US Paras WWII Conte and Airfix Conversions (1 Viewer)

[Mike Blake]

This are rather old, ie they were done years ago, and appeared in Military Modelling magazine, but I have only just gotten around to up-loading them. They were fun to do, and I love the Conte figures, thought the rubbery plastic was a pain to clean up.

http://photobucket.com/US-Paras-WWII

 

[binder001]

Those are some first rate conversions. I have worked with these figures, so I symathize with your comments about that $#%^&&* "rubbery" plastic. The figures themselves are very nice sculpts and the paratrooper uniforms and equipment are about the best out there. Thanks for sharing!

Gary B.

 

[fishead19690]

Great conversions!^&cool I,m also with you guys on hateing that soft plastic. The only thing good about it is how easy it is to cut. I know a couple of guys who love to convert that soft plastic because of how it melts and joins with a soldering iron. Gary Dutko is great at working with that plastic and keeps all his conversons unpainted and if you picked one up and looked at it you would think they were factory figures the way he joins the figures back together so clean.
I got to see a table full of his work at a show and was impressed. I,m not a soldering iron type of converter so I can,t stand that Canadian plastic.
Keep the conversions coming Mike I,m loving them!

 

[fishead19690]

I really liked the Mohalk head guys and the flame thrower, great stuff!

 

[Mike Blake]

Thanks guys. We have a hot-iron guy too, but I can't master it so rarely use the technique - so, of course, I never get any better at it!

 

[Warrior]

Nice pictures and excellent work, those Conte US Airborne figures are first rate, by far the best figures ever made of their kind....the Germans and British Airborne are terrific as well.

 

[Mike Blake]

Thanks. Actually I think the Conte GIs are even better - better plastic, multi-part, and some really imaginative poses. I made a load into USMC. Must get those on Photobucket too sometime.

 

[Warrior]

Thanks. Actually I think the Conte GIs are even better - better plastic, multi-part, and some really imaginative poses. I made a load into USMC. Must get those on Photobucket too sometime.

Not a big fan of the Conte GI's, they didn't grab me like the US and British Airborne and the Germans did.

Would like to see the Marines and how you painted them up.

 

[Denver]

 

[Mike Blake]

Denver - nice! Pretty much what I did but I redid the trouser bottoms over the shoes for a lot of them, in the way the USMC seemed to prefer, and made some of the weapons peculiar to them too.

Warrior - really? Why was that? I was really excited when I got the sets - some of the poses are just sooo good IMHO! I couldn't wait to get working on them.

 

[Warrior]

Warrior - really? Why was that? I was really excited when I got the sets - some of the poses are just sooo good IMHO! I couldn't wait to get working on them.

Just my personal opinion is all, glad you like them.

The US and British Paras and the Waffen SS and Heer Infantry are second to none, really liked the figures they provided with seperate arm variations, that was a brilliant idea.

Also loved his Normans and Saxons that came with the Stamford Bridge playset, that bridge is superb, as well as his FFL and Arabs.............

 

[Ragnar]

Just my personal opinion is all, glad you like them.

The US and British Paras and the Waffen SS and Heer Infantry are second to none, really liked the figures they provided with seperate arm variations, that was a brilliant idea.

Also loved his Normans and Saxons that came with the Stamford Bridge playset, that bridge is superb, as well as his FFL and Arabs.............

I rather prefer or the old soft plastic {made in Canada} Conte sets myself {sm4}

 

[binder001]

I rather prefer or the old soft plastic {made in Canada} Conte sets myself {sm4}

On the good news - that soft plastic cuts very easily. On the bad news the fine mold parting lines can't be sanded like hard plastics. It takes forever with a sharp blade or the use of a hot iron. Unfortunately a fair amount of the figures have the mold parting line running right through the face. Trying to remove the line really screws up the appearance of the face. The submachine guns are OK, but the M1 rifles just don't cut it. I wish I was a resin caster - I would do a run of rifles and replace them.

Gary B

 

[Ragnar]

Agree trying to remove excess mold lines on the soft plastic is not an easy thing to do.
I still remember buying my very first set of Conte allmost ten years ago now {eek3} it was one of the Viking sets.
Those soft/rubber figures with those amazing sculps just blew my mind!^&cool

 

[Denver]

Gary
TSSD made rifles and other weapons that might work.
I used their cavalry carbine to replace chewed carbines on the 60mm Marx cavalry.

 

[kilted vampire]

I love the WWII hard plastics. Hate the soft stuff too. The GIs paint really well. No one can ever tell they are not metal until they pick them up. {sm3}