Saka Light Cavalry

Saka Light Cavalry

Sunday 24 November 2013

Prepping and a Visit to Caliver Books

Just like oh so many of the Fourth Annual Painting Challenger participants I have been stepping up the preparation but unlike last year I am covering all the bases as I have now in my possession new brushes and as of yesterday five cans of primer and three of Varnish not mentioning the part used cans of both types. Now it's a dream of mine to use them all up in the next three months!

Yesterday is was a pleasure to visit Caliver as the fairly young member of staff was just great. I took my son along, dropping the wife and daughter off at Ikea on the way in (It's just up the road from the Eastwood store). We had been in the store awhile and I gave the three cans I had picked up on top of my order to this gent and asked about a few paints not in the racks that he immediately went looking for but alas without success. 

On his return he asked my Son (age 7) if he liked tanks, he said he did so the gent asked which was his favourite. After due consideration he replied not sure, I just like them all (he has yet to really get into the names etc). Five minutes later the gent came back with a small model and asked my Son if he wanted it, which after getting over the idea that yes this was happening said yes please so he came home with this....

Here we have a rather nice Sherman Firefly, which I am sure most of you will have already guessed from a quick look at the image. What is not so obvious from that glance is the scale.

Those lolly sticks look a bit big in the background, could it really be that small? Well yes it can, this is a 10mm scale model with revolving turret. 

It's also a kit of only two pieces, yes it's one of those 3D printed models you will have heard so much about and the detail is just mind glowingly good.

Told you it was a wee thing. It really does sell me to the idea of this material for a number of future products and it blows open the possibilities. Another thing to excite is as the cost drops for the hardware it's even possible we will get one at work at some point, do you think I could convince them that it's OK for me to have a play?  :-)

Anyway it worked out to be quite a good day for all concerned and I was able to concentrate today on painting up a few figures to almost finished stage which will allow me to finish off more of the recently bought painted units for both the French and the Prussians.

I also have done a lot more prep work today and have well over one hundred 15mm Roman's ready for the challenge and nearly three hundred 6mm Napoleonic's all ready for the off. 

Add the twenty plus 28mm's ready from last year and expectation of a few hundred Winter War 28mm's arriving between now and the end of March it's fair to say that I will not run out of figures before I run out of time.

I also have a few idea's for the various themes some will need purchasing whilst others I have in hand and I also bought the Last Stand figures yesterday but still need to clean them up, make a few conversions and then spray them ready for that round.

Yes I think I am all ready for the Challenge kick off

11 comments:

  1. That is just incredible detail on the Sherman - wow!

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  2. That is stunning and what service too

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  3. Very nice! If I could turn back time all of the WW2 20mm kit would be in 10mm, but thats another story...

    Cheers, Ross

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  4. Nice model for 10mm and very nice gesture from Caliver Books.

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  5. That does look pretty cool, If only I could afford one of them printers!!!

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  6. Yep, nicely done. Be interesting to see where this bit of technology leads

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  7. That is a very cool little tank. I wish I could say I was prepared for the challenge. Right now I'm preparing to prepare.

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  8. Ah Caliver. I visited from Canada last year and walked through the door to find a cup of tea being pressed into my hand. Great place.

    The issue with 3d printers ins no longer the technology but the design skills. It has a great future for gaming.

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  9. @ Andrew, it sure is, I have seen worse detailed 28mm tanks, it's amazing how they do it.

    @ Michael, even the muzzle break is detailed and it has a tiny bow MG

    @ Seb, yes 10mm and I agree

    @ Pete, yes that type of kindness really does help. Peter Key gave me some free 28mm Medieval figs when I bought just a few at my first Con. I bought my first army from him

    @ Ross, I know what you mean. I sold all my 20mm to a mate for £5 way back, something like 50 vehicles and a few hundred infantry but if I still had them I guess it would stop me going 10mm but if I get back into WWII beyond skirmish it would be 10mm I think

    @ James, it was as it really made my Son's day and he wants his own army ;-)

    @ Jonathan, sure was, I think it comes from Dave and works down

    @ Ray, the printers a lot cheaper than you may think. The software... well that's a whole different story

    @ Dave, I think it could cause a few issues for figure suppliers if they don't embrace it but that is a few years away yet. Imagine turning up at a show and having your order printed while you wait ?

    @ Sean, well I am still waiting for what will be a major part of my points (I hope) but you will know when they arrive

    @ Pat, Good story that, reminds me of TTG on Mansfield Road, they used to ask if you wanted anything from the Chippy if you were in at lunch time

    Ian

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