simmerit Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 (edited) @Del Boyhas a build on the go so I wont steal his thunder but I thought I'd get this one away in parallel to the epic (slow) build of the Wokka that's been going on for the last 400 years or so.... So this is the classic photo. It was taken by Sgt Lansdown - all I know about him is he was a WO2. I'm not sure if that was at the time of this picture or later having got the promotion. I started my Mat having got my hands on one of the first kits released, so pre-after market. Some good bits available for it now which I'd have used if they'd been available at the time. Anyway - the blokes make the shot for me. I put my build on the shelf having made a feeble attempt at using plastic figures chopped up to try and recreate the poses, and failed badly - hence it going on the back burner. There has been a lot of speculation about the names on the radiator grill. I'm fairly certain they are May, Cath, Alys and Beth. Alys being the Welsh spelling of Alice and funnily enough my mate's daughter - they are from Ruthin in North Wales. Where I got to with mine is the Mat is mostly finished apart from weathering, tools and decals and a dozen other jobs. The BL4.5 has been a huge frustration as the InAccurate Armour gun is completely hopeless. I had a lad who is restoring one up in sunny Yorkshire measure it up for me and the resin one is that bad, I slapped a tarp on it as per the piccie above. I started the build again as there is a desert build going on on another forum, and the Mat keeps winking at me and saying 'come on fella - finish me please'. So where have I got to? I've never sculpted in my life but I tool the plunge. I'll post WIP so you can see how I'm getting on. I do an hour every night so progress will be slowish, but I will get there. I invested in a lot of tools - rubber brushes and what looks like dentists toolset. I only find myself using a couple of tools now I broadly know what I'm doing. I've used Magic Sculpt clay for the figures which is absolutely fantastic. Scene set. Here goes. Doing the blokes has been a huge learning curve. You can actually get 1/35th mannequins!!! I went for plastic figures and basically chopped them down to mannequin size. That's really important as the putty is built up in layers. As you can see, this lad is a candidate for shot put and 100m in the next Invictus games.... Other examples of base figures before layers of plastic are cut off down to bone sized limbs. a bad day in Syria with ISIS running riot... These are Hornet Heads. Some of them wont be used. They are painted in oils. Relevant heads are hard to find. I may try sculpting later. This is one of the anchor figures. The passenger in the front cab. I've started to build up the legs. Clothing is applied in sections Arms done. I chopped the hands off in the end, Trousers under way Leather Jerkin Edited February 25, 2021 by simmerit typos 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 I thought I was in good shape at that point Then I spotted his right leg was at the wrong angle and his boots were on the wrong feet! One of the advantages on clay is it breaks off really easily when set, so cutting an arm or leg off is not an issue! So leg is the right angle but the feet had to go! That Tarp has to go at some point as well. Rapid progress! Tour tash That's the first three of none done. Six more to go........ A bit to do but heading in the right direction. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Boy Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 Brilliant Simmerit, I just love the way you have shaped the Greatcoat and the various limbs etc, really great stuff. How did you do the Tarp? Cheers Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted February 26, 2021 Author Share Posted February 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Del Boy said: Brilliant Simmerit, I just love the way you have shaped the Greatcoat and the various limbs etc, really great stuff. How did you do the Tarp? Cheers Derek Its Milliput but I'll be binning it as its too thick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 Bit of progress with another lad done Just got the collar to get on the driver And in-situ 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M3talpig Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Your work on these figures reminds me of reading one of Bill Horans books on modifying figures and vignettes .....Bills work always left me speechless ....nice to see such skills have not died over the years. Very inspiring work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 1 hour ago, M3talpig said: Your work on these figures reminds me of reading one of Bill Horans books on modifying figures and vignettes .....Bills work always left me speechless ....nice to see such skills have not died over the years. Very inspiring work. Not quite sure I'm up to that standard just quite yet! I'll need to clean the figures off a bit to tidy them up, but its getting there. Deffo up for some BAOR figures at some point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 On 25/02/2021 at 22:09, simmerit said: and his boots were on the wrong feet! Love it when a plan comes together..... Watching and learning Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 Made a start on another drop short The next three should be pretty straight forward as they are mostly standing up, so nothing complex to do 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share Posted March 3, 2021 Quick shot with him in situ - you can see how the figures bring it to life. Hopefully I wont be too far off the original picture when its finished 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Model Mate Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Really nice figure work! I'm playing with sculpting too although I've plumped for 1/12 to minimise the fiddly-factor. Your efforts are superb - looking forward the the paint stage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 