The women in my life always said I had too much baggage...But!..., ye army needs a baggage trayne to plunder! I was stumped as to how to get a bunch of wagons in 40mm without a lot of time, cash, and energy until I found just the the solution at my local craft outlet (Michael's). They have a line of plastic parts for schoolkids to do history projects and the like (called "Dr. Brain" :)... and I found pairs of wagon wheels the right size for 99 cents a pair (as well as some indian canoes for my F&I war collection...more anon)...but anyway with that and a couple of bags of strip wood and matchsticks I had the beginnings of a 40mm baggage train underway for just a few bucks.
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I looked at a few period images of carts and worked up a quick model that would scale with the 40s. The entire wagon took only 30 minutes to construct. Basically the matchsticks made a frame and the strip material made the bottom and sides. The plastic wheels are already drilled for an axle and I just trimmed a matchstick to fit but next wagon I think I will get some brass wire the correct size to make the axle a bit sturdier.
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The model was entirely glued together with my favorite whiteglue (Weldbond), and a quick stain with a mix of brown and black "Didi's Magic Ink". I "wetbrushed" a little bit lighter brown overall to get the black plastic wheels colored. I then added some tissue soaked in white glue to make a load, glued it to a cavalry base and I'm letting the whole thing dry overnight.
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Tomorrow I'll paint the load and drybrush everything to weather it and it should work out ok. No horse teams yet but I'm on the lookout for a set of kids farm horses that might scale about right. For now these wagons will work to mark out a baggage train perimeter or work as bridge barricades (like the one defended by the dragoons at Cropredy Bridge).
4 comments:
Keep plastic cattle in mind as well . . . the cart could be an oxcart after all. It certainly looks good.
-- Jeff
That cart looks really good; looking forward to seeing the finished article.
-- Allan
I had forgotten about the possibility of oxen as draft for the carts...thanks Jeff... Though my little one is going to miss his cows from his farm animal collection.. ;)
Ah . . . but if you paint the cattle, he'll not recognize them.
An do not bother yourself about taking them . . . 'tis a rather gentler form of conscription than he might have been subject to in another time.
-- Jeff
PS, Or you could just buy new ones for yourself . . . your choice, sir.
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