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Post by Steve W on Mar 8, 2018 5:08:20 GMT
Graeme,
Are you in Oz?? If so where?? (Nothing for me in Melbourne to date, though I've ordered the Prussian Landwehr, not the Zulus.)
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Post by Graeme on Mar 8, 2018 5:22:49 GMT
In Brisbane Steve and the Landwehr arrived in the same box.
Your's shouldn't be too far away. Perhaps it's an Alphabetical thing, I'm Graeme F.
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Post by Steve W on Mar 8, 2018 6:18:53 GMT
Or perhaps because Brisbane comes before Melbourne!!!
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Post by Alan Buckingham on Mar 8, 2018 13:02:58 GMT
The plastic used with these guys is very hot water/ cold water friendly , so although they are moulded with shields to the side, this was the only way to get them in the mould in one piece , they can be bent to the correct position for hand to hand combat. Spoke to soon, overnight they have returned to their original shape ie as per mould, hay ho try again. |
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Post by Rod MacArthur on Mar 9, 2018 6:58:14 GMT
I will just weld them into the correct position with a miniature soldering iron. It has worked on all my other conversions for more than thirty years.
Rod
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Post by GarrisonClay on Mar 9, 2018 14:36:47 GMT
Personally, I want HaT to know that I like them just the way they are.
If ever any company wanted to make separate shields for Zulus or other Ancients that can be attached in a straight-on defensive holding position, then the best way I like to see would be to put a very long pin on the end of the soldiers hand and have a hole thru the shield to just press it on and over the pin. Then the customer can trim the pin's tip and even use a soldering iron to mushroom the tip. Done right, this method is very right for a two-piece mould. I emphasize "long pin" because most sculptors put a pin too short; just long enough to peep thru the hole and not press on tightly.
Again, I like them just the way they are. Besides, I need lots of Zulu casualties and after cutting off the bases of some, they will lay down flat and look great either standing up or prone!
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Post by waynew on Mar 9, 2018 17:27:58 GMT
I had to do something like that on my 1/32 scale figures; as for my 1/72 scale figures - I pulled out my ESCI Zulus to recreate Rourke's Drift (another project I had in mind along with my ongoing 1/32 Alamo project) to discover they had all begun to crumble apart. This was only a few years after I bought them. That did it for me and the Zulu War in 1/72 scale, at least.
Until now.
I am seriously considering re-entering with HaT's contribution. That is, if I can ever get caught up on Napoleonics...
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Post by GarrisonClay on Mar 9, 2018 19:09:32 GMT
Wayne - If you ask me we live in the True Golden Age of 1/72 Collecting right now. We are lucky enough to have multiple new companies run by men whose labor of love is designing and producing complete ranges of our favorite wars - Zulu Wars being one of them. I am one of the beneficiaries of producers willing to make their sets in multiple authentic colors, but I recall you enjoy painting your figures! In this day and age it looks like the old disappointments of the crumbling figures with age is over and so many soft plastics created for painting, or not. HaT has been kind enough to re-run some of their earlier Zulu Wars sets in new colors, meaning plenty of light color figures for easy painting, or more authentic colors for collectors like me. All of the original sets for this range having been re-run are still available. I must confess, knowing this new set will be available soon, I've done some serious binge-watching on YouTube of the movie Zulu, especially the final redoubt scene. If you don't get at least a few of each set, and lots of the 24th Infantry and Command and lots of the Zulu Warriors for that "Rainy day" when only painting figures with the Zulu movie playing in the background, and this Golden Age passes - you may find yourself having regrets! And now there are the wagons in queue. It just keeps getting more exciting. Just saying. :-)
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PRJA
Quaestor
No plan survives first contact with the enemy.
Posts: 14 
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Post by PRJA on Mar 27, 2018 19:47:41 GMT
I know his thread is kind of winding down, but I have just had a few hundred Unmarried Zulus arrive and they do look very good. Looking forward to painting them later in the year. Nice work. Thank you HaT.
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PRJA
Quaestor
No plan survives first contact with the enemy.
Posts: 14
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Post by PRJA on Mar 27, 2018 19:54:07 GMT
The plastic used with these guys is very hot water/ cold water friendly , so although they are moulded with shields to the side, this was the only way to get them in the mould in one piece , they can be bent to the correct position for hand to hand combat. Spoke to soon, overnight they have returned to their original shape ie as per mould, hay ho try again. Question for Mr Buckingham: did you have any luck getting those arms to bend permanently into a better fighting position? Thank you for any advice on that one! |
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Post by Graeme on Mar 28, 2018 4:25:34 GMT
After I read Alan's post I noticed the same thing happening to the figures that I tried bending.
But I had another go with the same figures. Dipping them in a cup of very hot water, just boiled from the kettle, bending them into shape and setting under the cold tap. Then I chucked them in the freezer for a minute or two (I wouldn't want to leave them in more than a minute or two). On the first figure the shield arm returned half way to where it was then stopped (still looks better), the others stayed pretty much where I put them. It's been a couple of weeks and the arms are still bent, there may have been a little bit of movement to begin with and I can't be sure that they are not gradually moving at a speed slower than fingernails grow but I think I'll be bending these with the hot and cold method and then backing up by using an exacto knife to slice part way through the plastic on the outside of the bend and filling the gap. the other option is to cut a wedge from the inside of the bend and glue the edges together.
I think it's worth persisting with these because they look fantastic when the shields and, perhaps, spears have been bent a little.
Speaking of filling gaps, i've been using that glue that hardens under UV light as a filler. $14 from the post office and I think it's great. Paintable too but do prime it before painting or your matt paint will have shiny patches.
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PRJA
Quaestor
No plan survives first contact with the enemy.
