The Vignette - Progress

The heads and arms are now on the figures, soldering, filing and the attack of the Dremel have occurred, followed by polishing, and some are primed for painting. The two colour bearers still have to be fitted with their carry sash for holding the colours, hence the reason for them still being shiny. I have got on with making the base on which all the figures and the stone will stand.

I would normally cut out recesses in a plywood base so that the figure bases end up flush with the surface of the base, but this time I have glued some card together to the thickness required, cut out the recesses for figures and flagstones on which stands the stone, and stuck it to the base.

As for the stone, my old peepers are too far gone, even with my specs on, to paint the face of the granite, so, clever old me, got sonny boy to ask the unit photographer, who is a mate of his, to provide me with a photo at 90 degrees to the face of the stone, and to print it out so that the stone itself is about 95mm high. This I stuck to a piece of balsa wood and cut it out on my bandsaw, (what would I do without that old machine which, by the way, I bought in 1986?) The next stage was to make up some of my "muck", a mixture of papier mache, PVA glue and a touch of filler, which I applied to the back, sides and top of the stone, and drying it with my good lady`s hair dryer.

Left to do.
1. Finish the colour bearers and prime them.
2. Make the colours.
3. Paint all the figures, (toy soldier style).
4. Finish the rough cut areas of the stone with colour and dry brush.
5. Glue all figures to the base, and finish off the scenics.
6. Transport the finished vignette to Arbroath at the weekend, hand over to sonny boy in the knowledge that it will become part of the Corps for always.

Better crack on then eh?