REBUILDING THE TOY SOLDIER BUSINESS
Max Chevallier bought the former N Z Businesess in Good Faith, only to upon opening his cargo discover there was bad faith.
Max and maryse are Professional though retired people, who purchased the Toy Figure Series to run as a successfull affair to aid in their retirement, faced with rising exorbitant labour costs to upkeep and repair their old Castle in France. the site has many intresting old architectural and Historical Features, and as such requires not in considerable physical maintenance and upkeep. Parts of their home actualy date back to the Romans, who first founded the settlement here, and over the centuries at one time, the old castle once extended to an enormous structure spanning th e entire village, traces of which can still be found today.
Max wishes to state that certain "information" currently in circulation, is quite simply, frankly, NOT TRUE. We are a friendly enough couple, with nothing to hide, and are a professional though small, family run Business operating in the French North East. It is true enough that we refuse to supply UK Retailers (the ones dircectly involved in the Industry) due to being owed very large sums in unpaid delivry and goods from our former UK toy soldier retailer. This is "not news".
What is for you our valued customers is important news, is we have absolutely nothing against ordinary everyday innocent collectors or bone fide Retaile (but Non industry) retaielrs. We are seking supply contracts with these Department and bigger shop stores or suppliers.
Please do NOT be "put offf" by crtain rather false and missleading gossip. We welcome bone fide collectors and hobby enthusiasts, it was ever only the "rogue" retail copyright thief operator that remained a "problem".
Please feel fre (and safe !!!) to do business here with us, and please, IGNORE those certain types who attempt to "do me and my wife down".
I confess i am hardly the worlds best figure painter, and our display Models sure could be better (Guilty as charged) but due to the enormous workload, and the business finaly arriving from N Z with NO PAINTED Professional Display models) Max and Maryse got left drowning under a ocean of un painted figures and castings (many lacking ANY accurrate painting or historical references. max has a alrge amount of Military History and uniform books, but of course, he simply cannot cover verrything in the history of these ranges quickly or easily, they incorporate several THOUSAND figure castings (Complete figures actual castings probably now runs into about a Million separate aprts yikes!).
New Figure and Kit photos will progressively be taken, and far betetr display painted samples uploaded, please bear with us, we are merely human and can only accomplish the hours in each day, alas we cannot create more extra days in our week. There remain a number of Moulds to repair, and in some cases renew and replace (Ducal Mountford Rosedale) the progress remains slow but steady.
We wish you our valued clients and Customers to purchase fine, hand made, hand crafted products of exceptional high quality and artistic value. Max Chevalliers principal battle has threfore been to eradicate previous errors inherited in old build qualities, and re organize, renew repair and repalce worn or flawed product parts with high quality NEW or RETOOLING ones.
Like a lot of our Figures and kits, the newly acquired toy figure businesess needed re forming back into proper shape.
We were not supplied with any painted assembled Models because the previous owners had quietly disposed of them......
Leaving Maxime to have the un envied task of soting, casting re sorting and assembling and painting several hundred Models (just to get a saleable range of products, never mind the several thousand others yet to still do !!!!!!!) (GRRRRRR)
A few of our early Display Models are under Construction.
Our Display Models did not get delivered from N Z, for reasons best known to certain ones over there. So we have had to recast what survives and build entirely new Display Models. (The photogrpahs and Publicity used by the former owners are being scrapped progressively as they date in reality from the PREVIOUS times of the ORIGINAL Manufacturers before THEY bought the products, and due to very bad image and publicity with the old owners, we are of necessity changing and rephotographing everything.
TOTAL REBUILD. CUSTOMER CONFIDENCE
It is not only the range of toy soldier Models and Kits Max has had to rebuild, but it is the totally lost client Industry and customer confidence resulting from all the reported and complained about bad work done under the previous Regime of Management. Items were badly and chilishly rough-painted, boxes of figures were ordered and paid for but apparently failed to be delivered by the Silmons, and what did arrive at clients was wrongly, badly assembled.
