Golden oldie conversions

Whole chunks of real life...scaled down, figures in all scales...even footballers!
User avatar
Neil Wellman
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 35
Joined: January 23rd, 2017, 11:30 am
Location: Bristol, UK

Golden oldie conversions

Post by Neil Wellman »

Hi, first posting here so please be gentle.

I've not done any modelling for many years but recently retrieved some conversions from the late 1960s.

As you can see, they're all 1/12 scale Napoleonics (Cuirassier, Polish Lancer, Chasseur, Dragoon, Old Guard Grenadier) and in a bit of a state with some bits now missing. I intend to give them a good clean up, perhaps a complete refurb and repaint.

I also have (somewhere) a landsnecht, a Civil War pikeman and a samurai, all converted from Airfix originals.

Just out of interest, I wonder in anyone can work out who the doner figures were (hint: one uses only the face and hands, the rest is scratchbuilt using a wooden armature and good old plastic wood)

Image

Image
Neil Wellman
User avatar
PTB11
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 2462
Joined: April 30th, 2015, 12:50 pm
Location: Belfast

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by PTB11 »

Nice work.
I'm guessing the Airfix Lifeguard was used for 2 or 3 of them. The Polish lancer is the scratchbuilt one?
Regards, Paddy.

On The Bench
Fujimi 1/72 A-7E Corsair II
rob_van_riel
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 3317
Joined: November 4th, 2012, 11:28 am
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by rob_van_riel »

Nice work.

They seem to have survived quite well, and for half a century no less.

Welcome to the forum.
User avatar
DavidWomby
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 11707
Joined: May 1st, 2011, 8:09 pm
Location: Florida, USA

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by DavidWomby »

Those are really impressive.

David
User avatar
Neil Wellman
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 35
Joined: January 23rd, 2017, 11:30 am
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by Neil Wellman »

Thanks all. As you say, not bad nick for 50 years old. I'll reveal the donors in a day or two (the household trumpeter is right for some). I also did a saxon/norse figure partly based on the Sutton Hoo finds. Again I'll have to see if I can dig it out. My mum's loft has several boxes of (mainly) airfix axis planes etc, including some conversations. I may well have a root around next time I'm 'oop t'north'
Neil Wellman
User avatar
JohnRatzenberger
Why is he so confused ?
Posts: 15708
Joined: April 5th, 2011, 3:42 pm
Location: Living on a sandbar - Nags Head, NC.

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

This is interesting, looking forward to seeing more and then your work on them.
We have a number of members who are into Airfix figures and figure-bashing, so you should draw quite a crowd.
John Ratzenberger :???:
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
User avatar
Purplethistle
Delusional Miniature Killer
Posts: 4680
Joined: July 10th, 2014, 1:03 am
Location: Glasgow

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by Purplethistle »

Superb work there Neil, Have you seen the 1/16 figures by Mini Art? they have a few Napoleonics that might appeal to you.

http://www.miniart-models.com/index.htm?/Catalogue.htm;



Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
"Spits, SLUFS and Rock 'n' Roll"
User avatar
Neil Wellman
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 35
Joined: January 23rd, 2017, 11:30 am
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by Neil Wellman »

Thanks Purplethistle.

In fact it was looking at MiniArt's offerings that spurred me to dig my old models out.

MiniArt looks OK but what they seem to do is use the same basic mould plus a few variant sprues to create new models (so the two Grenadiers vary only in the cap; the Medieval Knights and Romans by their weapons and shields; the Netherlands/French Musketeers and French Guardsman only by weapons and accoutrements- and why on earth do the Musketeers have riding boots and spurs?... OK, now self corrected: the French Musketeers also fought as dragoons, so riding boots & spurs are OK).

Not totally bad, but a bit of a con (especially the Romans where armour/helmets varied greatly).

Even so I've already got my eye on converting the helmeted Netherlands Musketeer (more accuracy Arquebuseer?) into a pikeman (probably with body armour as my original Airfix conversion below) and the French one, sans tabard and maybe with bulkier trousers, into a Netherlands one to go with it. The Grenadiers also offer possibilities for other ranks, pioneers, standard infantry etc.

Mind you, I'll have to see how MiniArt get very different arm poses with the same moulding.

According to this site, assembly can also be a bit of a problem. http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/imperia ... eonic-wars

BTW: I saw elsewhere that the musket is too short, so that also needs work (see below).

I'm also thinking about the 1/35 Masterbox series... the Napoleonics and WW1 look interesting http://www.mbltd.info/models.htm
Image
Neil Wellman
User avatar
Neil Wellman
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 35
Joined: January 23rd, 2017, 11:30 am
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by Neil Wellman »

I've now dug out some of the others I mentioned... all rather tatty with many broken/missing bits.

