Calpe Miniatures make high quality 25mm wargames figures for gamers and collectors. Although the figures fall into the 25mm figure bracket, they are large 25s and measure approximately 30mm from the sole of the foot to the top of the head (without headdress). The figures were originally designed by the sculptor to match an existing collection of Peter Gilder's famous 'Connoisseur' figures and remain a good height match for these figures. Compatible manufacturers are Front Rank and Elite figures.
At present the range of figure releases only covers the Prussian Army of 1807-15 and the Saxon Army of 1810-13.
19th August 2010
I'm back from my Summer break and working my way through production moulds for the forthcoming releases.
Any of you wishing to send in orders can now do so.
I've been contacted by Mark Latham from Warhammer Historical Wargames who's presently working on a set of rules for the Waterloo campaign (I think). He's asked me for the loan of painted figures for the photos which will accompany the rules. My own collection of painted figures is short of cavalry and artillery in particular so if there are any of you who want to have your figures appear 'in print' please let me know. The 'shoot' is next week and he will need to keep the figures for two weeks. You will, of course, get credited for the painting.
29th July 2010
Once again there has been a rather lengthy pause between updates on thissite; please accept my apologies but read on and I hope you will understand the reasons for this.
My March update filled you in on my continued problem in finding a suitable vulcaniser.
I explained that this had led me to link up with Ray Tutt (ex of S&R engineering) and C&G Hydraulic Services.
Ray has provided us with the designs for his excellent machines and has also supported us with the occasional hands on help, as he lives locally to the C&G facility in Newark.
C&G have not only taken on the manufacturing of the machines but have also updated the rams and hydraulic mechanisms of the new vulcanisers.
As a result I am now the proud owner of a new vulcaniser(delivered in April) and a new casting machine (delivered in late June).
C&G have also reconditioned my old MCP vulcaniser, retrofitted it with the new ram and hydraulics and replaced the heating system completely.
So I have two superb vulcanisers and a spanking new casting machine.
You may wonder why I have not rushed to release new figures.
There are two answers to this question:
First of all I will always look back on this year as 'The year of the machines.' Once it became obvious that I could not function without a suitable vulcaniser, I made the finding of a supplier of quality casting machines my absolute priority. Everything else came second; it was simply a case of no machines no business! I can sit here and look at my new vulcanisers and casting machine with some satisfaction as the acquisition of these machines has been anything but straight forward. I cannot praise Ray Tutt and Glen and Craig at C&G enough but they will all agree that there have been teething problems and uncertainties along the way. Even when we had overcome these and manufactured the machines, delivery and installation has brought its own challenges. Every time a machine has been delivered I have had to strip down my workshop and then put it back together again. This process takes about a week from beginning to end. I have another casting machine and vulcaniser on order. These should be delivered before the end of the year. Once this is all over I will have three excellent vulcanisers and two casting machines of the same quality on my books - enough to ensure that I am never put out of action by a faulty machine while I choose to stay in this business. In brief, my primary reason for not having released new figures despite the new machines is that the machines themselves have taken up, and are continuing to take up, a major portion of my time. This will continue until the end of this year.
The second reason is that, after an enforced two year break, I have had to sit down and reconsider where I am and where I want to go with my figure releases. Take the Prussian Musketeers for example. I started re-sculpting these prior to the machine problems and had already released two sets of figures. The sculpting on these figures was several generations removed from my original musketeers and yet there was something about them that left me feeling dissatisfied. I have had two years to ponder this and realised that it was the heads on these figures that was causing the problem. I was using the original shako so that the new figures would match in with the old and this single item 'jarred' for want of a better term. Since the new vulcaniser was delivered, I have re-sculpted the shakos, making them historically more accurate and harmonised the look of the figures. No, they will not match the old figures but after the two year break I might as well have a new start! It really is now or never. The new shakos have been fitted to the two new sets of musketeers and several new sets have been made. I have not released these for the simple reason that I need to have enough figures in production to make the alterations financially viable. I will start a programme of new releases towards the end of September. By the end of the year I hope to have most of the new musketeers released. The new fusiliers will be alterations of these musketeer figures as I am now a proficient enough sculptor to do this without damaging the figures. I have decided to do it this way as I can then maximise the number of figures for both the musketeers and fusiliers without making the operation an impossibly tiresome task. One of the most frequent moans I with the 'old' figures concerned the lack of sufficient fusilier poses! As with the Saxons the figures will be organised in packs of sixes and threes. The fusiliers are targeted for the beginning of next year. A set of grenadiers will be sculpted separately and will follow the fusiliers. To finish off the infantry a set of Guard figures will also be sculpted towards the end of next year.
I am going to sign off now with the usual reminder that, as from now, I am now officially closed for August. The last orders are going off in today's post. I will be around towards the end of August should any of you require information but no orders will go out until the first week in September.
Thank you all for supporting Calpe during the last two very trying years. I hope to be able to reward your loyalty with a raft of new releases starting in late September. Have an enjoyable Summer.
4th March 2010
Most of you will have noticed the lack of information or new releases recently.
There has been a lot going on behind the scenes and I think I need to take some time to explain what has been going on.
Read more...
2nd August 2009
Please note that it is now August and that Calpe is closed for business for the rest of this month.
No orders will go out until the first week of September.
