Saturday, 31 August 2013

Tackling a Plastic Mountain (Carefully)....Part 3

I have just some time sorting the green half of the plastic figure mountain into some kind of order - and then decided to have an accurate headcount. The end result is even better than I had hoped for and I have found a use for the Rambo-esque machine gunner as well!


I know this is the third time I have used this picture but it will help understand what I am on about!

The numbers I have counted for the figures above (reading left to right) are as follows:
  • Standing firing (top left) - 130 figures
  • Officer waving (top right) - 53 figures
  • Grenade thrower (bottom left) - 52 figures
  • Rifleman running (bottom centre) - 54 figures
  • SMG man - (bottom right) - 123 figures
The M16 has been lumped in with the other figure similarly equipped and I am still trying to see what I can chop him up into!


The remaining figure types. The two chaps on the top row row - left and centre - contribute 111 figures to the collection.

The numbers for the figures depicted above are as follows:
  • NCO pointing (the Airfix paratrooper on the top row row, right) - 105 figures
  • Bazooka firer - 61 figures
  • Machine gunner - 127 figures.
The total headcount for the 16 packets of 50 figures is 817 with an extra 3 figures that were broken in some way. Not bad at all for £4!

The machine gunner is actually more useful than I first thought because  with the addition of a fuel tank on his back he can be made into a flame-thrower and if you carefully carve away the gun and ammo belt and replace it with a shell shaped piece of wood or plastic he can also be turned into a gunner.

The only issue I am having at present is on how I should be basing these. I am thinking about using circular bases around 3cm across but may well end up with squares instead.

The Skirmish Plastic Soldier Show at Sidcup - see Skirmish 2013 for details - is on the 22nd of September and is now certainly on my to do list for this particular project!





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6 comments:

  1. Anonymous31 August 2013 at 17:57

    Look for cheap poker chips for the bases. Round and uniform. Also, since the ones I'm familiar with have "teeth" along the edge, if you use some colors for status markers, they will stack nicely under the figures base. Although I don't know if that would work for a big game, in a skirmish game it might be of use.

    ReplyDelete
  2. David Crook31 August 2013 at 18:04

    Hi SAROE,

    Poker chips - what a great idea! I have a box of these that are never used and they also very cheap to acquire in sets. They also have a degree of weight which is important with plastic figures.

    Many thanks for the great idea!

    All the best,

    DC

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  3. Geordie an Exiled FoG1 September 2013 at 13:52

    Unashamedly I am trying to ignite a WWI interest in you .. take a look at this:

    http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7024818M/The_flight_of_the_Goeben_and_the_Breslau

    I am SURE a man of your Turkish taste knows all about the Goeban affair (and more)

    This is the account of a certain Admiral Milne RN (retired) in (verbose) defence of his actions ;)

    See also my blog:
    http://exiledfog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/for-those-of-naval-wwi-disposition.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. Corporal_Trim1 September 2013 at 15:36

    David,

    Fun project ! I your fondness for these cheap troops and every once in a while you find some gems amongst the crude knock-offs of the 54mm soldiers. Always fun to scour the budget stores and eBay for something different.

    Good suggestion with the poker chip bases. I used wooden craft shop discs. Some pics of my clones here:

    http://castlesoftin.blogspot.com/2012/03/green-vs-tan-send-in-clones.html

    Regards,
    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  5. David Crook1 September 2013 at 15:48

    Hi Geordie,

    Many thanks for the heads up with this - I shall certainly be giving this some attention in due course. I actually have scanned copies of the old SPI game and it looks great fun to play.

    I have in mind a 1914 'what if' type action for the 1/2400th scale models in due course - more of this later.

    All the best,

    DC

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  6. David Crook1 September 2013 at 15:57

    Hi Steve,

    For me the really exciting thing about these is the fact that are so bad in respect of detail etc. I can do whatever I like with them and at the price it simply does not matter. The poker chips I have are slightly too large for the figures (which average 45mm)at 40mm across and so I shall look out for 30mm versions.

    I already have some plans for simple conversions and I am hoping that is this works out I will be more inclined to tackle other periods - I am thinking something horse and musket but the important consideration is that I want poor quality figures!

    Those figures you painted are jaw-droppingly good - I doubt if mine will be anything like as detailed!

    All the best,

    DC

    ReplyDelete