Forum

Orders from the boss.

Hi Martin, The Big Box is one of the original Revell 1/72 corvettes, about 30 years old. The one above it is no longer there. That was (the other) Martin's Piper Cub which he seems to have built in record time😮 (Maybe pranged it by now as well!?) Would you believe there is another 1/72 downstairs??? One of the new Technik kits with some electrical gubbins. (Not worth the extra cost IMO🤔) A recent acquisition, I must be NUTS, but then that's a prerequisite for model boat builders isn't it 😊 😎 PS Attached my attempt to keep tabs on my Stash! XCEL spreadsheet! Not quite up to date 😔

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Model Boat crew....

Maybe another way (certainly in 1/72 scale) is to pewter cast new crew. I took the original figures included with the model and made a RTV silicon cast of them (to ensure I had an original copy) This method is simple - place the figures into plasticine contained within a lego 'walled' structure, then pour on something like GP-3481 from Polycraft (Although I use MBR-s version). Once cured, repeat in reverse to get complete figures i.e put half silicon mold containing the figures at bottom of box, paint on some vaseline as a mold release and to stop the silicon bonding to itself, then pour more silicon. Wait for it to set and then split the new mold, remove the original figures, cut some feed and vents and then clamp halves together after dusting with talc and then cast them in Pewter. I made about 20 figures and then set about changing arm positions, legs, caps etc with simple jewellers files etc. Then I recast the figures in more silicon, more pewter and finally painted and posed them. The RTV and Pewter casting techniques are widely seen on YouTube and I found it so easy. It's not the cheapest way (although it undercuts buying cast white metal figures commercially) and it meant I could not only get the crew looking how I wanted, but the molds last ages and I can recast many more at any time for the next project. Incidentally, I always use scrap lead free pewter found on line or in local car boots for pennies. As an aside, I also used the same technique to make many more splinter canvases for the bridge of HMCS Regina - saved me buying more!

5 years ago by Spock66