It has been an interesting year so far. The replacement of the vulcaniser and the release of the first new figures in almost two years should have put an end to my problems. In fact they have just given rise to new challenges(I can't really call them problems). The renewed interest in the figures has kept me packing and casting since the release of the Saxons. This, of course, is good news, but it also means that I have done very little sculpting and mould making during this period. It has rapidly become clear that I need to train someone to run this part of the business. My forte is the sculpting and moulding of the figures. Spending my time casting and packing ensures you get your orders but slows down the appearance of new figures. The Saxon grenadiers have been half finished on my sculpting table for two months now. I have managed to get the Saxon artillery pieces to the pre-production stage and all the artillery guns and associated limbers and caissons are looking very promising but I simply have not had the time to make the production moulds or to sculpt the figures that will man the guns or drive the teams.
I will make the search for an 'assistant' one of my priorities on my return to business in September. In the meantime I would like to thank you all for your continued support - and your patience if you have had to wait for an order recently. I hope you all have a good summer (or what is left of it) and if you are staying in the UK that the damp August we have had forecast turns out to be incorrect.
21st June 2009
I know there are a number of you waiting for your orders and I must ask you for continued patience as I am going to be away next week visiting the Italian suppliers of the new casting machines.
The release of the Saxons has brought a large influx of orders.
I am casting and packing as fast as I can but the orders are coming in faster than I can send them out at the moment.
I would have preferred a visit to Italy at some later date but have had to fit in with the requirements of the Italian company.
I am going with some feelings of guilt as I know you are waiting for your orders but an invitation to the Nicem factory and several days of moulding and casting using their machines and moulding compounds is not something I can turn down.
In the long run, this visit will benefit both Calpe and the resulting figures.
Orders will start going out again on 29th June.
18th June 2009
The painting notes for the Saxons are now ready.
Sorry for the slight delay but I needed to have them checked by a number of colleagues who are familiar with the subject before releasing them.
The notes have turned out to be more substantial than I had anticipated so they will retail at £2.50.
I have also been waiting for supplies of Peter Bunde’s Brigade plates on the Saxons.
I have now received these and I would like, once again, to recommend them to you.
They are the perfect supplement to my notes and will provide you with the pictures which are presently missing from the notes.
Each of the four plates on the musketeers/grenadiers deals with a specific regiment but Peter has intelligently organised them so that the four facing colours are covered and information is given about the 'twin' regiment with the same facing colour.
If you do decide to order a plate let me know which regiment you are interested in and I will send you the relevant one.
The plates retail at £5.50 or £7.50 bundled with the Calpe notes.
I forgot to mention in my last update that the new Saxon figures have a 'runner' from the tip of the sabre to the back of the leg to ensure that the sabre casts properly. This just ensures a good supply of metal to this part of the figure. It needs to be cut off and filed prior to painting the figure. The best tool for the job is a 'side cutter' which is available from most good model shops. It gives a straight cut leaving very little trace of the 'runner' thereby minimising the amount of filing required. If you have difficulty obtaining one let me know and I will get in some stock of these.
1st June 2009
With June now upon us I have decided it is time to start releasing figures once again.
There were times when I thought I would never get to this point but I have finally resolved my machine problems, mastered the new vulcaniser and started turning moulds out of the required standard.
The first of the Saxon production figures are now drying after the being dipped in 'Quickshade'(Army Painter) to bring out the detail and photos will appear on the website in the next week or so.
The first 32 man Saxon battalion is on my painting table at present and I will photograph this as soon as it is complete - although this may take a bit longer as I also have to varnish and base the unit.
All future releases will be sold in packs of 3 or 6 men. I know some of you will dislike this but there is no way I can provide the variety required for the Saxons while continuing to sell figures individually. Prices are going up as well. From 1st June figures will cost £1 each and horses £1.50 each. Artillery pieces will go up to £5. For the moment, the price of other equipment pieces will stay the same. This matches the prices of my fellow manufacturers. My experiences over the last few months have shown me that I need to set up a contingency fund to replace machines as they reach the end of their working lives. When the machine problems arose I found that there was not enough financial 'fat' on the Calpe carcass to get me through the difficulties without some very unpleasant moments! I intend to replace my machines with products from viable companies so that the equipment can be properly maintained and repaired - this is where the extra money is going - not into my pocket.
The first release of Saxon figures is in 'March-attack' poses. The sets are as follows:
Photos will appear over the next week please be patient as I have a lot going on at the moment not least of which is the painting guide for these figures. There is even less reliable information available for the Saxons than there is for the Prussians. I'm sure you are scratching your heads at the moment wondering, for example, what a calf-skin shako cover is or looks like. It is a very particular Saxon bit of kit that makes the shako look like a Busby. I hope to have the painting guide available for sale by the end of the week. The first draft of this will be a simple printed document but I hope to improve the look of it as photos of painted Saxons become available. I am planning to channel the proceeds from the sale of these notes into equipment that will allow me to present them in proper booklets accompanied by photos. They will sell for £2 or £7 bundled with one of Peter Bunde's superb plates on the Saxon army. Unless you have spent some time researching the Saxon army of this period you will not be able to organise your battalions or paint the figures without the help of these notes.
One last piece of information - About 18 months ago Onetel (my internet service provider) was bought out by Talktalk. I started experiencing problems and had to change from Onetel to Talktalk. This has proved to be a good move as it has reduced my costs but I have also found that a lot of you are still sending your e-mails to my old address. Fortunately most of these are getting through as Talktalk (now the parent company) is forwarding the e-mails. This service will stop at some point in the near future and must ask you to please send your e-mails to the new address which is calpemins@talktalk.net
I recently opened a merchant account with Paypal and now take Paypal payment if you prefer this form of payment. The website will be modified soon to add shopping baskets and secure payment and I will keep you informed about these developments.
The next release will be Saxon Grenadiers in March-attack poses, probably followed by the first release for the Saxon artillery. I also hope to sneak in a couple of Prussian figure updates before the end of the year.
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