receives a gift from his wife…Cleaning
Once I've figured the elements required, I lay the figures out ready for cleaning.
With a hobby knife and files, I remove any of the little "tails" and mold lines found around each miniature. I smooth the bottom of each base, cutting any protruding flash with the hobby knife.
A trick I use to ease the gluing process is to hold each figure firmly against the table, by placing a hobby knife between the legs.
You will see some figs are off-balance. With your free hand, bend the fig till it's standing straight. Each stand is glued and left to dry (about 30 minutes). For mounted troops, I glue the horses and then their riders.
Flocking
I use Renaissance Ink Medium Gel. I think this looks good as 15mm or 25mm grass. I "prod" gel onto each base using a small spatula-type tool.
I spread the gel onto each stand, completing each element and set them aside, letting them dry before priming.
Once they are dry, I attach each stand to a roofing nail, and hold them upright utilizing a Styrofoam tray.
The army is ready for paint!
I spent just over three hours cleaning and basing the miniatures. I spent much longer than that reading the Ospreys and searching the net for Crusader info! I'm looking forward to priming and painting...