Man Up.

[Neil]

I've been on the lookout for some time for suitable figures to populate my forthcoming narrow gauge layout, the Ganllwyd Tramway. Spotting this thread here on RMweb sent me searching on e-bay for some suitable specimens and to the wargame forums for advice on painting figures moulded in the type of plastic that Airfix used to use for their passenger and railway worker sets before Dapol reintroduced them in a more paint friendly formula. Here are the victims:

 

 

The best of the advice seemed to be that an undercoat of PVA would give better adhesion for the following paint layers. There was some conflict about whether the PVA should be neat or dilute; I found that dilute wouldn't stick so opted for neat. One the figures are blathered in the glue all detail looks lost. The advice is that when the glue starts to dry the thin areas (which we want) will start to come clear, the thick zones (which we want to get rid of) will remain in the white of the glue in its liquid state. Brushing over the figures as the glue starts to dry, about ten minutes or so in a warm room, pulls this excess glue off the surface and the detail starts to come back. Here are the bods with a dried undercoat of PVA:

 

 

With the glue dry, the Victorians took a short trip into my spray booth (big cardboard box) for a waft over with grey undercoat from a rattle can.

 

 

This as far as I have got. I've an idea that some of the detail has been blurred rather than lost but I think it will be worth progressing further (there are some other sets of figures which I may experiment on with different techniques). I'm a little undecided whether to use enamels or acrylics, the advice being that either will work from this stage. It'll probably be enamel as I'm used to it having used it since childhood, though the quick drying times of acrylic does have some appeal.

 

It's not just Victorian bods that are heading for a coat of paint, here are some disarmed resistance fighters possibly destined for Morfa.

 

[Ben Alder]

Interesting figures. Whose are they?

[Neil]

Interesting figures. Whose are they?

 

The Victorians are from the Lledo horse drawn tram (similar ones are included with the horse drawn bus) and the more modern set are from Caesar Miniatures 'WWII Underground Resisters'.

[BernardTPM]

to the wargame forums for advice on painting figures moulded in the type of plastic that Airfix used to use for their passenger and railway worker sets before Dapol reintroduced them in a more paint friendly formula.

Actually Airfix did the two sets of figures related to the current Dapol figures ('Platform Figures' and 'Railway Workmen') in hard plastic, around 1980. It was the earlier 'Civilians' and 'Station Accessories' sets, tooled around 20 years earler, that were in the bendy plastic. The Dapol figures are very similar to the '1980' Airfix but, if you compare them directly, are clearly retooled as they differ both in the bases, faces and, in a few cases, pose.

The Lledo figures are excellent, though most are clearly larger than 4mm. The set shown are suitable for 4mm, though they are probably above average height for their period - nothing wrong with that, though! The plastic used is flexible, but not to the extent of the older Airfix ones.

[Neil]

Thanks for the clarification Bernard; if they turn out half as good as your set of passengers for the Egger conversion I'll be a happy chap indeed.

[BernardTPM]

Funnily enough I've got that set of those Lledo passengers (and the very similar horse bus set) but decided they were just a bit too Victorian rather than Edwardian! Still very nicely detailed, so they should come out well. Good luck, Neil.

[Neil]

Here's the first figure off the production line; couldn't resist the Railway Children pose.

 

 

I painted the primed person in layers, starting with the flesh tones and working my way outwards, so the white of the smock and the straw colour of the hat were applied last. The blocks of colour were deliberately chosen to be a touch on the pale side as i wanted to try the other wargame dodge of a dark wash to bring out the detail. Rather than black I mixed up a charcoal grey, washed it over then removed most with a clean brush. It definitely added to the figure bringing out the detail, particularly in the face. I'm afraid this second photo from the front doesn't show this to particularly good advantage, but it was a very noticable improvement from the basic paint layer.

 

 

There are a three areas that I'm going to try and improve on. The first is that I need to be a bit more picky when trimming the flash away, secondly the PVA layer which flaked off a little round the feet as I cut the figure from the base so I'll experiment with other treatments of the basic moulding, and thirdly I'd like to improve my basic paint finish (brush upgrade imminent)

[Stewart]

Neil,

 

There was an excellent article in a recent RM about painting 4mm figure penned by Northern Maiden who posts on Rmweb. I'm sure she posted something on here about it but I can't locate it through the search function. The article in RM was worth a look.

 

Loving your narrow gauge tail chaser.

 

Regards,

 

Stewart Glendinning

[Neil]

Thank you Stewart, I saw that article and for me it was the stand out piece in that particular month. It made me realise two things that better figures were a realistic possibility and that I'd have to up my game. I'm not there yet, but I'm having lots of fun trying.

[Captain Kernow]

Interestingly I used this technique when adapting an Airfix RAF figure as a signalman the other day.

 

Tarquin 'Tuppy' Cuthbertson started his career as a Squadron Leader, posing by a Spitfire and looking rather self-important in his uniform, peaked hat and handlebar moustache.

 

He then suffered the indignity of having his base carved off, soles of his shoes levelled-off and a 0.5mm hole drilled up his leg, into which a length of brass wire was glued.

 

He then had his peaked hat cut off and whatever it was he was holding in his left hand carved away.

 

I then painted him in PVA and left overnight to dry. A few adjustments to his bald pate in the morning, and he was sprayed with primer and then painted. He's now an older, balding Tuppy, but quite content in his new role working for British Railways...