Diary X: October 2017 v. Susofrick

[Bluefalchion]

After an inspirational loss in September against Marvin, it was on to October. My opponent sent me two copies of a Swedish Grenadier from the Great Northern War. Unfortunately, Remco lost one somehow in transit, so I only received one. But then, the worst happened!

I dropped him during the mould line and extra-plastic removal process. No worries, just retreat my chair from the work space and take a look where the figure is. Uh-oh. The figure was caught under the wheel of the chair and the front of the hat was scraped off by the cement floor of my workroom!

Time for an impromptu two-part epoxy (greenstuff) session. And, I had no idea how to sculpt with greenstuff.

Here is a link to the original duel:

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=21034

I managed to create again the front of the hat with greenstuff. Then it was a struggle to get a decent photograph of the figure. In the end, it worked out. Gunnar's entry was extremely clever, but my entry won a few more votes. So 10 months in, Mr. X was 5 wins, 2 losses, and 3 ties. It was on to November, and the most lopsided defeat of my term.

[Susofrick]

It was a very fun duel! And with your mishap and how you saved the figure you should have all the points! I had a terrible time painting mine. Hated him a long time before I had finished him. But in the end he turned out quite okay. Wheels on the painting chair is a horror! Don't know how many times I've dropped figures and worried about driving over them! This diary is a very good read!

[Bluefalchion]

It was a very fun duel! And with your mishap and how you saved the figure you should have all the points! I had a terrible time painting mine. Hated him a long time before I had finished him. But in the end he turned out quite okay. Wheels on the painting chair is a horror! Don't know how many times I've dropped figures and worried about driving over them! This diary is a very good read!

Thanks very much for the reply and the kind remarks. Your "missing button" entry impressed me in part because you successfully depicted his eyes looking down at the spot where the button should be! For me, I usually have a hard time getting eyes to somewhat resemble those of a human being, let alone the direction of vision.

[Graeme]

The figure was caught under the wheel of the chair and the front of the hat was scraped off by the cement floor of my workroom!

That's what you get for trying to cheat the Carpet Monster out of it's tribute.

Dropping things on the floor is the one aspect of the hobby that I'm really quite expert at.

If you have a swivel chair turning it 90 degrees alows you to stand up without moving the chair, then carefully lift it out of the way, while checking inside the casters, before beginning the torchlight search for the missing arm/leg/musket/pipe/repurposed ploughshare. Ive had a lot of practice.

I enjoyed seeing both of these entries, Swedish troops are always such a pleasing burst of colour and these are both splendidly painted.

I recall I liked the way you painted the details on your mitre cap; if I'd known you had to resculpt it I would have been mightily impressed.

[Bluefalchion]

If you have a swivel chair turning it 90 degrees alows you to stand up without moving the chair, then carefully lift it out of the way, while checking inside the casters, before beginning the torchlight search for the missing arm/leg/musket/pipe/repurposed ploughshare. Ive had a lot of practice.

Yes, I am far more careful now. Sometimes I just lift the entire chair up off the ground. But some of my lost parts were simply too small, and bounced too far away, to ever be found.

I recall I liked the way you painted the details on your mitre cap; if I'd known you had to resculpt it I would have been mightily impressed.

If anyone cares to go back and look, I was actually surfing the forum for greenstuff tips during that month. As for the Mitre Cap, I wanted to try to recreate this one:



It is an actual mitre cap recovered from the battle of Potlova and displayed in a Russian Museum. But I also wanted to primarily paint my grenadier in blue and yellow, since, well, those seemed like the best colors to use. These images were helpful but not exactly the same. The figure was quite difficult to paint because of the complicated rows of buttons on the jacket and on the waistcoat beneath.

[Bluefalchion]

On another note, I learned that the term grenadiers evolved to mean elite heavy infantry by the time of Napoleon, but during the early 18th century, they were still actually throwing small bombs.
This grenadier had very thick leather gloves so he could hold the hot bombs before hurling them. And he has a little igniter attached to the strap near his chest.

Finally, don't forget to stop by this month's duel and vote.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=22525

[Susofrick]

I had this old book that my grandpa gave me when I was 12:



I did a little search on the net too, but it was more fun with the book! Also used it for my Prince August-figures.

[Susofrick]

Ah, yes, I forgot! There is an answer to where his button is! In the head of his king! There is a very old story that he was shot with a button, not a bullet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_XII_of_Sweden#Death