River sailing barge ... (construction)

A pen tray, (surplus Xmas present) - could there be a use for it ?

 I thought it would make a nice hold for a river barge, so sketched out some ideas

I worked out a basic hull shape, made a half piece template and marked out two hull shapes (one for the base and one for the deck)

 a section was removed from the deck to provide access to the hold; base and deck fixed to the pen tray

I added sides from thin cardboard...

 and made up a removable mast with spars (mast - paintbrush handle, spars - hibachi skewer and cocktail stick)

 sail added using paper, a small cabin for the crew and a removable cover for the hold - ready to ply its trade up and down the river

 to show it when docked the hold cover is removed and a stowed sail/mast assembly is used

 now have to work out a suitable paint scheme ....

Merry Xmas....

A liitle snow has fallen and the younger children, including Prinz Albrecht, have built a small snowman...

 after the business of the day the King and his courtiers relax. The King plays at the harpsichord while the Queen and Count Munster sing a duet.....

A Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to All

In the Sackwald - a seasonal encounter ...

After the balloon landed the King, Prinz Albrecht and Lady Karolin made their way to Eisen and staid overnight there at the inn. The next day, after a hearty breakfast the Kings party headed into the forest, with woodsman as their guide, for a last look around ....

they stopped for a while to have lunch with the bears...

 they headed deeper into the forest to look for the lamp; when they arrived in the clearing there was strange patch of snow and a jolly gentleman waiting for them ..it was Santa Klaus ....with a special delivery - presents for the prince ....

Santa handed over the presents and had a nice little chat with the prince and jumped back on his sleigh - 'Yo Ho Ho and a Merry Christmas to all' he shouted as the sleigh lifted off into the sky.  After Santa had gone they made their way back to the hunting lodge, the young prince wanted to open his presents but the King put them to one side and told his son he must wait till christmas day. They had a late supper and turned into bed early; as the next day they would be returning to the Palace at Wittenberg.

In the Sackwald - floating in the air ...

The King, Prinz Albrecht and Lady Karolin went for a walk the next day late in the morning in the outer edges of the Sackwald forest,  When they got back to the hunting lodge they had lunch. The King had arranged a special treat for his son for the afternoon ... a hot air balloon ride; Professor Cantor got the balloon ready and up they went, bumping on the ground a couple of times as they got going...

soon they were floating low over the edge of the village of Eisen ...

 

the balloon rose slowly till they were up high - they enjoyed the views of the Sackwald forest below them..

At the Hunting Lodge ....

King Leopold, his son Prinz Albrecht and niece Lady Karolin have travelled to the royal hunting lodge on the edge of the Sackwald forest. They will stay there for a few days before returning to the capital for the christmas festivities.

The morning after their arrival they have gone out to the stables to see the horses ....

Begovian provincial cavalry ...

I'll be re-using my 17C croats as Begovian provincial cavalry - I have done another suitable command standard for them  ....

cast away ....

casting soldiers that is ...

over the last week the new moulds have been used heavily, running each mould about 35+ times each; now I have more units in the lead pile for the Begovian army

3 x 28 figure units of infantry

4 x 8 figure units of cavalry

lots to paint - hooray ! currently getting standard bearers, officer and musicians done - mostly converted basic figures.

40mm: Begovian Artillery ...

The new opposition for the 40mm Wittenberg army in the border province of Zinzendorf will be the ottoman style army of Begovia.

The initial 'ottoman' style artillery crew...

To get the project going, these TYW figure conversions have been painted up; they'll do for the initial gun crew.

Mould kits have arrived and the ottoman style masters have been 'bedded in' - 3 new moulds to make over the few days and then do some trial castings.