Home at last

So here's 114 Mech Coy without their vehicles: Along the front (L to R) are the Coy Cmd squad (somehow shrunk to 4 ! wtf ?) The fire support squad at the Coy Cdr's disposal, the two commissars, the QM and the Engr det. Now behind them are two platoons of five squads (six including the Platoon Cmd Sqaud). I suspect that my fuck up might be that in terms of Chimera, each platoon has five. Which means I'm bodies over, rather than bodies short. hurrah.
Of course that still does not explain the shrinkage in the Coy Cmd Squad. The rear formation (on the R in the picture below) is the Grenadier Platoon. I have more Grenadiers to add - another squad, another HF team and two more lots of Melta and Stubber. So that lot spread out should make up enough for the five squads in that platoon.

The fact that I am in fact a few bodies up means that I'll be able to find the missing watchmasters (squad leaders/sergeants) who are obviously AWOL in the picture above. I've got the shoulder plates from the command squad upgrade pack kicking around somewhere as well, so I'll be able to beef up the poor Coy Cdr's squad. I also want another platoon command squad (will come off Army Builder as another Coy Cmd Squad) to act as 2iC.

114 Coy has three Fuchs; one for the QM, one for the Fire Support team and one for the Enginseer. The Engr Det will hitch a ride with the Enginseer.

The Engr Det will consist of:

Enginseer (or two) with two servitors (each), one tech and one HB. The DKK Engr squad, the Hellhound troop (three). If I get a Demolisher, this will also (obviously to anyone familiar with any AVRE) be an Engr asset.

So between the three Mech Platoons, three Panther Vanquishers and Engr Det, my DKK force is happily into apoc territory.

'Tis a pity that none of it is painted.

This is it. For the time being

All modelling and painting stuff boxed. 95% of remaining stuff (models, clothes etc) bagged. Some of it is already in the car.

There's still the two lamps (angle poise and table) and the old computer desk (makes a passable hobby table) to go, but they'll have to wait until next week.

I suspect that it'll be a week or two before I'm back doin' stuff once all the kit is in the garage. One of the first jobs will be getting to grips with the airbrush.

Aiming to leave in good time to beat the traffic (A21 -> M25 clockwise -> M40, all quite joyous on a Friday).

final peices of work in Kent (my project, not the job) ?

Last night I based (PVA and sand/gravel mix) 64 infantry, 8 Ogryn and 14 Heavy Weapon Teams. Hurrah ! That's nearly everyone based.

All of the Painting and Modelling kit is now tidied up. So only the newpaper on the desk (with all the good little bits for the basing material pot) left to tidy up. All the bits that I don't have a real figure cases for a secured (as they can be) in Chimera and Serpent boxes.

Just my clothes and bathroom stuff to go.

Other Stuff

This is one of the emplacements. The sandbags are a propietry resin product from someone somewhere. I'm trying to mount all of the bits and peices on hardboard. I like the idea of mounting all of the COD stuff on 12"x12" boards. 'Tis a pity that I didn't come across that idea earlier.

The earthy embankment is, in this case, sawdust mixed with PVA. (On the extreme outside of chance, 'elmers'). This makes for a comparatively heavy terrain peice. The blue bits are aquarium gravel that I bought on a whim 'cause someone said it was good for scenery.

Now; the advantages of aquarium gravel are that it is only gravel; unlike real gravel which includes all manner of natural and man made detritus. And it is regularly sized as well. So all good so far. The disadvantage is that the blue colour leeches in PVA and poster paint (which would seem to indicate that its water soluble colouring on aquarium gravel....) This is not really a problem, as I just paint over it again. But it makes me worry for the fish.

Panzer conversion - all old pictures.

These are Tamyia 1/35 Panthers (Panzer Vs). They were £8 each from http://www.modelsforsale.com/ I think the ridiculously low price was to do with the non-motorisation. Anyway, the observant amongst the audience will notice that the scale 75mm main gun has been replaced:

Another picture showing slightly more clearly the FW Vanquisher main armourment. And the little searchlight as well. These have now been base coated black pending my getting to grips with the airbrush.

My plan for these is the late WW2 Wehrmacht dark yellow with stripes in either a mid olive drab type green or perhaps a more sea green in thinner stripes.

Markings will be from here http://www.archertransfers.com/AR35038R.html these I already have.

All of the Chimera will be done in the same idiom. Which reminds me, I still have three rear turret Chimera to do (two with FW eagle doors).

Monday again already

A senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership. Taking off down the road, he floored it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left. 'Amazing,' he thought as he flew down I-95, pushing the pedal even more.. Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a state trooper behind him, lights flashing and siren blaring. He floored it to 100 mph, then 110, then 120. Suddenly he thought, “What am I doing? I'm too old for this,” and pulled over to await the trooper's arrival.

Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch and said, "Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a reason for speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go."

The old gentleman paused. Then said, "Years ago, my wife ran off with a State Trooper. I thought you were bringing her back." "'Have a good day, sir,"' replied the trooper.

End of the line for F2H Pipeline contstruction.

So I'm no longer a resident of Kent from November onwards. There are things I'll miss, but I do get to resume my 'normal' homelife.

The big bag of little men and the three boxes of made tanks are loaded up and ready to go home tonight, along with the unmade bits I listed earlier this week. This is all good, as I scale down my hobby base in Kent (ie the cabin) and make it a little more tidy and habitable.

I've found some assorted root vegetable crisps that I bought for Paul Clark but which have now gone out of date. So I'll eat them next week.