Wharf Project, Part ii

So with Leprecon over, back to the wharf project we return...

As you can see the main wharf is clad with stone, while the other one (an earthen section) has wooden pilings shoring it up. This kind of earthen wharf was more common than you might think, but could be completely removed if inappropriate.

One end of the stone wharf is rather worse for wear, and the other side of it has two barred openings where sewers or streams could exit into the harbour.

There's two smaller sections for the wharf to connect to the main board. An earthen ramp and some steps (large enough to take a standard 28mm figure's base). Two 6" jetties finish off the construction, with wooden pilings to match the earthen wharf's.

I think you'll appreciate how well the whole thing fits together. Mr. Fitzpatrick is amenable to taking up your cause for a wargaming project - email him and I'm confident he'll be able to solve your design and construction quandary!

Here's two final shots of the wharf in action!

Wharf Project, Part i

A while back I commissioned a wharf from Capability Savage (whose work to make the Airfix Waterloo Farmhouse a true gaming item you may have seen before over on Joy & Forgetfulness).

My brief was simple (or at least simple-minded!):

In broad strokes I was looking for approx. 36" stone and/or wooden wharf to go around three sides of a waterway in a small colonial port. Extras like steps, piers, mooring posts would be good too.

One issue I wasn't sure about was how it would connect to the town - without building up the ground level...

Keeping the overall shape fairly uniform was important - after all I would be transporting this in a box to games. I really didn't want to fully integrate it with the land or water sections - just to set it down on a water area which will be on a earth-coloured mat. I'd be putting buildings nearby with cobbled streets and such, so it'll be a rough-and-ready transition.

Two wooden jetties would jut out from the main wharf.

I had a few boats which needed to be considered. Three of them have straight gunwales of just less than 1". The fourth one has a waist of just more than 1" and forecastle/quarterdecks of approx 2".
My initial feeling was that something of between 1 & 2" is about right (for 28mm figures by the way).

The game in question was set during the Pulp era, so aiming for 1920s/30s colonial Africa, but really I wanted to be able to use it for Mobsters as well - somewhere between a well-run merchant dock and small Caribbean port.

More photos to come...

Salamanders - Stage 1

Putting together my Salamanders force for the Istvaan V Dropzone Massacre (I know, who'd sign up for that mission!)

As advertised I'll be using figures from Alternative Armies range of Retained Knights for Ion Age

I have a good lot of these guys (with what Ion Age call the 'Angis 12.5mm Rifle').

Doesn't quite match the iconic image of the Bolter, but it can't really be anything else. Bonus points for bayonets!

Next big batch is these lads. Five of each with what look like energy weapons.

Probably a good match for a Plasma Gun (a 'Minstrel Taser' in Ion Age)

Could be a Flamer, but I'll go with Melta Gun instead (a 'Hermit 44mm Plasma Rifle' in Ion Age)

Five guys with unlikely looking ballistic weaponry

I just love this guy - he's going to be a Veteran Sergeant (maybe with Artificier Armour and a Power Fist) even if his weapon just looks like an Autogun! (a 'Tumbler SMG' in Ion Age)

This'll stand in for a Heavy Bolter - I wonder if it looks more like an Ogryn Ripper Gun though? (a 'Moth Type 12 Multi Launcher' in Ion Age)

Missile Launcher (and loader)

Four guys with pistols, they have groovy crests and Ion Age has them tagged as Nobles, but I'll put them into action as Scouts instead

Those will have to stand in as Bolt Pistols (Ion Age's 'Carnwennan Handguns')

A Command squad if we ever saw them. Three studious chaps (a Lieutenant, Medic and TechMarine) in the top row and then a Librarian or Chaplain in the bottom left and a Captain to his right

Two who may just stand in for Assault Marines (armed with a 'Roaz Axe' and an 'Octa Sword' in Ion Age)

Three strangely armoured guys with a variety of weaponry, Ion Age labels them as in experienced Aloutens with older style armour. I reckon they'll do as Veteran Sergeants!

 So that's it so far. Four full tactical squads with a lot of energy weapons, a Scout squad and some Company HQ.

Executive Jet Deconstructed

After having received the Secret Saturdays Griffin Jet, it was put to work as a toy for Isabel. For better usage, I inserted the (all too easy to insert) handle underneath the body. Problem was, 20 minutes later the handle wouldn't come out!

Depite much wrangling it wouldn't budge. Of course, in this state in was unusable, but it seemed that further wrangling threatened to break the housing



As luck would have it, some of the screws holding the thing [yes, now I am referring to it in that manner!] together were deeply recessed but still to strong for my small screwdrivers to handle



A trip to the hardware store picked up a (rather expensive!) Irazola Philips-head screwdriver to take it apart



Even then though the I could see light at the end of the tunnel, I still couldn't extract the handle out of it!



So I did what any insane modeller would do at 11.45pm. I took it outside with a hammer and broke the attachment hanging onto the handle like a limpet mine!



Calmer now. A recess where the traitorous handle used to be



So, onto more meaningful modelling matters! The cockpit window was far too big for the 25mm models.



I decided to create a further division on the windscreen - cutting out a strip of plastic from an old blister pack



A bit more shaping, and then a bit of super glue to attach to a likely spot



Masking tape to protect all the areas which would remain windscreen after painting



Some silver undercoat to get thing ready for the painting



"Very nice and futuristic" my darling wife said; but I wasn't after a Silver Age jet...