7, 2021 Author Share Posted March 7, 2021 Bit more progress on the little fellas This lad needs epaulettes and the belt on the back of his greatcoat finishing and he's done. Pockets padded out which was the last thing outstanding on his greatcoat. The last two lads are now under way. Hoping I may have all nine completed by next weekend.... I need to get buttons on all the greatcoats of course.. A lot to do on the Mat, which I may have said before 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 9, 2021 Author Share Posted March 9, 2021 Bit of an early start this morning, but cracked on a little bit Finished the collar on the greatcoat of the driver. He needs goggles on yet. Not sure if i should strip the oils off the figures I've done and start again. Must be private pike here. This lad has is scarf on as its a bit chilly. Leather jerkin started. The lad has a greatcoat on which is open, so a bit of the detail underneath needs to be visible. The jerkin is buttoned up. I've got one more figure to do after this. I'm hoping to have them all nailed by Sunday night, including the buttons!! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 10, 2021 Author Share Posted March 10, 2021 Jerkin done. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dads203 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 You are really getting to grips with these scratch figures mate, each one gets more refined fella, nice one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 10, 2021 Author Share Posted March 10, 2021 2 minutes ago, Dads203 said: You are really getting to grips with these scratch figures mate, each one gets more refined fella, nice one lets see what they are like when painted..... They really bring the Mat to life when you look at the real piccie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 13, 2021 Author Share Posted March 13, 2021 Managed to crack on a bit and hoping to have them finished by Monday if I can. The problem is the greatcoats which can take a day per panel and there are four panels per coat. Anyway. Here they are and this is what I'm aiming for 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 13, 2021 Author Share Posted March 13, 2021 That's me done for the day. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 14, 2021 Author Share Posted March 14, 2021 I'd hoped to finish the blokes today, but unfortunately I wont quite make it. Epaulettes and belt on this lad and a little touch was the pocket flaps - you can he's a gunner by the hands in the pockets. He still needs buttons, as do all of them. So the two lads on the left are the ones I've got to finish. Not in their exact positions, but it shouldn't be too far off the picture when it's done. Any the photo noone ever saw The photographers. I'll need to get greatcoats on these lads and and the berets will have to go 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Posted March 14, 2021 Share Posted March 14, 2021 This look fantastic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted March 25, 2021 Author Share Posted March 25, 2021 Not a great deal of progress as the Covid jab wiped me out for a week! I have stuck some primer on them though just to see what I'm dealing with from a finish perspective. A little work to do to tidy them up, including buttons on a few of them. This is seven of the nine. The other two should be nailed this weekend Then I can turn back to the Mat and finishing it off and weathering it before painting these lads 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vytautas Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 Very colorful and expressive gang! Looks very alive Vytautas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 Very nice build. I once visited the Chot El Jerrid where this photo was (probably) taken. Very flat and very bleak. There is a "new" road across it now, but you can still see the road Rommel had built during the war. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 So this is figure No 8 all done now. Edward Scissorhands Walt. Figure No 9 and the last member of the gunners in the Mat. He's all done now. and this is the nine of them All that needs to be done now is a tidy up with a sharp knife and buttons and they are ready for painting. The last figure which is the final figure to do is Sgt Lansdown who took the photograph. I've got two photographers but they need greatcoats and leather jerkins. I'll pick one of them for the shot. I'll be stripping the heads and redoing them. They were done in oils but have had a lot of wear and tear as I didnt look after them as they were WIP and always going to get redone at some point. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmerit Posted April 19, 2021 Author Share Posted April 19, 2021 I has a short break from the little lads as they were doing my nut in and have spent the last couple of weeks putting together Chally 2 using the first Trumpeter kit (which is dire) and three lots on InAccurate Armour resin aftermarket kits. As I've ground to a halt with it, I've turned my attentions back to the Mat. So he's done. Epaulettes attached and that's him sorted. Once he's dry, I'll prime the last two figures so I can see what tidying up needs doing. The final debate to have on the scene in the IWM piccie is what to do abotu Sgt Lansdown who took the shot. I cant find anything out about him. Its reasonable to assume he was a gunner, but there were also specialist teams out with the troops taking piccies, writing press releases and doing drawings. Sgt Lansdown could possible be one of these lads. So my decision is what to do about Sgt Lansdown. These two lads are photographers from the Bronco set. Clearly not gunners and also not wearing kit that's suitable for winter in North Africa. If I use one or both of them, they will need suitable attire. Its either that or I leave them off, or leave them in European/summer dress. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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