Blogging for 17 years!

Although it only seems like yesterday, this Blog is today celebrating its 17th anniversary. As a record of my modelling and gaming hobby it has covered many, many different subjects but as regular readers and followers will know it mainly concentrates on scratch building models and painting miniatures.

I have been asked why don't I produce content for YouTube, but I'm just more comfortable with Blogging and writing for magazines.

Thank you for ALL the comments and I look forward to many more years of Dampf's Modelling Page.

Tony

AIRFIX Cloud Climber Glider!

I recently came across this AIRFIX Cloud Climber glider kit when moving some old TV's an was wondering if it is worth anything? I have tried to find a similar model on the internet and ebay, but with no success. Can anyone help?

As you can see it is still in it's original packaging and in good if not perfect condition. I cannot remember where or when I bought it and it could very well have been in the attic for years.

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Tony

Testing a new LED light set up

Earlier today I purchased a new LED lamp and set about testing it with my light table set up.

I am using my Minolta Dimage Z1 camera 3.2 Mega Pixels with camera set to Macro and varying the light effects and in the case of the last image - the background.

Image 1 - New LED set to cool (daylight) setting.

Image 2 - Same set up but light set to warm light.

Image 3 - Same set up but without new LED light.

Image 4 - Cool LED light set up but with green background.

I think the new light works better with greater clarity and colour definition.

Tony

Where do you find inspiration?

When I write magazine articles detailing how I build and paint wargame terrain or structures, I try to include a paragraph or two on the inspiration for the piece or model, for example; an illustrated children's book, a structure from a film or TV series or an illustration I have found in a magazine or on the internet. Hopefully this preamble helps to 'set' the model in context, but I wonder as inspiration can be such a difficult thing to control - Where do you find your inspiration?

I enjoy working on themes - such as the series in Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy where I have produced linear structures or when I am asked to produce something that is outside my comfort zone, as seen in the recent Miniature Wargames model with a Biblical theme.

In 2022, I regularly produce models and articles for all three of the main Wargame themed, magazines but do occasionally find it difficult to find new models to produce and feel that I need to remain relevant and not repeat subject matter. To this end, do you have any suggestions or sources that may help me?

Any suggestions will be much appreciated and who knows, it could inspire me to produce a model or models based on your suggestion.

Thanks you

Tony

Justice League Tower from Wargames Illustrated issue 406

The latest issue of Wargames Illustrated, (issue 406, October 2021) features the first of what I hope to be a series of articles showing how I build themed wargame terrain based of images from the movies. The first is this Justice League Tower which features in the DC film Justice League. The tower is on screen for less than a minute but when I saw the structure I just knew that I had to make a model of it.

The model is built from cardboard, foamboard and egg box card with an insulation foam roof and painted with acrylics. For more information, you can pick up the magazine and read the seven page article/tutorial.

I have in the past built a number of wargame structures inspired by movie images, which have been featured in various magazines and books, for example this Star Wars house which was published in Miniature Wargames issue 432

and this model of Bir Acroma which featured in the Humphrey Bogart film Sahara from 1943. Bir Acroma is one of the models included in the Pen & Sword book - Wargames Terrain & Buildings - North Africa and the Middle East which was written by me.

In addition, I have made a model of the submarine from Ice Station Zebra and the Dragon Tank from Dr.No.

If you have any suggestions for future themed articles - FROM THE MOVIES please get in touch and I'll look at using them in future model builds.

Tony

Update;

I've included this Editor's Tour of WI406 from You Tube for you to check out. See this link for full details.

So how many Flintloque minis do you own?

Earlier this week, I was reading about people who collect Panini football stickers and try to completely fill their Panini albums - this got me thinking.....

Do you own EVERY Flintloque/Slaughterloo miniature from Alternative Armies?

I don't. 

I know that I have many, (OK most), but not every mini, so how close are you to having a full set - a full album and how many are painted?

Tony

Thirteen years of Blogging

Today marks the thirteenth anniversary of my first Dampfs' Modelling Page Blog post. It's been quite a journey with loads of posts and images recording my hobby and other things.....

I am well aware that Blogger may not have been the best medium to record this journey as the formatting is a little restricting, but after thirteen years, I've just got use to it and regular posting is now a habit I would find difficult to break. The thirteen years have seen little change in the way that I enjoy my hobby. I still enjoy painting Flintloque miniatures, I still make loads of scratch-built terrain and I'm still a bit of a 'butterfly' with relation to different games and genres. I make less masters for molding, but write more magazine articles. I have produced three self published books and two for Pen & Sword, with plans for a fourth self published wargame terrain book in the pipeline, but painting and building wargame terrain or toy soldiers still remains the core of my hobby. Over the last couple of years I had started to build demonstration gaming boards for various companies, but the world health issues have meant that few of these pieces are seen as gaming shows have been cancelled or postponed. I would hope that more big commisions are forthcoming, as I enjoy the challenges of designing and building these pieces. In addition, I am always open to writting and building terrain pieces for 'other' people or companies, so if you have a requirement, please contact me via the Blog or through; dampfpanzerwagon(at)yahoo.co.uk

My plans for the rest of the year are to carry on doing what I have been doing. I have thought about producing a You Tube channel, but find it easier and more comfortable to continue with the Blog, so expect more of the same.

