20 questions

Following Ray & Frans lead, here are my 20 answers to their 20 questions. Also helps me get my pathetic post count up. I'm trying for the same count as last year. So that means 4 posts per month for the rest of the year, which is pushing it some for me this year.

1. Favourite Wargaming period and why?
It has to be WW2 for me, all those black and white films as a kid and the Victor comic.

2. Next period, money no object?
Marlbourghs wars in 28mm.

3. Favourite 5 films?
Blade Runner, The Battle of Britain, The Third Man, The last picture show, Alien.

4. Favourite 5 TV series?
World at war, Band of Brothers, Black adder, Big bang theory, Twin Peaks

5. Favourite book and author?
Ace, Spencer Dunmore. German fighter pilot from the Battle of Britain to the end in the west via the Eastern front. I have over 500 air based paper back books, this is the best, closely followed by anything Derek Robinson has written.

6.Greatest General? Can’t count yourself!!
Alexander the great.

7. Favourite Wargames rules?
DBA and all of its derivatives, has had the most impact over the last 20 years.

8. Favourite Sport and team?
Rugby union, England

9. If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go?
The cockpit of a spitfire over the south of England, summer 1940.

10. Last meal on Death Row?
Very big cake with file enclosed, never give up!

11. Fantasy relationship and why?
Sherilyn Fenn, what she did to the cherry stem.

12. If your life were a movie, who would play you?
Has to be Steve McQueen or Terry Thomas.

13. Favourite Comic  Superhero?
Rouge Trooper, death to the Norts.

14. Favourite Military quote?
"Hard pressed on my right; center is yielding; impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent, I shall attack!" General Foch 1914 The Marne.

15. Historical destination to visit?
So many, but will plump for Rome.

16. Biggest Wargaming regret?
Not having time to do as much as I would like

17. Favourite Fantasy job?
Artist, with people to buy my pictures, not really a job

18. Favourite Song Top 5?
"Wonderful life" - Hurts
"I Love The World" - New model army
"All Cats Are Grey" - The Cure
"One Day Like This" - Elbow
"God Put a Smile upon Your Face" - Coldplay

19. Favourite Wargaming Moment?
A desperate battle in the early 1970's, using Heroics & Ross 1/300 scale troops, terrain was my bedroom carpet, cardboard buildings. Israeli paras desperately holding on to a bridge against overwhelming Arab forces. unbelievable string of D6 throws.

20. The miserable Git question, what upsets you?
Not a lot, your only here once, make the most of it, but celebrity culture is a bit much at times.

More posts to follow shortly, TTFN.

Airhead

No smoke without fire

Some smoke markers I've been working on for my 15mm forces, mainly for Vietnam and modern SF operations. Based on some seen on the Guild I think,  WIP pictures show the construction, the wire was hot glued to the coin and then ground work built up with filler. The top picture has some Peter Pig Australian SAS for scale. The bottom picture highlights the smoke canister made from a cut down cocktail stick, vastly over scale for 15mm I know, but works for me.

Next up the fire, 15mm scale German paratrooper flame thrower from Peter Pig with Flame!

I made the flame free standing so when on in action it can be removed. Built in the same way as the smoke markers with a paper clip wire as the former and then with clump foliage to make the flame.

I use UHU glue to stick the clump foliage as I find the tacky quality of the glue is good at grabbing the foliage, once left to dry I then go over it all with supper glue to make it more robust.

Found the last picture on the web, that is the type of look I'm going for in the flame. Looking at doing some suppression markers for cross fire at the moment based on the above construction method but trying to create the classic Victor comic type line of gunfire hitting the ground and throwing up a line of dust impacts. 

Lastly big up to Miss Airhead who has got in to her first choice university with some stonking A'level results. So of to IKEA for me for the rest of Sunday. God have mercy on me and my wallet. 

