Monday, December 1, 2008

7th NJ 28mm ACW

Well, I was going through some boxes and found 2 unused Flag Dude flags. So the 14th Connecticut is now the 7th New Jersey!



28mm ACW Federals

I knocked out 2 new federal companies. Flags are still to come, I need to place a very large order with The Flag Dude soon!

Here are both companies, one mounted for skirmish use...


A shot of the 14th Connecticut


A Rhode Island unit, note the pleated frock on the officer

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

28mm ACW CS Infantry

Here are three new companies added to my CS forces. These are mounted 2 to a stand as skirmishers. Flags to come...
Here is the 1st company
2nd Co.
3rd Co.
Another bad photo but I tried to get one of the facial detail.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Reinforcements

No photos today but some big news. My ACW 28mm armies were 'completed' almost a year ago. So...what does that mean you ask? Its time to double the size! As much as I love painting and have a knack to bang out whole units in an evening I just cant seem to paint fast enough to build the large forces I want in a short time.

So, I had a conversation with a vendor at Fall-in who just happened to get in a huge lot of painted Sash & Saber minis. I have ordered a large group of them, and they are on their way!

30 units of 20 (15 US/ 15 CS, 600 minis) and 18 guns (90 minis).

When completed my armies will have 1,600 infantry/ 84 mounted cav and 84 dismounted with horses/ 34 guns with 136 crew/ 34 limbers/ 8 various wagons (supply, caissons, ambulances)

This will give me 2,222 painted (wagons, guns, and riderless horses included) ACW minis...now I'm getting close to all Ill ever need!

Monday, November 17, 2008

28mm ACW Horse Holders

I'm sort of back on the painting horse after the 15mm reclamation project (more posts on that to come). This weekend I completed a group of Sash & Saber CS horse holders. I HATE painting horses so these bad boys have been sitting in a bag in a closet with the 2 other groups since I bought them at ColdWars. Now just 1 Federal group and 1 more CS group to go! For now some more of my usual awful pics. I have been saying it for years but I think this will be the Christmas season I upgrade from my 2001 Elf Snapshot.





Wednesday, November 12, 2008

28mm Tavern

Here is a piece I just aquired at Fall-in. It's a very nice H.G. Walls model, best for my 28mm AWI but it will also see some ACW use. Here are 2 shots with some of my AWI 28s.

An officer from Butlers Rangers talking to a lieutenant from he 4th NJ Volunteers loyalist in ront of the tavern.


The same building out back...outkitchen with militia officer pointing the way to deserters hiding with-in!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Reclaimed 15mm ACW

I'm back after a looooong hiatus. So my friend and I just did a 15mm acw game at Fall-in. We didn't have enough minis so we dipped back into the old collections.





The full report can be found at Lord Ashram's House of War.

This made me look at some of my own units and decide to remount them for future battles. They work OK as is, but once cleaned up with new stands, dip, and static grass they fit right in. Take a look, here are the first 2 units. ill get some 'before' pics up as well.







Friday, September 19, 2008

Distracted from miniatures at the moment

Hey all! Well, I have pulled my usual move and disappeared. Work has been crazy, traveling all the time. I am not only missing out on painting but I am sure some friends have written me off! I AM ALIVE AND WELL! I'll be catching up with all of you shortly.

In the mean time, I have picked up an old art of mine...magic. I caught the bug again and decided to dust off the old tricks and learn some new ones, in what little free time I have. So sorry for the non-miniature related post but, check out some of the latest ones I have learned. Miniature posts to resume shortly!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

28mm WWII Collection

Sorry for being MIA once again. In truth I have not been painting much, the motivation has just not been upon me lately. I have some ACW items I will be getting back into soon but for now here are some shots of my 25mm WWII collection.

Here is an overall shot of the collection, which sits over my fireplace. The Germans are the three companies and 2 anti-tank pieces to the right of the pic. I also have armored compliments for both.
I painted these a few years ago so they are not up to my standard but they still look pretty damn good. I may go back and do some more work on the faces and bases. I made custom movement trays for each platoon. Here it 3rd platoon 'Fox' company.
Below is a shot of my Brit Paratroopers. These are Foundry and have always been some of my favorite minis.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

25mm ACW CS limber

The following pics are not the best but the first one is clear. I just completed a new limber for my CS artillery. I went into some extra details on this one. I drilled out the barrel and vent in the back. One of those small things only I will know but love to do. I also added the implements and a hook for the bucket to actually hang under the gun. The limber chest opens up and the gun comes off.







Here is a short clip of the gun. You can see the wheels move and the bucket swinging underneath.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

145th Gettysburg QUALITY vs. Quantity

Hello everyone!

I apologize for falling into the black hole that is the real world. I haven't been painting as much as I would like but have been getting SOME odds and ends done. I am completing some limbers and horse holders and will post pics shortly.

FOR NOW...I just took part in the At High Tide 145th Gettyburg event. It was a great alternative to the mega turbo FARB fests that Gettysburg and the Lomas Machine usually create. The impressions were top shelf as was drill and the scenarios. What really gets me is that the mainstream events are FOR PROFIT!!! The men at the top earn money off of the backs of the reenactors! To add to the many reasons these more authentic events are better, all of the money goes to land preservation, and not to open a 3rd distribution center for the Regimental Quartermaster.

I was the right wing commander of the Chesapeake Volunteer Guard and had more then my share of period moments. Not the least of which was leading my battalion, after the good colonel went down, toward Mcphersons Ridge only to get ripped to shreds by the 1st Minnesota as they crested the ridge. Just as it happened and just when it was supposed to happen. Those of you that go to have funnel cakes and watch the circus this weekend will notice the difference in impressions. Here are a few teaser pics.

CVG Battalion at dress parade


CVG Staff behind the firing line


Company C (the finest company in the CVG) in camp


The battalion prepares to move out

Sunday, May 4, 2008

25mm ACW Chaplains

Painted these today. I realized I haven't posted in a while so I figured I better knock out something simple so I would have a reason to post :)



CS Chaplain with a representative from the Christian Commission


A US counterpart with a rep from the Sanitary Commission.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

25mm ACW

I realize I haven't made a post in a while so here are some shots I took of some more recent additions to my forces.

The 39th NYSV


Early War: Fire Zouaves


Louisiana Tigers

Sunday, March 23, 2008

25mm AWI navy

I few years ago after I got my AWI armies where I wanted them I decided to add a navy. Below are the shots of some resin ships, and some home made. Looking at them now I see a lot more details I want to add. Consider this another future remodeling project!

A pre-made resin ship painted for my British forces.

The shot below had 1 Old Glory ship and 2 I made out plastic boats from an old kids game called pirates.

This is a small set I bought from The Wargames Room.

This is my largest ship, its about 2 and a half feet in length. I made this out out of balsa and resin decks from Eureka miniatures.

A better shot of the ship I made from the pirates game.

The life boat from the big ship

The second modified 'pirates' ship

Sunday, March 16, 2008

25mm ACW Photographer with POWs

Here is a small "extra" I am working on. I took the Fenlon Gettysburg POWs and added another stand to the mix. Old Glory's photographer, I used an additional civilian as a photographers assistant. Ill be adding another stand of POWs and one of Federal guards.





Wednesday, March 12, 2008

25mm AWI

Here is a blast from the past. A while back I had posted a pic I doctored of a Revolutionary War table. This was a set up from about 5 years ago when I lived in Manhattan and the 6X4 table took up most of my living space. It's collection of about 650 minis and is a mix of Perry, Foundry and Old Glory. I think I'm going to go back through this collection to upgrade the flags and bases. I will never build armies of this size with single mounted minis again!