So for 2021 - stay safe and keep on modelling.

Tony

Practical and Simple Wargame Terrain - part eight

This Blog post shows my latest scratch-built model to appear in Miniature Wargames (issue 454 February 2021) A Prussian Barn which is based on a decorative oil burner I first saw at a Christmas market back in 2011 (remember those?).

This is the eighth tutorial/article in the series showing how I build simple wargame buildings from everyday and easily obtainable materials. This particular model was built on a corrugated cardboard core with egg box detailing, card tiles and DAS modelling clay. for full details see the MW site here.

The earlier articles are;

A Stone Cottage

A Timber Framed House

A Round Dovecot

A Thatched Cottage

European Barn

A Wooden Shack

A Simple Thatched Hovel

I have at least one more tutorial/article in the pipeline and am thinking of another, but would welcome suggestions and comments on how to proceed with this series.

Tony

Practical and Simple Wargame Terrain - part seven

Issue 451 of Miniature Wargames (November 2020) has another of my series of article showing how I build practical and simple wargame terrain on a budget. Part seven is a Stone Cottage inspired by the resin models from Snapdragon Models. The model was built over a corrugated cardboard core with egg box card stones and slates. As with the earlier models I used these simple rules;

1 - The model should be constructed from simply sourced or everyday materials.

2 - The model should be generic and able to be used in a wide variety of different games or genres.

3 - The model should be robust enough for wargame club use.

4 - The model should be finished to a good standard and resemble the building it represents.

5 - Finally, it should fit into a 6 inch x 6 inch x 6 inch box - for easy storage.

For details of this latest issue please see the this link.

I have included these images of the earlier tutorials;

A timber framed house inspired by the Pardulon resin models.

A round dovecot.

A thatched cottage.

European Barn.

A wooden shack.

A simple thatched hovel.

Tony

Blogging and the future plans for this Blog

My Flintloque themed, One Mini at a Time month has meant that I have finally based and painted another regiment of eight Alternative Armies metal miniatures, minis that would otherwise have continued to languish on my Lead Mountain. I can report that I have continued to pull figures from my 'To-Do' box and my plan is to have a couple more themed months, showing what I've painted - but more on that later.....

Blogging! Dampf's Modelling Page is now well into it's 12th year and I'm still finding things to Blog about. When I started back in February 2008, it was never meant to be so encapsulating. But here we are 12 years on and I'm so grateful for my followers and readers and those who comment. During the last couple of years I have thought about 'where is this Blog going?'

Well maybe I can now answer that question.

I can report that it is going to remain in a similar format to what you see now. Blogger have in the last couple of months, informed me that they are making changes to the platform, but I'm over that and have decided to remain with the older format - the one that I am more familiar with. In addition, my daughter Holly has dragged me onto Instagram and you can find the odd post at dampfpanzerwagon on Instagram. I'm not planning on having the Instagram account taking over the Blog, but at least I now have another account to show off my models and modelling projects.

I'm enjoying You Tube and some of the fantastic video tutorials you can find there. I have thought about opening a channel myself, but as I normally work in my shed-at-the-bottom-of-the-garden in an area smaller than a typical computer table (and it's more-often-than-not a right mess), I don't see You Tube as a realistic option for me as the changes needed and the investment in funds would be too restrictive, but who knows, it might change in the future.

Regular readers will know that I am now a regular contributor to both Miniature Wargames and Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy and I see both continuing - at least for the foreseeable future. The Pen & Sword books have both been well received and I have commented on this Blog about the possibility of a fourth book in my Dampfpanzerwagon Guides, for details see this link.

I've also thought about monetising the Blog and although I'd be interested in finding out more. I'm not sure that is for me. I might ask for donations as I have seen others do - but again, I'm not sure.

So what of my future plans?

Covid19 lockdown has meant that a lot more of my spare time has been spent in the garden, model making/painting miniatures and I'm not seeing any major change to this - well not in the short time anyway. So at long last - my plans for the next two months are;

August - A Pax Bochemannica themed month
I still have a number of figures from the original box set to base and paint and this should be the impetus for me to start (and hopefully) finish painting them and some of the other Pax Boche minis I have in my Lead Mountain. Here is a little teaser.....

