The Magnificent Seven - NOT

First three of the "Xmas Village" people,..

 OK, so these are not Yul Brynner & co. but at least there are seven of them - so fifty percent accurate title !

These are the first of the 54mm Westerners and Chinese that I've been working on and I've included before and after photographs

...and how they looked when first purchased.

The 'before' shot

...and the 'after' shot

Another 'after' view.

The two barmen, 'before'

Here they are 'after'

Bonus rear shot for those that like this sort of thing !

Bystander, standing 'before'...

'After' shot, - still standing

Bonus "rear shot"

All seven group shot -  - count'em

 

The remainder of my village people, the ladies are near to being finished,with just some facial detailing to be done and a few other minor details, after whoch I'll be turning my attention, once more, to my Chinese westerners. 

This last week has also seen me sorting through and planning how to tackle the recently acquired box of goodies and I've done a lot of work on Horse-riding rules for my western games. The latter are at the stage where I'm crossing 't's and dotting 'i's and they'll then need a playtest.

I'm now almost back to my regime of an hour's hobby work  per day and I'm also planning a new model build.  

That's it then for this week, thanks for taking the time to visit and as always your comments are both welcomed and truly appreciated.

Therapy (of the retail variety)

 A large box arrived today, containing my latest western puchase - namley some Mexicans - mounted and dismounted amd a few cowboys too!
It's really just as well as otherwise  you'd have been subjected to yet another of my wersterners and the village people) wips. (They're at the stage where I can give attention to a little detailing - facial and smaller items namely.

 

On to the box !

Lots of 54mm goodness inside

 

Horses, in two colours and 4 poses - one deceased !

Riders, in eight poses - some conversions in order

Eight dismounted figures too.

And the Gringos

Thesefigures were ordered from Steve Weston' Plastic Soldiers site on the 18th March and arrived today, the 22nd. - great service !

In addition to trying to get enthusiasm up to finish the village people  and other westerners, I did this :

Remeber this chap ?

Tavern Keeper

Rather than doom him to a life of carting a barrel around, he now looks like this:

A new shopkeeper or such

A bit of hot and cold water treatment to re-position his arms is needed for his new life, possibly as a butcher or some other.

That's it then for another week, the greater daylight hours once more bring on a little more enthusisam for our hobby - I've even started to tidy up my games table !

 

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

(And I'll also be getting around to all the blogs I normally comment on)

Happy Days

Sorry to disappoint but this has nothing to do with the Fonz, but the history of this post does go back to around the early 1970s ( I told you I was old - right ?). About that time the very first "Old Western Skirmish rules" were born and were eagerly leapt on by myself and another friend MIke Bell. He was so into the Wild west that he went to see it for himself (though it wasn't wild then). He told me of a story of him pacing the front of what was  the Condon Bank in Coffeyville Kansas, which was then (iirc) a travel agent, but now is a Visitor Centre.

Coffeeville, is the town where the infamous Dalton gang met their end - just in case you were wondering.

Mike and I drifted apart due to real-life complications around the same time, but neither of us lost our interest in the "Wild West".
Fast forward to modern times and thanks to Facebook we once more made our aquaintance, I followed his journeying to Wyoming researching and holidaying.

His research, on the "Wild Bunch"  culminated in the publiction of his book "The Day the Train Robbers came" (The June 1904 Parachute Train Robbery).

I awaited the publication and was delighted when it eventually made it to Amazon (£12 - paperback).

I asked him, almost jokingly,  how I could get a signed copy and he said he'd fix it for me.

Last week  a parcel arrived with a signed, hardbock, copy of the book:

"To Joe Newton, one of those who inspired my wild west Journey.

Mike Bell."

 Along with this tome came two other, what would best be described as Booklets, "Outlaw Roots" - discovering the lineage of Leroy Parker, better known as "Butch Cassidy", who has Geordie connections it turns out.

The second  book "Who are those guys ?" - a quote from the film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", telling the story of the Pinkerton agents that featured in the film (though iirc they didn't chase Butch or Sundance).

