Month: October 2021

Dunker Church III

~ anthony ~ 4 Comments
Poor painting not withstanding the model is basically done

It was my second “real” post on this blog and was supposed to be the one of the major reasons for writing, chiefly being a collection of research notes and then a displaying of the final 3D models I had managed to craft from said research.

But life and the hobby seems to throw lots of “shiny” at us to serve as a distraction* and delay to our plans. Not to mention a slight pedantry that forces more than a few “do-overs” as I try to make it as perfect as possible.

No battle plan survives contact with the enemy

Helmth von Moltke

I think the same can be said that any wargaming project does not survive contact with the painting table. Or at least I find it so…so maybe my planning needs a little more work?

So fingers crossed, the next plan is to tackle the Lutheran Church from Sharpsburg, made famous by the Andrew Gardner photo, and then maybe the Miller Farm, so I can bookend the Antietam cornfield.

* I have supported all the Blood and Plunder Kickstarters, which sit unpainted next to my painting bench seemingly in accusation of their neglected state and teasing that they would be such fun…must resist…28mm…pirates…so tempting.

Reading (still): Welker, David A., The Cornfield, Antietam’s bloody turning point. (2020) ISBN: 978-1-61200-832-5

Ratified Research

~ anthony ~ 7 Comments
  • Waterloo Uncovered
  • The Gun Bar 3D

So the Waterloo Uncovered project had a bit of a write-up in the Dailymail, about their Waterloo Project Model and although not one of my usual reads, the photo above (left) really piqued my interest as it showed the front of the La Haye Sainte barn with an arched door and no chicken coup access unlike commercially available products.

Of more interest to me is that it is depicted just as my own research had shown and as I had designed for my kickstarter (at right) many years ago. So feeling a bit chuffed at the moment, which is a great way to improve the mood in these times of restrictions.

And yes, this is a blatant tooting of my own horn.

Reading (still): Welker, David A., The Cornfield, Antietam’s bloody turning point. (2020) ISBN: 978-1-61200-832-5

ACW Equals Fences

~ anthony ~ 1 Comment
the 5 stages of construction for a snake rail fence

Inspired by John and his post on making 28mm snake fences and knowing that any foray into ACW would require at least a few lengths of battlefield impediments* if not for the simple purposes agricultural bordering and that they look good, then because many rulesets also give certain bonuses when defending said barriers.

After sourcing the mini paddle pop sticks and appropriately sized matchsticks: thank you Art-friend, Spotlight and SWMBO who accompanied me on said shopping adventure. It was simple matter to whittle and scar some of the sticks that would be used as rails, while opting for a base every second section for rigidity and to give some base weight.

A word on the whittling and scaring, this seemed to blunt blades at an alarming rate, and while a blunt blade would still scar the rails it was at a cost that every 4-5 rails it severed it in two and you I to start over with a growing pile of broken sticks. Some of these on the broken pile could serve as spaces and posts but for simple expediency and efficiency a new blade every 200 or so matchsticks was the “goldilocks” zone for the task.

* At best estimate and to cover most options, even my very small table will require at least 20 feet of fencing in various configurations and options (think: snake, post and rail, picket and even stone). So the goal will be to double that estimate which will allow for future table expansions, breakages, and the fact that the chances of being able to match a scratch built style and colour a few years for now will be nigh impossible.

So the first part of this project will be the building.

Reading: Welker, David A., The Cornfield, Antietam’s bloody turning point. (2020) ISBN: 978-1-61200-832-5

Just Finished: Vermilya, Daniel J., That field of blood. The Battle of Antietam. (2018) ISBN: 978-1-61121-375-1