Its going to be a while before I can do any casting so I dug about in my supply of spare parts and bodies, reviewed the holes in my existing order of battle and chose an alternate unit to work on.
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| French skirmishers in the making. |
To bring my French skirmishers up to scratch, I need to convert 6 more. The work has begun.
Born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal, 5 years in the Black Watch of Canada Cadets, 5 years at the Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean followed by 4 in the navy. 25 years with CPC in IT simultaneous with 23 years running a boarding kennel. Inherited my love of toy soldiers from my mother's father. Married with a pack of Italian Greyhounds and 3 cats. Prematurely retired and enjoying leisure to game, maintaining our 160 yr old farmhouse and just living.
Wow, your casts are perfect. Such clean lines; or more importantly, lack thereof. The painted examples look stupendous!
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
There's rarely a point in keepi g the poor castings, easier to toss them back and try again. Then there is the trimming and filing of flash...
DeleteIt was fun doing striped trousers again but 40mm not 15!
When self casting, can you throw previously painted lead into the mix. I recall from memory that a 'paint scum' floats to the top of the molten metal. Can this just be skimmed off and the metal re-used?
ReplyDeleteIt can and I have in my early days but I don't recommend it. For one thing the paint stinks and the fumes, which linger, aren't good for the lungs! Also inevitably, some bits of paint don't burn and can cause pitting. One gets better results by stripping the paint from the figures first.
DeleteI set up my 'solder pot' outside on a dry warm day with with plenty of fresh air, and melt down the painted old figures, often with bits of the old base etc. It makes a terrible smoke/stink, so avoid breathing it in. You end up with a scum of burnt paint, wood, glue, plastic etc which can be skimmed off the top to leave clean 'lead' - very satisfying.
DeleteYeah, there is that option. Doesn't work so well at -20C with 2 feet of snow on the ground....
DeleteI’ve always liked the look of shiny new castings…
ReplyDeleteEspecially if you’ve made them yourself.
All the best. Aly
Its even better when you've sculpted them and made the moulds but even with these commercial ones it is pleasure to pop 'em out.
DeleteThese figures look brilliant. Literally!
ReplyDeleteThey like to get shined up for photos.
DeleteEvvvvvvvvverybody wants to be a grenadier.
ReplyDeleteAlways dug the royaliste combed helm. Tres beau.
Casting one's own figures to me still seems like bespectacled wizards casting spells. Somewhere between an alchemist's lab experiment and the creation of new magic items for the next D&D Compendium edition. (Macfarlane's Mighty Minions: When strewn about [deployed], these tiny statuettes organize themselves after 1 round and then provide their owner with a +2 on all 'to hit' rolls.)
With commercial moulds its not much different than buying castings really.
DeleteRoss, I admire your ability to cast your own figures. I simply don't have that in my skill set. Same with all the conversion work you do. Love the figures.
ReplyDeleteEric
The trick is to start with commercial moulds and follow as much advice as possible! Got my first mould in '98. The sculpting and mould making is really only worth it if you want to do it for its own sake.
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