FIGURE CONVERSIONS:
Materials
by Alvan Fisher, Jr.
After three decades away from toy soldiers, it was with great pleasure and anticipation that I re-entered the hobby a couple of years ago. Growth of the hobby had been substantial with many new materials and techniques. However, I immediately went into sticker shock upon learning that the Britains I used to buy at US$2 a box now sold for well over US$100. Even sets by newer manufacturers were well beyond my range!
The immediate question was how to remain in a hobby of choice without selling my first born. John Gossner -- a fellow oceanographer -- acquainted me with the Prince August line of molds and I quickly purchased the basic set. Now I could make all the Foot Guards and Infantry of the Line I wanted. I immediately cast some IOL, but had no desire to model the Guards -- the details of their uniforms were much too complex for my limited painting ability. However, it rapidly became apparent that I would have to create new skills if I were to command an army of more than a few units.
A visit to the local library suggested several methods for converting castings to other poses or periods. Three publications that I found particularly helpful are listed at the end of this article. I quickly began to collect the necessary tools and material and started off.
So little was written about some aspects of the process, I decided that I had better document some of my "lessons learned" before I forgot them. The following articles represent an attempt to pass on some of these notes both to share my experience and learn better techniques from other readers.
The basic tools used for cutting include:
Tweezers, metal straight edge, pliers, wire cutters (nippers), pin vises with appropriate twist drills, and various sizes and shapes of files help to modify the casting.
Emery paper of various grades permits removal of imperfections before priming; with the a final pass made over the primer using a fine grit.
My adhesive of choice is Zap-a-Gap/- CA+; a gap-filling cyanoacrylate adhesive (super glue). Testor's styrene cement is also helpful when bonding plastic.
Most of the above item may be purchased at a good hobby shop.
Don't overlook your friendly dentist: they often keep a wide variety of old tools that are worth their weight in gold to the modeler. I've acquired various picks, tweezers, and spatulas this way.
Several pieces of 1/4 inch thick plate glass four or five inches square serve as palettes for adhesive, filler, and mixing colors. Be sure that the edges are ground smooth to save those fingers for later use!
Spring-loaded clothespins are very helpful to hold small parts when drilling, filing, or painting.
Most materials needed for conversion can be found around the house or at local hobby stores.
Lead-foil from wine bottles is perhaps the most useful material; it can be used for everything from stripes on trousers, epaulets, belts, and straps.
An auto body filler such as Bondo fills imperfections in castings and can be used to add large additions such as greatcoats.
Styrene rod, strips, and sheets (Evergreen Scale Models) may be used for buttons and cartridge pouches.
Brass wire and bar (Detail Associates) are useful for making items that are subject to wear such as rifle slings. These or similar items often are available at hobby shops catering to model railroaders or can be purchased by mail from Walthers. (See the list at the end of the article for this and other addresses.) The Walthers' catalogs include an excellent collection of tools and material. Various sizes of copper wire will be used; the trash pile at work is my supplier of choice!
I use a room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber compound (RTV) called Visolox V-1030 for making molds, but other compounds are available. Look under silicon products of the classified pages of your local phone book for a local dealer.
Lead/tin solder (30/70 or 50/50 lead/tin ratio) and linotype -- in that order -- are the most economical sources of casting material. Pewter and similar alloys, while more expensive, provide better detail and are non-toxic.
Inexpensive parts and toy soldier castings can be purchased from several suppliers. Two that I have found helpful are London Bridge Collector's Toys and Coastal Enterprises. Both offer a variety of replacement parts for Britains, some for as little as 40 cents each.
Besides the Prince August 54 mm molds cited above, a much wider selection is available from the 'Lil Army series sold by Dutkins Collectibles or Coastal Enterprises (among others).
Several manufacturers of styrene models (MRC, Heller, Tamiya, Esci, et al) offer inexpensive 1/32 inch scale kits of soldiers that are a good match for 54 mm toys. The Airfix Minipose series is the most useful as they can be assembled in many realistic poses. Even though they tend to concentrate on the period from World War II to the present era, many parts such as heads and limbs are timeless. Airfix, with the re-introduction of their Napoleonic series, and Historex are a pleasant exception to the modern era. Unfortunately, Historex recently went out of business, but their kits are still available at many shops.
Plastic kits often can be purchased at hobby swap meets or yard sales for a fraction of their original cost. Parts from more expensive castings can be used, but this option is cost efficient only if you are going to make a few figures or make your own molds.
