The Jacobite '45 flags

So I am nearing completion (okay 60 percent) of my first highlander unit and my 40mm X 40mm bases arrive the other day and I start getting excited about how I am going to mount them when It dawns on me that all my dudes are empty handed (doh!). I kept the weapons, and Targes seperate so I would have an easier time painting the nooks and crannies on figure. But more importantly the command stand had no flags made yet. Ugh, more work to do! I've normally done Flags, when I've done them at all, using decal transfers onto tin foil. This time around my subject matter seems to only have paper flags available.

I ordered one flag to test out how I liked it from Flags of War , actually I got it through Crann Tara as he stocks them for his range of figures. I didn't want to just glue then together and have this straight flat square of a flag making my paint job look bad (if flags are done right people don't notice the figures as much) so I started searching around the internet when I popped across a blog with a how to type post. It's a post back from 2009 but still applies today here is the link Wargaming in 28mm .

I had to go out and purchase a Glue Stick and once I had that in hand I was able to sit down and start trimming out the flags. I will stress how important it is to have clean hands and laying down a clean piece of paper as your work mat, as well as some patience. Once I cut out the flags and pre-folded them I used glue stick on both sides, placed it on pole then laid it down right where I had worked on placing glue on them to get a good crease around the pole while laying flat on table. I went to flip it over and to my horror glue was on the back. I was able to lick my finger and get it off with no damage but lesson learned, FIND ANOTHER CLEAN SPOT on your paper mat to do crease, not where you slopped on the glue.

The next step was laying them in a bowl of water for 30 seconds and then removing them and carefully crinkle them up into a position you think looks good to your own tastes. My second learning mistake was I placed both in water instead of one at a time. The first one I worked on I had no problem in shaping and able to set it aside to work on 2nd one (which I had pulled from the water and set aside). One of two things happened, first either sitting there for a minute or two longer while I worked on the other one the water soaked in more and started to dry out, or two I needed to wait a little longer to let the glue set before I immerse it in water. What happened is the paper started coming apart unlike the first one. To fix it I grab my trusty bottle of Elmer's glue put a little on my finger and worked it into flag on both sides. Then crinkled it again. It seemed to hold but I'll let you all know after tomorrow (your supposed to let them dry overnight) how it turns out. Note that I do not place any glue on the staff. The reason is that the staff or pole I am using is just to hold the flag for drying purposes. The flag will slide right off the pole and you will note in following picture they have slid to bottom of staff. I will remove them tomorrow, paint up a pole, add a very small touch of super glue and affix them to the painted staff. Then I will match the color and paint the edges to make the white disappear.

[one on left was first one, the one on right is the one I let sit to long]

Well that's it for now, I hope this helps you in future if you don't already know how to do this yourself. If all turns out well, this may well be the only way I go in future for flags.

Cheers
Kevin