"Drum Designs, Worth it?" Topic

All those designs the British, and I presume other nations as well, have on the front of their drums. Do you guys think it is worth doing them or just not bother at all. I am attempting it in 28mm for the 92nd Gordons. I have also attached my inspiration.
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To me, no it is not worth doing. But that is just me. What I value is not what you value, or Terrement values, or John the OFM values. If doing the drum design gives YOU the sense of finishing the project, of completeness, then you shoyld do it. If it is just a pain in the ass that annoys you and takes longer than painting a whole stand of troops and will never be notice anyways, then why bother?

But at the end of the day, the question really should be, is it worth it to YOU?

I don't even like putting drummers in my units.

I don't paint them. Sometimes I might add a bit of gold to the front to give a hint, but to be honest, when my figures are on the table I can not see that small of detail.

For years we gamed with only "private men" in our 30mm Napoleonic armies! Then we got more data, and better figures and added enough to have Officers, colour bearers, drummers with the drum colour and drummer coat the right colour.

I have not progressed beyond that era, and because of age, do NOT attempt such detail. I do like to learn that the drums might have been different than "normal," as with the 92nd in 1815 having red/yellow/red/yellow slanted lines all around both upper and lower rims.

Dibble sent us a site that showed the 92nd with XCII on the front, as you have the 92nd (I prefer the 92!), and no "swiggle" around the lower rim – making painting easier.

I admire your skill to do this, and encourage you to do more!

By the way, the link Dibble sent shows a drum of the 3/27 Inniskillings, 1812 in Spain, with diagonals slanted the other way – not red/white/red/white. I consider white rather odd, as the facings were buff. The drum looks "honey brown" wood colour, and there is a suggestion of light brown to the cords! The front has a buff panel, with symbol not visible.

The 3rd Buffs, 1806, drum is shown with white/red/white/red on the bottom, but same slanted to opposite way on the top rim. Again, white, not buff. The drum appears to be a light buff shade, with a panel more yellow, with a red disk, overpainted with the "dragon," crown above the red disk, blue streamer below.

Dibble has his "stuff" passed away, but perhaps someone else remember the thread and link.

GdeP

If I could do them as well as that I would definitely do them. I think the drum design adds a lot of character. (My excuse for not doing drum designs is that my figures are 15mm and I'm not that good a painter).

No, I do not but you do them very well!

I admire your painting skill with the hose and tartan. Well done.

I try them but I don't go nuts getting them perfect. If you're pleased with the result then that's all that matters.

Regardless of scale my drums are usually brass or yellow or blue or red with red or blue or yellow rims. My cords are always white.

Crests, don't be silly.

Just put you painting efforts in a little box and post to me :) that's my consensus anyway :+)u
Truth you look like your enjoying the challenge go for it. I bet someone 'will' notice them on the ttop and b#gg3 it if they don't you bloody well show em, you'll heart ohs and ahs from them lazy less talented nannys I promise.
Cheers happy painting and gaming.

Ditto Zargob. A beautiful, and certainly deservingly, appreciated effort.

This is a very profound question. Is any detail worth it? Wargamers can re-enact battles with units represented as solid quadrilateral blocks, with diagonal lines for cavalry, or three parallel lines (the middle longer) for artillery. At the other extreme are units so detailed and fragile as to be unusable, other than for display (like mine).

We have recently had a series of complaints that 28 mm figures have too much detail moulded on the castings! I found that incredible, yet did understand the argument as I read on.

If, every time you look at the end product you get a real kick out of it, yes, it is worth doing. If all you want is figures that are at least recognisable as 125th South Kerry Fusiliers, from a distance, that is perfectly valid too.

If you can paint "92" in that size, as you have, I'd stick to doing it!

Very nice work and certainly worth it!

Here.

TMP link

Paul :)

If you can, then why not? A challenge is always good.

excellent effort and result, in your case and skill, yes it is worthwhile to paint it.

I do them but my method is different.

I print them.

First I take off the drum the figure came with. Then I substitute a piece of maple dowel the same size as THE DRUM, not the drum with rims and cords etc. This is glued on the dowel and allowed to dry, then I use masking table cut into fine bands for the top and bottom rim. finally thread is strung between the rims for the chords. Lot of work but it can be done. The seams are all in the part glued against the figure.

The drum patterns and designs can therefore be quite ornate, for when you design them on the computer in vector art you can scale them down to -- well-- the size of the drum circumference.

Otto

I try to do them but I must admit a lot of my drummers have very generic drums

You have done some fantastic work!

Thank you, Paul (Dibble)! I see I mis-typed above, meaning to say "packed away," not "passed away," readying to move residence.

I saved that link into favorites!

Other reasons to limit detail:

Victrix plastic 28mm sets usually supply more officers, colour bearers, drummers that we need. I can see painting these extras for regiments/battalions you do not intend to paint fully, so you can substitute them for other games.

For example, I am doing the 3/27th Inniskillings for which I have Victrix colours. We also get the 3rd, Buffs, in one of the Peninsular War sets, so one can do the Buffs by switching colours.

I can also see painting French drummers for regiments that did NOT serve in Spain, for which there are many colorful illustrations. Pretty easy to do the flag on the eagle staff for such regiments, for the extra eagle bearers to carry.

GdeP

OSchmidt that is fascinating. Great idea. Do you have any photos?

We now have waterbottle prints, backpack decals, even kilts to stick on. Never thought of drum cases….

Dear deadhead

Lots but I can't figure out how to post them. But I'll go you one better, If you send me your postal address to sigurd@eclipse.net, I'll run off a bunch of pages of the drum patterns I do have and send them on. Give me some time though, I'm way behind on rules and stuff I have to send out to various and sundry on this list and others and my wife is still sick, but I'll get them to you.

What I do it print them on Avery full page shipping labels, which have a peel off back. This makes them much easier to handle than a wet glue and a delicate printed inkjet label which would react with the wetness in the glue.

I also use the same method on kettledrums for cavalry.

I make the flags I use the same way. Come to think of it, I'll send you a few sheets of them. You won't be able to use them for your British as they are for the Army of Princess Trixie of Saxe Burlap und Schleswig beerstein" (and others, but you'll enjoy the jokes. If you want, let me know once you get them, how big you want them and I'll scale them down. you can hide them among various regiments and see how long it takes players to get the joke.

Otto

Dear Deadhed

The detail is worth doing it if you want it.

Im a master modeler and a good "converter" but an indifferent painter. I lavish my detail on special one-up figures and officers and hangers-on, and I do well enough on the figures, but the big thing is the colors and standards.

It depends on what you want. No one should be under any illusion that you won't see much detail from the position you are standing by the tabletop- the problem of the 300 ft general)-- but it's what you want to do to please yourself.

For example, the McDonald Regiment in French Service with the typical cross pattern, and on the cross are the Little McDonald's Logo in each end fo the cross, and the name is emblazoned on the front "L'Arches D'Or." (and in teeny tiny letters (Over 1 million sold daily."

Or the Postnobills regiment…

I just tried, for the first time, to paint on drum designs – here's a pic

not very clear but you get the idea. A bit too fiddly for my level (lack) of skill.

More pics here link

You paint for yourself and your own enjoyment. Nobody else will notice unless you point it out to th.
If you like the results then it was worth it.

codonnell218: IMHO, painting as good as you are, its worth it. Wish I could do that!!! John Miller