Pirates

The first box - very dusty

Yes, I know that this is meant to be a blog about Zombie gaming, but generating interest from anyone else has proved less than fruitful and as I have found that solo-gaming isn't for me I have been looking to finish off some old projects, my Pirates being just one of many.
The task of finding where I'd stored my pirates was frustrating as I found one drawer of them quickly but the second (and the majority of my collection) took a bit of detective work - I guess I really should label all my storage!

Another view of the first box

The first box contained about ninety figures and I was pleasantly  surprised to find that amongst all the pirates wielding various melee weapons and firearms I also had a sprinkling of figures that could be (or maybe were) civilians, amongst them some women who would do well as serving wenches, servants and governors daughters!
There were of course several figures that were obvious destined to be gun-crew and a couple that were helmsmen, standing with arms akimbo.

I was delighted to eventually find the second box, hidden in plain view in a box file along with several others (all unlabelled of course)
Contained within the box was the same mix of figures as the first only more-so, there being some 160+ figures.
All the figures are based on 20mm square bases (and I have no plans to change this either) and have a 20mm magnetic base added too. They all sit snugly on sheet steel and don't move about much - probably much to their chagrin.

Close-up of some of the second (main) box

These were all painted at least fifteen or more years ago when I could just about see what I was painting and I remember not being happy with my attempts at the colour of their bases, though I am fairly happy now. 
The figures are: a mix of Redoubt (the first I bought); a large number of Wargame Foundry (though for some reason not the Treasure Island set - a choice  I regret); a lot of Eureka pirates - purchased from Irregular Miniatures iirc and a sprinkling of Ral Partha. Of course I can't really distinguish which is which now.

The inevitable pirate archetypes

What is not noticeable from the photographs is that that these have all had a gloss varnish applied to them (I think), but it has lost a little of its sheen over the years.
I'm also sad to have to say that sadly these figures have never been used in any games, not a single one! The sepoy/mutineer that I spotted within their ranks has undoubtedly been used in an Indian mutiny game or two and he will be re-deployed to his correct storage with his other comrades.
So although looking a little worse for age and in need of a good dusting off, they're still usable.


As I strive for something to blog about, please don't be surprised if I fall back to showing more photographs of these, I may even be able to drum up some enthusiasm among the few (the very few) potential opponents.


Once more, that's it then for another week, thanks for taking the time to visit and as always your comments are both appreciated and welcomed.

Cops

The full complement.

Having sorted out my paint-able and rescued the almost-but-not-quite-finished cops that had been sat there for over a year I drummed up sufficient enthusiasm to re-glue the one that had come off his base and retouch all the minor scrapes that they'd endured with their fall from grace (and my paint-table).
It's only been a year and a half since I started these and they're the only 28mm figures I've painted in that time too!

Little and large

In the picture above it's not apparent just how big the foremost figure is, the photograph on the left shows the true difference.
he figures come from both Old Glory and Copplestone Castings and other than these two, they're very similar in size, though one set (I can't remember which now, but I suspect it's Copplestone's) is overall slightly larger than the other.
I've grouped the following photographs, by what the remainder re armed with, irrespective of their manufacturer
I've given them dark blue uniforms with gold buttons and badges and haven't a clue how accurate this is, but I like it.

Primarily armed with truncheons (nightsticks, Billy-clubs etc.)

Thompson and shotgun

Pistol armed

Just in case you're wondering "What about doing zombie games in the 1920s?", well it has already been done! You can read the exploits of Agent Hamilton Square (iirc) and others on Irqan's Plastic Soldier blog here, but you may have to back-track some three or so years! 

I also started sorting out my some of my 54mm figures that were in the great paint-table debacle the result of which can be found on my other blog here.

Thanks for taking the time to visit and as usual your comments are both appreciated and welcomed.

What a week!

