Power to the Plastic ! ( 1/56 figure kit bashes )

[ultravanillasmurf]

Would it have been easier to just cut off the sword hand or is the sword going from a right hand ( Officer arm ) to left hand ( Drummer arm ) ?

It is a sword on its own, and unfortunately there are no left hand swords.

For the other ensign I will be scratch building a left hand from the fife and using a sheathed sword.

[ripley]

Sounds like  you have some interesting conversions on the go , how about some work in progress photos ?

[ultravanillasmurf]

Work in progress Ensign.

The Firelock Storming Party has one body and two arms - I managed to get two identical arms in the photograph. They will look slightly different when they get their hats (from the line infantry sprues).

[ultravanillasmurf]

I think the loader needs a head transplant.

PSC Soviets.

[ripley]

The loader does lok  a little weird . Are those the PSC Russians ? I always thought the helmets ( I only have their  AT gun kit ) look more US in style than Ivan , so I replaced them with BA heads . Your guy with the sword looks really good , nice job

[ultravanillasmurf]

Thanks.

Yes they do look more like US helmets. The loader should be easy, the other one less so.

Edited the post, yes they are the PSC Soviets.

[ripley]

Maybe a sharp chisel point blade , remove at neck and wrists . Replace head and hands with BA bits ? At least that's what I would try . Or razor saw both arms at shoulders , chisel neck , and then remove head and hands . Could be a tricky one , but those ones ( when they work  ) are the most fun kit bashes

[ultravanillasmurf]

So I have modified the loader.

First I removed the head with a razor saw.

I then cleaned it up and drilled out a socket for the head.

Added the head.

I should have added an ammunition box to the base.

[ripley]

That turned out pretty good . Are you going to try ( risk ) the other guy as well ?

[ultravanillasmurf]

That turned out pretty good . Are you going to try ( risk ) the other guy as well ?

Yes. As it is cold in Russia, I  can claim he is wearing thick gloves.

[Tracks]

That turned out pretty good . Are you going to try ( risk ) the other guy as well ?

Yes. As it is cold in Russia, I  can claim he is wearing thick gloves.

Looking forward to seeing the results. It will be a very tricky head remove and replace procedure.

The crew putting a shell down the tube look better with the new head. I'm tempted to do the same thing.

[ripley]

New heads make the PSC guys look so much better . And once you figure out how to do it by sacrificing a couple of figures , these body part swaps get easier

[ultravanillasmurf]

So the second crewman now has a new head.

The head was removed by using a razor saw to cut the wrists and a scalpel to remove the head.


After cleaning up, a hole was drilled to take the neck stub of the replacement head.


The right wrist was trimmed back to allow the head to fit.

The left hand will be sculpted below the helmet (covering the left ear) but I could not get the right wrist to align so the figure will be bracing the helmet with the right hand.

Sculpting the hands comes next.

[ripley]

Nice surgical work there .  Could you possibly use half hands , like his fingers are up under his helmet , palms pressed against his ears ?What you would see is minimal , might be easier than sculpting .

[ultravanillasmurf]

Nice surgical work there .  Could you possibly use half hands , like his fingers are up under his helmet , palms pressed against his ears ?What you would see is minimal , might be easier than sculpting .

That is the plan for the left hand, the right hand will need a full sculpt.
Here is one I did earlier.

Left hand "sculpted" on a Crooked Dice TLS security with a Hasslefree V.E.R.A gun.

A lot better effort than my ongoing sculpt of hands holding batons for Adrianne.