Airfix 54mm Napoleonic French Line Infantry

[Steve Brodie]

Just gets better and better with every update.
Re camera; the sensor in a phone is a lot smaller than a camera, even a point and shoot, go to a DSLR and its a massive difference. As Tim says in certain situations the phone doesn't half over react processing the image. I use my D7200 for all my 'completed' shots.

[Tim Marlow]

Even Cameras add post processing unless you shoot in RAW format....JPEG adds vibrancy and sharpness for example....great for holiday snaps or quick shots of a fleeting subject, but for something a little more specialised like this the better functionality of a camera can lift the image significantly. There is a lot to be said for functionality though. I have a great camera with a good macro lens, but every model shot I have posted on here has been taken with my I pad

[Neil Merryweather]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your restraint......:thinking:

So , on with Fusilier 4.
This is where we left him


He’s now been filled and filed and tweaked and refined and detailed and he’s almost ready, apart from his head and shako.



As before, I am leaving off his equipment to be added after painting. I’ve made a bit more effort with the weight of it on the clothes this time, especially with the pack straps at the epaulettes. I’ve also hollowed out his sleeves to keep his hands separate.

Here are all the loose bits


I did have another moment of madness, this time with the hobnails in his boots. I have struggled to simply paint them on in the past so I decided to add them physically. But I found it difficult to glue them in place in a controlled fashion so I went nuts and drilled 0.3mm holes in his boots. I then inserted short lengths of 0.3mm solder which I trimmed to length afterwards. I sanded the solder right down with 240 grit wet & dry

Here’s a little SBS sequence
[ATTACH alt="IMG_20210512_153034387.jpg"]423028[/ATTACH][ATTACH alt="IMG_20210512_155837214.jpg"]423029[/ATTACH][ATTACH alt="IMG_20210512_163755216.jpg"]423030[/ATTACH][ATTACH alt="IMG_20210513_113532378.jpg"]423031[/ATTACH]
I did this with Fusilier 3 and what’s really great about this technique is that I don’t even have to paint them- I just rub the paint off and expose the silver, perfectly round!

It’s just that it takes me an hour to do each boot…..and I have a nasty feeling these ones are hardly going to be visible in the end!

Anyway that’s all so far- thanks for watching

Neil

[Guest]

Now this dedication to the craft Neil, quite brilliant to think of that way.:thumb2::thumb2::thumb2:

When you attach the kit do you clean any paint away from the part where the glue will be ? and what sort of glue. ?

I've tried both TET and CA. The paint seems to dislike the TET, sometimes staying on.The CA I find hard to put a really small amount on the model or the kit., so I end up flooding the area.

[Steve-the-Duck]

Scale hobnails?
Madness, utter madness!

[Neil Merryweather]

Now this dedication to the craft Neil, quite brilliant to think of that way.:thumb2::thumb2::thumb2:

When you attach the kit do you clean any paint away from the part where the glue will be ? and what sort of glue. ?

I've tried both TET and CA. The paint seems to dislike the TET, sometimes staying on.The CA I find hard to put a really small amount on the model or the kit., so I end up flooding the area.

Cheers John.
I don't remove any paint. I try to design the fit so there is no stress or tension required. I use a very flexible clear-drying form of PVA which we use at work called Emulsion Glue. I decant a bit and leave it for 10 or 15 minutes and then it grabs quite quickly. It does mean that if it goes wrong you can do it again as the glue does peel of with care.
I don't know of a hobby equivalent as I have only ever bought it wholesale in 5litre cans..... .Possibly canopy glue?
I also use silicon rubber sculpting tools to position or hold the parts to avoid damaging the paint, especially on the metal straps.
hope that helps
N

[Guest]

Cheers John.
I don't remove any paint. I try to design the fit so there is no stress or tension required. I use a very flexible clear-drying form of PVA which we use at work called Emulsion Glue. I decant a bit and leave it for 10 or 15 minutes and then it grabs quite quickly. It does mean that if it goes wrong you can do it again as the glue does peel of with care.
I don't know of a hobby equivalent as I have only ever bought it wholesale in 5litre cans..... .Possibly canopy glue?
I also use silicon rubber sculpting tools to position or hold the parts to avoid damaging the paint, especially on the metal straps.
hope that helps
N

Thanks Neil .

[Lee Drennen]

Neil beautiful a very nice job enjoying this thread.

[Neil Merryweather]

And he-e-e-e-e-re's Fusilier no 4!


Looks like I'm going to have to add a couple of buckles which aren't usually seen to the back of the cartridge pouch, and of course he will have his pack, but you get the general idea.
And you can't really see the hobnails, either! Hey ho.


But WE know they are there, don't we?
thanks for watching
Neil

[Neil Merryweather]

......and here they are

so now I can get on with the painting

[yak face]

Superb attention to detail and modifications neil! The sense of motion is perfect , very hard to achieve and a lot more involved than you would think - lots of things to think about but youve ( hob) nailed it , cheers tony

[adt70hk]

Neil

Top notch work as always. Those three together really do look the part.

As for the phone/camera dilemma I have exactly the same quandary of convenience vs quality.

I tend to be use the camera for the final shots where it will make the most difference.

Well done done again.

Andrew

[Jim R]

Hi Neil
Absolutely brilliant - hobnails indeed :tongue-out3: Talk about going the extra mile!!
Jim

[Neil Merryweather]

Tony , Andrew and Jim- Thanks very much Chaps!

[Steve Brodie]

wow :dizzy: