I think I have been infected once again by the love of old Citadel by that wonderful '
Bring Out Your Lead' meeting of Oldhammerers at
Wargames Foundry in Stoke. Marcus, Diane and Bryan Ansell, along with a host of others, do a fantastic job of organising the gathering including supplying food and alcohol.....I can't think of a much better weekend's pursuit! There are a veritable plethora of blog postings out there for the 3 day event, a list of some I have found are at the bottom of this post. One day I will get down there...my good mate Tony Yates keeps telling me to come. Kev Adams was there again this year sculpting heads on minis for charity. Top blokes. Anyway, I had recently picked up a job lot of old bits and pieces and found this particular Hobbit minus his sword....slightly to the left of rear middle in the pic below.
How the figure should be, courtesy of Pmc815234 of the
CCM WIKI.
Due to the greyness of the lead I decided to give him a controversial overnight soak in vinegar....this has been recommended by some to get rid of the dreaded lead rot......after an overnight soak he had a severe toothbrush scrubbing with soap and water. I have to say this brought him up a treat although it has to be remembered that the acid in the vinegar can also cause the chemical reaction leading to lead rot so ensure ALL residue is removed......potential screams down the years will otherwise haunt me. I then decided to cut away the remnants of the sword hilt and drill through the hand (using a pin vice) and also into the base. As below, he was ready to hold a spear or standard....
Whilst looking for suitable bits for him I delved into a couple of recent pick ups - plastic remains from other hobbyists' Games Workshop kits - these are a boon to anyone for conversion fodder. I noticed a Skaven Warp sign shield piece that fitted perfectly on his shield and realised that tainted waters could drift through the water table even to the far reaches of the Shire......I then found a suitable standard and removed the skulls and chains, then added a Skaven tail and skull along with a spearhead. The spearhead was possibly the most tricky as I wanted to keep the flanges at either side of the shaft (having to drill it out for the steel wire replacement). Thinking that the skull top to the standard wasn't particularly 'Hobbit' like, even for a tainted one, I found a candle that cried out 'YES!' in a little eureka moment. The piece is from a
Scotia Grendel accessory set - they have far too many tempting bits....
I have since wrapped the tail around the spear to make it look as if he uses it as a 3rd hand and also added a rat (GW plastic) to the base. Undercoated already and hopefully the painting will start tonight.
13/08 A little progress tonight whilst watching the latest couple of episodes of Outcast on Netflix....really should turn the TV off and paint more.....at least you get to see the rat...
The full range of Citadel (solid base) Halfings can be seen
here and, having had a look at them, it reminded me I have a bunch somewhere and may do some other conversions......
It mustn't be forgotten that Marcus' Warmonger side to Foundry has a wonderful selection of Halflings sculpted by the inestimable John Pickford....the set of Bulmoon's Bar and the Villagers are a must for everyone.....tell them I sent you.....
A few 'Bring Out your Lead' posts
There is also a T-shirt to commemorate the weekend available from Warmonger Miniatures
here. Marcus' sister Maria commissioned this.
'Our first t shirt featuring an Orc lllustration by Paul Philburn, artist and nephew of the late Wayne England, is now available for pre-order.
"Wayne was a massive influence on me... my artwork and love of gaming in all aspects of building and terrain loonacy which I've passed onto my lads...the circle is complete" (Paul Philburn)'
