Blockhouse Roofing

 

Nearly there.... Let it dry.... don't mess with it.....

So, now, I can allow my hands to shake. 

The next step is to trim them to length and gently sand their apexes to the right profile. Then I will frame within the long 'arms' so I have something to attach shingles to.

Minuscule Blockhouse Progress

 

I am starting to put together the roof framing for my blockhouse. As I am making two, I decided to get both sets dome together for the sake of relative uniformity.

The frames have been butt-jointed, but those that will meet them at 90 degrees have been fattened up with matchsticks to give a broader gluing area.

When it's all solid, they will be trimmed off and then the beams will be gut to length as they are over-sized.

Painted Willies

 

This is where my current folly began. I had a few figures left over from earlier parts of the larger French and Indian War project. I also had an itch to build a smaller frontier fort, hence the blockhouse. And of course, a blockhouse needs a garrison.

Then I ran across 20 Willies on eBay which fitted perfectly with my evolving ideas. So, I am slowly stripping and repainting them. Their rosy little cheeks are a nod back to their original painting which has a charm that I can't deny. So, I can see myself painting three companies/Grand Divisions of them per Bill Protz's "Drums of War Along the Mohawk". They are good units to have for the petite guerre that grumbled up and down the Ohio Valley and I always have my eye on one day fighting la Belle Famille.

Lastly, allow my to tease the project that I hope to get underway in the second half of the year, the Gardes Francaises. It's always struck me that the Suren 18th mid-Century range was always geared around just a few battles. Carillion/Ticonderoga, Quebec, Culloden and, of course, Fontenoy. I have the Arquebusiers de Grassin in my collection, so I really ought to add the Gardes Francaises, I think. I bought about half the required figures 5 or 6 years ago, forgot them and then rediscovered them recently, do hopefully I will keep my head of steam up and get stuck in. If I was to be honest, I would also like to add the Regiment d'Eu to the collection as well!

For Stokes

 

The 'Before' shot

As you can see, fairly roughly painted. although the faces are nicely done. I was surprised by the officer as I have not seen this one in the current catalogue. When he is stripped, I'll be looking for a catalogue number on his base.

I do enjoy this pose; very Holger Ericsson.

There were 20 in total on green-painted card bases, four to a base. I will follow up with an 'after' photo later on today.

Making Blockhouses

 Heaven's above, it's been quite a while since I last posted.

Let me atone.

For context, I am back in French and Indian War mode after winning an auction on eBay of 20 or so Willie figures, old enough that their weapons were soldered on (hurrah!) and have been thinking about building some timber block houses from 6mm square-section dowel.

So, here is where I have started from.

Wooden Lego

All cut up with my scroll saw. 

Stacking logs

So, there are two sizes of timbers here. one to support a 50mm square floor, another to support the 75mm square floor of the house that sits atop the tower.

Hm. Six logs high.

This was a test to get my height sorted. Six 'logs' high seems about right, with loopholes on the fifth.

Flooring

Experimenting with thin strip (coffee stirrers) to create the flooring.

I intend to rough the logs up with the teeth of a saw to improve the look.

Toytown, the place to be....

 Twee by day...

... even more so by night.

Frosty approves.

Painting Flags

 

Sir Allen Aspley's Foote, ECW

Acrylic on lightly varnished copy paper. Marked up with a pencil and then coloured.