First Scratch Building Project - Need some advive

[nheather]

I have the Plastic Soldier Company board game 'The Great War'. This uses plastic miniatures 20mm for infantry and 15mm for tanks.

I'm currently painting the infantry and tanks, but I notice that in some of the game scenarios the Germans have two captured Mk IV males which are disappointingly represented by cardboard counters.

My first thought was to order some individual Mk IVs from PSC and give them a German paint job. Problem is many must have had this idea - they are sold out and PSC say that they don't think they will be getting any more in.

As it happens I have to spare Mk IV female tanks so my scratching building job is to replace the female sponsons with male ones.

Now even though the sponson are quite small at 15mm (1:100) they are very detailed - although I suspect the detail is rather over-scale. But I don't mind that, what I want to do is to make sponsons that match as well as possible the ones on the British Mk IV males that come with the game.

Couple of immediate questions.

What approach would you take - build up using plasticard, or solid plastic, or putty, or mould

There are lots of rivets - I guess overscale but they look effective. Is there an easy way to simulate small raised rivets. Would drops of PVA glue work or would it just flatten out whilst drying?

Thanks for any advice.

Nigel

[Sgt.Squarehead]

TBH if you can get hold of a pair of male sponsons, copying them in resin would be your best bet.....Probably not what you have in mind, but I suspect converting the female sponsons will be a pain. Scratchbuilding might be your best bet if you can't get hold of a male set to copy.

PS - The Germans captured many more females than males (simply because we made and deployed twice as many), are you sure the scenario designer has their facts straight before you do your own head in?

[nheather]

Hi,

Thanks for the comments. I wasn't thinking of converting the female sponsons, just removing them and adding scratchbuilt male sponsons.

Remember that we are only talking 1/100 scale here so there isn't a lot of detail.

Moulding - that was my first thought but I'm not even sure how to go about that - and I imagine that it would cost a fair bit for one-off.

It would be great if the scenarios did use captured females but I have double-checked and they are males. However, inaccurate that might be the game will have been play-tested to work with the males.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Sgt.Squarehead]

In which case I'd scratchbuild the sponsonsons with card and use archer rivet decals.

[Tzulscha]

In which case I'd scratchbuild the sponsonsons with card and use archer rivet decals.

I agree except I'd make the rivets with drops of PVA glue. Just use a toothpick to apply.

Fast and cheap that way.

I'm all about cheap.

[Kingsman]

Another cheapskate rivet idea, assuming you use a water filter jug. Not so cheap if you have to buy a cartridge especially.

Open up a used filter cartridge and spread the contents out on kitchen towel to dry out. You will find you have thousands of tiny balls of varying sizes. Drill little divots with a finger drill of the right size where you want the rivets, add a tiny drop of liquid poly (on plastic) or clear varnish and drop a ball in each. Use fine tweezers, a sticky picker or the tip of a scalpel blade to place. Works for me. The different sizes work for different size rivets in different scales and last forever.

Probably too large for you, but I like Grandt Line rivet and bolt heads. These are injection plastic and each has a stem. Drill, insert, glue, next ......

[SleeperService]

1/100 scale rivets!!

Another way to make them is to use a needle to make a small hole partway through the plastic. There should be a slight lip around the edge when you've done. A tiny bit of Mr Surfacer or similar to fill the hole will be quick and easy.