Storage sorted for at least a year or two

Last week started fine, I got my blog post out in a reasonable amount of time and had a relaxing time surfing the web, trying (probably in vain) trying to catch up on the myriad of blogs and forums that I'm interested in and catching up on some long overdue correspondence with a fellow blogger.
Tuesday saw me once more at my local grocers asking if he had a couple of veggie trays that I could have for use with my 54mm figures for my arena and for my ever-growing car collection. When he came out of 'the back' where he stores these ready for disposal, he had a stack of a dozen (one is missing from the photo btw). I was of course delighted and immediately used one to relieve the ever-growing overpopulation of my 54mm beasts, victims, gladiators and others.
On the hobby-front I managed to cut a piece of foamboard for my church into roughly the size needed for the area of the altar at the back of the church. My enthusiasm for this build has been faltering of late as I have become aware of how large a project the whole thing would be and despite cutting corners by using crap scrap and building most of what I need I have realised I'll still have to spend money somewhere along the line...

The all 'new' all singing paint table

Wednesday I had a tidy-up of my paint table forced upon me.
A quick back-story is probably in order.
At Xmas, my table was moved to allow for the addition of decorated fake flora and it has taken me until now to return it to its rightful place in the sun!
Unfortunately during the move the entire thing collapsed in on itself scattering paints, figures and sundry other items in gay abandon.
It did however give me the opportunity to 'tidy up' the whole thing and it did give me a bit of encouragement to once more look at painting some of my 28mm stuff - something I haven't done for well over a year!
I did take some photographs of the resultant debris but as in all things techy, in my case, if it can go
wrong it will as the photographs are in my camera but I can't retrieve them.

Still on the paint-table after a year or so!

So in this new-found burst of  enthusiasm and a fairly tidy table I sorted through a dozen of my 28mm 1920s police force, straightened them out, where feasible and did a little touching up of the various scrapes and chipped paint and re-glued one to his base.
I've even managed to do a little extra too, simply adding the final colour to their bases, but that's as far as I've got.
In the background of the photo above you can also see the latest figures that I have ready for the arena (they're the 54mms just in case you haven't realised!)

I can't see me doing much hobby-wise this week, I've both a hospital appointment and an imminent Doctor's appointment to fit in with being grumpier and older.

That's it for this week, on what has been a bit of a soul destroying last seve days.

Church bits

Lectern

This last week has seen me once more fiddling about with bits of scrap, the usual coffee stirrers, card and matchsticks, being prominent, the results of which you can see in the photographs.
First up is a lectern (in case you hadn't realised what it is), small fiddly and really annoying, I think I got more glue on my fingers than I did on the piece itself.
I'm sure you can work out what was made from what to get the end result and I'm also pretty sure you could buy a better looking model of the same sort of thing (probably as a dungeoneering accessory) in either resin or metal very cheaply too.

Front view, with Sid for scale

Obligatory blurry photograph

Close-up of 'book'

Really boring side view

Aviary Confessional

Is it a pigeon coop? An outdoor water closet or jail?
Well, this is my attempt at making a confessional and whilst not based on any in particular it does have feature from many different ones I've found on the interweb.
It has two 'compartments' the left-hand one for the penitent and the right hand one for the priest taking the confession. As far as I could work out the one seeking forgiveness kneels on a small 'step' whilst the priest is sat.

Priest's bit

The confessional has an openable door (just because) with a window made from the usual car-mesh stuff, presumable it's to see if the priest is 'home'.
The divide between the two 'cells' also has a small window, as seen in many a film where the killer shoots or stabs the victim through.
The whole thing took a lot of time to make, mainly because I was waiting for the glue to dry before adding another bit.
I also found that I had to make the roof a little higher than I'd anticipated, hence the hollow box style of roof!

Sid showing off the not so spacious interior

Sid showing how small the whole thing is

Overall look (though the colour is a little off)

Side rear and roof showing how 'tatty' it really is

As a disclaimer to any inaccuracies of terms I've used etc. let me say I know little about the subject matter, but I'm sure I'll be forgiven.

That's it for this week, one in which I've had to reflect upon how to take this project forward, as the more I think about it the more overwhelming it is becoming.

Thanks once more, for taking the  time to visit and I hope you've found something of interest and welcome too, to my latest follower Luciano Bastos, who doesn't appear to have a blog.

As always your comments are both welcomed and appreciated