On the workbench

Work in Progress, On the Workbench — Nil, Nada, Nothing

Thomo the Lost5 Comments
Random photo from the past (2017) and only because it is two weeks to the ‘ber season

And no, I am not doing the Santa bit again this year, leastwise not unless there is a damned good reason as in some past years.

So, what’s happening on the wargaming front. Well, certainly no painting currenrly, none at all so far this August.

On 2 August I slipped out of Manila for a week to check out rental properties and some other matters in the province of Pampanga, where I intend to move later this year when the lease on the Makati apartment expires. This has been helped by the New Normal of Work From Home.

On 2 August 2020, the President announced that Metro Manila (including Makati), as well as the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal, were being placed back under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine – more restrictive than the General Community Quarantine they had been under for the period previously.

Well wrapped up … plus hand sanitizer in the pocket

It didn’t take an intellectual genius to figure that life here would be a lot more relaxed and it would be possible at least to go to the pub and watch some Rugby (both codes) and Aussie Rules over a burger and a beer under the easier quarantine restrictions here (random burger photos below with the ring-in hoagie).  I decided to wait out the extra quarantine here.

Mind you, we are required here when out of the home to wear both a mask and a face shield these days. The face shield presents its own problems but the atmospheric effects on the specs when getting out of an air conditioned car are foggy in the extreme.

A one hour quick game from the Lardies

Downside, no painting. Upside, recent rule purchases and books were digital so I have been working on that wonderful wargaming task … the planning session. I will admit up front, I am trying to keep the planning based around items that I currently have in the lead pile, but you know how well that goes.

So, one of the plans is to start playing Too Fat Lardies’ “What a Tanker” using 6mm. If that works well, I may look at the addition of some 6mm sets for Chain of Command as well, as I have a surfeit of 6mm armour and infantry.

I’ve also been considering some small scale naval, remembering that the area I have for gaming is little more than 2 foot square. I have some 1/2400 scale ships of the Napoleonic Period in the lead pile and they may just fit that area nicely.

I am also thinking on concentrating on finishing one of the 6mm DBA sets … maybe the Punic Wars set, although that may lead me into purchasing additional figures to introduce Pyrrhus of Epirus into that set.

In addition, I took advantage of some attractive pricing at Pen and Sword books to purchase a few eBooks. I’ll get around to reading them this trip as well. Come to think of it, I have a chunk of book editing to do as well as the day job.

First cab off the rank though, will be to finish the first force of 2mm figures, after which, maybe What a Tanker, which gives me an excuse to paint buildings and tanks.

And then there will be a 100 km move of residence in the middle of all this. Ah, plenty to do!

YouTube – On the Workbench 2 – 17 March 2018

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I got around to undercoating the t-34s roday. The t-54s needed some aerial repairs so missed the paint. I decided to undercoat in brown instead of the white or black I normally use. I also apologise for the standard of the video, I need a taller tripod os a second pair of hands.

So, started on the painting process of the 6mm Ros and Heroics Poles for Cold War Commander.

Video is here:

I will go about getting myself a half decent spray booth soon too. I have some ideas for a collapsable one.

Comments are welcome and I lied last time when I promised to get better. Next time I will get better, promise!

January 2018 Summary – Work in Progress

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The soon to be Polish Army circa 1975

It has been a mixed month. A longer than planned enforced stay in Australia waiting for the alignment of the juggernauts that are the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Australia Post, to return a new passport to me has meant that I have only spent a few days working on my hobbies. So, what have I achieved this month so far?

Last year I had ordered some Poles to provide an opponent for my Cold War Commander Danes, so started work on those in January, getting them ready for some paint (that is the army off to the right there).

Of course, feeling bored, I was glancing through an Heroics and Ros catalogue and decided that I should upgrade the armour in both armies so an order went off to Heroics and Ros for 12 Leopard 1 tanks for the Danes and 12 T-72M tanks for the Poles. I’m a wargamer, I plead guilty to being addicted to buying more figures. I expect the reinforcements to arrive any week now.

The Type 74

I also ordered some more ships early in January while sitting in Oz at mum’s waiting for the passport to arrive. In the fleet order are some World War 1 Russian vessels, a Soviet modern fleet and XXXXXX <– OK,  so I can’t remember the third fleet.

I also have the JGSDF type 74 tank (1/72 scale model) sitting on my work bench. I have started to work on that as well.

Lastly, in January, I managed to finish reading a few books and had them up for review here. So, not a bad effort overall. February target is less beer, lose weight, more hobby!

PLAN Complete

Thomo the Lost5 Comments
The PLAN fleet complete
The PLAN fleet complete

Well, except for a few aircraft!

There, to the left, gentle reader, is the PLAN set ready to take on the Indian fleet. I am tempted now to consider some Japanese, maybe a European fleet of some sort or perhaps a ragtag South-East Asian fleet defending their combined oil interests from the Chinese.

I am a little annoyed however as this time I had some problems with the varnishing. I am using the same Acrylic varnish that I have used for the last two years without any problem however this time it seems to have crazed some of the paintwork – in particular, the flight deck of the Liaoning.

Click on the image to see the crazing on the flight deck
Click on the image to see the crazing on the flight deck

I am not sure whether the varnish is the issue or whether it is because I did not use Games Workshop’s Citadel painting on this one – but rather Army Painter colours. I will need to go back and have a chat perhaps to the nice folks at Paradigm Infinitum here in Midpoint, Singapore to see whether anyone else has reported a similar problem.

I will do some testing of various paints on a flat surface in the next few days, when I get a chance, and report back.

Don’t you just hate it when this happens?

In the meantime, the two fleets are now safely accommodated in their semi-permanent home – a Scottish shortbread tin.

The Indian Navy on the left and the Chinese Navy on the right ... ready for red force/blue force naval exercises!
The Indian Navy on the left and the Chinese Navy on the right … ready for red force/blue force naval exercises!

And yes, that is a spare Russian carrier at the bottom – maybe I should build a fleet around it!