Beyond The Sprues

Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Other => Topic started by: Story on April 10, 2023, 02:21:13 AM

Title: The War Elephant [folk art style]
Post by: Story on April 10, 2023, 02:21:13 AM

Anyone remember HG Wells' LITTLE WARS?

Little Wars
(A Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty
and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books)
With an Appendix on Kriegspiel
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3691/3691-h/3691-h.htm (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3691/3691-h/3691-h.htm)

Back in the 70's, I was fascinated with his writings and where his imagination originated. On some forgotten Christmas, I got one of those RAPCO casting kits -> https://www.samstoybox.com/toys/LeadSoldierCasting.html (https://www.samstoybox.com/toys/LeadSoldierCasting.html)

One of the WW2 officers (fourth from the left) was rebranded as a Zulu War era observer.
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5e/5b/fb/5e5bfb20d3289d73e8938c025245fd76--lead-soldiers-casting.jpg)

He soon got his own Gatling gun (a cast iron American Civil War 12 lber sans barrel, w/ a Gatling assembly made from dowels, nails and copper telephone wire).

Fast-forward to the 1990s, when I picked up a hand-carved elephant in South Africa.

What do you get when you combine all three elements with tongue firmly implanted in cheek? 

Inspiration!
(https://preview.redd.it/anw7o2juujy51.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=5a261b797f167a2c2b85eb9f55c005330edfb19e)(https://www.historyhit.com/app/uploads/2021/08/Gatling-Camel-supposedly-2D6G4AB.jpg)(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQdB9rvLZt4RdeDxR0cJ5s9mT0_E-lznRukcWZusov7Un0VY8M05sPSUQXaMgB5ycmJ1Y0&usqp=CAU)

Assume this is 54mm nominal [Apple for scale]
(https://i.imgur.com/EZmVWxd.jpg)

Somewhere in the distant past, I'm sure Britain's provided precedence.
(https://i.imgur.com/PojIQ1O.jpg)

Title: Re: The War Elephant [folk art style]
Post by: raafif on April 10, 2023, 08:23:00 AM

 :smiley: I heartily approve.  I have a Zvezda 1/72 war-elephant in rubbery plastic which would match this idea nicely.

Title: Re: The War Elephant [folk art style]
Post by: Frank3k on April 10, 2023, 09:13:58 AM

Both the elephant and the gun and figure look great! I remember a green army men machine that used a  hard, rubbery wax, but I didn't realize that lead/tin molds were available for hobbyists.

Title: Re: The War Elephant [folk art style]
Post by: Story on April 10, 2023, 08:28:04 PM

Thanks, but I think they were more 'rights of passage' in the pre-liability days meant for children more than hobbyists.

Remember, kid - hot lead burns and skin grafts are painful.
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/81HUn352hZ4/hqdefault.jpg)

Still, I think it's imperative to mark where we started with our artistic passions.