OLD MODEL REPAIRS

The fragile leg finally gave way after 34 years of 
supporting the Orc and Wyvern

I've owned the Marauder Miniatures Orc War Wyvern since 1992, and although its not the oldest lead miniature I own, it was one of those that I managed to paint and feel fairly proud about. He sits in a quite prominent position in one of my display cabinets amongst other models that I purchased around the same time and that are still in my collection.

Sadly the intervening years, with a model that is decidedly top heavy the single supporting leg finally gave way. Truth is the model had tilted a few times over the years and my efforts to straighten it probably contributed to the onset of metal fatigue and the eventual failure just above the ankle.

So a few small holes carefully made with my Dremel tool allowed me to super glue in a section of a large paperclip that had been clipped to size, and two extra clear perspex rod supports were positioned to prop up and support the weight of the model and counteract any future lean. Much the same as is often seen supporting large heritage trees that are in danger of collapsing under their own weight and age.

The support on the left of the left image above was put in when I built the thematic ruins as a base for the model sometime around 2016/7 and gives a better look at the full model. While the image on the right shows two additional perspex supports designed to hold the weight so that the drilled pin is not solely responsible for holding the model in position.

Let's hope it holds another 34 years.

STRIPING BACK TO DO-OVER

I stuffed up.

I made up a number of the Warlord IJA soldiers went through the base debate, and then decided to do a test paint or two just to see how they would look. And I stumbled at the first step. Either the spray can was held too close, or too far, or maybe not shaken enough, or rather that the humidity level is currently just too high since it's the tail end of the Monsoon and I need to wait for a better time, but regardless the result was a speckled and splattered base coat totally unsuitable for contrast paints to spread.

So along with the gloss painted Type-95 Ha-Go gift from a good friend with the best of intentions*, it means that my 28mm Bolt Action IJA force starts not with painting but rather paint striping. 

Something, that even after 40 years in the hobby, I have never done. So after a little bit of online research, then confirmed through multiple sources, the process seems simple enough.

A leisurely isopropyl-alcohol (91+% pure) bath, followed by a nice scrub with an old toothbrush, repeated until most of the paint has been stripped away and I'm happy. Then a nice rinsing wash in some dish detergent and warm water followed by another wait as "reset" figure dries.

I'm led to believe that not all the paint will be removed but that I should be left with a figure that is "reset" enough and that all the speckling should be removed enough so that I can try again.

* I have been contemplating just touching up and repairing the Ha-Go, maybe using some Army Painter Anti-shine to tone down the gloss, and some powders to add some dirt, but basically keeping it "as is", since there is something nicely nostalgic about retaining it as my friend finished and gifted it. I'll have to try and paint a sister tank to match.

STANDING TALL - BASING

Enhancing a 30 year old gift of old Dark Ages Miniatures -
a shield transfer, a wash, and a 3D printed base. 

Thirty or so years ago a good friend "gifted" me a real mix bag of 25mm Dark Ages troops, enough to field at least two skirmish forces from at least three indeterminate allegiances.

And there they sat, safely stored until a few years ago when I, inspired by Saga and then Ravenfeast, decided that they needed to be re-based and "tarted" up a little in order to make them usable. So some shield transfers (better suited to modern flat shields than the domed style of early 1990's sculpts) were clumsily applied, the figure was given a wash of Agrax Earthshade, then they were rebased on a solid 25mm 3D printed base similar to those used by Games Workshop before being a affixed to a magnetic base. The advantage with this method is that it "lifted" each figure a few millimetres and put them at the same eye-level of more recent 28mm sculpts.

So as I start to plan my IJA forces I started to wonder if their would be any advantage to using a similar basing style to help distinguish my figures during club nights and at least lower the risk of my models going on a little temporary holiday into another club members collection. Or would another method be better suited in aiding such identification maybe a simple colour dot stuck to the bottom of the magnetic base, since the "height boost" is not really needed or even wanted?