Redoubt Paddle Steamer completed

With the completion of the infantry, the Redoubt kit is now finished after 4 months.  I'm planning an initial gaming scenario using it as a Congo paddle steamer with my Darkest Africa stuff while I get on with painting sufficient Beja opposition to use it in a Sudan game.

The Redoubt illustration doesn't allow for the figures to be based, and doesn't include all the figures that come in the set (eg the chaps stoking the engine)

Cressida Rose

Given that the bases take up space on deck there are more figures in the set than appear in the pictures above.  At some point I think I'll also fashion some steam to attach to the smokestack...

Nordenfelt Gun and Naval Crew

Having recently finished the Naval Brigade complement for Cressida Rose, the Sudan paddle steamer, this week's project was finishing the first of the two support weapons - the Nordenfelt machine gun.  This Redoubt Miniatures kit consists of the gun on a deck mounting, a crew member operating the firing crank, another providing advice, a third looking on, and a fourth opening up ammo crates.  As with the paddle steamer crew I based the kneeling figures on sand so as to be able to use them deployed, and the gun on a deck base to blend in with the steamer itself.

I had to build up the gun's base.  It needs to be able to fire over the deck barricade but, perhaps surprisingly, the figure operating the firing crank needed to be set at a higher level than his own base allowed, hence the platform.

Side view showing the deck to good effect.

The Nordenfelt gun in position infront of the steering cabin of Cressida Rose, firing out over the top deck bow barricade

Naval Brigade - completed

Next set of miniatures to be completed is the remainder of the Naval Brigade.  I've had very limited time for painting over the last couple of weeks so the pace has slowed a bit.  However, all the ratings are now done, with the Nordenfelt gun and naval crew due to be finished tonight (kids permitting...).  These were painted as per the last batch - matt black undercoat then three layers of colour then the usual gloss varnish.

The last six ratings in Sennet hats and Sudan uniforms.

The complete Brigade on movement bases (magnetised) and ready for Black Powder games.

The Brigade in position on the top deck of Cressida Rose.

Vulture's eye view...

Manning the barricades.

Cressida Rose - Steamer Crew

The Redoubt Paddle Steamer kit comes with 6 crew figures, the Captain (who will command the Naval Brigade when disembarked), a rating with a coil of rope, one crewman shouting directions, and three coal-handling stokers.

I undercoated the figures in either white or black matt car primer depending on whether their uniforms were predominantly going to be royal blue or not.  After that it was the usual application of flat colour and then highlighting in three stages.

The Steamer crew based on 2p pieces and undercoated

Painted with flat colours only.  After painting and inking in the flesh I block out the eyes in matt black so that when I highlight in lighter flesh tones I don't need to repaint the eyes

I based the captain and coil-of-rope-man on sandy bases to allow for their deployment off the Steamer.  The others were painted up to look like the deck.  All were gloss-varnished to finish.

The finished crew, the Captain resplendent with monocle and missing right hand (or is he just suffering from indigestion?)

Stoking the boiler

Full steam ahead...

Naval Brigade - the first six ratings

Having completed the Paddle Steamer Cressida Rose, next up on the painting table has been the first half dozen ratings from the Naval Brigade.  The Redoubt Paddle Steamer kit comes with 12 ratings.  Whereas my existing Naval Brigade models, a mix of Foundry and Copplestone castings are painted up in uniforms appropriate to the Zulu Wars, I've painted this lot as per the useful Perry Miniatures Sudan uniform guide.  They are also wearing Sennet hats so once off the Steamer they can serve as a differentiated second company of sailors, with the Captain of the Cressida Rose in command.

The figures undercoated in matt black car spray primer, glued onto 2p pieces with epoxy, and drybrushed with dark grey

Base colours added with the flesh tones also inked in chestnut brown ink

The finished squad, with 2 layers of highlights painted on, and the bases built up with ready mix filler, builders sand and small stones, then painted, drybrushed, varnished in dark stain varnish and with some static grass.  I opted for a sandy base as opposed to a ship's deck.

An alternative view

Constructing the Cressida Rose Part Six - The finished Paddle Steamer

So finally the Cressida Rose is complete.  The pieces fit together well and stack without needing glue or blu-tack.  The model was pretty quick to complete and paint. I suspect painting the 6 crew, 12 Naval Brigade, 12 infantry, Nordenfelt gun and 7 lb gun will take a bit longer...

Work over the Christmas break took Cressida Rose from this...

