Winter Projects to Improve An Impression

[Bill_Cross]

Our esteemed moderator, Mr. Lamoreaux has wisely closed the thread on beeswax linings for canteens, for surely as much as could be said about the topic (and then some) has been said. But it got me to thinking about other "Winter Projects to Improve an Impression." While hardly exhausting the topic, here are three to ponder (besides doing some reading about the period and its material culture):

1.) Re-polish your buttons and brass with a cloth dipped in water and fire ashes: Brasso is a great MODERN brass cleaner, but THEY didn't have it. They made a slurry of water and ash, then a little elbow grease did the work. The good thing about this technique (aside from it being historical) is that it doesn't stain like Brasso does: when you're finished, the excess dries and then can be brushed off. A button-polishing jig helps keep the slurry off your clothes (see below).

2.) Carve a button-polishing jig (see above): this is a handy little thing to have in your knapsack for down time. You can buy them, but they're easy to carve out of any piece of flat wood. You need a hole for the button to go through (duh!) and then a channel so you can move the button away from the hole. The jig keeps the ash & water slurry off your clothes and makes the process neater.

3.) Refinish your rifle stock: The urethane finish on most repro rifles is wrong, and fixing it doesn't involve too much work. You need to disassemble your gun, then use wood stripper to take off the old finish. There are a variety of finishes to use, but Curt has a recipe I'm particularly fond of, and I'm hoping he'll re-post it here.

4.) Hand-stitch your buttonholes: if you have a commercially-made uniform item, for example, a Jargagin Federal greatcoat, it probably has machine-stiched buttonholes. While there was a machine patented at the time for doing buttonholes, the fact of the matter is that most buttonholes were hand-stitched. Machines were too expensive, and labor was cheap. That Jarnagin coat can be made a little closer to reality if you ditch the Indian Wars large eagle buttons and use the period-correct smaller eagles, close up the buttonholes so they fit the new buttons, then hand-stitch the holes. While it won't rival a Chris Sullivan or Chris Daley Federal greatcoat, it surely turns a sow's ear into at least a faux silk purse.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

All very good points Mr. Cross. I'll throw in for what its worth, the sheen obtained from period polishing with ash paste or brick dust is vastly different from modern polishes. It has a duller gloss that can readily be discerned as shiny but not overly bright. Bill Lomas of EJ Thomas Mercantile once found reference to leather buttonboards being made for polishing. It was basically a small leather rectangle about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide, with a hole and slot in the center, leaving a couple of inches top and bottom to still protect the cloth. Easier to make than a wooden one and much cheaper than the vendors (although NJ Sekela offers a fine one well worth the price).

[TB1861]

Learn to write cursive with pen and ink. You can buy the Spencer handbooks on Amazon and pen and ink can be found at any local Barnes and Noble. Much better than buying a font as you can use this skill in the field.

[Provost-ADC]

Get out the blacking ball and clean up your shoes.

[tenfed1861]

Study up on the politics of the era and also develop a first person persona.

[50th VA Corporal]

Oh, the winter doldrums...

I'll spend about 50% of my time caring for the gear. Treating the leather goods (twice); I already gave the muskets and the pistols their seasonal complete disassembly care; and paring out some of the material items.

More importantly I'll spend the rest of the 75% of the time (yea, I know I can't count) studying the manuals like I have done the last two winters. With battalion events only occuring four or five times during the season it just is not enough time to refine and totally understand all of the maneuvers and evolutions you do - especially if you have done it once or twice during the season.

I just ended my second full season as 1st Sgt and to be honest it was not until the last two battalion events that I finially felt I had the knowledge and confidence to provide the leadership entrusted to me on the field.

This winter is more so important with the battalion attending at least one national event - 150th Manassas. I am sure at the brigade level there will be logistically more room to do the larger movements and the expectation levels will be high.

Additionally there will be the need to more understand the battle itself in more than at a superficial level.

I believe that the best thing one can do to improve their impression, non-materially, is to learn, know, and execute the requirements of their impression position whether it is a private or a colonel. I find no valid excuse for a private to not know their manual of arms or school of the soldier. Those are the basic elements everything else on the field is based on and I do see a lack of it on the field by "tenured" privates.

[wheres_my_horse]

Lose some weight. Easier on me, my horse and I won't look like a brat in a wool casing.


And then not "find" it again.

[mexwarbob]

1. A few simple sewing projects-hankerchiefs, ration bags, drawers and even a simple shirt on the square can easily be done.

2. Go to the library and read-It's free

3. Learn how to make cartridges authentically-There is a plethora (I believe thats an animal in Africa) of sources that will give you instructions. It will give you an appreciation of what those ladies in the arsenals were doing.

4. Get some cheap plastic toy soldiers- make sure you have two colors and use them to visualize how formations and movements should look.

5. Winter is a good time to completely disassmemble your musket, clean it thoroughly and redo the stock.

6. A real good cleaning of the brogans and a light oiling greatly extends the service life.

7. Sit down and evaluate the past year. Think about the events you did, what you did right, what you did wrong and what can you do to improve not only your impression but also your enjoyment of the hobby. I do this after every event I attend and it really helps. For example, I keep an extra health insurance card in my period wallet in case I get injured on the field.

8. Learn and practice some basic fieldcraft skills. See if you can build a fire without matches.

Bob Gregory
79th NY

[bkylehand]

Why would you ever need to build a fire without matches. They were inexpensive and readily available.

[Bill_Cross]

Why would you ever need to build a fire without matches. They were inexpensive and readily available.

OK, I'll see your matches and raise you "wet wood and dead fall."

Let's see you make a fire in that, LOL!