Jump to content
 

Modelu Figures & Component News

alanbuttler

By alanbuttler,
in Smaller Suppliers

 Share

Recommended Posts

wiggoforgold

wiggoforgold

Posted
Posted

I've had some of the guard figures and am very pleased with them. I'll be buying some more. Can I make a request though? The figures all seem to be of petty healthy, even "well padded" types who rather reflect the present day. Would it be possible to do some figures with slighly smaller body types - a bit less well nourished and showing signs of a more physical lifestyle - to reflect earlier periods?

Alex

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Gold
Chris Chewter

Chris Chewter

Posted
  • RMweb Gold
Posted (edited)

This discussion comes up time and time again. 

 

As you can see from my avatar, my figure changes shape depending on my stance, but when fitted within a loco cab, no one looks and goes "My word, that fireman is a bit fat!"

 

This discussion normally goes towards "But most firemen were thin wiry fellows"  Perhaps, but in trying to find an example, I came across Fred.  

 

post-7653-0-02416800-1536219462_thumb.jpg

 

One of the regular firemen on the Woodstock branch before it closed.  As you can see, Fred is a very large chap, and unusually tall.  In fact, I'd go so far to say that I wouldn't argue with him if I found him on a night out in one of Woodstocks fine drinking establishments!  My point is, people come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, even in 1949!

 

Unless you are a thin bloke and willing to volunteer for Modelu to be scanned, I really don't think people notice when they are fitted in the cab of your loco.  They look excellent, be they fat or thin, and are vastly better than the cast offerings available elsewhere by other manufacturers!

 

Happy modelling folks!

Edited by Captainalbino
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites
hmrspaul

hmrspaul

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've had some of the guard figures and am very pleased with them. I'll be buying some more. Can I make a request though? The figures all seem to be of petty healthy, even "well padded" types who rather reflect the present day. Would it be possible to do some figures with slighly smaller body types - a bit less well nourished and showing signs of a more physical lifestyle - to reflect earlier periods?

Alex

I had thought of having a scan of myself as an amateur photographer - I have a whole group of photographers on my model - but I realised that this rather stout retiree was not the same as the agile youngish man I had in my minds eye (and avatar) as a model! When I look at a photograph of a group of us visiting an industrial site 30 years ago most are remarkably slim, but not very muscular. Body shape changes. I'm waiting for a thin, scruffy diesel shunter driver for my privately owned locomotives.

 

Paul

Edited by hmrspaul
Link to post
Share on other sites
wiggoforgold

wiggoforgold

Posted
Posted

Fred is a large fellow isn't he.? Some of his cousins will soon be joining my model railway as guards. Fred's companions rather illustrate my point though, and I was wondering if we could get more like them. I was rather thinking of my stepfather George, who worked on the railway in the 1950's, and was 5'9" and about 9 stone. Rather more typical of his period I'd suggest.

Presumably, the limitation of the Modelu process is it's based on a scan of an actual person, so they are restricted to whoever is available for scanning. I'd offer myself, but I'm not a suitable body type either :)

Alex

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Premium
PMP

PMP

Posted
  • RMweb Premium
Posted

The figures are 3D scans of real people, so wysiwyg, and the results are possibly the same answer as to why there are many pairs of trousers in stock on the high street waist size 34 and less :)

Link to post
Share on other sites
Horsetan

Horsetan

Posted
Posted

….I was rather thinking of my stepfather George, who worked on the railway in the 1950's, and was 5'9" and about 9 stone. Rather more typical of his period I'd suggest....

 

The modern day equivalent would probably be a National Hunt jump jockey or work rider....

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Gold
ianLMS

ianLMS

Posted
  • RMweb Gold
Posted

I have just ordered shunters and a couple of fireman/drivers, along with a few lamps from Modelu after reading so many good reports about the quality of the products. Looking forward to ruining them with my slap handed painting!!! 

 

Any good tips on prep/painting them? I model the LMS in the 1930's and its not easy finding colour images. Looking at the above picture, would it be a light blue shirt with darker blue trousers/jacket, black boots, all suitably weathered with coal stains/dust? What about the cap - black cloth perhaps?

 

Not sure about the shunters though - if anyone can advise that would be great.

 

The lamps will be black, correct I believe for the area/period.

 

Thanks

Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites
Jol Wilkinson

Jol Wilkinson

Posted
Posted

I have just ordered shunters and a couple of fireman/drivers, along with a few lamps from Modelu after reading so many good reports about the quality of the products. Looking forward to ruining them with my slap handed painting!!! 

 

Any good tips on prep/painting them? I model the LMS in the 1930's and its not easy finding colour images. Looking at the above picture, would it be a light blue shirt with darker blue trousers/jacket, black boots, all suitably weathered with coal stains/dust? What about the cap - black cloth perhaps?

 

Not sure about the shunters though - if anyone can advise that would be great.

