Sorry about the lack of updates, but there isn't much going on during the production process when figures go from stage 5 to stage 10.
But a wrinkle has come up with the 1/32 Austrian Infantry which requires some input.
As planned, each figure will have 3 choices of head/headwear: a helmet, a shako and a bearskin. So the planned sprue would have 6 figures and 18 head/headwear. Not to mention that there will be 6 separate backpacks on the sprue.
Let's say that we can't fit on 18 separate heads/hats, but we can fit on 12. Which ones would you prefer? Or do separate backpacks make any difference? One option we are exploring is to mold the figure together with the backpack on.
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47 comments:
I am not fussed about backpacks.
a helmet, a shako and a bearskin there all important and to hard to choose. 1/32 have helmets and bearskin in other brands. If there in a MAC set maybe have 2 in action and 2 other options in the others?
@Anth, I thought about that, but not sure what customers want. Keep in mind that customers will be throwing away 36 heads/hats in every package of 18 figures. That's a lot of heads/hats to make just for customers to throw them away.
I like the seperate backpack. I t gives the figure more animation. With the 12 heads, are you looking at making 6 eack of two of the hemlets? If so, I would prefer the helmet and bearskin.
@Chad, on the drawing board currently, each sprue has 18 heads/helmets.
I.e. From each sprue, you can either make:
6 helmeted figures
6 shakoed figures or
6 grenadier figures
We need to cur down the heads/helmets from 18 per sprue to 12 or so.
How about four, four, and four?
Will the figures be scultped without heads then?
I would prefer more Helmets & Bearskins
Rob C,
H
Make with 12 heads per sprue - I am sure we would all be happy with this - keep the seperate backpacks as they look right
9thHussar
I would definitely like to see a full set of helmets. My first preference would be to lose the shakos.
How much of a delay would be caused by redoing the backpacks, cartridge boxes and swords so they are merged with the figure? Do they have to go back to the sculptor or have new intermediates made?
Just a reminder: If you have received the Russian infantry and have a comment please add it to the December 16, 2010 posting.
@All, just found out that because the backpacks were designed to be separate, they can't be molded together with the figure.
As I recall this was originally going to be a set of helmeted infantry with grenadiers. When the idea was batted around by the 1/72 fellows in the forum "scope creep" set in and shakos were added to make it a more comprehensive set. I would go back to the original intent.
And remember, they could follow the example of the upcoming Marching French sets, with different sets for two time periods. In this case you could have pre- and post-1810 Austrian Infantry using the same bodies (intermediates) but different headgear choices.
@Rahway, "scope creep", excellent! That gave me a real laugh and really does describe it perfectly.
Shako and Bearskin
Shako for Austrians 1st in 1/32
@All, so what's available for the Austrians in 1/32 right now?
Italaria 2 boxs helmet bearskin and cap.
Replicians 4 figures helmet sappur with bear skins and cap advancing 1 cavalry with 4 arm choices. No shakos.
Compared to the Prussians there is not much Austrian infantry available.
1. Replicants has three infantry figures, apparently for the pre-1805 period ($10 for the three):
Grenadier standing firing
Light infantry in helmet standing firing
Line infantry in round cap at ready
Italeri has two sets, each containing their customary eight poses x2.
2. Italeri's first set is from the 1805-1809 period.
Hungarian Grenadier (wearing gaiters) marching
German Grenadier standing firing
German Grenadier kneeling firing
German Grenadier charging
Line infantry in helmet kneeling firing
Line infantry in helmet charging
Line infantry in helmet standing firing
Line infantry in helmet marching (This is not the same figure as the one in the 1/72 set. He is sideways in the mold, one foot is in front of the other and his left arm is behind his back - very odd when viewed from the front)
The three German Grenadiers have no swords. Three of the Fusiliers got them instead. The canteens and cartridge boxes are sometimes reversed and the bayonet scabbards are often attached to the underside of the cartridge boxes. It is a very replaceable set with a poor selection of poses.
3. The 1798-1805 set figures are oversized and incompatible with their other set. It consists of:
Line infantry in round cap standing firing
Line infantry in round cap kneeling firing
Line infantry in round cap marching
Line infantry in round cap kneeling at ready
Grenadier advancing
Light infantry in helmet marching
Light infantry in helmet at ready
Light infantry officer in helmet
The two marching figures are particularly large and the size of the helmets is very exaggerated.
Would it save space if one of the heads was attached to the body.?
Then you only need 12 separate heads.
Cheers,
Stan.
@Stan, the anatomy of the body is a done deal :-(
@Rahway, I don't think we want to separate this into pre- and post-1810 boxes, that'll be box creep!
Thanks for the breakdown of the Italeri's. I know this has been said many times, but too bad we don't have a 1/32 PSR. It appears that Italeri's 1/32 sizing issues are even worse than their 1/72.
I,d really like to see the shako heads as they have not been done in 1/32 scale yet and the Austrian shako is special in that it has a back visor also and is harder to try and convert your own.
It would be nice to see a set of Hungarian/Austrians in the future with the braided pants without garters also.
FISH! <"))))><
And Artillery...none
I personally don't like the Austrian Shakos, but if you want to include them, why not this many per sprue:
5 Helmet Heads
5 Shako Heads
2 Bearskin Heads
I believe that that would be a nice ratio for both collectors and wargamers as each box will let you build up to 15 Fusiliers (in either headgear) and up to 6 Grenadiers.
Ignazio
On a side note, how can you use the same bodies for both Fusiliers and Grenadiers, as the latter will need a sword?
