Snatch Squad WIP

I've stopped to watch a couple of episodes of LIFE ON MARS whilst I have me 'oops. Here's the work in progress 'snatch  squad'.

The 'Glengarry' heads are attached with Blutack for now whilst I work out best positioning. May or may not change those heads with respirators to standard helmets and riot visors. Ideally I'd reposition the arms for greater variety but these guys are just a fun aside. Unfortunately they are cast with the right arm attached to the kidney (bum) pouches - more effort than it's worth.

BTW, I recommed the Osprey Elite series  Security Forces in Northern Ireland 1969-92. To my mind it's the best of the Osprey books on the British army of the 70's and 80's. It's also directly relevant to Winter of '79.

Cheers
Mark

Tales from the Coo Shed

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On the way into work every morning the train passes a stretch of windswept farmland on the coastal cliff edge. The farmer has kindly provided his cows with corrugated iron cow shelters and each day I make a mental note that they would look great on my Winter of '79 tabletop.

Using one sheet of Wills OO/HO Corrugated Plasticard (£2.50 for 4 sheets) and seven matches I knocked up the following Coo' shed.

It's simple to score the plasticard and snap it on the table edge. The matches are there not only to add detail but strengthen the joins at the corners.

Simple but effective I think. The shed could be further detailed with additional sheets of corrugated iron laid across the roof, maybe a couple of wooden beams or rocks holding the roof down. I'm keeping this one simple but will finish it off by mounting on a scenic base.

Right. Off to build another!

Cheers
Mark
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The Pub Landlord - WIP

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After blogging yesterday I couldn't help myself and followed the course of my thought train to it's conclusion. So I cut the head off the figure in 3 piece suit from Platoon 20's Armed Civilians (P-CV1) and replaced it with one from Britannia's BAOR range.

Voila! Vince, ex-Bootneck, pub landlord of the Slaughtered Ferret: "No ponce in a red beret is taking my pub!"

You know, if Winter of '79 was set in London, this figure would make a great Pearly King for an urban/Zombie apocalypse!

Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay
Um diddle diddle diddle um diddle ay

Cheers

Mark

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70's Paras WIP

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First photo of my new 70's Paras. Blogger is being a pain in the groin this afternoon, so you are only getting the one pic for now.

" I'd like to thank the Academy....."

Platoon 20 Post-war Brits: pack P-B6

Have spent this weekend working on Falklands era Brits from Platoon 20. Got to say, I'm really chuffed with how these minis turned out. I like my C20th minis to look grungy rather than pretty and it's worked out well. The lighter '59 pattern Denison smock really looking the part.

I used Tamiya Warm Deck as the base for GW Kommando Khaki, which on it's own would be too thin over a black undercoat. Vallejo Iraqi Sand would probably have done the job just as well but the GW paints were all close to hand. I ran Devlan Mud over the K.Khaki then highlighted with a drybrush of Bleached Bone.

The torsos on these minis are really busy with 58' pattern webbing. I suggest you leave the torso without any camo pattern at all overwise it will 'disappear' into the webbing and look like your paintbrush slipped. Concentrate on the arms, particularly around the shoulders. A patch of brown and one or two long swathes of Catachan Green. leave plenty of Kommando Khaki showing or it will start to look like DPM.

I used Catachan Green again as a base for the 'lightweights', followed by Knarloc Green highlighting - which was a loose blocking in using the side of the brush, leaving the Catachan Green in the folds and creases.

Couldn't be arsed finding another green for the webbing, so Catachan Green once again, washed with Badaab Black, highlighted with Catachan Green. Then the webbing, lightweights, boots, gloves and SMG drybrushed with Fortress Grey.

Final touches - Para Beret was Mechrite Red -  and elastic wool cuffs using Calthan Brown with black 'ribbing'.

The Platoon 20 Falklands minis are a real delight to work with. The metal is easy to work yet there is next to nothing in the way of mould seams or flash  to clean. It would be fair to say that the figures are characterful bordering on caricature, but this pays off once they are painted. Both the Para & Marine figs with SMG being a case in point. I never thought I'd have a use for the mini firing a Blowpipe SAM in Winter of '79, but he is such a nice miniature that he is a must have!

Cheers

Mark
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