ZULU! The Store House...Rorke's Drift...January 1879

[spanner570]

O.k. I'm chomping at a mince pie, swigging some IPA and having a play.....I though I'd post summat in case anyone thought I'd given up on this - Been close a couple of times mind!

I'm trying to depict the last stage of the battle when the British were forced to abandon the kraal after the hospital had been over-run, and the soldiers had to retreat behind the biscuit boxes. You will notice the 'Last Stand' Redoubt is not built yet. I will add this later. I need some more boxes, plus loads of Mealie bags for the redoubt, and where the first line of bags has been flattened by the Zulus after the soldiers retreated behind the boxes.

Still loads to do, including a bit more detail work on the uniforms, the redoubt, the general wreckage lying about.....and then the Zulu Impi!

This shows the full compliment of soldiers forced into the last bit of the defences and still holding on to the kraal proir to the abandoning of it...130 odd figures.

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All too squeeky clean...for now!

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140 Zulus!

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Thanks for looking and a Merry Christmas to you.

Ron

[Alan 45]

Ron you never cease to amaze me that is one fantastic scene you've produced

[spanner570]

Ron you never cease to amaze me that is one fantastic scene you've produced

Thanks Alan, they are only roughly placed to get some sort of 'Feel' for the set up, then I've got to remove them again to cut the bases off...Is there no end to this torture?

[Alan 45]

Thanks Alan, they are only roughly placed to get some sort of 'Feel' for the set up, then I've got to remove them again to cut the bases off...Is there no end to this torchure?

If there's one thing I hate it's 1/72 scale figures , so fiddley and awkward

[monica]

stunning work Ron,looks great with all the figures done,

If there's one thing I hate it's 1/72 scale figures , so fiddley and awkward

and could not agree more with Alan,your a star for doing so very very many of the little guys

[Guest]

Ron my eyes ache just thinking about painting all those tiny figures! The scene is looking awesome,tipping a Dogfish IPA to ya Sir merry Christmas

[spanner570]

Ron my eyes ache just thinking about painting all those tiny figures! The scene is looking awesome,tipping a Dogfish IPA to ya Sir merry Christmas

Cheers Trey, Merry Christmas to you too, good buddy!

[spanner570]

I've been quietly tootling along with this and here's the up to the minute stage of the build.....

What to make the mealie bags out of has been on my mind? I finally came up with this.....Linseed oil putty - the stuff you put glass in with.

I have a small tub in the shed, so with a bit of linseed oil added to the semi hard stuff in the bottom of the tub, I managed to make it soft enough to use.

I rolled out the putty to the right diameter sausage, then cut the individual bags and piled them up and let their own weight form the droops and sags. Once they semi-harden, I will do a bit of tidying up. Then paint them.

Regarding the redoubt Lt. Chard had built for a 'last stand'. I've had a look at models of this and to my eye most look far too formal, all nice and neat and square ( one even has duck boards inside!) Same with the perimeter mealie bag wall and biscuit box wall - all too straight.

My reason for making my walls look like they've been built in a rush is because that is what actually happened. The British had around 4 hours or so to build the defences, so the last thing on my mind would be neatness!!

So below is my take on the last ditch defences......

The pictures are a bit blurred..sorry.

Here is the Redoubt. It rests on greaseproof paper. I had thought to harden the putty in the microwave - hence the paper, but thought better of it! I will leave the redoubt on it and cover it with dirt later.

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The wall connecting the Kraal to the stores building.

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The over-run outer wall which connected the stores and hospital.

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The biscuit box wall hastely erected after the hospital and accompanying outer wall where breached by the Zulus.

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Here is layout of the final stage of the battle. The kraal has been abandoned and the defenders will be pushed back into what little is left of the defences. You can see the smashed mealie bag walls on the right. The hospital would be top right of this picture and about 50yds. from the store building.

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Still plenty to do...loads more debris, rubble, boxes and painting..........Then the Zulus!!!

Cheers all,

Ron

[Guest]

Looks great Ron! And a nice idea for the sandbags although they're making me think of Ravioli! Can you tell I'm a mite peckish?

[spanner570]

Looks great Ron! And a nice idea for the sandbags although they're making me think of Ravioli! Can you tell I'm a mite peckish?

Sandbags...Sandbags!!!!

My dear chap, they are mealie bags - big and heavy!

Thanks for the encouraging post too Patrick.....

[Guest]

This is my first look on this build, and it looks top notch so far, and those sandb... I mean mealie bags look the part.

[Guest]

Ha-ha! I think I was blinded by hunger Ron! I should have been more accurate

as I watched Zulu! for the umpteenth time only yesterday

[monica]

looks great Ron,and what a very good idea as well,

[john i am]

Great mealie bags Ron and I love the smell of linseed oil putty I used to be a glazier many years ago I still have all the scars to prove it I was on 1st name terms at the local A+E .Your dio is looking amazing and you have my upmost respect for all the hardwork you are putting into it keep up the great work mate

[spanner570]

Great mealie bags Ron and I love the smell of linseed oil putty I used to be a glazier many years ago I still have all the scars to prove it I was on 1st name terms at the local A+E .Your dio is looking amazing and you have my upmost respect for all the hardwork you are putting into it keep up the great work mate

John, having spent my working life as a joiner, I too have had my fair share of 'glass confrontation' You are right, linseed oil putty does smell nice.

With most glazing being of the double variety these days, using putty again - albeit for modelling - is quite a novelty.......