Jacklex ACW Range

Before I start posting the Russian infantry I just wanted to paint up a few Jacklex figures. The reason is quite simple-over on The Old Metal Detector blog are images of a new range from Jacklex, the "Pancho Villa" range.

Now I do not have any of them (yet) but what I do have are a motley collection of used Jacklex ACW figures which I picked up on ebay last year. As you can see from the image on the bottom left a repaint was in order.

The figures, available from Spencer Smith Miniatures, are JA16 Mounted General and two JA17 Cavalry Lancer. With a bit of bending, tweaking and adding swords etc we get a rather charming little command base. Now they are smaller than my other ACW figures (Kennington/Tumbling Dice/Qualiticast) but I plan on producing a "Nostalgia Brigade" just for the hell of it.

I am currently basing up the first four Hinton Hunt figures I have ever painted and will post these in the next few days.

2nd Battalion, 1st (2nd Pommeranian) Regiment

The first full 32 figure Prussian battalion of Scruby miniatures is now complete. The flag is a 1/72nd scale Rofur flag (I got mine from Miniatuurewereld when I last ordered some Art Miniaturen figures). Printed on adhesive backed paper they are nice and crisp in detail. I have placed an order for more. I will not ramble on about the Scruby figures again, suffice to say I like them a lot.

I am continuing to clear the backlog of undercoated figures but the next few posts will be Russian Napoleonics. Their real owner has been very patient and now I can at least see my painting desk. So coming up are lots of Newlines plus the first Hinton Hunts I have ever painted.

"Sir, We Are Turned!"

"We certainly are Carruthers, we certainly are!"

I have gone glossy (on the Crimean figures anyway) for a number of reasons:

DC's Unfashionably Shiny blog-very inspiring!
I want the Crimeans at least to be very much In The Grand Manner style, i.e. the (big) units are the focus, not the individual figure.
The Scrubys lend themselves to the "retro" look.

The gloss varnish has dried a little cloudy in places-but not as bad to the naked eye as this shot suggests, so I am off to invest in a new pot.

More posts to follow soon-in modern parlance (which is very irritating for a forty-something like myself to say) I am really "in the zone" at the moment and getting to finish up a lot of the undercoated queue. Plus I have started the Newline Russians.

Next up the Scruby Prussian Napoleonic Pommeranian battalion. In matt finish.

Clearing The Way!

I have finally finished the French Light Infantry which I cannot remember starting it was that long ago! Here they are clearing a path-a path blocked by half painted units.

These include:

Scruby Prussian Napoleonics
Scruby Vistula Legion cavalry conversions
Newline Empress Dragoons
Tumbling Dice and Scruby Crimean British
Newline British and French artillery

Plus about 100 or so Newline Russians for someone else's collection!

I have had to start tidying up the lead queue before I even start on anything else.

For those interested, these figures are up for grabs on ebay-I need some more Scruby's!!! Link to my ebay is on the left.

"Qu'ils sont terribles, ces Chevaux Gris"

The 2nd (Royal North British) Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys)-even Napoleon liked them!

The only other time I have ever painted a unit of these guys was using ESCI plastics when they were first released.

I was a bit concerned about painting them up* but they were actually far more enjoyable than I thought-I have gone for various grey shades, including dappled and flea bitten. The back of unit shot gives some idea of the various finishes. (*The photographs do not actually do them justice as I think they look the best Newline cavalry unit I have yet painted).

The "Frenchies" shot is a sneak preview of what is (probably) coming next!

British 7th Hussars

Finished! Following a rather rainy Saturday afternoon the base work is now complete.

I will start the Scots Greys tomorrow (15 figures) and then all this British cavalry will be sent out to the US.

After that I have found a half finished battalion of Newline French Voltigeurs which I will be completing alongside the first of the Crimean battalions.

Break Time Over!

Yes it has been very quiet for a while. I am in fact 3 weeks or so behind schedule. This has been a combination of preparing for Salute (which went very well) and family stuff.

I made a few purchases at Salute during a quick break from the Continental Wars Society stand, shopping at the Tumbling Dice and Kennington stands.

I need to finish the base work for the British Hussars I have been promising so I am hoping to post them by the end of the weekend. I will be moving onto the Scots Greys so that I can send them all out to the US and then get stuck into my Crimean War figures.

This picture is of the Black Watch at the Battle of the Alma...just to get the imagination going!