Wednesday, 22 April 2020

Napoleonic 3 French Dragoons and a bit of damp real life !

These are 12 Perry plastic French dragoons which have taken a long time to complete.  This is the  first Napoleonic post since 2017!
I've just called them done ,they're okay but I'm going to have to adjust my technique a bit to get a nicer finish on future napoleonic cavalry, what I  normally do worked on the line infantry but doesn't quite for cavalry.
They're in the 1812 onwards uniform but I'll be using them for the 1809 campaign as no one else was making plastic French dragoons for the earlier period and the overall silhouette says French dragoons to me!
No flag until after lockdown.  I wasn't going to do flags for the light cavalry, having looked at French cavalry on Chasseur's splendid blog I will follow his example and not give flags to any of the cavalry units in the future, it will only be this unit that has them!
I'll probably also use them against nephew 1s Brits in Spain and nephew 2s Russians, hes painted his Russians and is breathing down my neck so there should be more Napoleonic French, cavalry and infantry down the line.




 More Napoleonic troops in the que but they will be a while, probably more Dux Bellorum up next!

So on Monday evening this happened, all the water from the boiler/central heating system poured out of the light fitting into the living room, in the bottom drawer of the plan chest/ coffee table is where I keep reference books and rules relating to what I'm currently working on. Bit of an impact on productivity and blog visiting!
Drying out some of the reference books.  I've stripped the ceiling luckily I've still got a dehumidifier and I'll redecorate next week, I've isolated the pipes,  so no central heating, no boiler,but that's okay  as I had an electric shower installed under the stairs and it's  nice and warm now ,so we can sit it  out until after lockdown, ah how we've laughed!

All the best Iain 

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45 comments:

  1. Jonathan Freitag22 April 2020 at 21:22

    Nice looking cavalry! Your boiler leak delivers a tough blow to your reference materials. Hopefully, most can be salvaged. For some reason, I cannot play your video clip.

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:42

      Thanks Jonathan! Most look like recovering albeit in damaged form, sorry the video isn't working!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  2. The Jolly Broom Man22 April 2020 at 21:32

    Jeez mate that was a bit of a disaster, hope you can rescue everything. The cavalry look fantastic by the way.

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:43

      Thanks Mark! It will all be fine, one way or the other!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  3. Mike Vella22 April 2020 at 22:15

    That cavalry looks sharp! Shame about your reference books, hope you’ll recover them.

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:43

      Thanks Mike! Water damage, bit of a pain!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  4. Lawrence H22 April 2020 at 22:15

    Great work on the Napoleonic French Iain, and bad luck with the water system. On the bright side, at least it has happened during lockdown when presumably you have a bit more time to attend to the cleanup and repairs.

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:45

      Thanks Lawrence! Well yes as its during lockdown I kind of have to sort it out and have time to do so, I guess if we didn't have lockdown I'd have got someone else to do it?!
      Best Iain

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  5. nundanket22 April 2020 at 22:19

    Oh crikey. I was feeling sorry for myself having to reseal the shower because of a leak coming out through a smoke detector, but that’s small fry compared to your task. Fingers crossed that you recover everything and don’t have to go too long without the boiler.

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:47

      It was kind of funny , you don't often have a waterfall in your lounge! I think most of it will be alright and who needs a boiler in this weather?
      Best Iain

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  6. Cyrus22 April 2020 at 23:51

    Excellent Dragoons! What a disaster, good luck with drying everything out.

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:48

      Thanks Cyrus! Yes it was and thanks again!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  7. Michal DwarfCrypt23 April 2020 at 06:10

    Awesome work sir!

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  8. Norm23 April 2020 at 06:40

    Lovely job on the cavalry. The Perry's have the 'big men on big horses' just right. Sorry to hear of your water disaster, nothing worse, it is so destructive. The warmer weather and being able to have windows open is probably the only good thing.

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:49

      Thanks Norm! Yes nice and solid looking and yes at least the weather is better!
      Best Iain

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  9. Phil23 April 2020 at 07:24

    Ouch! Splendid cavalry...and books, even after the disaster!

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:50

      Thanks Phil! The books are less damp now!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  10. Matt Crump23 April 2020 at 08:29

    Good looking unit...oooh how I keep thinking of Napoleonics during lockdown, luckily I have enough other projects and can put that to the back of my mind. Nobody likes a flood !😢

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:52

      Thanks Matt! Go on, you know you want to, I just figure if I don't start now I won't get a decent force done before I die! Of course you know all about the destructive power of water!
      Best Iain

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  11. 'Lee.23 April 2020 at 11:18

    Bloody Hell Iain, that is the last thing you needed in the current circumstances. Hope you are able to rescue everything that's damaged. Dragoons are nice though :)

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:53

      Thanks Lee! Could have been worse, at least we were in the house when it kicked off!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  12. Dave Stone23 April 2020 at 11:33

    Your Dragoons look great Iain, that is terrible about the boiler, hope it's sorted quickly for you, and you've managed to save as much as possible

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    1. caveadsum147123 April 2020 at 13:55

      Thanks Dave! I think most of it is salvagable (?) I had almost finished all the DIY and had hoped to move onto some hobby stuff, hey ho!
      Best Iain

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  13. DeanM23 April 2020 at 15:59

    Great looking Dragoons, Iain. Wow! a mini-disaster which I pray you'll recover from - particularly your hobby stuff and books. Good thing nothing electrical got damaged or worse.

