AWI/ACW 28mm Brick Building Find @ Antique Store

I'm always browsing through flea markets, thrift stores, and antique stores as you never know what you might find that is perfect for miniatures gaming, but was not created for that purpose.  I recently found this one for $4 and bought it so I didn't violate my rules of Acquisition.

(Rule #1: Buy it when you see it, because when you come back to get it, it will be gone.) 

 

As it states on the bottom of the house:

 

"The Little House Where We Began.  This is a handcrafted replica of the Heinz family homestead designed for you to file your favorite Heinz recipes.  The house is made basswood and silk-screened by hand. " 

 

I did a quick search and you can find these for sale on eBay and such.

 

Here are some 28mm ACW figures for scale. The style of house will fit in fine with the AWI through the ACW and beyond.  You could add additional details if you wish, but I'm leaving it as is and spend that extra time on other terrain projects.  Though, as I can't leave 'good enough alone', I'll probably end up adding some shingles to the roof made from cereal box cardboard.   

The cool feature is that the roof is removable and you can fit a whole squad of 10 figures inside (if mounted on 1" bases.) 

This building will be put to good use in upcoming black powder skirmish games. I'll bet you that the creators at the Heinz company never thought the recipe box would be fought over by small metal miniature soldiers.

Some Tips on Painting...

I'm trying something new right now, so I thought I'd put down a few thoughts about the strategy for painting miniatures.

Painting 'Now' Technique(s)

I was reading about a different painting technique and decided I'd give it a go on my 28mm wild west figures.  Essentially the process is this:

1.  Prime the miniature black.
2.  Dry brush the figure with white. (black will remain in all the low spots.)
3.  Paint your figure with a layer of color(s).
4. Add a layer of lighter shades over the base color.
5. Dry brush white over the top to highlight the uppermost details.

The result is a figure that shows a better amount of shading and highlighting than I am used to doing. (progress pics to come soon showing the stages.)  The results have eliminated the need to do a dark wash and the shadows are still in the appropriate places.

Painting 'Past' Technique(s)

Here is how I've painted my miniatures in the past:

1.  Prime the miniature. (Black, White, or Gray.  See notes below.)
2.  Paint your figure with a layer of color(s).
3.  Add a layer of dark wash (thinned down black or brown paint and water) to get some shadows in the low spots, folds, and etc.
4.  Add a layer of lighter shades over the base color.
5.  Dry brush white over the top to highlight the uppermost details.

Selection of Primer Color:

Here are a few colors to choose from:

White: All of my early figures, 15mm and some 25mm, were painted white.  This was because they were 15mm ACW and Napoleonic figures, and 25mm Star Wars with brightly colored uniforms.  The white base coat makes the colors come out that much more brighter.

Black: I now paint all of my figures with a black base coat.  I started with my 20mm WWII skirmish figures and carried it through to all of my newer 10mm Zulus, and 28mm ACW, Seminole Indian, and other skirmish figures. The black base coat tends to dull the colors somewhat, giving them a muted/dirty/used tone, exactly what I wanted for those time periods.

Gray: I tried to use a gray base coat, but I just didn't like the results, not to mean that you won't.  It gives a result somewhere between white and black.  Some of the pro-painters swear by it?

Painting 'Future' Technique(s)

With this 'new' technique, at least to me, I've eliminated the dark paint wash step. I keep reading about doing ink washes and I know some live by it.  I'll probably give it a try on some future miniatures and will report on the results.

Here's some pictures of my Deputies in Progress using my 'New technique'.

(Color Schemes are taken from 'Pale Rider')

#1: The Primed Black Figures.

 #2: The figures are dry-brushed white.

#3a: Color being added to the figures, under-layers first.

 #3b: Color being added to the figures, outer layers second.

#4: Additional lighter shades & highlights.

#5: Final shading. (Coming Soon.)

#6: Bases, flocking and details. (Coming Soon.) 

Recent ACW Yankeetown Raid

As typical during the ACW, there were hundreds of small scraps and skirmishes in the state of Florida.  Most involved shore or river landings of Union Sailors, Marines, Dismounted Cavalry and sometimes Regular Infantry.  This game, run at a local 'games day', represents a typical inland skirmish as Union troops search the Rebel interior for stores of contraband and other military supplies while fighting off the local Militia or Florida reserves.

(Please excuse the unfinished ACW troops.  I'm still working on the first batch of 250+ figures, but at least the artillerymen are complete.)

 The rebels have some local militia and artillery deployed in the field of this little hamlet.  Additional Confederate troops are approaching from the left (out of picture).  The main Union force is approaching from the south (out of picture to the lower right) while the USCT troops that I was in charge of start to deploy along the road on the left.

 The Main Yankee force deploys in good order while leaving a gap for the 12lb Napoleon to shoot into the rebel troops. The infantry trade shots with the militia suffering a murderous fire.

The initial volley by my USCT squads had disastrous results for the approaching confederates. (I'm sorry Jacob.) My troops did take some casualties, but not nearly as many as the Reb's did.  I couldn't roll that good again if I tried.  After the Rebel threat on this flank was checked, the squads on the right will advance across the cabbage patch towards the barn building.