A word of caution here: the penalty for copying and selling castings of sculpture (including toy soldiers) under copyright is severe. I do not know if it is legal to make copies for one's own use; i.e., not for sale. As my conversions are in this latter category, I feel that my usage is ethical. It is legal to copy and sell old Britains as long as they're out of copyright.
Perhaps one of you attorneys out there could offer some advice on this subject!
When a casting is ready for painting, I spray it with a high quality auto primer. This serves three purposes:
Small parts can be stuck to masking tape when spray painting to keep them from being blown into the next county.
After trying several brands of enamels and acrylic, I have finally settled on Liquitex acrylics for most uses. There are several reasons for this choice:
Polly- S acrylics are my choice for metallic colors; I often blend them together or with a color to achieve the precise tone I want.
Testors recently introduced a new line of acrylic paint -- I've tried only one bottle and find that it's similar to Polly S.
All the above paints dry flat.
For those of you who like to work with enamels, I recommend Testor's ModelMaster and Humbrol lines.
When satisfied with the final paint job, I apply a couple of coats of Testor's Glosscoat spray to obtain the gloss finish normally associated with toy soldiers and to protect the paint.
Any artist will tell you that good brushes are essential for good finishes. I buy the best I can afford in sizes 5/0 (00000) to 2, and always clean them with kitchen detergents in cold water immediately after use. Acrylic paints are tough on brushes, so you'll have to replace them often.
Two must items for the painter are a magnifier (at least for us older kids) and a good source of light. I use an Opticon magnifier that I can slip over my head without interfering with my glasses. Although I prefer to apply the final details in daylight, the initial coats often are done indoors with the aid of a high intensity lamp.
This is a good time as any to discuss safety. Several of the recommended compounds are toxic and must be used with reasonable care.
Even though I am an asthmatic, I have had few problems while making soldiers when I follow a few proper precautions and show some common sense.
Fortunately, those of us living in Southern California can work outside during most of the year. If unable to work outside, consider working near an open window and using a fan to clear the house of unwanted fumes.
Use of an appropriate face mask and gloves are important for anyone when making molds, working with castings, and spray painting. I normally use adhesives and Bondo in only small quantities, and for short periods when working inside. If used for extended periods, I either go outside or use a face mask and exhaust fan.
Super glue can be particularly dangerous if not used with common sense. Keep it well away from eyes and skin, and be careful not to bond a couple of fingers together!
The State of California has found that residue from lead foil on bottles can be transmitted to a wine glass during pouring and may prohibit the use of lead foil. Many leading vintners already have shifted to a non-toxic foil. Thus, we soon may have to find a new source for lead foil.
The most likely means of ingesting lead is during filing or sanding; thus I make it a practice to wear gloves and a dust mask during these tasks.
If you use the kitchen stove as a heat source to melt lead, I suggest that you thoroughly clean the burners when finished. Never handle food after working with lead without washing your hands thoroughly. This may seem excessive, but the protection of my health and that of my family makes it worth the added effort.
Good research is essential, for it is hardly worth the effort to spend many hours creating a miniature that does not represent the real thing. Although variations often occurred owing to local conditions or logistics, I still spend as much time researching a uniform as modeling it.
Public and university libraries can provide a gold mine of information on uniform research. I have several loose leaf notebooks of material as a result of my library forays. Although all libraries don't use the same cataloging systems, those associated with education facilities tend to list military uniforms under UA or UV and naval uniforms under VA.
I regularly haunt the used book stores and have built up a good basic library at a reasonable cost.
The Osprey series of paperback books, available at many hobby shops and some book stores, provide excellent background material if they happen to cover your period of interest.
There are many military museums located throughout the country, each normally serving a unique subject. However, their staff often is small and they cannot answer extensive inquiries. If questions are to the point and in their area expertise, I have found them to be most helpful. A stamped, self-addressed envelope increases the chance of a response considerably.
Let me close the first part of this series with some homespun philosophy. The purpose of these articles is to stimulate new initiatives and promote the sharing of ideas. Most of the techniques given above were learned primarily through trial and error; thus many better ones will surface later. I believe that a hobby should be dynamic, and it is likely that I will have tested several new methods before these articles are published!
By no means do I represent the last word on the subject. I hope that those of you who have developed better techniques will offer suggestions. This is the best means of improving my own skills while becoming acquainted with others with similar interests!
| Last Updates | |
|---|---|
| 17 July 2003 | updated link for Walthers |
| 27 January 1997 | page first published |
| Article by Alvan Fisher, Jr. Material originally distributed to the Internet by Larry Jeselon (ljeselon@ccinet.ab.ca) | |
| Comments or corrections? | |