Assembling/painting a mounted figure- after some assembly advice? (1 Viewer)

[Hazebrouck]

Having avoided mounted figures for a long while this is one I have always wanted to make. It has been a long time since I made any sort of mounted figure and assembling this kit has been like landing a marlin- it has been fighting all the way!

I’m after some advice from the experienced painters/kit builders as to how they would approach painting and further assembly of this kit?

I’m inclined to (1) glue the figure to the horse. (2) Fit either the white metal reins supplied or make some from masking tape and glue them to the figures left hand. (3) Finally basecoat the figure and paint.

Would others paint the figure and the horse separately? The saddle blanket will be easier to paint.

Would you affix reins after the horse and figure have both been painted?

Looking for some advice?

Scott

 

[Obee]

Scott,

looks like good looking figure, so keep giving us progress images as he gets his paint.

You asked:

(1) glue the figure to the horse.
NO, I paint them separate

(2) Fit either the white metal reins supplied or make some from masking tape and glue them to the figures left hand.
Use the metal reins

(3) Finally basecoat the figure and paint.
I'd use a grey primer as the uniform is khaki, and the horse brown?

(4) Would you affix reins after the horse and figure have both been painted ?
Yes, that way you get them right.

I hope that helps, but please keep asking.....

John

 

[aujj65]

Scott,

looks like good looking figure, so keep giving us progress images as he gets his paint.

You asked:

(1) glue the figure to the horse.
NO, I paint them separate

(2) Fit either the white metal reins supplied or make some from masking tape and glue them to the figures left hand.
Use the metal reins

(3) Finally basecoat the figure and paint.
I'd use a grey primer as the uniform is khaki, and the horse brown?

(4) Would you affix reins after the horse and figure have both been painted ?
Yes, that way you get them right.

I hope that helps, but please keep asking.....

John

Hi Scott,

I agree on all the above that John has advised, and looking forward to more photos as you progress.

Jeff

 

[hsm]

where can i get this elusive figure- its winny Churchill!

 

[johnnybach]

Hi Scott. I agree with both of the other replies received - though my resevations about heavy applications of primer are well known. I would also drill and pin the soldier and mount by using an epoxy glue - to make sure of a permanent fix between the two parts (scrape back to bare metal where they join).

Reins in metal - attached after both parts are painted and figure fitted - for me. You will need to scrape off a tad of paint where they fit - then re-touch afterwards.

Maybe have a look at how I did my Canadian Mounted Rifle figures in that thread for details?

Nice figure too - I like him very much. Can you give us a few more details? Looks a bit like the Trophy Churchill mounted figure.

 

[theBaron]

Ditto here, too, on leaving the figure separate from the horse and painting them separately.

Regarding the reins, I'd use the metal ones, too, especially if they are made of foil and can be shaped easily. If they are cast, eg, like the reins Imrie-Risley use for their horses, I replace them with thicker lead foil. I'll attach them and do a test fit, shaping them to the figure's hand, then paint, and then, when placing the figure on his mount, gently place the reins in his hands.

Hope that helps, prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

where can i get this elusive figure- its winny Churchill!

Nice figure too - I like him very much. Can you give us a few more details? Looks a bit like the Trophy Churchill mounted figure.

It reminds me of the old Phoenix figure, too. At least, I think Phoenix produced one of Churchill at Omdurman. Or perhaps it was Rose. You may be right, John, it could be a newer sculpt, a la Trophy.

Prost!
Brad

 

[yeoman]

Hi hsm,

I believe that this is the old model of "Young Winston" by Phoenix or a re-cast. I used to have one in my collection but it's long gone now. I don't know who currently owns the Phoenix range now but I haven't seen this figure for years.

Regards,

Yeoman.

where can i get this elusive figure- its winny Churchill!

 

[theBaron]

Forty-Third, Ltd has much of the Phoenix catalog, but not all of it. I didn't find the figure in their current lists. I'll have to look in my Phoenix catalogs when I get home and see if I can find the original photo.

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

I tried to buy the old Pheonix figure of Churchill by contacting the present owners of SOME of the Pheonix range (forty-third.co.uk), about a year or so ago. -They courteously replied to me - but unfortunately confirming that they didn't have THAT one, I'm afraid. Shame that - as I'm sure it would be a BIG seller.

I think it might prove an excellent financial investment - if a sculptor could sculpt another similar model - and then an excellent producer of equestrian figures were to bring it to reality. Looks like they would have at least two customers already for a wonderful casting like that. Now I wonder who could possibly do it???? Any ideas - anyone??? johnnybach

Hang on a moment - I have just looked again at forty-third's web-site - and there is a figure on a horse B8 in their catalogue now - labelled "Young Winston. It is marked up as "Coming Soon with price to be announced".

If you want one - keep on asking, is my advice! They MIGHT just do it again then. jb

 

[Obee]

Brad & JB,

Thanks for the extras comments you have posted, I had forgotten to mention the scraping of the paint to improve the join, and the shaping of the reins. I do that in all my figures, but when I have to put the words down, I sometime omit some of the finer points

Yes, he's fine looking figure, and I'm looking forward to seeing him with his 'lick of paint'.

John

 

[johnnybach]

Sorry about the quality of the pic. - but it's from the General Interest part of forty-third.co.uk on-line cataloge. Looks like it IS the one some of us are after, as that looks very like a Mauser in hand!

Maybe try an e-mail - I will try once again too. You never know - if enough people come knocking on their door - they just MIGHT bring forward a new supply! jb

 

[Hazebrouck]

Thank you gents for the advice. I will paint the Winston figure separate from his charger and then work on the reins ( a fiddly looking job if ever there was one!).