The building in the background is near where I live

"Butch and Sundance"

The books are going to keep me busy for quite a while probably to the detriment of my hobby time) and I'm really looking forward to putting my feet up and savouring the contents (I'm already halfway through one !).

In other news my painting are looks like a bombsite once more, but I am making progress on my westerners (or as I now call them - "The Village People" referring to their Xmas Village heritage!)

The "village people" in their current state.

The current tip that is my painting area !

That's it then for another week, I'm very near to getting some figures finished, but as always,  real-life will no doubt rear its ugly face and try to stop me.

Thanks for taking the time to visit and of course, as always, your comments are both welcomed and

appreciated.

The Bear Essentials

 OK, the title should probable have been necesseties rather than essentials, but that would have been just too twee eh?

My daughter spotted these two models (probably in Poundlandworld), sometime before Xmas and were re-discovered in the recent great tidy-up. 

The bear is a good size for my 54mm western games, but the Cape buffalo is sadly too small for 54mms and too large for 28mms and will find its way to the box of models of dubious scales and use.

Bear  and the packaging (which is always retained)

Rear view of bear

Bear with 54mm westerner for comparitive size.

I've been busily working away at the rest of my westerners, trying to get them to the same stage as my Chinese - ready for face detailing shading etc.

Here's what I've managed so far (and figures that haven't had anything done to them yet):

Three ladies in varying stages of completion

Barkeep with sawn-off and two ladies

Abe, who will be an undertaker, a 'lady' and a barkeep

Three Xmas village figures all needing work.

The three figures above, L to R : 

First figure needs his bouquet removing and his blue mittens converted to hands.  He has a box under his right arm, that may be removed or just repainted.

The centre figure is now good as is, his Xmas present has had its ribbon removed and it'll be repainted as a book - he'll make a great Lawyer-type figure.

The figure on the right had to be operated on, to remove a dog attached to his left leg, sadly the dog didn't survive the procedure. He's obviously intended to be a carol singer, but he'll make a good preacher, quoting from the 'good book'.

I've njoyed envisaging the Xmas folk in their new roles, but haven't enjoyed my attempte convert them - but three craft-knife cuts and a painful incident with a razor saw later and I'm nearly done ! 

I've also pleased to say that I've had a bit of a minor success finishing off the two wild boars.  Other than having to have a spray varinish applied, they're ready to join the Jimland; menagerie.

I managed to up my output this week (though it may not seem so) and had a couple of one hour sessions and several half-hour ones.

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

WIPs

Another look at what I've been up to in the last week and at at least one item can be ticked off and stashed away!

Stall now with cover from sun and prying eyes.

The photograph on the right shows my market stall now has a canopy. 

The problem fittting one origenally was that I wanted access to the interior and needed some form of removabel roof,

I got around this 'problem' by putting the 'roof' on a hinge so it could be  raised ,

Canopy raised to allow access.

Mahdist ensconced behind the counter

Elsewhere the westerners have had a quick undercoat so I can see and deal with flash.

Chap has had the bow on his Xmas box removed (it'll be painted as a book)

 

Lady in the centre has had a wreath removed from her midriff and a wooly hat removed.

Lady on the right has had the dog removed from her base,

The plastic on these figures is very tough and hard to cut.

Figure needed straightening up  (hot and cold water baths)

Boring boars based up ready from brushwork.

Surgery started on cattle.

The plastic cattle are so old (minimum 50 years) they have no elasticity left and are very brittle. This one's rear right left snapped off (cleanly) during its udder removal and sex change. 

I feel that although I've not made a lot of progress, at least I've made some and I've started the first few tentative steps in tidying up my game room and table.

I'm back to my regime of doing something hobby-related every day , but it has only been for a half hour or so rather than the hour  - which I'm building up to ! 

 

That's it then for another week, nothing really jaw dropping, just me plodding along.

Comments, as always are both welcomed and appreciated.