 deadhead  | 17 Dec 2025 6:58 a.m. PST |
Well, in truth, not that great these coats. They are HaT Austrian Artillery, with Zvezda heads and my usual oversized fringed epaulettes. I tried lengthening the coats on a few, but it proved a mess. Oddly HaT give you two spongemen ( a quarter of all the figures) So the coats are bit short, the epaulettes too big, the swords too long, the legwear only looks like overalls when viewed from above. But apart from that……. Fortunately a lazy photo, in bad light, off my phone (actually where is my camera these days?) hides many a problem. Destined for Waterloo in 20mm of course, to add to The Grand Battery
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 ochoin | 17 Dec 2025 10:41 a.m. PST |
You're too hard on yourself – these are great. |
| Captain Siborne | 17 Dec 2025 12:18 p.m. PST |
Lovely! The project just gets better and better |
| 79thPA | 17 Dec 2025 4:38 p.m. PST |
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| CHRIS DODSON | 17 Dec 2025 9:43 p.m. PST |
An imaginative use of the old Austrian set. They do look good in their new role and your painting has really brought them on . Best wishes, Chris |
| CHRIS DODSON | 18 Dec 2025 1:31 a.m. PST |
Hi Mr D. Can I ask what glue you use to stick the heads on with? Mine have had varying results recently and I want to batch build the old Hat Austrian troops with the new ones helmets. The firing and reminding poses of the new ones are awful. Best wishes, Chris |
| ochoin | 18 Dec 2025 3:26 a.m. PST |
Chris – any glue isn't to be relied on by itself. For head swops, I cut the end off a staple – use any fine wire. I push one end into the torso using pliers & the other end into the neck. I do put on a dab of glue before pushing the two parts together but the staple will hold things regardless. Unlike Mary, Queen of Scots, or Anne Boleyn, I've never lost a head. |
| deadhead | 18 Dec 2025 5:33 a.m. PST |
Add Chas I to that list, or Louis XVI. Occupational hazard for all of them. Me too, much the same, for attaching heads to trunks and riders to horses. Drill a hole in each with a Minidrill in a stand. Apply ROKET Tricky Stick to both surfaces, let it dry, insert a brass rod in my case (easier to cut, I find, than a staple), superglue to one surface and push together. Adding the glue does help to fill any gaps. The end result is indeed very solid and does take some pulling to separate. Arms to trunks in 20mm I have never mastered as not enough plastic on the limb for a pin insertion.. |
| CHRIS DODSON | 18 Dec 2025 6:27 a.m. PST |
Thank you gentlemen for the advice. I have been using Locktite super glue with an accelerator . The results initially were very good but I do not want to find hundreds of heads in my regimental boxes when I commence Aspern Essling. Best wishes, Chris |
| ochoin | 18 Dec 2025 1:51 p.m. PST |
Good point about the gap-filling, Deadhead. If any gaps remain, I rub a bit of wood glue (white glue) around the join & then wipe it with a paper towel to remove excess. |
| CHRIS DODSON | 18 Dec 2025 2:27 p.m. PST |
Hi. I have found the staple idea to be excellent. I push a pin into both elements first to create a hole. The pin and glue then follow. I then wash the join with PVA to complete the join. Marvellous . Thank you again. Best wishes, Chris |
looks at a multi-period building.