The kit is indeed an old Phoenix Miniatures "Young Winston" that I managed to buy a while back unopened in the packet- lookout for those e-bay kits that the seller can't identify.

The castings are very well done however the fit of the components has required a fair bit of work so far. You can see a fair amount of greenstuff on the back seam of the horse.

The bridle where the reins fit were missing or never came with the kit, so I made them from 20amp fuse wire bent around a needle.

Will post some more images as he progresses.

Trying to achieve something similar to John Firths lovely version of this kit in the first post of this thread-


http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/fo...figures-by-John-Firth&highlight=phoenix+sudan

Brad,

Where do you buy lead foil?

Scott

 

[aujj65]

Thank you gents for the advice. I will paint the Winston figure separate from his charger and then work on the reins ( a fiddly looking job if ever there was one!).

The kit is indeed an old Phoenix Miniatures "Young Winston" that I managed to buy a while back unopened in the packet- lookout for those e-bay kits that the seller can't identify.

The castings are very well done however the fit of the components has required a fair bit of work so far. You can see a fair amount of greenstuff on the back seam of the horse.

The bridle where the reins fit were missing or never came with the kit, so I made them from 20amp fuse wire bent around a needle.

Will post some more images as he progresses.

Trying to achieve something similar to John Firths lovely version of this kit in the first post of this thread-


http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/fo...figures-by-John-Firth&highlight=phoenix+sudan

Brad,

Where do you buy lead foil?
Scott

Hi Scott, try and find a bottle of wine (or pop) with a lead foil topping! :wink2:

Jeff

 

[theBaron]

Brad,

Where do you buy lead foil?

Scott

Hi Scott, try and find a bottle of wine (or pop) with a lead foil topping! :wink2:

Jeff

Hi, Scott, Jeff's correct, some wine bottles still have metal foil on them, though it's becoming tougher to find them. Many have a metal and plastic sheet, similar to modern toothpaste tube material, which probably still can be used, though I don't.

Back in the day, modelers used to use old toothpaste tube sheeting, too, you'll find that tip in old magazines and books.

But there is another source for pure lead sheeting, and that's your dentist. X-ray blanks are still sealed in packages that include lead sheeting, to protect them from stray radiation that would ruin them (like exposing film to light). Ask your dentist if he has any and if he'd be willing to part with it. I did, and she gave me a bucket full of the used sheets. Your dentist might be glad to get rid of it, free of charge, instead of paying for some kind of "environmentally-friendly" disposal costing beaucoup bucks (or pounds).

Your dentist might be willing to part with old dental tools, too, like the various picks and probes used to clean teeth. They make excellent sculpting and cleaning tools. It never hurts to ask.

You can also find lead foil in some hobby suppliers' catalogs, but I like scrounging it, it satisfies my Dutchy sense

Hope that helps, prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

Oh, and Scott, your mention of fuse wire made me remember--some folks use solder for reins and straps, because you can flatten it into shape, and of course, it's eminently pliable.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Wendy]

Not really much to add, except dry fit the rider and horse several (well, many) times before beginning to paint (including after priming). There's nothing worse than getting both painted, finding the fit isn't right and then having to fix it, messing up the paint job... :rolleyes2:

 

[johnnybach]

Scott - another (perhaps unlikely) source of reins material, is the Blister pack foil from around certain pills from the pharmacist (e.g asprin packaging). This is actually often metal/plastic/metal sandwiched together, and can be cut into long strands from between the pills - or edges of the pills. It can often be bent - to hold its shape and moulded to fit onto bridles/ hands. I also have used it for webbing straps (for pouches/ water-bottles etc) with some success. Can be fixed in place with super-glue or epoxy types and paints up well. Just needs a bit of practice with it. jb

Everyone else - e-mailed forty-three.co.uk - and asked about the "coming soon" Young Winston Casting they have listed as B8 - but no reply yet. Do keep on pestering - and they might get fed up and actually cast some. johnnybach

And in case you have never seen one finished - this is the masterpiece of him created by the Master himself - John Firth. Simply gorgeous.

 

[beating retreat]

Hi

A trick I use when painting mounted figures is to drill a hole into the base of the figure where it will be attached to the horse and a corresponding hole into the horses back dry fit to check it fits OK. Then I attach the figure to a piece of metal rod which is then fixed into a piece of sawn off broom handle( about a 2 inch piece and glue) this allows you to hold the figure while you paint it and set it down between paint changes and sittings, once finished cut the metal rod with enough left in the figure to be fitted to the horse this can be glued or as in some of my figures that have to travel across the pond are left for the collector to just slot into the horse when they set them up. Hope this is of some use, of course every painter as their own techniques.

When I made this figure I used electricians tape for the reigns its flexible and holds acrylic paint once primed, alternatively you can by the appropriate colour so you do not have to paint it. To prepare it you will need to wipe the sticky bit off the back with white spirits.


Regards John

 

[Hazebrouck]

Hi


When I made this figure I used electricians tape for the reigns its flexible and holds acrylic paint once primed, alternatively you can by the appropriate colour so you do not have to paint it. To prepare it you will need to wipe the sticky bit off the back with white spirits.

Thank you John for that tip, I would not have picked those reins as being electrical tape. I have actually been using your figure and horse as an assembly guide for this one.

Do you build up your bases with milliput or similar?


Brads, JohnnyB

Thanks for the other suggestions. The fine solder rolled to a flat profile sounds like another good method.

Scott