Gaslight Man-Bat: Prepwork (3) - The Street Lamp

A significant amount of time has been spent on the primary element of the groundwork of this project. . . 

Starting off with a single-luminaire street lamp from MiniArt's Street Lamps & Clocks set (35560), this rapidly evolved into a sub-project unto itself, with the modification of various elements to ac- commodate the requirements of the project. These include the replacement of the molded ladder supports with aluminum tubing.

Most of the work will be focused on converting the electrical street lamp to an open flame, unmantled gas lamp. The omission of the gas mantle is as much a work-return consideration, as it is a historical consideration: widespread use of mantles in the US was not seen until the turn-of-the-century.   

More to follow. . . 

FOLLOW-UP. . . The lamp sub-assemblies--save for the luminaire 23.05.2020--DONE!--have been completed and they have been set aside to 'set'. The gas jet has been fitted: it will be permanently attached once the luminaire bracket is permanently attached.

UPDATE - 01.08.2020. . . I recently stumbled across a 1/35 scale, resin, single-luminaire antique street lamp from the Italian firm, Royal Model. They offer a wide range of superb diorama acces-sories, and this is no exception! It was precisely what I was looking for from the outset, and though it is somewhat more simplistic, I believe it will be far more effective--and truer to the vision.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Gaslight Man-Bat: Prepwork (2)

Adjusting the fit of the torso to the legs for a seamless join continues. . . Once this is accom- plished, final finishing and detailing can commence.

I have also converted the top hat to a bowler, which practically and sociologically would have been the indicated headwear.

I am enjoying this immensely!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Gaslight Man-Bat: Prepwork (1)

To date, this has been a series of pre-prep sessions. . .

• Filling and finishing air voids.
• Reworking and pegging the feet (NB: I very deliberately and carefully snapped the feet off to allow me better access to the insteps, etc.).
• Cleaning, assembling, and modifying the lamppost per project requirements. 
• Cleaning, fitting and pegging the head.
• Grinding off the cross-belt. 

Most of the above are still works-in-progress 17.05.2020--DONE!. And there are still a few more items to be added. . .

Stay tuned!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Smart Max's Kaïn Finger--Review & Project

Smart Max figures are infectious! They are an absolute joy to paint, and very amenable to "per- sonalization". I've lost count of how many Smart Max conversions I have planned or already un- derway, but this will probably be the third such venture that I see through to completion. . .

The project will revolve around the Smog 1888 series' issue number LXX, Kaïn Finger. The fan- tastic sculpture comes from the masterful hands of one of my favourite sculptors, Allan Carrasco, who also sculpted Mister Honk, Divio Jackal, the Canopic Beast, and many more. Compared to the Great White Apes of Barsoom, this is hardly as ambitious a project as its predecessors, but it is quite challenging in its own right: my goal is to 'convert' Kaïn Finger into Kirk Langstrom, bka Man-Bat, Batman's alter-ego--and nemesis. . . with a twist. The setting is to be turn-of-the-[20th] century Gotham City! [NB: This idea was first explored in Countdown presents: The Search for Ray Palmer: Gotham by Gaslight #1 - Night of the Bat (2007); however Man-Bat and his min- ions were regrettably given rather short-shrift, artistically.] My figure TDL involves adding a pair of hands(?), and reworking the anatomy of the feet (see below).

The kit is comprised of 8 pieces + the standard Smart Max plinth. The figure itself is but 3 pcs.-- the remainder is devoted to the pipes from which Kaïn is suspended and a lantern. I intend to use only the figure, with the suspension provided by a streetlamp from MiniArt 35560--this is where the rework of the feet comes in. The casting overall is VG: there are a few more surface air holes than usual, but this is more reflective of the age of the molds than any lapse in procedural care.

To be continued. . . 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Exhuming Smart Max!

The regulars in the readership know what a committed fan I was of Smart Max's product line, es- pecially their SMOG 1888 series. Superb design and sculpture; VG+ to Excellent casting; and above all, creativity and imagination to . . . well. . . the Max! Regrettably, the line is no more. I don’t know the particulars behind its untimely demise. Its denouement was not unlike that of Knight Models, in that the wargaming foundation eventually overtook the miniature edifice, and 
we were left wondering what might have been. . .

My disposable time has been at a premium of late, so relatively little time has been spent at either bench. What I have been doing is reviewing my miniatures’ “bucket list”, and checking on the availability of core figures for future projects. I came across my project list for Smart Max, and two entries immediately caught my eye: Kaïn Finger (LXX) and Mister Honk (XXXIII).

In 2011-12, I kit-bashed two kits of Mister Honk to create a Great White Ape of Barsoom. This has been one of my all-time favourite creations, and I truly wish I had it in my collection. This past weekend I was browsing through eBay when I stumbled across two kits of Mister Honk at very affordable prices; the same seller had one kit of Kaïn Finger. It was time to revisit the past—literally and figuratively. . .

The Mister Honk kits will eventually – hopefully – be my second Great White Ape of Barsoom, and pave the way for the Barsoomian denizens in my ‘great grey army’. Kaïn Finger has been on my project list for nearly a decade, and I am just glad to have the opportunity to bring this crea- ture of the night to the light of day. . .

More to follow. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003