Countdown to Vimy – 6 weeks to go!

The Plan for this past week was to:

#1 PAINT BRITISH AND CANADIANS! AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!

I did get one battalion done. Originally I thought I’d use it as one of the British battalions, but then realized I don’t think I ever did the 85th Battalion – a labour battalion that was thrown into the attack when the advance on the 4th division’s front ground to a halt. 

I may or may not even include the British battalions now. I did do some work on the terrain plans and looking over them I’m wondering if I’ll even have ROOM on the table for all the Canadians (let alone some spare British battalions). I’ve even considered only fielding battalions of 12 for the Canadians (which will be closer to the battalions of 10 I have for the Germans…? If I do end up needing the British, I have a few battalions worth of early war British – in caps – which may be a bit anachronistic at this point in the war, but whatever – it will make them easily identifiable…

I also happened to finish up a German Mortar team that’s been haunting the edges of the painting table for months now!

Despite having some time off from other activities this week, I didn’t get nearly as much done as I’d hoped…

I did do some assembling early in the week – The remainder of the Irregular miniatures British/Canadians finally arrived and so I had to get them stuck down to bases and while I was at it I got the Irregular mortars based and then I did the guns and then I started doing other guns while I was at it… which was ridiculous, because I’m totally not going to need them and thus not even going to try and get them done… a good chunk of may painting time was eaten up priming and gooping figures. It is a very time consuming process.

Basically when new figures arrive I glue them to their bases, then wait a day. Then I paint the first coat of black (primer) and wait a day. Then I paint the second coat of black (paint) and wait a day. Then I goop the bases and wait a day. THEN I can get to painting! I have tried to rush the process in the past, trying to do both coats of black in one day or even gooping immediately after the second coat of black – but I’ve found that if it isn’t left at least 24 hours to cure the black layers rub off easily and I’m constantly having to touch them up. If I do the first coat of black before the glue is entirely cured, I end up with figures popping of their bases. So, I have learned to be patient and try to have other figures to paint while I’m waiting. This week those figures were post-apocalyptic DISTRACTIONS!  and a Few More Distractions... 

This week:

#1 Finish These Canadians!

#2 Finalize Terrain Plans (and maybe get cracking on terrain!)

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

February Boardgame Roundup 

Last of the Canadians!!