... To this

Close up of the bows...

View from above...

Cressida Rose at sunset

Constructing the Cressida Rose Part Five - Barricades

The final pieces for the Paddle Steamer Cressida Rose are the set of improvised barricades - emplacements for the 7 lb gun at the bow and a Nordenfelt machine gun infront of the Wheelhouse, and covered pallets for the top and lower decks.

Before undercoating

The heavy resin pieces were undercoated in white and then painted in flat colours with Miniature Paints.  I then used two layers of highlighting and gloss varnish.

The barricades painted in flat colours

The finished pallets

The bow emplacement for the 7lb gun

The barricade for the Nordenfelt gun infront of the Wheelhouse

The barricade manned

This final picture includes a 2p piece and a couple of Copplestone casting Naval Brigade miniatures for scale.

Constructing the Cressida Rose Part Four - Deck Buildings

The Redoubt Nile Paddle Steamer kit comes with three deck buildings in heavyweight resin - the wheel house for the top deck, the boiler room that goes below it on the lower deck, and the stern building that also sits on the lower deck.

My plan was to go for a slightly weathered/worn and torn look for Cressida Rose but nevertheless with a smart(ish) white paint job.  To that end I undercoated the buildings in matt white and planned to achieve shading effects using brilliant white for highlighting and a gloss varnish that would colour the white slightly and hence provide some shading.  I also liked the look of the slightly rough resin finish (simulating paint having bubbled in the heat of the Sudan/Congo) so deliberately didn't file down the bobbles on some of the pieces.

The undercoated buildings

After undercoating I painted the basic flat colours onto the buildings using Miniature Paints (Burgundy for doors, Royal Blue on the windows, Leather Brown on the woodwork and Matt Black for the boiler).

Flat base colours done

Next up was to highlight the main paintwork in a brilliant white and paint two levels of highlights onto the coloured areas (and drybrushing dark grey on the boiler).  The stairs and roof of the Wheelhouse were inked too.

Post-paint, pre-ink and varnish

To finish, the pieces were gloss varnished to match the rest of the model.

Boiler room as seen from the port-side

Boiler room from starboard

The boiler itself

The Wheelhouse from the bow

The Wheelhouse from the port side

Finished buildings

Next up, barricades...

Constructing the Cressida Rose Part Three - Paddle Wheel

The paddle wheel and smokestack were straightforward to paint - spray undercoat with matt black, drybrush in dark grey and highlights in gold.

The resin and metal piece assembled with epoxy resin and after a fair amount of filing/sanding

The Paddle wheel sprayed with matt black car primer, dry brushed with dark grey, and with rivets highlighted in gold

The piece varnished and fixed to a plasticard base with ready mixed filler sculpted as river water

The finished Paddle Wheel

 I affixed the paddle wheel to some plasticard and built up the 'water' with ready mixed filler.  This was painted with a base of Royal Blue (Miniature Paints) and then drybrushed in successive lighter shades of Vallejo blues, with final highlights in white.  The whole piece was gloss varnished to finish.

Constructing the Cressida Rose Part 2 - All Decks on hand...

First task after assembling the various pieces was to sort out the decks.  I undercoated the bottom of the pieces in matt black car primer, and the top and sides in white car primer (the bottoms will never be visible in the finished model).

Undercoated

Stage one was to paint the metallic areas given that the drybrushing would probably be a bit messy.  The mooring bollards were undercoated in chocolate brown and drybrushed brass (both Miniature Paints), the grilles undercoated in matt black and drybrushed in Chainmail (again Miniature Paints).

Metallic areas painted

Once the metal areas had dried I then painted the wooden decks in a dilute Leather Brown, leaving the hull and side areas in white.

The decks painted in almost a wash of Leather Brown

Next stage was to ink the decks.  One coat in Chocolate Brown ink, another (once the first had dried) in Chestnut Brown ink (again, both Miniature Paints).

The decks inked.

Once the ink had dried I highlighted all the white paintwork in matt white acrylic.  The final job was to varnish the pieces.  I always use heavy duty polyurethane yacht varnish for my models to give them a suitable 'toy soldier' finish.  The wood areas were varnished with an older varnish that through contact with the air over at least a couple of years has developed quite a brown stain.  The metal grilles and white paintwork was done in clear gloss varnish.
 

The finished decks

Overall they came out pretty well I think, the repair jobs on the resin will be hidden by the deck buildings.  Next up, the deck buildings themselves and the paddle wheel and funnel...