These French fellows by Strelets took about 4 hrs to hack off the runners on their sprue each one 3mm thick,and two to each figure,and runners large enough to run metal into casting up a full sized Battleship ,but entirely overkill for a 20mm figure.Well I had lots of boxes to cut my way through.Took four blades to do that one company`s model figures alone. So ten boxes of figures are now reduced in size into two boxes.Problem was and still is, I had and have many more then just ten boxes. Strelets Romans by the hundred weight you could say were next on the cutting off list (HACKING! )
So they are all nicely trimed and tucked away now in 21 boxes. Spent one whole day cutting off Zvezda model Napoleonic Foot Artillery. Every tiny piece placed into a plastic blister case for safety,and the rest of the 30 guns and wheels all in a box together with the instructions on how to put these irritating complicated cannon & limbers and caissons together.
Tomorrow I`ll have an easy day cutting off the soft model figures from Hat,then Italeri stiff rigid plastic ones,and lots of their British light Cavalry too. One more good day and the job will be done,and hopefully I`ll finish up doing the Zvezda French Cuirasiers last.Then at my leasure I`ll paint my way gradualy through them that I wish to paint. I reckon 8 years solid effort should just about be needed to cover all the work. Found lots of rare Strelets and Imex sets too,and I have no plans to cut these off the sprues,they`ll go into another collection of rare toys.Inspite of all the time needed to do this job,I can see the funny side to all this hard work,and I always enjoy each part of this great hobby,be it opening up the boxes ,to the painting up of the figures within them.
What Mrs B will do with all the space now revealed is anyones guess,its big enough for a very large three door wardrobe.
Perhap`s I do have Compulsive Typing Disorder! A very tired out but happy BB