TTFN

Airhead

Air burst round 3

Some picture of the Air burst explosion markers in there near final stage, just a few final touches needed. Top picture shows all six markers, the second two pictures show two of the markers with one of my 28mm Russian Cross Fire stands, giving an idea of the size of the markers. I'll be using them with my 28mm / 15mm / 10mm forces.

Having done these markers, it has lead me into thinking about other  opportunity to produce similar items. I'm currently producing a 15mm German para flame thrower, I'm also working on some smoke markers for my 15mm Vietnam forces and more ground explosions.

TTFN Airhead  

Air burst round 2

Just a quick update on my progress with the air burst shell markers, the top picture shows some of the original armatures in the background with three explosion markers with clump foliage in position in front. The middle picture shows one of the air burst markers, the picture was taken from quite a high perspective, which makes the arm in contact with the ground look quite short, its not. You can also see I've glued some small stones to the bottom of the shell burst where it comes in contact with the ground. The idea being that where it comes in contact with the ground it will kick up debris, stones and dust.

I used UHU glue to stick the foliage clumps to the wire, and once dry I went over it with super glue to make it hard. I broke the foliage clumps down into smaller bits to make it go farther. The bottom picture shows an air burst that landed on the ground! things don't always go to plan. That was also the thinking behind the air burst which has the bent arms, making it look like it went of but not as intended. Nothing based on fact, all just made up in my head.

Next stage is onto the painting stage. The left hand marker in the top picture is my first attempt, TTFN, Airhead.

Six rounds rapid fire, air burst

Right next project up, so to speak. Some air burst explosion markers. The is nothing quite like blowing stuff up and just making the noises is not enough for me, I have to have some form of visual marker. So rather than starting with the more conventional ground based explosion markers, I decided to have a go at making some air burst shell markers. 

I started by sketching out some ideas, when doing this type of project I always find it helps if I think about how a stop motion animator would visuals them. The idea was to have a range of sizes from the initial small size to bigger more spiky examples. I wanted to produce six unique air burst markers. rather than six identical models. The main component of the bursts was made from paper clips, hot glued onto 2p coins. Each air burst had 8 - 10 arms of wire, one of which was attached directly to the 2p coin, or alternatively onto a terrain feature such as a tree or tree stump, to give the explosion that extra bit of height from the ground.

The trunk of the tree is one of the wire arms of the explosion, rapped in masking tape, with small grape stem branches added. The tree stump is a small twig from the estate, with a hole drilled down the centre and wire pushed into it.

The next stage will be to start to cover the wire frames with clump foliage. TTFN back with more soon.

Finished Pill Boxes

Finished the 4 Pill Boxes, with some green flock and dry brushing, the bottom three pictures show the destroyed Pill Box with the wire mesh picked out in rust colour. Over all very please with how these have turned out, they will bring the coastal defences up to strength in combination with the heavy coastal battery already produced.

Next up I will be having a go at producing some explosion markers, both on the ground and also air burst explosions. I have also been looking at producing 10mm scale buildings for my Early WW1 set up. I have briefly blogged about this before. The GHQ micro collection has been expanded over the last two years, so time to explore the possibilities. 

TTFN

Airhead

Bunker busting

OK so it should be "Pill Box busting" to go with the other titles in this project, but Bunker busting sounds much better in my opinion. the first picture shows the pill box before the application of PVA and sand to texture it. The construction was identical to the other three pill box's up to the point at which I started to destroy it!

The wire mesh was quite soft and easy to cut with a craft knife. I was going for the idea that the pill box had been destroyed by a direct hit on the roof by a heavy artillery shell or large bomb. I wanted the pill box to still be recognisable as a pill box, so not reduced to a pile of rubble. So 2 out of the 6 sides have been destroyed and the roof slab of concrete shattered and pushed off to the front and sides. Please with how its worked so fare and I must find more projects to use the mesh in.

More pictures of this one and the three others finished to follow shortly.

TTFN

Airhead