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Re: Replacing French Pikes

While you guys are here, I was perusing the WoSS line and wondering: did grenadiers have their own command uniforms, or did they use line officers/standards/drummers/etc. at this point?

Re: Replacing French Pikes

ironsides
Graham, I think your solution looks excellent in every way....

Unfortunatly ring hands would not be possible without the actual hand holes being straight on to the tool face, I would suggest solid hands in which you can drill the holes through to take the pikes, this way it doesn't matter so much how the figures are oriented in the tool, and you can get more realistic poses and a firmer grip...

This would be my preference in any case... even the Zvezda pikemen which are otherwise good have really poor pikes, it just doesn't translate into injection moulding very well...
Always best to have seperate pikes from an extruded material...

:wink:


I think I said I'm not sold completely on ring hands. I'm happy with grooves.

I recognise that putting in your own pikes isn't for everyone, so I don't know what the best compromise option is. Alas for theses figures - as for many others - they simply don't look like they're holding pikes. There was a manufacturer that used to put strips of plastic rod in packets so that they didn't have to cast a sprue of pikes. Can't think who it it was.

Re: Replacing French Pikes

Lengths of plastic rods of a stiffer sort to the men, possibly with a point at one end, would be a great idea!! I'd be all for it.

So long as the hands hold the lance/pike securely, with some glue helping rather than being the only thing keeping them in place, im happy with a ring hand or groove.

Re: Replacing French Pikes

Roger W
Lengths of plastic rods of a stiffer sort to the men, possibly with a point at one end, would be a great idea!! I'd be all for it.

So long as the hands hold the lance/pike securely, with some glue helping rather than being the only thing keeping them in place, im happy with a ring hand or groove.
The rod I saw was like the broom bristles I use. Sharpening them or making spear points is easy. You squeeze the end flat with a pair of pliers then snip the sides off the flat bit with a pair of nail clippers. There's a link in the blog post above which shows you how it is done.

As for those who like not to do any assembly...I'd say putting spears in open hands doesn't take much longer than taking the flash off a cast one.

Re: Replacing French Pikes

Dear Graham,

Mars put lengths of plastic in their boxes (the Austrian infantry and Polish infantry (Sobieski's) at least). They are fabulous. Longer than required, given in large numbers, can be 'sharpened' at the business end. Hands are proper hands not rings and the pikes fit well. They are just the business for mine.

Regards, James