Thursday 28 April 2011

Ouch!



A detachment of the 3rd Connecticut Regiment brandishing nickel plated cold steel.

I've no idea who came up with the idea (probably an obscure modeller many decades ago) but replacing swords and bayonets with pins is an act of genius.

You do need basic soldering skills (and i mean basic - if i can do it...), and the correct equipment (an adjustable temperature iron, low melt solder, and good quality steel pins) but the investment is worth it for the improvement in aesthetics and durability of your toys (not to mention the opportunity to grievously injure the resident club oaf as he attempts to abuse your miniature masterpieces). And of course a soldering iron opens up a whole host of other conversion and sculpting possibilities.

6 comments:

DaveD said...

Nice figures!

Oh yes, it also stops your friends and "enemies" clumping your figures. Many the time I have been bitten by the Austrian battalions I did for the WHC which had swords and bayonets pinned. A worthwhile exercise to do , and i don't think you can beat it for curved sabres etc.

PaintPig said...

The sick sadistic genius that he was. Lovely to see some more of you work DC and as usual it is beautifully painted. The facings, are they meant to be crimson, it looks a good shade, humbrol?

Was this the little soldering job you mentioned last year in regards to getting the pins to take the solder?

PP

Mosstrooper said...

I also would like to nominate you and your sit for 'The Stylish Bloggers Award'

AD said...

Absolutely lovely figures, and the bayonets do look terrific.

Conrad Kinch said...

I think Don Featherstone mentioned something similar in his Complete Book of Wargaming.

DC said...

Thanks for the comments gents.

PP - It's Humbrol Gloss 20 Crimson, which is an essential part of my (relatively small) armoury - it's pigment rich so washes well, applied neat it's quite dark so shades itself if you wipe off the highlights with a damp brush - if you ever need pink(!) then that's how i'd recommend doing it.

I had problems initially getting the solder to 'grab' - it turned out the pins were the issue (cheap 100 for a quid from Tesco), once i'd switched to decent nickel plated steel pins the job became relatively easy.

Tony & Mosstrooper - thanks muchly, i'm gratified that you find the blog interesting.

Cheers all.