JOE JONES LTD AND THE COWBOYS
Remember that very famous Comedy line with Roy Kinnear and Collin Welwyn? “Well, you know how it is, Mr Jones” (No Wobbly, I don’t you tell me !) Well, every now and again, when you get behind on the job, you have a few problems, you have a wee bit of a Fire”.
There was also an unreported, unexplained fire at one of their locations, resulting in the unreported total loss of a very considerable quantity of Rosedale and Mountford and Under two Flags and Ducal Moulds and Masters.
To put it mildly, Mr and Mrs A Simon have not been terribly honest with us, and the Goods arrived in terribly poor condition. It has taken us two years to sort out, piece (literally piece by piece for nearly every kit !!!!!) and photograph, List and note any damage, etc, or work required to repair or retool.
NOT ONE SINGLE ITEM OF IMMEDIATELY SALEABLE STOCK WAS EVER RECEIVED,
despite certain plastic bags being clearly labelled as “STOCK”. Not ONE single item or kit was remotely fit or capable of being sold for money to any customers.
Among other matters, Mr Chevallier and his wife consider this to have been a Fraud and a deception.
PREVIOUS LAZINESS, BAD PROFLIGACY IN MANAGEMENT
It is very evident that, in fact, no real production or work had in reality been carried out by the previous owners for some years, IF at all.
Masters were mixed up, Broken, Metal “Sub Masters” mixed in and substituted for the broken, lost original Plastic or Copper and Resin Masters, and just about every single figure piece, artillery kit part, or Master had been chucked into bags and thoroughly muddled up. (I’d like to say Fucked into a cocked hat, actually).
Maxime Chevallier makes no apology for having to delay the launch and reissue of the Miniatures. He is not prepared to remotely try to “sell” work to clients in such a condition.
MANY PRODUCTS LOST FOREVER DUE TO BAD PREVIOUS OWNERSHIP AND SLIPSHOD SHIPPING PRACTICES
In fact, so bad was it, we had to speak to N Z POlice, and the Insurer ordered an Investigation into what happened to our cargo from the Simons in N Z.
Above. Both the 13LB Gun Barrel and the larger 18LB Barrel fit into the carriage frame as shown. The Gun Shield Lugs slide and lock into the groove shown on the carriage axle above.
We wish all our Figures and Model Kits to reach an acceptable level and standard of high quality. One of our challenges we face recently in Production, is the factor of rapidly rising Energy Prices, and Materials Prices, which of course ultimately affect Product prices. For these reasons, we decided to no longer carry stocks of Metal or painted castings, but to cast strictly to "order".
HIGHEST PRODUCT QUALITY
PUREST METAL ALLOY USED
ACCURRATE MOULD AND MASTER PATTERN TOOLING
Our Metal Kits are sold with pre-cast fixture points and Pin assembly holes. Sometimes you may need to slightly enlarge or clear these Pin Holes using a rat-tail metal file, as shown in the photos below.
Please do this slowly, beware of excessive removal of Metal, do not over enlarge the wheel axle hole in the Wheels!
Use a fine Swedish type Rat tail hobby or Jewellery File to carefully enlarge the Axle wheel pin holes, etc. Beware not to rush this stage or enlarge the pin holes!
Below. The Gun Shield locating “Lugs are a part of the strength of the assembly, please ensure your carriage axle remains straight, as this can affect the correct rigid fixture of the assembly and shield as shown.
Below Victorian English Ordinance 13 Pound Artillery Gun. 1/32 Scale 54 mm.
Above Photo. Two Victorian British Artillery 13 Pounder Guns, with the larger capacity 18 Pound Gun Barrel shown at the front. If desired, it is easy to build the higher-powered 18 Pound version by simply fitting a larger barrel to the otherwise unchanged Carriage and shield.
