| Doc Ord | 02 Nov 2005 8:55 a.m. PST |
I just finished the 7th Fusiliers for AWI & have a beautiful set of GMB flags to apply to the flag poles. These appear to be hand painted & then copied thus the painted edges are ragged. I assume I just cut them out & use white glue. Anything to beware of? |
| GamerPete | 02 Nov 2005 9:14 a.m. PST |
Hi I used an Elmer's brand glue stick (goes on purple, dries clear) on my GMB flags for the ECW. This gave me time to shape the flag before the glue dried and didn't wet the paper risking schluffing the colors off on wet fingers. Just one warning…be sure of your allignment of the two flag halves as you press them together…peeling them apart tears the paper pretty easily. The are beautiful flags! Pete |
| GiloUK | 02 Nov 2005 9:20 a.m. PST |
Doc – the key is using a very sharp knife to cut them out (preferably drawn along the side of a steel ruler that won't slip): that way you decrease the chance of ragged edges and should have nice, sharp edges. Once it's dry, you then need to paint over any white bits showing along the edges. If you don't already have them, I recommend adding some finials from Front Rank to the top of the staff – it's a nice touch that suits British regiments. The flags are wonderful products. Giles |
| Doc Ord | 02 Nov 2005 9:57 a.m. PST |
Thanks Pete & Giles. I think I have some of those Front Rank finials. These are the finest flags I've ever seen. Many moons ago I used to carefully draw my flags with India ink & then color them with water colors but these look better. That leaves me more time to paint. I have a friend who is a flag snob. N0 pre-printed flags for him. He even painted Austrian flags for 15mm. |
| Dan Beattie | 02 Nov 2005 9:58 a.m. PST |
I wet the backs sligtly before applying the Elmer's white glue. As a result the two halfs of the flag can be shifted a bit for a while to get the edges aligned. |
| GiloUK | 02 Nov 2005 10:51 a.m. PST |
Yes, you really don't want to try superglue… |
| Doc Ord | 02 Nov 2005 11:22 a.m. PST |
Thanks,Dan. Even white glue can get sticky & make it hard to align the sides. |
 Condotta  | 02 Nov 2005 6:48 p.m. PST |
One tip for nice folds is to sandwich some thin foil between the two sides before gluing the flag together. You can then manipulate the flag to give it a natural appearance of fluttering in the breeze. I usually glue the foil to one side, let it dry then finish gluing the flag together. I glue it onto the pole. If concerned about the colours of the flag running due to water-based glues, spray a couple of very light coats of sealer on the flag first and let it dry. Good luck…and Grahme, more flags…we can not get enough of them! |
| Doc Ord | 03 Nov 2005 11:56 a.m. PST |
Condotta What sealers are safe with GMB flags? I like the tin foil idea. I placed the flags on the staffs last night & one looks beautiful but the other slipped a bit as I was trying to give it the wavy look & there is a line of white on one side-aarrgghhh!!! Also-despite frequent wiping-white glue on one finger took some color off of the regimental standard. Do you glue it flat & then bend it into waves later-after it's dry? Manipulating a freshly glued flag is not easy. |
| Condotta | 03 Nov 2005 7:38 p.m. PST |
TMP link Doc Ord, the link gives info you may find useful. Practice makes perfect. To initially get the effects I wanted, I cut out blank paper of a similiar size and weight as GMB's so I could practice and hopefully avoid damage. Using paper, foil and glue, try doing a couple of these blank paper flags and see what works for you. I begin at the top close to the pole and begin slightly creasing/bending the flag until it looks right. It doesn't have to be perfect, but I do pay attention to be sure the edges match up. Be patient, the results are worth it. I let the flags set up on the pole until completely dry and then using acrylic paints, do some highlighting and paint the edges of the flag so it looks realistic…since the flag can make or break the unit, the extra attention to detail is worth it. I like to use the Front Rank finials/cords, too. Hope this helps. |
| Arteis | 04 Nov 2005 8:02 p.m. PST |
Don't put them on upside-down. I'm talking from experience! |
| sharnydubs2 | 28 Nov 2005 5:19 a.m. PST |
And don't spray pain them with varnish as they dull down and lose their vibrancy |
 Der Alte Fritz  | 08 Dec 2005 12:24 p.m. PST |
And make sure that the flag pole is long enough to accomodate the GMB flags (which are huge). I had to start over with two new standard bearers the first time I used GMB because the poles were already superglued onto the painted figures. I was about a half inch too short. Doh! |
| French Wargame Holidays | 19 Dec 2008 2:16 p.m. PST |
I actually glue the flag to the pole before attaching it to the figure and adding the finial |
| Greystreak | 25 Feb 2009 10:24 a.m. PST |
Another lesson from the school of hard knocks: do not spray Testor's Dullcote anywhere near an unprotected GMB flag--it will fade the colours badly, as I've found to my cost. I suggest you finish your figures first (if you're a Dullcote user), then glue on your flags. GMB flags are peerless. |
| trailape | 22 Sep 2009 6:44 p.m. PST |
"One tip for nice folds is to sandwich some thin foil between the two sides before gluing the flag together. You can then manipulate the flag to give it a natural appearance of fluttering in the breeze. I usually glue the foil to one side, let it dry then finish gluing the flag together". I also use this method, and the results have been excellent!
Cheers |
| Timmo uk | 12 Oct 2009 10:28 a.m. PST |
Do you just yuse kitchen tin-foil for this method? |
| Dentwist | 08 Nov 2009 3:30 a.m. PST |
I use an office glue roller tape, like the correction tapes but glue. No mess and doesnt make printer ink run. |
| julianmizzi | 10 Sep 2010 8:02 p.m. PST |
I use double sided art tape and kitchen foil / oven foil. Alot of cutting for the tape and flag sheets but no glue used and no fading ( touch wood ) so far and works a treat. just use a fresh blade in the knife , and a pair of long tweezers to crimp the flag around the brass wire i use. |
