Wood Craft Products Supplier

Even though I am trying to monetize my blog : ) this is a free plug. I get my wood craft products from Woodworks Ltd. otherwise known as CraftParts.com. All of the links in this post will take you to the Woodworks site to the parts that I use.

My main component is a pawn called Little People - Boy. This serves as the main body and head. For infantry, simply add feet to the bottom, arms on the side, and glue it to a base and you have a basic human figure.

For the base, given that the figure is 1 11/16" (or about 40mm to the eye), I use a 1 1/2" x 1/8" circle/disc. These have rounded, beveled edges, which are marginally more expensive than the ones without beveled edges. For infantry, you might well be able to use a 1" x 1/8" circle/disc and a larger size for cavalry, but that makes cavalry wider than the infantry. Have a look at my figures in Photobucket and judge for yourself on whether the basing is too tight or too loose for them.

I use a 1" x 3/4" wooden spool for two things: the shakos and the body of the horses. (In the future I may also use them for drums, but I need to experiment with the size.) For the shakos, I will go into more depth on how they are made, but for know just know that each is 1/2 of a spool of this size. I will also go into the steps in making a horse, but I am waiting for a shipment of new wood goodies. For now, know that it is the center body of the horse, between the front and back legs.

The front legs, back legs, and head of the horse are each a Split Robin's Egg 1 5/16" x 7/16". As you need three of these (along with a spool) to make a horse, they come in a handy three-pack unless you buy in bulk (which you should, as the prices go down dramatically).

For the small parts, such as the brim of the shako and the soldier's legs and arms I use simple craft sticks (popsicle sticks). Mine are 3/8" wide, but you can simply use wood strips, such as balsa wood or basswood. You can get 150 pieces from Michael's Crafts for about $3.99.

The plume on shakos and the muskets for the infantry are craft picks (flat toothpicks) that are 3 1/2" long. Again, I purchased them at Michael's Crafts for about $2.99 for 250 pieces.

The lance for the Russian Guard Cossack is a mini dowel, 5/64" x 2 5/8". Michael's Crafts sells them for $2.99 for 250 pieces.

These last three items are branded Woodsies and are by Loew-Cornell. If I find a cheap source, I will be sure to let you know.

Finally, the pom-pom in the fusilier's shako is the round head of a dressing pin. No source there, just look in the local stores with a sewing section and find the right size.

I'll try to get into the building aspect soon, but I am waiting ... patiently ... for my order. When they come in I will have some pristine material where I can show step-by-step from the start.

UPDATE: Corrected the circle/disc sizes.