Organizing my painting table

As is usual, my painting table had quickly become overrun with stuff.  Paint bottles, tools, figures, all haphazardly spread around.  My wife noted that I might enjoy the painting more if I, ahem, organized.  Now it should be noted that Zori is incredibly organized.  I, on the other hand, am not.

So, I took her suggestion.  I had an idea for a rack for paints.  We went to the hardware store and bought what I thought were going to be the necessary components.  I went again when I found I needed something else.  Then I realized I had forgotten yet another component.

We had stopped at a Big Lots store, and they had these cheap metal spice racks.  Construction has halted on the painting rack, the cheap spice racks seem to do a bang-up job.

The tools were a simple matter.  We bought some pegboard and pack of small tool holders to fit on the pegboard.

Zori came up with a solution for storing paint brushes.  She had a metal mesh container, in which she put some styrofoam.  You just insert the back of the handle into the styrofoam, and the brushs aren't getting crunched by stuff on the table.

I am currently working on some Prussian artillerists, and the grenadiers for the regiment I previously finished.  In the future I am going to paint the grenadiers at the same time.  I am already painting 24 figures, 6 more is not a big deal.

I ordered the rest of the figures I need for the Prussians and all of the Austrians.  It saved some on postage instead of ordering small amounts.

I thought I would close with a picture of my painting buddy.  I am holding her in the picture I use for my blog, but here she is in all her 18 year old glory.  My cat, Kochka.

First regiment done

This is the first regiment in the Die Fighting project.  It is the 16th Musketeer regiment.  The 6 grenadier figures are still being painted.  The picture came out a bit odd.  I used a satin finish on them, and it seems to have some glare.

I will be starting a medium battery next.  It will be 2 guns and 8 artillerists.

I had not painted for several years.  I blocked in the colors, then painted over it with Minwax tudor stain.  I then did a dullcote and did a little highlighting.  It doesn't show too well, I think I need to be a bit more aggressive about that.  The flags are from Warflags, I am not too crazy about them, but my attempt at hand painting flags was pretty pathetic.

Die Fighting Project

I recently bought Die Fighting by Bob Jones.  It looks like what I want in a set of rules.  I am planning on raising forces for the Seven Year's War, both Prussians and Austrians.

To start, I am making essentially identical forces for each side:

4 infantry battalions @ 12 figures each                               48
1 grenadier battalion @ 12 figures                                      12
4 heavy cavalry squadrons @ 4 figures each                       16
2 light artillery with 1 gun and 4 gunners each                      8

That is 60 infantry, 16 cavalry, 8 gunners and 2 guns.

For both sides, the total is 120 infantry, 32 cavalry, 16 gunners and 4 guns.  Not an impossible task, although I have not yet finished the first 24 infantry.  When I do, they will be posted.

I am using Front Rank miniatures.  I like them, although the fact that almost all 7YW Prussians come only with coats with lapels is a bit annoying.

After the first regiment of infantry, the next project will be artillery and cavalry.  I have not yet purchased any Austrians.  I am planning on doing a Hungarian regiment, just because I like them.

Getting started

My wife pointed out to me that if I was going to paint figures, I would need a space to do so.  She helped me clear out a corner of the basement, and we set up a table with my lighted magnifier.  Zori organized my stuff for me, because she is really good at that.

I have some 28mm Front Rank 7YW figures I have been working on.  I am still looking for the rules I will use.  I also have some 15mm orcs I bought for Song of Blades and Glory.

15mm Fantasy got here

I had ordered some 15mm orcs and humans to try Song of Blades and Heroes.  They got here today.  I have been cleaning up some orcs (nasty business, that) and got them washed and on bases.  I will probably wait to take pictures till they are at least primed.  Its supposed to warm up tomorrow afternoon, so I will probably do it then.

I am planning on trying using units instead of individual figures with 15mm.  My plan is to use the rules pretty much as written, except allow a facing change for one action.  Also, there will be rules for flank and rear attacks.  My idea is that you won't be able to call a flank/rear attack unless the center of your unit starts behind the front of the enemy unit.  (you can't use extra actions to manuever into a flank) and that flank/rear attacks make the flanked unit take a -1 in combat.

I am not sure how I am going to handle leaders, heroes, etc. 

History and Future

I started wargaming when my father made the mistake of buying my brother and I a wargame about the American Civil War.  We were hooked.  I was about 15, my brother about 10.  The next game we got was Blitzkrieg.  I played mostly boardgames till 1977, when I was introduced to WRG Ancients miniatures gaming. 

My first unit of 15mm figures was Greek light infantry.  They were the old Minifig strips of figures.  I painted them, badly, with Humbrol paints. 

I was in the Air Force, and was assigned to Lakenheath, England in 1988.  There I started painting 25mm ancients, again Greeks.  When I went back the US in 1980, I started gaming many periods, principally Naval and Napoleonics.

In 2001 I moved to Kansas City.  It took 36 large plastic bins to hold all the wargaming stuff.  I had overloaded.  About 4 years ago I sold everything and stopped gaming.  It had just gotten to be too much.  Now I am started gaming again, but on a  much more limited basis.

I have a few projects I am planning on.  Short term, I am going to make a small force (less than 10 figures) for Song of Blades and Heroes.  Its a nice little skirmish game my gaming group plays.  I have a long term goal of doing 28mm Seven Years War, using the Charge! rules.

I have ordered figures, painted a few 7YW, and read rules.  The group, Basement Generals, is a great bunch of guys who are easy to game with.

When my Song of Blades and Heroes figures come in I will post some pictures.