"1:72nd IMEX Union Soldiers" Topic

Nice paint job.

Interesting comment on primer – in the past I used acrylic varnish, now mostly watered down PVA white glue. Paint with acrylics, then seal with either acrylic varnish or more thinned PVA. I have figures I painted more than 20 years ago that haven't lost any paint at all.

But – you say with the non-primed figures the paint cracks when you flex the figures : I think you'll find the same is true with metal figures! Answer – don't flex the figures!

The best rebuttal of "plastics don't hold paint" I ever saw was in a copy of Hal Thinglum's MWAN – although I can't recall author at the moment. Anyway, somebody painted up and varnished plastic figures and then subjected them to a series of "drop test" and found that they stood up better than metal figures!

Answer – don't flex the figures!

Handling them by the bases is the best course, but figures always get bumped anyway.

Very inspiring!

At the risk of sounding rude, I once thought I was finished with 1/72 plastic figures. But within the last couple months, I got the bug to buy some Imex and Zvezda 1/72 Vikings and Saxons, just three boxes. If I can get them painted, I can use them for Saga or DBA (with some optional basing.)

The work of some of the folks who post here on TMP (like Mateus) has influenced me too.

By the way, the local Hobby Lobby sells Imex ACW figures, as does King's Hobby Shop here in Austin. As you mentioned, they're not that hard to track down.

Jeff

Hannants seem to have quite a few IMEX ACW figures as well.

BTW there are some 1/72nd plastic "coming soon" listed on Hannants web site that made my jaw drop I'm so excited about them. Not ACW, but shows what a great time it is for these types of figures.

Imex is everywhere you look. Also, PLEASE stop referring to them as "soft" plastic. They are not SOFT. Airfix junk is SOFT plastic (and 1/87 scale or 20mm btw, not 1/72).

Ok and so if you were to base them regimental, each stand would represent a REGIMENT.

So, out of a single box of Imex figures you would get at LEAST a brigade of regiments or more, basing 6-7 per stand.

This is ALL we do. Two boxes of infantry for both American and British got us almost the entire AWI, we used the same art from Napoleonic collection, then converted one box of British cavalry for all the American and British cav used in the war.

Augment that with Louis and Clark kits, Militia, then for adventure games Pioneers, chuck wagons and such, Italeri Eastern Warband Indians, a box of Zvezda Russian Grenadiers (for Hessians) and you're done with American Revolution. Your investment in the proper scale for miniature war gaming will prove WAY more profoundly awesomely great the more you see the wisdom of the plastics and how affordable it can be for anyone in this hobby.

PLEASE stop referring to them as "soft" plastic. They are not SOFT.

Well, they're definitely not hard plastic…

A set I have are soft plastic, then another set I purchased later had a different plastic. Bad batch or change in product ?

This is typical as new plastics and injections come online. HaT has VERY soft plastic in SOME of their offerings; I understand it, but it can be disappointing though it can equally be fixed with care. At least the BAYONETS DONT BREAK OFF. And at $7 USD or so for 96 figs, bargains like that are extremely hard to ignore. Hence the reason I build everything in 1/72 so affordably. Imex is part of that affordability. Now, if only someone would make a bag of ladder-climbing knights and men-at-arms, as well as ladder climbing ancient figures with the same affordability and quantity.