Kettledrummers & Knick Knacks

Piepp 45mm Prussian Cuirassiers

I feel another painting surge coming on and look forward to seeing what I can turn out from the Potsdam Production Line. With another Big Battalion game lined up for the Rock Con convention on November 3, 2007, I have no doubt that some interesting additions will be made to Der Alte Fritz's SYW Prussian army over the next two weeks. Let's just say that the little setback at Preisserstadt has given me plenty of motivation to paint.

Last night I did some conversion work on a Suren 30mm cuirassier trumpeter and turned him into a kettledrummer, sort of like the one pictured above. The casting's right hand is raised over its head as if getting ready to strike the kettledrum. So I cut off a section of brass rod for the drumstick, placed a tiny wad of green putty on the tip, and glued it onto the hands of the musician. For the kettledrums, I used the drums that come with the Foundry Prussian kettledrummer and merely drilled a hole into the each side of the neck on the horse. The Foundry figure is too large and cartoonish looking to use with the slender Surens, but the kettle drum is nearly perfect. The figure is still drying so I don't have any pictures yet. Tonight, I will prime the kettledrummer and then start the painting process later in the week. With only two weeks to go before Rock Con, I ought to be able to add one more musician to my cavalry contingent.

The 45mm Piepp casting pictures above, come from Germany, via the Berlin Zinnfiguren store and I used a picture of one of these fellows as a stand-in for my own creation. I am curious to see how it will paint up.

Speaking of Berlin Zinnfiguren, some of my artillery back orders arrived over the weekend. I can now add a 12 pounder and a 7 pound howitzer to my artillery park. And as I walked into my house this evening, I saw a large box from Berlin Zinnfiguren on the front hall table, perhaps an indication that the rest of the artillery park has arrived. Oh boy!

UPDATE: Yes, the rest of my Prussian artillery arrived today, so now I have three 12-pounders, a 10-pound howitzer, a 7-pound howitzer, and a 6-pounder. The Euro 30 price includes both the limber and the gun and both pieces come pre-assembled. I counted 11 different components in the 12-pounder, so when you stop to consider the amount of time that goes into the assembly of these models, the price seems more reasonable.

My plan is to upgrade all of my regimental guns from 3-pounders to 6-pounders and 7-pound howitzers. I have no choice in this matter, because the French insist that their 4-pounders are really 6-pounders and thus I am outgunned. Now I understand that there was a difference in the French pound and the English pound weight, but in an imaginary world with fictional countries, a pound is a pound is a pound. Period.