Ignazio
And, please keep the backpacks separate, as it allows for a more realistic (less undercuts) and easier to convert figure.
Ignazio
Hi
the Austrian shako was the same as the Dutch Waterloo shako - there are spares on the market which could be utilised for variety so maybe the Grenadier cap and crested fusileer cap would be best in the hat sprues
9thHussar
i would prefer shakos - by the way - what about Hungarians, Landwehr, Jaegers or Grenzers ?
I like the idea of four heads of all three headgears .Not as much waste and defintely more choices .Everyone will probally buy more than one set anyway.Then you have heads for other projects.
Hey Dave, if your talking about The Call to Arms Dutch waterloo figures as heads swopes for Austrian shakos??? Those heads would be way to small! They are more like 1/35 scale figures and would look pretty funky looking and it would get very expensive to build up an Austrian shako army having to buy like 2 boxes of CTA Dutch to every hat set!!!
I say make everyone happy and just add all 3 heads in lesser numbers.
FISH!!!<"))))><
Dave, also Italeri makes a great set of Austrians in true 1/32 scale with both the helmet and the grenadier fur cap so why would,t you want the shako instead???
Hatblogger, the closest thing to a 1/32 plastic reference site is the Toy Soldier HQ, which pre-dates PSR. For example, this is the link to their Hat/Imex/Accurate page:
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/toysoldierhq/HatImex.html
The photos of the AWI offerings might be of interest to you.
Ignazio, I am assuming that the swords are attached to the packs as was the case with the Prussians. Wayne and Ignazio seem to be pointing the way to a compromise that will give everyone what they want.
Hi
Fish you are right but I was thinking of the Helmet Spares Dutch head/shako
Maybe the grenadier and fusilier caps are more spectacular and imposing to what is otherwise a plain-ish uniform.
Regards
9th
I only have just found the Helmet spares. Now there a must have for conversions. Another great 1/32 product.
I,ve seen the Helmet stuff but its just not available here in the USA and would cost to much to be shipped over seas to make any purchases worthwhile for us here in the states.
I think the best solution for every one is to just add a few of each style of heads in each box!
FISH!!!<"))))><
There has not been much going on here on the 1/32 blog???
How about a new thread with whats in the works???
Any progress on the Cavalry? Artillery? Dead/wounded???
Whats your take on those subjects? Are you guys going to give them a shot????
FISH!<")))))><
Fishy makes a good point.
Rob C,
Hi there,
I may be missing something but according to the pictures of the Austrian masters on the 9000 page of the web site the figures already have heads, mainly helmets with one bearskin. Working on that assumption, and we must be careful of assumptions, you only need 12 more heads per sprue, helmets, shakos or bearskins so there is no problem?
The backpacks should remain seperate with sabres attached which can be removed if the figure is not a grenadier.
An earlier post suggested that you could include less bearskins but Austrian Grenadiers worked in seperate regiments not as seperate companies in battalions as in other armies.
Rahway was right regarding the Italeri Austrians some are useful but they will not be a patch on the figures you will produce.
Regards
brian023
Sorry to ramble on but I forgot to say the Helmet Spare Heads are great but they are not cheap. The head you could use the Dutch Shako head costs 60 pence UK that is around 90 cents US so for a battalion of 30 figures would be £18 UK and $27 US, a large outlay for the purpose not including postage.
As I mentioned on the Russian Blog I dont know why you did not make all the Russians Grenadiers as it is easier to remove the plune and sabre to make them line infantry and harder the other way round. This would have saved you adding Grenadiers heads later, hindsight is a marvelous thing.
Regards
brian023
Hi,
I know that Austrian Grenadiers formed separated regiments, but as there were less Grenadier than Fusiliers regiments, it makes sense to build less Grenadiers per box.
A wargamer buying 3 boxes would still be able to field 2 Fusilier and 1 Grenadier regiments.
Ignazio
It is possible to find German austrian troops, but HAT may do better by releasing Hungarian Austrians and Grenzer.
As to the number of hats per box, please make any Grenadiers larger than foot figures. There is no point in having short Grenadiers. Grenzers can be short guys, but Grenadiers need to tower over the rest of the troops.
Adrian
What, if any, repercussions does this issue have for the long-coat Marching French sets? As planned they were to have: a set of packs; a set of bicornes; a set of shakos; and a mixed set of Tarletons and bonnets.
The shako and bearskin would be my 2 choices. The shako with the rear visor is rare in 1/32. Have you considered any artillery crews ?
Does anyone have a recommendation for a glue to bind the packs to the figures ? I would think a glue the dissolves or liquifies the plastic would work well as the pieces should congeal together.
Walt, If you are in UK. I use Evo stik Impact Instant contact adhesive which dries pretty quickly and seems to bond well.
As far as perefernces for the spare heads is concerned, having helmeted orginals would be my preference with shakos and bearskins as alternative extra heads.
I very much look forward to Nap cavalry with a strong perference for Austrian cuirassiers and dragoons.
I really like the Zap-A-Gap brand glue.
While I,m posting and if anyone is still listening to this thread??? The cartridge boxes on these Austrians and The Russian figures are WAT TO BIG!!!!!
I know its to late for the Russians but can the problem be fixed on the Austrians before they are released????
FISH!<"))))><
Fish is right lets hope the Austrians are done better then the Russian's,
Im hoping for some French line troops as im getting bored painting light infantry,
ps I use LocTite for the backpacks,
Rob C,
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