These are the first samples from the master mold - on the way to me now!
Thanks for all the comments.
As I thought before I decided to produce the new range - Folks will all have there own specific needs/wants and it would be difficult to produce everything that everybody needs. That's why I picked items I wanted first! However if enough people ask for similar items then of course they get done first!
Yes the bases are different to HH - I had discussed this with the sculptor earlier - the animation is severely restricted on the smaller base - as you can see from the comparison shot of bases on the earlier post.
I have also a problem with deciding how to set up the molds - again folks all have different requirements and use different rules which dictate different number scales for their unit sizes - i.e 12/18/24/36/48 per battalion. Also some like the officers/pioneers/drummers to not be in the line as it were and have them stand separately. I do not want to produce figures willy-nilly! so I am trying to be efficient with the figures in the mold to minimize the number of runs.
As an example I use a overall figure scale of 33:1 and based on lots of research average battalion size in the field of 600 rank and file for my French infantry. Also the biggest problem with ground scale is the depth of the figure which is why I only ever use single line stands. I also had decided to make each Regiment consists of 2 battalions.
In the period I modelled this meant - for the French battalion - 6 companies of 3 castings in single line (18 figure battalion on 6 x 3 figure bases). But I wanted officers to stand off from the battalion so I added 1 Officer figure. I also normally use the Grenadiers and Voltigeurs as combined battalions and as detached combined battalions and with there own officers. This resulted in a remaining 4 center companies each of 3 castings which made a 12 man battalion with one stand off Officer - with the 2 battalions of the regiment together this finally resulted in 24 OR's plus 2 officers for my French regiments. I put the ensign and drummer on the first company stand. See here for what this looks like: French Battalions
Now this just happens to be great for the mold size - I could put the 22 fusiliers, the Drummer and the Ensign together with 2 officers onto one mold of 26 figures very comfortably. The Grenadiers and Voltigeurs would also have there own 2 battalion mold.
The same 600 rank and file average sized battalion is also used for the British (albeit in 10 x 2 casting companies plus Officers) - so again the battalion fits well onto a mold.
With the the Austrians - we have much larger average sized battalions at least double the size of the French! so they do not fit onto a single mold - Roy uses 48 figures for the Austrians - I use 36 (6 x 6 casting companies - 1200 man battalion). Also again I put all the various figures onto the coy bases except for 2 officers per battalion - which would make a 38 figure battalion - this would mean one and a half molds (or 2 molds for Roy's 48 sized battalions). Thus my dilemma!
Questions:
What size battalion would you/do you use for Austrians?
Would you put Drummers, Pioneers, Ensign, NCO's and Officers on the coy base?
How many of them would you use per battalion?
After Advancing (High Port Arms) what pose would you prefer next for line troops - Attack Marching, Firing, Kneeling, Charging(Low Port Arms - other?
Comments and suggestions would be welcome!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteIn the economics of casting it matters little if you throw some back into the melting pot. Generally, if you are using cas flags on the figure then you need more spins with them anyway as they will be the item that does not form completely.
Most casters will charge by the weight of the final output. They will have some failures in the process so the exact number on a mold does not matter that much..
Its normal to give each figure a reference number, They paint that on the mold next the figure and then produce that.
Officers drummers and standard bearers end up in a bit more demand than we might think because some guys have 12v in a battalion including a command set. For 48 I would need a standard bearer, three officers ,two drummers and the rest musketeers.
Ron, In my experience it is best to organise molds with 12 musketeers , 4 grenadiers, two officers officer, one drummer, one standard bearer for example.
As to positions, it has to be march attack. For some reason years ago people went for firing, tthen advancing with the musket at 45% and then, eventually, march attack. The benefit of MA is that its what most soldiers near the action spend their time in. Having troops at stand easy looks odd as they advance and Napoleonic troops almost never advanced with bayonets levelled.... its too bloody dangerous for all except the ftront rank"!!
Roy
Thanks for your comments Roy
ReplyDeleteMy caster tells me that he charges per spin plus cost of the metal weight produced - he also makes a mold that takes up to 28 - maybe even 30 - 25mm figures! This is why I was trying to work out what to put in each - clearly the best bet would be the average battalion size being used - Unfortunately there isn't one size that stands out as obvious - so I'll have to use some other method of averaging the figures to put in the mold - in the sort of ratios you state.
I will ask him however if he has smaller size molds which in some cases may help.
I know that some folks only have a set of figures that represent either a regiment or a battalion and do not worry about the company level. For my part I do - as do some of my other friends - which is why I am concerned with the makeup of each company - i.e 5 muskets plus 1 NCO x 6 companies for the Austrians for this period - but with the Standard Bearer, Pioneer and Drummer substituting for 3 of the muskets on the first company stand.
Finally I see that you use 3 Officers and thinking about that I think it is better than my plan of two - The reason is that Austrian batallions were split into 3 Divisions (2 companies each) - thus one officer per division!
When I started wargaming many years ago the most popular pose - in fact the only one most figure manufacturers produced was the ubiquitous advancing at 45% (or higher)port! Probably because it seems to have is the most flexible use - i.e Moving, Attacking, Standing waiting etc. I definitely agree that march attack is the next best pose for the reasons you stated. That is why I have already asked the sculptor to consider this stance next. I wanted to see what others thought of course.
It'rather exciting doing all this planning and waiting for the new figures!!
Ron,
ReplyDeleteHow is the casting company going to deal with miscasts? It cannot assume that all casts will pass quality control which is why most go for labelling each figure and then producing the number ordered for each pose and then charging by number or weight. No doubt yopu will make sure that thety won't be sending flagbearers with half a flag.
Some figures take longer to run in than others. The more difficult a figure the more it needs a hot mold. If he waits until every figure is coming out perfectly he will be throwing many spins back in the pot!
Ah, it brings it all back to me.
March attack is an easy pose to cast because the long thin bit (the musket) is in line with the bulk part(the body of the man). Firing is a harder pose to get out as the metral has to go off at a right angle.
Over in the UK molds were either 11 inches or 9 inches in diameter. Sounds like our guy is using 11s. You get substantially less figures in a 9.
In the end a few extra officers and standard bearers is no huge problem.
Regards
Roy
Regard
Roy
Hi Ron – I don’t know anything about the technicalities of production but I do agree that the march-attack pose is the most useful. My units are 24’s including command figures but I have no rigid structure so ratios of grenadiers/musketeers etc make no difference to me. I am really pleased to see that you will be producing cast-on flags in keeping with HH so separate command packs would be useful if this is technically possible. Anyway, you shouldn’t really be tempting me with new figures when I still have a whole heap of old ones to paint! Good luck with the project…
ReplyDeleteIan
Roy - The Caster has assured me I get a full set of quality figures from each run I order (no matter if he has to do multiple runs to achieve this).
ReplyDeleteHe has 9" and 11" mold capability - I am now planning Basic molds and command set molds for all.
The Hungarian troops are ordered and then will be the grenadiers (German & Hungarian) - for the advancing series.
These will be followed by mounted officers for each type and Generals and ADC's. I am planning one piece cavalry - I have never come to terms with separate ones due to the way they never seem to sit on the horse properly.
Anybody have any thoughts/opinions on this?
Ron
Hello
ReplyDeleteWhere can I order the figures.
Regards
Paul 0208 4705596