New Years Resolution

This blog is about something we, in the wargames hobby, have in common. A horde (large or small) of unpainted castings generally known as the Lead or 'Metal Mountain'.

For the last 40 years I've been painting 25-28mm figures initially for pleasure and then for sale to collectors/ wargamers in the hobby.
One of my New Years Resolutions is to spend this year considerably reducing what we call in the hobby the 'metal mountain' of unpainted castings I have accumulated over that time. Hence the title of the blog. Creating a blog will help me be disciplined in working through the mass of castings and posting the results as the completed painted and based units begin to appear. Let's see how it goes!

A tiny selection of castings - believe me it's true

Now seems like a good time to start - times are difficult for many and cash is in short supply. I have dozens of boxes of (in many cases) excellent castings bought with the intention of painting them but being distracted by other projects. It seems a shame to buy more when they will only add to the ever growing pile.
So, I've taken the positive step of
- starting to sort/ organise the castings
- paint and base them
- either add to my collection or even sell to interested collectors or wargamers (as painting is my main interest in the hobby!)

I begin the project with excitement as looking through the boxes of castings has revealed a whole host of wonderful miniatures sculpted and manufactured by many of the big names in the hobby (and some small ones!)

The castings I have cover many periods but the main areas are ECW, Dark Ages (1066 Saxons and Normans) and the Sedgemoor 1685 period (Late 17th/ early 18th century.) There are lots of other areas of interest on a smaller scale.

So, where to start. The first box I opened contained an assortment of Sedgemoor figures from Dixon Miniatures (and a few Foundry.) The Dixon miniatures are quite old figures - early sculpts from Mark Copplestone which I really like and feel they are full of character ansd a pleasure to paint. I have tackled the Sedgemoor campaign about 3 times since the early 1980s and enjoy painting these armies.
So, rather than putting that box back and looking for other figures I've started as I mean to go on and will work through the castings box by box as I open them.

Right then, first project is 22 figures and will paint them up as King's 1st Foot Guards 1685 which were at the Battle of Sedgemoor and other battles/ campaigns of the period. They will be based as outlined in 'Beneath the Lily Banners' 2nd Edition by Barry Hilton.
I selected appropriate castings, cleaned then up and undercoated in my preferred method for this period  (a brown enamel undercoat then a burnt umber oil wash.)

Selected castings

Undercoated figures

 I began this unit between Christmas and New Year and completed the unit ready to launch the blog. All seems to have gone to plan so its all systems go now.

1st Foot Guards 1685

Will post some more pics of this unit next blog.

 This is my first blog so bear with me if things don't look/sound ok! I'll improve with time/ experience I hope!