Greetings fellow Planeteers:

For some silly reason, as I look at my photos below, I think of Washington
Irving. We all remember the Legend of Sleepy Hollow? That Headless
Horseman Rides again, . . . but only in 54mm.

Here is my third and rather short installment of my crack at converting the
Airfix 54mm Equestrian figure to a Parliamentarian Cavalryman. Or Round
head as they were called from their "buzz" or close cropped hair cuts.

I'd like to say that it has gone smoothly, but that really hasn't been the case.
I've rolled out Aves Apoxy Sculpt using a wood dowl rod for a rolling pin;
and sprinkled talcum powder on the dowl rod, the putty, and the surfaces
I've rolled the putty out flat into a thin blanket. The difficulty is more so for
me with 54mm than it was when I was working on 120mm figures. As Steve
Readdie (Planeteer '1969') explained, the talcum powder has to be washed
off with water so it will stick to the subject, and it is best to position
the sliced pieces of rolled putty using watercolour brushes that have
been dipped in water, instead of the fingers which the putty sticks to.
Some of my most favorite curse words have been coming
forth while attempting this process! Because the rider is leaning forward
on a rearing horse, I have him forward in the saddle. So I needed to
fabricate a man sized butt that didn't exist, and then try to layer the rolled
putty over his bum, once those buttocks had cured over night. Next I think,
will be the job of positioning the upper arms and the lower arms before
building up the upper portion of his deer skin or buff jacket.

Naturally, comments from you ladies and gentlemen are welcomed.

Miami Jayhawk

Boots and Spurs Help????

Below is a quick sketch I did with my PrismaColour Pencils. As you know, it
is illegal to put illustrations from my 4 Osprey Books on the English Civil War
of Cromwellian times. So below is an attempt to show the boots with the wide
tops. I intend to have a pistol sticking down into the boot on the starboard
side. (Ooooooops, that is military aircraft talk. I mean on the right side.)

Hopefully you can see in the two view sketch that there is a leather and chain
type set up to hold the spurs in place. I have created the front leather tab
that sits on the front of the boot from lead foil. But now I can see that the two
pieces are too small. So I will have to re-do those.

Does anyone have any suggestions how to make the star shape or "business
end" of the spurs? In that tiny scale, I can't seem to figure out a way to do
it other than just have the end of the spurs pointed as some were
configured. As I said, this figure is 54mm.

Regards,

Jaybird

Roger that, Carl. . .

Roger that, Carl.

You're probably right, mate. I can always just use wire and forget about the
star burst that is on the end, . . . the part that jingles and jankles in those
Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes, . . . and Trigger movies.

Happy Trails to you. . . Until we meet again. . .

well, you get the idea. . . .

Jayhawker

Another method, Rick would be with green-stuff, roll it flat as you can then with an exacto do a 'pizza' cut out of it except making the triangle pizza cuts short of the center...

Very nice sketch BTW, an excerpt of a book would fall under fair use as long as it is sourced =)

hi Rick
If i were trying to make these i would try and find a watch maker n see if they had anything like a small jocky wheel !!! Good luck mate
Sam

Hey Gordy. . . thanks for the suggestion

Hi Gordy:

Thanks for taking time to post your suggestion. I do appreciate it. Oh and yes,
I didn't remember that if I mentioned the source of the illustration, from a
published source, such as the four Osprey Soft Cover books I have on the
ECW, it was not plagiarism. Good to know for the future. Thanks again,

rickster

Hello Sam. . . and thanks

Hi Sam:

Thanks for that suggestion, re the small part from a watch. I will have to
check with my local Watch shop, which is just down the street. That also
made me think I should go by the local railroad model shop. Maybe they
have something quite small that would work.

I do appreciate your suggestion, Sam. . . it kinda' loosened up my old brain,
and got me to thinkin' .

Have a great day and Happy New Year,

The Miami Jayhawk

I believe a good idea is to try to photo-etch it.

Howdy Rick,

Great work mate. What impressed me straight away was the rider has a good "seat" on his mount. He is sitting deep in the saddle and his legs are more or less perpendicular to the ground. More important than any of the small details is to ensure that your rider and mount look like they belong together, and yours do. Well done mate.