Here, a Union Company, after failing their morale check, was forced to charge the nearest enemy which was the decimated Florid militia unit behind the fence.  The Reb's were routed off the field and the Union unit didn't quite make it to the Artillery in the field. However, continued Union fire would eliminate the other Florida unit on the right and would start to mow down the CSA gunner's before they could remove the guns. A last ditch effort by a lone gunner failed to cause any additional Yankee casualties when he pulled the lanyard with his last action.

The Yanks were shot up, but there was no way for the CSA troops to retake any ground lost.  This would be a marginal victory for the Union Forces as they burn and pillage their way back to their boats while escorting captured contraband.

28mm ACW raid into North Florida/South Georgia

Here are some pictures of a recent 28mm ACW game we ran on March 22, 2012.

The Battlefield from the north end. 

The Battlefield from the south end. 

The brown house on the hill. (It was spared from the horrors of war, this night.)

A small, rebel held hamlet in North Florida.

I thought the sunlight over the field was cool, so I took a picture.

A rocky outcropping in one corner, at the request of one of our games. (The rocks are real rocks, stacked up with some trees and lichen added.) Looks pretty good to me.

The Confederate line opens withering volley on the Union blue-bellies coming up the road. (Excuse the unfinished ACW troops.  I've got about 300 of about 500 that are in various stages of painting and detailing.)

A Union squad charges out across an open area  (mistake #1) against waiting rebels behind light cover. (mistake #2)

Confederate troops attempt to hold the wheat field fence line against the attacking Union troops.

Three companies of the 2nd USCT advance down the road from the right.

A rebel artillery battery is brought to the middle of the wheat field.  Due to some orderly withdrawls by the rebels in the center, the battery would be withdrawn as well to a second line of fences.

Some Georgia Militia enter the table and form up on the confederate right.

Three Union companies march at the double-quick down the road and encounter the rebel militia.

Both sides exchange volley's with each other.

The Union boys take a couple of casualties, but the militia takes a deafening fire that drastically dwindles their ranks.

One more volley by the Union left forces the Georgia Militia to 'Skeedaddle' off the field. The Rebels who had reformed in the center and the town, prepare to withdraw off the table after their artillery battery is silenced due to effective and deadly accurate Union musket fire.

The dice gods simply weren't with the Confederate forces this night.  

Turning a $1 hummingbird feeder into a 15mm ACW Balloon and UFO Saucer

OK, so I found this hummingbird feeder for $1 at the "Dollar Tree" and the light bulb over my head clicked. (no pun intended, see below)  It's just the thing I was looking for to make a 15mm ACW observation balloon.

 Here's what the hummingbird feeder looks like.  I think it's supposed to look like a light bulb, complete with fake wire fillament? I don't know what a feeder has to do with light bulbs, but oh well?

 Here it is, taken apart into it's main components.  The two figures shown for scale are a 28mm and 15mm figure. I shouldn't have to say the smaller one is on the right, but I will anyways to avoid confusion.

 Now you see what I see.  I'll trim the tab off the top, sand down the mold line, and then it's ready for paint.

(15mm figure shown for scale.)  Add the netting over the balloon (Made from gauze bandage stretched out), some thread for the rope lines and build a basket for under the ballon. I'll mount it to a solid based with wire that will look like the support lines below, or onto a wood dowl.  I haven't decided yet.

 I already have this kit, unbuilt.  It's approximately 25mm-28mm in scale and will be used with my 28mm ACW miniatures when put together.

 A picture of the actual 'Intrepid'.

 Here's the basket and tethers below, keeping the balloon attached to the ground. One of the cables coming from the basket is for communication so that the guy (aeronaught) in the balloon can send messages about what he sees. I.E.: Enemy troop movements and strengths.

 Here's the process for inflation.  The generators on the left combine chemicals to create the hydrogen used to inflate the balloon.

 Here's another pic.  The generators on the left are mounted on wagon chassis'.

Don't forget, the first aircraft carrier was used during the ACW, not WWI.   That is the coal barge 'George Washington Parke Curtis' turned into a flattop.  

Now, onto part II of this project...

 

here are the remnants of the base of the hummingbird feeder.  Do you see what I see?

Yep!  I'm seeing flying saucer/UFO potential too, in a variety of scales.  "Waste not, want not!"  In a smaller scale, I could also see this being made into a space station for fleet scale starships.

(1) For this UFO project, I can see adding a clear half globe on top (part of a gumball machine, dispensable plastic 'egg'.  You must know what I'm talking about?) 

(2) I'll add some sort of round, flat piece of clear plastic over the 4 holes for windows/port holes.

(3) I can see it being painted silver or grey.

(4) I can see gluing those small fake jewels around the outside rim to represent multi-colored UFO Lights.

(5) I'd build some landing gear from bits and wire for the bottom.

Lastly, the yellow flowers will end up being glued to a base with other plastic greenery added for some 'alien' foliage or just tossed into the bits box.  You be the judge.

25mm ACW Wood and Stone Barns

Here's even more paper building goodness.  This time in 25mm/28mm scale for your ACW games.  These would fit in fine with other black powder games as well.