A Hodge-Podge of Soldiery (plus woodworking)

That bon vivant of Sharpsburg, Ted Alexander, is well known to the gaming and toy soldering community.  He has been collecting and painting since he was nearly a tot, and over the last many years he's amassed an enormous amount of soldiers of a variety of scales, types, periods, and materials.

(Ted Alexander)

Here follows just a sample of the fearsome phalanxes fielded by Ted over the years.

Let us take a gander at some of these troopers individually.

This Culloden offering is a card-stock flat, richly illustrated front and rear.

He appears here side by side with either a particularly well-armed go-go girl or a Jacobite Highlander.

Highlander from the rear demonstrating the hemlines of 1745.  These figures are very large-scale and appear custom-made for knocking over with spring-loaded cannons a-la "Little Wars".

This fearsome Britions Britian from the early 70's is in particularly nice condition.  I remember when these sets were available in the Sears and Penny's Christmas catalogues back in the early and mid-'1960s.

Odd name, "Deetail".

These delightful combatants are about 35mm.  I don't recall who Ted said the maker was, though he has a bushel of these guys.

Very nicely detailed, Ted informs me he put himself through college painting and selling figures like these.

Made in USA, obviously it was a long, long time ago that Ted was in college.

This 25mm Yankee stealthily approaches a horse and rider who are enjoying a nap under the Georgia sun.

Yikes!  Check out the mascara.

Michael Jackson, tout ensemble,  in one of his para-military get-ups.  This 54mm Jacko is spurred-up and ready for a canter around Neverland.  Note fist is prepped to grasp a microphone or a Grammy (sold separately).

Or perhaps, this is a much more mundane Confederate cavalryman.  I'll have to check with Ted on that one.

Standing sentinel on a bridge is this very fine 30mm Confederate zouave.

Striped pantaloons and red fez  make me think this is a member of "Wheat's Tigers".

Ted has thousands of soldiers of various makes including: SAE, Britians, Bugle and Guidon. Hinchcliffe, Scruby, and Bussler.  He's thinking of divesting himself of some of his collection and has been talking about selling some of these guys off (perhaps an advanced degree is in the offing?)

Interested parties can contact Ted at:

tedandbilly@comcast.net

For the wealth and scope of figures that have passed through Ted's collection over the years, I'm quite certain he's never seen the likes of the one below:

A particularly handsome member of the Third Michigan, in 54mm

See you on the 15th.

Mannie

p.s.

Here's a little project that took about three hours, top to bottom.

Using table saw, scroll saw, band saw, belt sander and spindle sander I milled out the three main parts of the bridge.

With the new wood lathe I turned the bridge abutments.  

Glued, clamped and painted, the result is a bridge in search of a creek to span.