Originally designed and conceived as a Model Kit series by D.J. Love and built by Alain Caton, his subcontractor, these Metal kits have fine castings and sometimes quite small, precise little parts to assemble. The Models which appear on the Box Artwork (for which we purchased ALL rights) or Publicity herald from, it is understood, “Rank and File Miniatures” (now closed), who used to be David Loves Product painters and refinishers.
Below MOUNTFORD Metal Models. (Now based “somewhere” in Europe). Victorian British 3.7 WWI Howitzer Gun rear view before attachment of gun elevation wheels, etc.
Above. One of the Ordinance 13 Pounder Guns. We also have a ceremonial Uniformed Royal Horse Artillery Gun Crew to complement this Model. These guns are still in ceremonial Royal Horse Artillery use and are fired at state occasions in London.
Above Photo. The Royal Horse Artillery Gun Crew Figures in 1/32 scale that can accompany the 13-pounder Guns. We also have a standing figure in ceremonial uniform from Mountford, which is subject to a retool. We are adding him to the set to create a five-figure set for the gun rather than the previous owner’s “Three” figure set.
There are three possible choices of Ammunition Limber wagons for these Guns. A Light Limber, a Medium, and a Heavy Ammunition Version Limber, sold separately. Display Models are now under construction.
Above. Red Background photo. The kits typically will include small parts (so NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE). Above you can see the Gun Handbrake rods and handles, which pass in an X shape underneath the Carriage of the actual gun. These must be kept completely straight and avoid please bending these during handling, as the lines are a straight and precise fit, and any bending effectively “shortens” the reach of the rod and makes final fitting more challenging.
Fitting the various Gun Control wheels is straightforward; they just fit into the pin holes provided on the castings. Note I have on hand for assembly a set of Swedish files; it can sometimes be necessary to “clear” assembly pin holes or wheel axle pin holes, using a rat tail file. Fine tweezers are also a helpful tool to use to build these kits.
Below. The Maxim Machine Gun on Naval Deck Mount. Primed parts.
For assembly, we used Five Minute EPOXY. You may prefer to use Silver Soder. Due to the age of certain tooling, some castings have a small amount of Mould tool flash, which needs to be removed before finishing. You can see Flash, for example, on the leg of the Sailor crew figure in the photo above. When successful, these Toolings will be renewed to eliminate this issue.
Navy Deck Mounted Maxim Machine Gun and sailor. The other figure is a WW1 or WW2 French Infantryman. Scale 1/32 54 mm.
Below. Our current batch of Figurine and Toy Soldier Castings and Kits is out of the Spray Booth.
The Deception during the Sale and Purchase from N Z, and substandard, shoddy work by the former management, have cost us huge sums and amounts of time, I will say that. Many Mould tools were very badly damaged, and a lot of products are beyond repair.
The wooden reproduced gun wheels have an inner and an outer face, take time to verify the correct direction and “side” of fit.
Position of Gun Wheel Handbrake Block. You will need to slide the gun wheel slightly diagonally angled, into the axle holding pin, then carefully turn the wheel slightly to secure it firmly against the metal wheel brake block as shown.
A large calibre Cowboy Paper Weight for your Office desk papers, Cowboys in 1/32 Scale, Large Scale Knights and Kings in Combat, an American War of Independence soldier, and a Highlander Infantry Colour Party are among the newly made offerings.
Below Photo. These are Primered Large Scale Medieval Foot Knights in Combat. All the above-featured articles are White Lead Free Metal Models.
Note that when launched, Production of some of our figures will be on a Limited Edition basis only; when it’s sold, it’s gone.
I work on our Catalogue on a rotation, as items are mixed with Historical Periods and are usually really quite rare and long previously out of production.
The CHIVALRY Range, Kings and Knights, and the Knights of the Round Table are back in Production.
Not all Mould toolings survived Shipping, and there are a number of retools scheduled.
A Hobby file is used to demonstrate the actual size of these Gun Kits, they re made to a constant 1/32 or 54 mm scale size.