Posts: 14
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Post by PRJA on Mar 28, 2018 6:17:11 GMT
Many thanks, Graeme. I will try the hot, cold and inside cut method! (Poor Zulus - what they have to go through!) Quote from Graeme: After I read Alan's post I noticed the same thing happening to the figures that I tried bending. But I had another go with the same figures. Dipping them in a cup of very hot water, just boiled from the kettle, bending them into shape and setting under the cold tap. Then I chucked them in the freezer for a minute or two (I wouldn't want to leave them in more than a minute or two). On the first figure the shield arm returned half way to where it was then stopped (still looks better), the others stayed pretty much where I put them. It's been a couple of weeks and the arms are still bent, there may have been a little bit of movement to begin with and I can't be sure that they are not gradually moving at a speed slower than fingernails grow but I think I'll be bending these with the hot and cold method and then backing up by using an exacto knife to slice part way through the plastic on the outside of the bend and filling the gap. the other option is to cut a wedge from the inside of the bend and glue the edges together. I think it's worth persisting with these because they look fantastic when the shields and, perhaps, spears have been bent a little. Speaking of filling gaps, i've been using that glue that hardens under UV light as a filler. $14 from the post office and I think it's great. Paintable too but do prime it before painting or your matt paint will have shiny patches. |
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Post by Alan Buckingham on Mar 29, 2018 20:11:03 GMT
Just catching up with this, my further results are similar to Graeme , exactly the same process, without freezing, and partial success , but it seems this plastic has memory, but I will persevere with trying to bend them as the results if successful will be worth the effort and time.
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Post by GarrisonClay on Mar 29, 2018 23:45:32 GMT
Might I suggest getting some traditional wooden clothes pins (they are soft and don't leave marks), then clip a Zulu in it just as from the sprew, then dip him in a pot of hot water to soften him up and not have to burn your fingers, then when you are ready, take him out of the water and clothes pin, then bend the Zulu's arm, then put the clothes pin back on him to hold the arm bent, and either let him cool naturally or drop him in a bowl of cool water. The time left with the clothes pin on should determine how bent you want the arm in the end. Leave the clip on over night and you should get a severe bend, or just a couple of hours and the arm should bend back only a little. You can do 1 Zulu at a time or a small group at the same time depending on your tastes. But be careful, if you use boiling water your spears may shrink up so not too hot, and not too many at a time or it's easy to lose control of the results you want.
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Post by GarrisonClay on Apr 13, 2018 2:15:17 GMT
Dear HaT Team,
I've now been enjoying my new Unmarried Zulu Warriors for a couple of weeks. Since I'm a Playset kind of collector who does not paint my figures and enjoys them in a soft plastic, I have to tell you I am very impressed and very happy. I got out some of your first set re-run in the nice Dark Brown color and I set up one row of the new ones in the back, and one row of the first set in front of them. I noticed right off a few things:
* Both sets are of a matching height and a matching style. The Unmarried figures are a little huskier meaning the arms and legs of the Married figures are not quite as thick, but the physical details of the height, torsos, the muscular arms, and the shields all match. The Unmarried's heads may be slightly bigger, but the Marrieds with the Head-Ring helps them to look good together. Great enough for me. Now the color ...
* The new Unmarried Zulu's color is a Lighter Brown and the Married Zulus are a Darker Brown color. I wanted to look at them together for a while, then make an opinion. Well, since the Zulus wear a minimal costume, then it would be the shade of the skin that matters most. After looking at color photos on Google Images, I just needed to mix them together for them to look right to me. If done at the same time, I prefer the lighter color which really shows the nice details. Lastly poses ...
* For my tastes the Unmarried's poses are much more 3D realistic for hand-to-hand fighting in battles. Their legs are realistically spread apart for balance, and torsos are leaning forward into the fight mode, and some really outstanding running poses. The Married set looks more flat, and for me would be better for the Zulus lined up waiting, or taunting the Red Coats from a distance.
* Lastly, I hope you make one more set, but this maybe similar to the 54mm "Expeditionary Force" Cetswayo's...Regiment, Mpande's...Regiment, and Shaka's...Regiment. Each set only has 3 poses, but some really elegant costumes.
As a kind of P.S.: Bought the WWI French Artillery Set in Dark Blue. I love the plastic. Sure wish you would re-run the Colonial British Artillery sets in that same Color and Soft Plastic!
Thank you HaT Team; I'm very happy with my Zulu Army!
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Post by The Flash on Apr 15, 2018 22:01:16 GMT
After I read Alan's post I noticed the same thing happening to the figures that I tried bending. But I had another go with the same figures. Dipping them in a cup of very hot water, just boiled from the kettle, bending them into shape and setting under the cold tap. Then I chucked them in the freezer for a minute or two (I wouldn't want to leave them in more than a minute or two). On the first figure the shield arm returned half way to where it was then stopped (still looks better), the others stayed pretty much where I put them. It's been a couple of weeks and the arms are still bent, there may have been a little bit of movement to begin with and I can't be sure that they are not gradually moving at a speed slower than fingernails grow but I think I'll be bending these with the hot and cold method and then backing up by using an exacto knife to slice part way through the plastic on the outside of the bend and filling the gap. the other option is to cut a wedge from the inside of the bend and glue the edges together. I think it's worth persisting with these because they look fantastic when the shields and, perhaps, spears have been bent a little. Speaking of filling gaps, i've been using that glue that hardens under UV light as a filler. $14 from the post office and I think it's great. Paintable too but do prime it before painting or your matt paint will have shiny patches. Should we really need to be faffing about like this in 2018? What happened to the bendy plastic introduced by Emhar? |
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