News from the Lost Battalion

[Scott777]

Hello, lots of activity from TLB miniatures. I have finally rereleased the Worster line of 120mm busts of Civil War generals and personalities. This is in my opinion one of the finest series of busts available. Terry was a sculptor who was second to none and the likenesses are spot on.

The busts retail for $16.95 and are available on the TLB Miniatures website. The complete line consists of 30 separate busts.

BEAUREGARD, HOOD, BURNSIDE, JOHNSTON, CHAMBERLAIN, LEE, CUSHING, LINCOLN, DAVIS, LONGSTREET, EWELL, PICKETT, FORREST, SHERIDAN, GRANT, SHERMAN, HANCOCK, STUART, THOMAS, MEADE, SICKLES, WARREN, BUFORD, CUSTER, MEAGHER, ARMISTEAD, CLEBORNE, HILL, HAMPTON, JACKSON

a couple examples of the line

 

[Scotty]

Are these 120mm tall or 120mm scale? They look great, good luck with them.
Scotty.

 

[Babelfish]

Good likenesses and potentially a great series but sorry, those casts look really rough.

Am I the only one who sees this (or who's willing to say it)?

Unless those are "work in progress" shots and not the finished article that customers will get?

- Steve

 

[Redcap]

Agree with Steve.

Whilst these two here are very good facial likenesses of the personalities represented, the pieces (as seen here) look very rough and 'pitted' with air holes and rough surface textures. Perhaps as Steve said, these are 'in progress' pieces and so some reworking of the moulds may pay dividends..?

Ultimately, it's up to the individual to determine whether they pass muster or not - for the price they are cheap enough I guess - but for me individually, the days of buying anything and then working for hours with general 'clean-up' and whilst using 'Milliput' and multiple layers of 'Mr Surfacer' etc. to try and bring something up to scratch as a base before I even start to paint it are long over; that's what I pay the sculptor or 3D artist to do.

These are not 'bad' and they are doubtless a quite unique and popular theme series of busts, it is just that expectations have moved on significantly since these were 'of their time'. Sorry if this appears harsh, but unless people give producers honest and constructive feedback, then how can they know or gauge what (sincerely held) general impressions are if everyone only gives them platitudes of "great piece", "fabulous work", "a must buy"etc.....and then no-one actually buys them once they are then invited to reach for their wallet and follow through on it?

Gary

 

[fogie]

What a list........and what a fine collection they would make. But I have to agree
with Steve - the castings displayed here look rather poor I'm afraid. Shame !

Mike

 

[arj]

You can view them all on the website:-
https://www.tlbminiatures.com/store/c7/TLB_Kits_(Worster_Miniatures).html
Scroll down to find all the busts.
Click on the individual photos for a larger view.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[Banjer]

Have to agree with everyone, these castings are appalling. Shame really because they would make a great display as a group.


Bill

 

[Martin64]

IMHO it is not a problem of the castings but a "style" of the sculptor - you can see toolmarks etc. on the surfaces of all busts. A proof how much the standards have risen the customers expect since then.
Nevertheless a nice range of different former manufacturers and competitive prices.

 

[Babelfish]

IMHO it is not a problem of the castings but a "style" of the sculptor - you can see toolmarks etc. on the surfaces of all busts. A proof how much the standards have risen the customers expect since then.
Nevertheless a nice range of different former manufacturers and competitive prices.

True. And to be fair, TLB do have some nice figures in their range, a number of which would definitely tempt me were it not for crazy transatlantic shipping costs. And it's great to see them keeping alive classic lines like Roll Call, Fort Royal Review and Milimen.

These busts however are not their finest hour. Which is a shame.

- Steve

 

[Tecumsea]

I only checked one on the website (Longstreet) and it was just as rough-considering these are 120mm heads the casting should be much better than this unless you are happy to put in a lot of work.

Keith

 

[grasshopper]

As stand along pieces of art- undoubted quality..if those were 1/2 scale bronzes..but as basis for miniature painting: no

 

[Scott777]

Hi guys, I agree with the comments on the pitting. These were some of the busts Terry used to display them at shows. They were spin cast and had pitting. I hand cast the busts now and they are vacuum and pressure cast to get rid of the pitting.

 

[Scott777]

And as always if you are not happy with the kit I will either replace or refund your money! Upon reflection I should have paid more attention to the pictures but getting 30 kits up on the site was a little more time consuming than I had anticipated.

 

[Von Bock]

Scott,

Congrats on these release's they should do well for you. Good to see them. Regards, Brock

 

[The Riveteer]

Good likenesses and potentially a great series but sorry, those casts look really rough.

Am I the only one who sees this (or who's willing to say it)?

- Steve

"if ya likes it, ya buyz it and ya paints it"

 

[Nap]

And as always if you are not happy with the kit I will either replace or refund your money! Upon reflection I should have paid more attention to the pictures but getting 30 kits up on the site was a little more time consuming than I had anticipated.

Hi Scott

Thanks for the responses , perhaps update the website with pictures of the new castings

I used to have the some of the original wish I still had them they were nice to say the least

Nap

 

[Martin64]

"if ya likes it, ya buyz it and ya paints it"

This brings up some memories,

 

[Babelfish]

"if ya likes it, ya buyz it and ya paints it"

..... or ya doesn’t likes it so ya doesn’t buyz it (as the case may be).

Fairly obvious really. Problem?!

- Steve

 

[The Riveteer]

..... or ya doesn’t likes it so ya doesn’t buyz it (as the case may be).

Fairly obvious really. Problem?!

- Steve

No problem at all Steve - obviously the irony was wasted on you.

 

[Babelfish]

No problem at all Steve - obviously the irony was wasted on you.

Seems to be pretty “wasted” on just about everybody else as well David – your sense of “irony” is as feeble as a new-born baby deer.

Tell you what I do find “ironic” though: It’s how you have a long history of coming on pF and nit-picking manufacturers’ releases (usually it’s Samurai and Napoleonics) to within an inch of their lives over tiny details and “historical accuracy”, yet never posting up any of your own work. Assuming that is you’ve ever actually painted anything? Which based on previous discussions, I strongly suspect that you haven’t (and don’t think I’m the only one who’s noticed ). So in my personal opinion you have zero credibility as either a modeller or a modelling commentator. You're just a bloke who reads books.

And as if that’s not enough, up you pop in this thread – an “armchair expert” and self-confessed stickler for accuracy & detail - with nary a critical word to say about what most people who’ve bothered commenting agree are very rough casts, and even the manufacturer clarifying that he’s had to take remedial measures to eliminate the pitting. Now THAT is irony, fella!

I’m not even sure why you felt the need to open up this line of discussion in the first place. It just seems a bit odd to me. But I’m more than happy to go to the rodeo with you via PM if you want to continue it there, rather than derail this thread any more.

- Steve