September - A Typhon or Greek Myth themed month
Like the un-painted Pax Boche minis, I also have a number of 40mm Greek miniatures that I bought some years ago from Spartan Games (now out-of-production), another part of my Lead Mountain and rather that going out and buying NEW miniatures, I will be trying to finish off some of my stalled projects. Typhon is one that I really should get back into and again I have included a teaser.....

So I hope that this gives a little 'flavour' as to what to expect over the next two months. I'm sure 'other' subjects and new projects will also be included but for now, here are my plans and I hope to have the first posts up-loaded on Saturday.

For now - stay safe and

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony

Practical and Simple Wargame Terrain - part six

The latest issue of Miniature Wargames (issue 448 - August 2020) features another article written by me. This time a Timber Framed House modelled in the style of the long out-of-production and modular Pardulon resin buildings. The three page article shows how I built this 28mm scale house using the same principals as the earlier articles, namely;

1 - The model should be constructed from simply sourced or everyday materials.

2 - The model should be generic and able to be used in a wide variety of different games or genres.

3 - The model should be robust enough for wargame club use.

4 - The model should be finished to a good standard and resemble the building it represents.

5 - Finally, it should fit into a 6 inch x 6 inch x 6 inch box - for easy storage.

For details and images of this latest issue see the this link.

I have included images of the earlier models in this series (see below).

At this moment, there are still three similar articles/tutorials awaiting publication and my hope is to complete at least one more following the same principals of using scrap materials that are easily and readily available - in fact this particular model was built and painted during the Covid 19 lockdown using nothing more than corrugated cardboard, egg box card, lollipop sticks, balsawood and toilet roll card.

During the recent lockdown, I have been wondering if  this series could be published as a book - Book 4 or Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No. 4 in my series of self-published guides (see links to the right).

Dampfpanzerwagon Guide No. 4 - Simple Structures for Wargamers?

I was wondering if these greatly expanded tutorials or guides (the originals published in MW are just three pages long) would be of interest to readers of this Blog. Self publishing is not a cheap option and would require guaranteed sales of at least 250 copies to make initial production worthwhile and profitable. I have written in the past that I was not looking to write a fourth guide, but I feel this series of simple and practical structures could be a worthwhile project for both the novice and experienced terrain builder.

What do you think?

Stay safe and

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony

Practical and Simple Wargame Terrain - part five

The French Dovecot

Yesterday, I received my latest copy of Miniature Wargames (issue 447 - July 2020) which features another of my tutorials/articles showing how I build simple wargame terrain from every-day materials. Like the earlier examples I have tried to stick to these self-imposed rules;

1 - The model should be constructed from simply sourced or everyday materials.

2 - The model should be generic and able to be used in a wide variety of different games or genres.

3 - The model should be robust enough for wargame club use.

4 - The model should be finished to a good standard and resemble the building it represents.

5 - Finally, it should fit into a 6 inch x 6 inch x 6 inch box - for easy storage.

The article can be found on pages 51, 52 and 53 - Hobby Tips, The French Dovecot. For more details, see the Warners Group site.

Here are images of the earlier tutorials all of which have been featured in Miniature Wargames.

I have eight of these tutorials already written, but am always looking for inspiration as to what other buildings or structures I could construct. If you have any suggestions, please contact me via this Blog. For now stay safe and

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony

Practical and Simple Wargame Terrain - part four

Miniature Wargames magazine issue 445 (May 2020) features yet another of my simple and practical wargame terrain tutorials - this fourth instalment the Thatched Cottage was inspired by an image I found in the Funchen book - Arms and Uniforms - the Napoleonic Wars part two. The model was built from corrugated cardboard, egg box card and £1.00 green scourers for the thatch.

As with the earlier three tutorials, I tried to stick to the following self imposed guidelines;

1 - The model should be constructed from simply sourced or everyday materials.

2 - The model should be generic and able to be used in a wide variety of different games or genres.

3 - The model should be robust enough for wargame club use.

4 - The model should be finished to a good standard and resemble the building it represents.

5 - Finally, it should fit into a 6 inch x 6 inch x 6 inch box - for easy storage.

For full details see the Warners Group Publications site.

As stated earlier, this is the fourth in my series of builds, and I have included images of the three earlier articles/models.

Finally for this post, I have a plea. I know that during these difficult times newsagents and in particular magazines will be loosing out on sales, due to lower footfall, but if we want to save these publications I suggest that the best way forward maybe direct subscriptions or E-editions. Both will help secure these magazines for the future and give you a bit of relief from our self-imposed isolation. If you can, please check out subscribing. I know that when my own paper editions of these wargame magazines arrive through the post they bring with them a little light relief.

Stay safe

Keep Calm and Carry On Modelling

Tony