Hi Rick nice progress, I agree with Tony regarding the positioning of the rider, spot-on, looking forward to following.

Cheers Ken

This is looking great allready Rick.
Gonna watch this closely

Marc

Greetings Piotr Kalinowski

Hello Piotr:

Oh my, I remember you now, as you live over on the east side of our city.

I'll keep your suggestion in mind, altho to go to the expense of having PE
spur heads made, may be a bit much. But I'll keep that option in mind; and
thanks for the suggestion.

Jaybird

Hello Tony Dawe and Ken Farrar . . .

Hello Gentlemen:

Since you both brought up what IMHO is the most important aspect of this
kind of figure modeling, I thought it would be OK — and hopefully, still within
the framework of good manners — that I address both of your forum posts
together.

Indeed, you have hit the nail on the head. That aspect of the entire project is
what the IPMS/USA judges will be looking at very carefully. This kind if thing
where gravity comes into play, the thrust of the horse, upward, the weight
of the cavalryman pushing down into the saddle. I have tried to be very
careful with making sure that this looks like it would in nature. That is one
reason I used the copper wire pieces shoved in drilled holes in both the left
and right side hip and leg kit parts, so I could adjust the spread of the legs
as many times as necessary before gluing. And that area is one that I will
keep checking often; and perhaps have to add or subtract putty and styrene
in the buttocks, thighs and saddle from time to time.

You two gentlemen would make very good figure judges for IPMS!

Thank you Tony and Ken for taking time to post your comments,

Rickster

Hey there, Marc. . .

Hi Marc:

Thanks for taking time to post your kind remarks. I do appreciate it. The
Planeteers have really been a lot of encouragement to me on this project.
And that has helped me to keep positive and not give up on what for me is
rather difficult. But I believe that being willing to fail, being willing to leave
our comfort zone is how we learn and grow. . . not only as model builders,
but as people as well. .

Wishing you and yours a most meaningful New Year,

The Miami Jayhawk

Hi! Rick.
Excellent start.
I'm looking forward to completion.

Mitsutaka.

Hello my friend. . .

Hello Mitsutaka:

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. Today I hope to add both arms
and putty in the joints at the shoulders and the elbows, where I sawed the
arms clear thru. Ah . . . hope that makes sense. Of course, his left hand
will have the reins in them wrapped around the figures. And the right hand
will have a hand painted Guideon (sp, sorry) for the Parliamentarians. It is
a blue flag with neato icons on it for that particular unit. Hopefully, the
rearing horse and the colourful banner will attract the eye.

Thanks again, Mitsutaka,

rickster

Rick sorry for my absence from posting so far but not been on the pooter much last few days mate and i am now playing catch up so to speak.

Well all that worrying about joining the torso and fixing rider to horse was uncalled for as you have pulled it of very well which others have mentioned. The upper body position is just right for the counter balance of the horse movement and the legs have a good close grip of the horse for steadying the rider. I also like the little sideways motion of the upper body which i take it will be viewed toward the viewer to give a better look at the figure, nice thinking mate and also adds a bit more interest to the pose.

This has the making of a very attractive piece mate and so far you are on a roll with it which is great.

As for the spurs i agree small watch cogs would work well and the will already have a centre hole for fixing with thin wire to replicate the real thing, failing that just go for the plain spike which will be far simpler.

will get round to sending you mail soon mate when things at home get back to some sort of normal again.

All the best old heimer

Stevo

Roger that, Stevo, 1969 . . .

Roger that, my friend:

Sorry to hear that things are rather discombobulated (ah. . . aren't chew
impressed ah can spell that woid, Hokay Amigo???) and somewhat
befuddled and in a state of flux, for you, my friend.

Somewhat vexing, ah would say, hombré. . .

But seriously, Steve, I do appreciate your kind words. You and the other
Planeteers have really helped me to stay POSITIVE about this project.
Hopefully, I will have both arms attached soon, as well as getting the rest of
the deer skin "buff" jacket in place using the Apoxy Sculpt putty. . . rolled out
as it were.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh. Aye, matey. . . steady as she goes, man the
poop deck, and clear for battle stations. . . .

ricardo

Hello Rick
Very good progress and good sculpting!!

Alexandros