A landsnecht (originally had a large floppy hat and 'S' hilted side sword... guess the doner) and a Civil War pikeman (I know the vambrace isn't right- it's a horseman's- but it looked good)-all from the mid 1960's and amongst my first figure conversions (as were the saxon and samurai, neither of whom I can find... the sword lying on the deck is the last known vestige of the saxon).

Also a scratchbuilt work in progress of a French horse artilleryman, probably c 1980s. By this time I'd lost my fear of hands/faces. The material is Das Modelling Clay ((CORRECTION: in the early days it would have been Plastic Wood.. as the Landsnecht arm shows) plus various bits'n'bobs (I later discovered Milliput but by then was doing very little modelling; somewhere I even have rubber moulding and white metal casting materials).

The other is a stock (and as with the others, held together with Blutack) Black Prince: probably the 3rd or so time I built this with the painting getting better each time (BTW: I never saw a good Henry VIII... did anyone ever?)
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image
Neil Wellman
rob_van_riel
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 3317
Joined: November 4th, 2012, 11:28 am
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by rob_van_riel »

Neil Wellman wrote:I'm also thinking about the 1/35 Masterbox series... the Napoleonics and WW1 look interesting http://www.mbltd.info/models.htm
I've tangled with their Hussar about a year back; build report here: http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=342&t=13488;

Many of their sets are a bit different, in a good way, and some are almost complete vignettes right out of the box. If the hussar is anything to go by, you will have to work for it though..
User avatar
Purplethistle
Delusional Miniature Killer
Posts: 4680
Joined: July 10th, 2014, 1:03 am
Location: Glasgow

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by Purplethistle »

The accuracy of the Mini art figures hasn't been an issue for me as I've never built any of them as the subject on the lid! I like them for the less rigid poses than Airfix 1/12 which are getting hard to get hold of now anyway. The soft styrene and lack of locating pins of Mini art figures was a bit fiddly at first, but I found that constructing the parts around a rudimentary 'skeleton' of sprue and Blu tack makes positioning a lot easier.
Master Box make some very nicely detailed and interesting subjects, but I find that the '1/35' figures look a bit underscale, especially when posed alongside other makes.
"Spits, SLUFS and Rock 'n' Roll"
User avatar
Neil Wellman
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 35
Joined: January 23rd, 2017, 11:30 am
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by Neil Wellman »

Rob: thanks for the link to your build review: sounds like your experience confirms what I've read elsewhere (tho' the WW1 ones do seem better?).

Purple (may I call you that?): I've seen some of your 'ultra conversions'... in fact I suggested that you may as well go my route of scratchbuilding.

That is if you can bear the idea of faces/hands. My artillery bod is only an abandoned work in progress but I reckon the face is shaping up as well as many commercial kits (the face was roughly painted to give an idea prior to finishing) You can also spot Das clay, card, solder, sewing thread and plastic).
Image
Neil Wellman
User avatar
PTB11
Modelling Gent and Scholar
Posts: 2462
Joined: April 30th, 2015, 12:50 pm
Location: Belfast

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by PTB11 »

I'm looking forward to these figures being resurrected, Neil. Although it looks like you'll have your work cut out for you there.
I have a pile of the old Airfix 54mm Napoleonic kits in the stash. When my figure modelling improves sufficiently, I plan on building a few small dioramas, using replacement Hornet heads and some Historex bits.
(Well thats the plan, anyway :roll: )
Regards, Paddy.

On The Bench
Fujimi 1/72 A-7E Corsair II
User avatar
Neil Wellman
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 35
Joined: January 23rd, 2017, 11:30 am
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by Neil Wellman »

Purplethistle wrote:I find that the '1/35' figures look a bit underscale, especially when posed alongside other makes.
I see from their site that they claim to do both 1/32 and 1/35. Looks like the main range is 1/35 but the Napoleonics plus aircrew and some 'girlies' are 1/32.

The 1/35 even include a couple of pairs of those weird Japanese teenage 'fashion' figures (who on earth buys them... best tell Yewtree!)
Neil Wellman
User avatar
Neil Wellman
Series 3 and Beyond
Posts: 35
Joined: January 23rd, 2017, 11:30 am
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Golden oldie conversions

Post by Neil Wellman »

PTB11 wrote:I'm looking forward to these figures being resurrected
Thanks. I don't know how much I'll do on the landsnecht (too far gone and not very good in the first place); the napoleonics and pikeman just need a few repairs and some paint (I think).

BoL with the 54mm dioramas.

I am half tempted by some of the MasterBox WW1 ones http://www.mbltd.info/35114.htm ; http://www.mbltd.info/35158.htm ; http://www.mbltd.info/35146.htm, or even the US 8th Penn. cavalry one http://www.mbltd.info/3550.htm (many years ago I converted the Airfix 54mm Polish Lancer into a trumpeter with him and his horse crashing down rather like the flagbearer in that trio: I wonder where that is now?)
Neil Wellman
Post Reply

Return to “Figures and Diorama”