I've recently obtained a quantity of gardening wire ideal for use with plastic figures, and would like some advice on their best uses.

I'm creating a set of heraldic flags for the Wars of the Roses, these can be printed out on thin card and aplied to a wire pole. My problem is a lack of figures to carry them; has anyone had success in melting ring hands on figures? (I know some people use a dril, but I don't have one).

This project makes me wonder why the provision for flags in plastic sets is so poor. We usually get a flag molde
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d onto the bearer figure and which is rippled (and thus difficult to paint) and is almost always far too small.
Wouldn't it be better for manufacturers to provide flag bearers with ring hands, and a sheet of stiff paper flags which can be the correct size, need not be painted and can easily be mounted using wire or plastic strips?

On a related note, what is the best method for "tipping" wire pikes and spears? Plastic strips can easily be melted flat, but is there a simple technique for wire?

Good on you for having a crack at this.
I use steel wire for pikes , flags etc.
Basically I use a brutal approach to tipping the spears, namely a set of pliers, and squash the tip flat. You can shape the tip with emery, sandpaper etc.
I have recently purchased a pin vise drill, this really makes ring hands well, but prior to that, again I resorted to the brutal approach. I used a very fine pin, slightly heated, and held in the pliers, this made reasonably small holes but needed good control when pushing into the figure. Didnt over heat the needle so no melt worries.
Hope this is useful to you.
Cant help but agree with your comments re; flags being supplied with the set, similar to decals with model vehicles.

Oh yeah, one other thing.
This may not be well liked by some converters, but I use thin tin foil as a 'meat in the sandwich' between the folded over flag.

The foil is sized to fit just inside the flag profile before each side of the flag is glued together.

I have found this allows the flag to be ruffled, or shaped to your liking and it will hold that shape.
If you want to reshape you simply flattern out and start again.

regards
Mike McA

I'll have to try that tin foil trick. I've always just used paper with white glue. I found that I could get realistic folds in it while wet, but once it dried I was stuck with the folds as is. Since most of my flags are now computer generated, it hasn't been much of a problem to simply run off a new batch if I don't like the old ones.

I suppose the 'rippled' flags are simply reflecting the reality, with them fluttering in the wind. Not convenient for wargamers but far better for those of us who like accuracy.

It seems to me a simple thing for any manufacturer to include a proper-scale flag on the box somewhere. It would be stiff but of course only 1-sided (better than nothing, although you could print both sides too). It would also be a good painting guide, although you wouldn't even need a flag-bearer in the set - often a suitable figure is available for conversion.

Revell did this on some boxes, as do A Call To Arms, so how about it you lot? Lets see a flag on all suitable boxes as a matter of course!

Hi Jon, I note that Zvezda also provide paperwork with their figures, therefore the cost of providing paper flags with the sets should not be prohibitive for any manufacturer.

I am guessing this comes down to how far they want to go in their research and production.

Certainly would be 'value added' to the set.

regards
Mike McA

Rofur flags provides flags in 1/72 and 1/32. There`s also some advice for converting figures into flagbearers on their homepage. I don`t konow if it`s possible to order these products from outside of europe though.

http://www.rofur-flags.de/

Thanks for the advice.
Great idea with the tin foil, Mike.

My flags are drawn with both sides on the same sheet, with a "spine" area down the middle. You simply fold the flag over and glue the halfs together. I believe this is the usual method with commercial products, so there's really no reason why figure sets can't do this. They can always provide extra weapons for the flag bearer figure for those who don't want to bother with the flags.

The Rofur site is well worth a visit. Some great features on converting figures to flagbearers. Mainly in German, but well illustrated with photos.

No Wars of the Roses flags, but some of the sets seem to be inspired by new figure releases, so I live in hope. The banners for use with Zvezda Samurai look particularly nice.

Another problem with plastic flags I didn't mention, they have a weakpoint where the bottom of the flag joins the pole, and are prone to breaking off here.

In regard to rippling, medieval flags had a baton running along the top to prevent them from folding up.