Size ? (1 Viewer)

[alfs boy]

Hi all .
I have just joined this forum and have found it very interesting .its a wonderful hobby .This is my first post .I sculpt figures though not military at present ,though I have done in the past for well known companies .I started painting and selling figures in the 60 and won a few cups and got a MM cover then started sculpting for my sins .I want to produce some figures ,possibly seven years war Prussian ,foot and mounted if all goes well ,maybe Kaiserzeit too .I find that the two major makers are different sizes and wonder what to go for .I prefer Stadden 54 mm size ie 54 mm to eyeball about 60 mm in overall height .I would like to present them in gloss and matte and maybe kits too .Its not going to be a huge program or worry anyone else in the trade .Any thoughts/help on the subject would be very gratefully accepted.
thanks

 

[Wraith]

Welcome to the forum mate.
It's addictive here, so you may find yourself spending more time on the forum than sculpting, but that's a chance you've just got to take!

This is just my opinion based on what you've asked, and as a non-collector of the earlier periods, but I would have thought you may have more success with the smaller scale. To my knowledge, generally, gloss figures and kits are found in the smaller scale, whereas the larger scale is dominated by matt finished products only. Just a best educated guess, but I'd be interested to see what others have to say.

Cheers
Simon

 

[maddadicus]

I agree with Simon. If you do gloss ,you should try to match the smallish 54mm size of the early soldier mfg. Also, F.I.W. is a favorite of mine and U.S. collectors might tend to be interested in this period, rather than the European..But welcome .Michael

 

[Rob]

A very warm welcome to the forum.

Rob

 

[marco55]

I agree with Simon. If you do gloss ,you should try to match the smallish 54mm size of the early soldier mfg. Also, F.I.W. is a favorite of mine and U.S. collectors might tend to be interested in this period, rather than the European..But welcome .Michael

Correct on both counts smaller and FIW and a matte version also.Would like battle figures rather then parade ground type.My personal opinion only.
Mark

 

[wadepat]

Hi Alfs boy,

Welcome to the forum! This is a wonderful place to post questions. You can count on other members sharing their opinions with you.

I agree with those who have already posted. I recommend the 54 mm scale for glossy figures.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[mikemiller1955]

Welcome to the forum, I collect FIW and 7 Years War and I would love to see your 60mm mattes.

 

[maddadicus]

Welcome to the forum, I collect FIW and 7 Years War and I would love to see your 60mm mattes.

This Michael will confuse you and corrupt you in the ways of bulkier matte figures. He will say to you over and over...ZULU,ZULU,ZULU. Run, do not walk, away from this man and his new ideas. The old type, smallish glossy classics is the light that you seek..Also, if you make marching, I will buy 6 at a time..Do not be mislead..That Michael will show photos with 200 Zulu War figures in them...He uses mirrors and special effects to persuade you to the darkness.Michael

 

[kreddy]

This may be totally off-base, but has anybody tried splitting the difference with 57 mm to try and appease both sides? (Hey, not all people are the same size!)

 

[OzDigger]

Hi all .
I have just joined this forum and have found it very interesting .its a wonderful hobby .This is my first post .I sculpt figures though not military at present ,though I have done in the past for well known companies .I started painting and selling figures in the 60 and won a few cups and got a MM cover then started sculpting for my sins .I want to produce some figures ,possibly seven years war Prussian ,foot and mounted if all goes well ,maybe Kaiserzeit too .I find that the two major makers are different sizes and wonder what to go for .I prefer Stadden 54 mm size ie 54 mm to eyeball about 60 mm in overall height .I would like to present them in gloss and matte and maybe kits too .Its not going to be a huge program or worry anyone else in the trade .Any thoughts/help on the subject would be very gratefully accepted.
thanks

I used to collect 1/32 (54 mm) figures and vehicles, but several years back I switched to 1/30 scale because I find the larger figures have better display value.

 

[trooper]

All depends on whether you want to fit in with other makers or just do your own thing. If the former then there are many makers producing true 54mm, quite a lot the "Stadden" size and several the 1/30th scale. If the latter then take your pick.

 

[alfs boy]

Thanks to everyone for their advice .It looks like I have chosen 54 mm size as I have started a figure to see how I get on .I am making a French infantry 1730-50's in tenue de route order nonchalantly striding along rifle over shoulder. possible dog included .Got to start some where .I intend to do it gloss or matt to a good standard of sculpting and painting .Not sure what to call them yet.I am in sculpting mode at present but that can all change depending on what turns up workwise .54 mm seems huge after years sculpting smaller 20mm -40 mm civvys .Feels more like 90 mm
Its certainly a very good forum and like Wraith says ,its addictive and looks expensive .Still recovering from the Fender Telecaster forums ,doubt if my wife ever will .LOL or is it IOU !!
cheers

 

[alfs boy]

This may be totally off-base, but has anybody tried splitting the difference with 57 mm to try and appease both sides? (Hey, not all people are the same size!)

Sorta looking at this .The trouble is the 60 mm are all seem a bit bulky in anatomy at least in photos whereas the 54 's seem a bit more skinnier and precise .This could be because the original Britains were quite good proportion wise even if their heads sat on the shoulders a bit too upright .As I am painfully aware ,even though a figure is a certain height ,its actual head size and bulk may well determine its actual scale .Confused? I am .I still have to watch proportion like a hawk .Its easy to slip .Anatomy is a hard ,merciless task master with precise rules .Break em and you are making "dwarfs and gnomes" and severely disabled people who couldnt walk talk or fight in real life .A person can be chubby ,fat ,thin , gianormous, ,Herman Goering or a male Auschwitz survivor but the anatomy is still the same .(Not sure about Hitler though )
If the 60's were a similar physique to the 54's then height wouldnt matter so much .
I could of course be talking a load of bollocks but thats how I see it from just idly looking at pictures .
Any thoughts anyone,you probably have examples in front of you .I only have some Delprado Cav ?please tell me I am wrong .It would make life a lot easier .

 

[theBaron]

At risk of being repetitious, I mix figures advertized as 54mm but not really 54mm, depending on the needs of the scene.

My primary area of collecting interest is the 18th Century, especially the Seven Years War and Frederick the Great's army, and the Revolutionary War. I use figures from makers (not a complete list) ranging from Prins August, Imrie-Risley, Rose (Russell Gammage), John Scheid, New Hope Designs, Ulrich Puchala, Hecker-Goros and Britain's current Redcoats, which are all pretty much in the classic 54mm scale; to Tradition, Dolp and Peipp; to MiniWelt and classic Staddens, which are, as you've noted, a little larger and usually more robust in their sculpt.

I'll consider each maker and his product when choosing figures for the different arms of service, especially cavalry. Hussars should be smaller men, on average, and practically wiry, compared to dragoons and cuirassiers. So I prefer an I/R or Puchala hussar figure to stand next to a Stadden cuirassier.

It all depends on what you want your result to look like, too. If you collect finished figures and don't do any painting or modification, you might prefer more uniformity. If you're a painter, and working on a diorama, you might want to represent a more natural range of variation found in most groups of people.

Prost!
Brad