 

The lamps will be black, correct I believe for the area/period.

 

Thanks

Ian

Ian,

 

I have only used the LNWR lamps, but a couple of coats of Vallejo black acrylic did the trick. You can see the result on the Modelu site.

 

Jol

Link to post
Share on other sites
hayfield

hayfield

Posted
Posted

I used Halfords auto acrylic primer, then painted the figure with cheap acrylic paints from Lidl, though other brands are also just as good if not better with the premium makes

 

I have been meaning to get some paints from the Games Workshop, various types including translucent, these guys really go to town painting their figures 

Link to post
Share on other sites
Edwardian

Edwardian

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have just ordered shunters and a couple of fireman/drivers, along with a few lamps from Modelu after reading so many good reports about the quality of the products. Looking forward to ruining them with my slap handed painting!!! 

 

Any good tips on prep/painting them? I model the LMS in the 1930's and its not easy finding colour images. Looking at the above picture, would it be a light blue shirt with darker blue trousers/jacket, black boots, all suitably weathered with coal stains/dust? What about the cap - black cloth perhaps?

 

Not sure about the shunters though - if anyone can advise that would be great.

 

The lamps will be black, correct I believe for the area/period.

 

Thanks

Ian

 

Ian,

 

I second using Halfords spray.  I use bogo grey.  Black, often used as an undercoat on 28mm figures, I have found to be too dark for 1/76.

 

I use water-based acrylics.  After Citadel changed all its colours, necessitating gaining a familiarity with a new range, I took the opportunity to move to Valejo instead.

 

Colour is subtle at scale - this I know you have mastered with buildings and stock - and I find it pays to avoid clean colours.  White is represented by a bone white and black by mixing in bone white and or earth. Greys are too clean if mixed from pure black and white.

 

For blue, like overalls, you might start with something like Valejo Dark Prussian Blue and successively dry-brush lighter blue, either lighter blue shades and/or by adding a bone white.    

 

Keep your water dirty!

Edited by Edwardian
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Gold
ianLMS

ianLMS

Posted
  • RMweb Gold
Posted

Thank you all - I have a good selection of acrylic, enamel pot paints from Humbrol, Tamiya, Citadel, Precision and Ralmatch as well as several aerosol cans. I have just used Hycote Double Acrylic on my latest loco, and so far seem impressed, however, it comes out at a very high rate and flooding a small lamp or figure would be easy to do.

 

I have Humbrol Primer and Citadel base coats which work well so intend to use them for the base coat and then try different top coats.

 

My local model shop has moved away from Humbrol and is now stocking Ammo paints so will see what they have in their range.

 

Ian

Link to post
Share on other sites
shortliner

shortliner

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

 

My local model shop has moved away from Humbrol and is now stocking Ammo paints so will see what they have in their range.

 

Ian

Ian - You may find it worth while to order their catalogue - an INCREDIBLE range of stuff, and in my opinion, very good value  - Mine came at the beginning of the month - I got it via ebay from here and would recommend their service  

 

post-6688-0-44164300-1536331456.jpg

Edited by shortliner
Link to post
Share on other sites
carlos

carlos

Posted
Posted

Ian - You may find it worth while to order their catalogue - an INCREDIBLE range of stuff, and in my opinion, very good value  - Mine came at the beginning of the month - I got it via ebay from here and would recommend their service  

 

attachicon.gifammo.jpg

You can also download it from here

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/download/e4983c4a00a7f9ae86247b0ed0462656.cms/Catalogue-2018.pdf

Link to post
Share on other sites
richard i

richard i

Posted
Posted

I have just ordered shunters and a couple of fireman/drivers, along with a few lamps from Modelu after reading so many good reports about the quality of the products. Looking forward to ruining them with my slap handed painting!!! 

 

Any good tips on prep/painting them? I model the LMS in the 1930's and its not easy finding colour images. Looking at the above picture, would it be a light blue shirt with darker blue trousers/jacket, black boots, all suitably weathered with coal stains/dust? What about the cap - black cloth perhaps?

 

Not sure about the shunters though - if anyone can advise that would be great.

 

The lamps will be black, correct I believe for the area/period.

 

Thanks

Ian

there was a poster from the LMS showing track gangs repairing the road. Just copy the colours of their clothes.

Richard

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Gold
Mick Bonwick

Mick Bonwick

Posted
  • RMweb Gold
Posted

Does anybody know the average turn around time for orders? Mine's been about two weeks, which is fine - just dont want to pester Alan uneccesarily if this is average.

 

Thanks

Ian

 

I'd say that wasn't unrealistic. If the item(s) you order are not in stock they have to be printed, and that's not a quick process, even with the new machinery he has. If they are in stock, he's probably trying to catch up with all the orders that people keep sending him, so he's busy elsewhere.  :dontknow:  :this:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...