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    1. caveadsum147124 April 2020 at 19:51

      Thanks Dean! Yes mostly recovering! Funnily enough all the water was pouring through the light fitting and light switch! Luckily the RCD kicked in and cut off most of the power in the house and after a few days it had all dried out.
      Best Iain

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  14. Dmitry Svidlo23 April 2020 at 19:18

    Dragoons look really good, Iain! That’s a pity to have such problems with boiler:( wish you manage it soon!

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    1. caveadsum147124 April 2020 at 19:52

      Thanks Dmitry! I hope its sorted soon too!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  15. Stew24 April 2020 at 03:02

    Some great looking dragoons. No one will care if they’re wearing the wrong uniform. And a good way to revive a project since 2017. If they roll well it’ll reinforce more napoleonic units. 😀

    Sorry about the flooding. The vid doesn’t work for me either but I think I get the idea. It’s always lame when the house breaks. Maybe at least it was an opportunity to be MANLY?

    Here in the states I’m pretty sure you can get home repairs done even in the current environment. Like we’re able to call plumbers and such, so maybe you don’t have to go without forever.

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    1. caveadsum147124 April 2020 at 19:55

      Thanks Stew! I was hoping for less Manly stuff to be honest! We are going to hold on till after lockdown for the plumber,we've got an electric shower, the only hardship is washing up with a kettle and as we have a functional dishwasher there isn't much of that!
      Best Iain

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  16. Gonsalvo25 April 2020 at 03:03

    The Dragoons look great Iain! All my cavalry carry flags, but to each their own.

    Yikes! re: the water damage. i suppose the good thing is that you were home and not away for several hours when it happened...

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    1. caveadsum147125 April 2020 at 22:36

      Thanks Peter! Yes it was lucky we were in!
      Best Iain

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  17. Ronin25 April 2020 at 16:05

    Haa Disastro !! mi dispiace per il tuo incidente domestico, e per i danni ai tuoi libri.
    La cavalleria napoleonica è molto d'effetto.

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    1. caveadsum147125 April 2020 at 22:39

      Thanks Ronin! Most of the books are drying out so could be worse!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  18. Ray Rousell25 April 2020 at 22:38

    Great looking Drgoons Iain!

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  19. Aly Morrison27 April 2020 at 11:51

    A nice beefy looking unit Iain...
    Water damage anywhere is such a pain...but on books it can be so destructive... it’s a good job you were in...
    I came home one night to discover that my upstairs neighbours washing machine had broken and it had leaked lavender smelling water all over one of my bookcases...
    At least my soggy pulped Pulp Fiction was scented...

    All the best. Aly

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    1. caveadsum147128 April 2020 at 12:03

      Thanks Aly! I'm sure you were mollified by the scent! All drying out now, just some books a bit crunchy and a bit bigger than before!
      Best Iain

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  20. Suber27 April 2020 at 22:46

    Ouch, the domestic incident is painful (something pretty similar happened to me last year). On the bright side, these Dragoons look spectacular. What a change of subject from your recent works!

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    1. caveadsum147128 April 2020 at 12:04

      Thanks Suber! Yes makes a change, back to hairy dark age types next!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  21. Zabadak28 April 2020 at 13:22

    I like seeing Napoleonics, as it does bring back many memories of the thousands I had many years ago.
    I feel the pain of the water episode - I;d be amazed if we all didn't have sinilar stories, involving tea, coffee, beer etc.
    Even though you seemed to have weatherd it well, I bet the air was blue for a while !

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    1. caveadsum147128 April 2020 at 20:05

      Thanks Joe! To be honest I was too busy running around like a blue arsed fly trying to get everything out before it was damaged! Still, if I'd had time it probably would have been!
      Best Iain

      Delete
  22. rross29 April 2020 at 20:32

    Great looking figures Iain and a bit of a disaster with the water leak, hope you managed to save all your literature. I have a very vague fear of something similar happening in our garage, where all my troops are quartered...or..imagine a fire...it doesn't bare thinking about!

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    1. caveadsum14715 May 2020 at 22:43

      Thanks Keith! I know I had a white spirit rag which I hurried back to retrieve from the shed, the last thing I need is some spontaneous combustion and losing all my books,tools and figures! Eeek!
      Best Iain

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  23. Dai17 May 2020 at 23:10

    Those dragoons are fab Iain!

    O your poor books! :( hope that’s all fixed now

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    1. caveadsum147118 May 2020 at 19:36

      Thanks Dai! Books dried out, fixed the leak last week, wall still drying out! I'm going to start the ceiling this week anyway!
      Best Iain

      Delete

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