just to show the sorts of things I'm trying to achieve!

And since I had the old POWs out...

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#6MMRPC update: Moar jeeps!

Continuing to make the most of working on a small number of mini's as well as the motivation from the challenge starting (and everyone's kind comments).

Tonight I spent a lot of time putting flight peg toppers on my Full Thrust ships and getting the decals on the jeeps:

The text needs tidied up a bit!

The signpost is to be part of the little diorama with the MP's and their jeep. It's based on these two photo's:

Photo from Totalize '44 - used without permission.

Photo used without permission (I believe it is a IWM pic).

Non space ship related progress!

So far this week, I have been trying to figure out a paint scheme for my Full Thrust NAC fleet. I decided today to try and make a little progress on my Flames of War/Battlegroup Overlord models.

I'm looking for a couple of quick hits, to get myself rolling with the #6MMRPC round 2, which started on Monday (not too late to join!). I decided to work on my MP jeep and figures plus my Ambulance jeep and crew.

These had been varnished recently, to tonight I gave them a quick highlight and matt varnish. Next up the decals for the jeeps and the bases. I'm aiming (at my slow pace) to get these done by the weekend.

Again, I've 'over' highlighted these guys. They don't look great close up, but look good enough at distance.

I've just noticed I forgot to highlight the stretcher's for the hood of the ambulance jeep. D'oh.

#6MMRPC small update!

 As a pleasant change to working my way through all the infantry and crew figures, I decided to work on my MP's and Ambulance jeeps.

Again, still just block painting. The ambulance jeep will get stuck together once it's all decalled. I forgot about the stowage for these two until I had painted them. Then realised they were a bit bare looking - especially the MP jeep.

Still working on how to present them on their bases, I've ideas for both, but still working out the details. I could do with a non combat posed model for the driver of the ambulance jeep, instead of just having him sitting in (the other model on the base is the medic fireman carrying a wounded Jock up to the jeep). The MP jeep could do with some Jock's marching past, or walking wounded. Neither are models I think I can get!

15mm Ambulance Jeep - WiP

Part of my painting chart for the 6 Months Metal Mountain Reduction Painting Challenge is an ambulance jeep, for use with Battlegroup Overlord. And also because I thought it would be interesting to do as a project, and would fit in with the other wartime medical models I was planning on doing.

The original plan had been to use the stretcher models from the Skytrex medic's packs I had bought. However, having prepared one of them for the model I became concerned that it would make the model look a little too busy. So the other night I began 'constructing' this:

 

These were done using some of the styrene I had ordered via ebay a few months ago. The pack contained various lengths and thicknesses of styrene. Combined with some thin plasticard I had, I built two stretchers and then a framework for the hood of the Jeep.

The reason for the framework was that I realised that in order to paint the jeep and get the decals I want to put on in place, I would have to add the stretchers once the jeep was finished.

Obviously, the stretcher poles and supports still have to be trimmed!

The Jeep itself needed a couple of extras. I don't think I would be able to work with styrene thin enough to make the pole like supports. I should have mentioned I am using a 20mm model from Milicast as a guide (pic found here). However, I may give using the thinner stuff a try depending on how I feel once all the bits are done.

The supports at the front still need to be trimmed to the correct length to support the front of the stretchers.

And a (very rough) assembly of all the bits:

The metal support in the centre is in the pack as a post for an optional machine gun, but I had thought it could be trimmed to act as additional support for the rear stretcher. I'm still not sure on that (and can't find my clippers currently - another victim of the house move) and may remove it.

So that's the plan so far - hopefully I can get it looking decent once all the bits are trimmed and fitted. But it does give me something to work on while I wait for a chance to varnish the small tank horde I currently have sitting on my desk. When it comes to painting this up I will also do the other two jeeps - one which will be a MP jeep and the other which is part of the HQ for my Bofors unit.