How about a "figures" page?

[Fishcarver]

Now, before you all hoot me down, just listen up for a couple of minutes, OK? :)

I like to incorporate a couple of scale figures with my models, just to give them a sense of "life" when I display them. (mini-dioramas, if you like!)

For 1:200 scale warships, 1:160 scale figures (N guage model RR) will work reasonably well. (See SURCOUF, which I managed to actually build in 1:160) I have a "crew in waiting" for the I-400: gotta paint a couple and see how they fit...

You 1:33 aircraft guys and you 1:72 armour folks are OK. There are lots of figures in 1:32. 1:35 ...1:72 or 1:87 .

HOWEVER: As my eyes decay, I'd really love to incorporate some 1:25 scale figures into larger-scale armour models. Selfishly, as I model the COLD WAR period on both sides, I would not mind some post WW2 figures in 1:25 both Soviet (WarPac Allies) and Western. (US,UK, Canada, etc)

How about some modern 1:25 scale figures, modeled after the old Airfix multi-pose, and made in either plastic or resin? Just a thought!! Jim

[thokamous]

i think its a good idea

[Fishcarver]

Tho: I have tried with "marx-type" army men, etc. It just does not work. For naval figures in 1:160-1:200 I have used the Preiser "modern German firefighters". I am hoping that my supplier can get me some Preiser 1:25 Modern german firefighters in 1:25 that I can work on.....
Jim:)

[Fishcarver]

Preiser has a line of 1:25 figures that (if they brought them back into production) would be VERY suitable for conversion!!
What do you think?
Jim:confused:

[airdave]

I think they're not paper...blasphemer.

What are you trying to do to us?
sheesh
asking for more plastic.

[Swampfox]

Your idea is great, I use paper figures for my dioramas. I get them from AirDave and John Dell. Both include figures with their models and AirDave actually sells, or did at one time, a diorama set with ground figures as part of the kit.

You might even put out a request for a designer to create something specific for your needs. I'm sure that if enough builders show an interest that more figures will make their way into these kits.

Swampfox

[airdave]

yeah I think all my airfield diorama kits have figures in them...don't they?
lol I can't remember

I agree, flat paper figures are a good idea.
Better than plastic.
Bad plastic.
Relies on Arab Oil you know...bad plastic.
Paper good.
Comes from dead trees.
mmmm good.

[looker]

Comes from dead trees.Comes from living trees - dead trees are no use. They're cut down and pulped whilst still alive - have you never heard their screams. And what they then do to the pulp helps stuff the enviroment. Paper ain't all that good and green - specially when it's bleached white and even more so when they use old growth rainforest.

[josbakkers]

Fishcarver,most paper used is recycled so looker tells half a story.
But if You don't like flat paper figures,plastic one's are only used by the IPMS,maybe this is a solution I figured out.Cut 2 flat paper man,approx 7 cm,from a photo or plain paper to paint yourself,glue on one side Cardboard 1mm,2 layers to form head,shoulders,belly,1 layer to form arms and legs then glue on the front side with PVA glue wich will soften the paper so it can be shaped around the cardboard.Use lot's of glue rounde the sides.Small cardboard parts are shoes and nose,tiny white parts are eyebrows and ears.You can put on as many accesoires as You like.Finished it's not complete flat but a litle shaped as can be seen on the Photographs.Hope You like my solution.
Jos.

[Zakopious]

The paper man is a clever solution but if you need the hundreds of 1" soldiers that I use for wargaming, then plastic is the only way to go.

See: Plastic Soldier Review - Home (http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Index.aspx)

[Fishcarver]

OK, purists! :) (Thanks for not hooting me out of the park quite yet!!

So, you make a mold. You fill it with CELLUCLAY, a papier-mache product, made of paper flour and glue..... you get a 3D figure, once it hardens, if it ever does.....

But, you still have to have a master figure to make the mold. Let's lean on Preiser to bring back the 1:25 German Firefighters..... then, let's see....

Food for thought....

JR:)

[thorst]

I wondered for some time why there are so few kits for actual 3D-paper figures. I think of about 10-20 pcs per figure (head: 2 pcs, arms: 2-3pcs each, body: 1-3pcs, legs: 2-3pcs each, plus some details).

To see what I have in mind, look at my astronaut (1/48):
http://jleslie48.com/tb_astronaut/astro.jpg

or the crew of my Zeppelin (1/144):
http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/attachments/aviation/123942d1333305099-zeppelin-lz-45-l-13-1-144-fuehrergondel_01042012_01.jpg


I'd really like to see more paper figures!

Thorsten

[Fishcarver]

:)Thorsten: If those are 1:48, and PAPER then they are GORGEOUS!!

[thorst]

Yes it is 1/48. You can download it from

The Lower Hudson Valley Paper Model E-Gift Shop (http://jleslie48.com/)

[looker]

most paper used is recycled so looker tells half a story.
Would that that were true, but sadly it is not.

That's an ineresting technique for small figures Jos, thanks for posting it.

Your paper figures are excellent Thorsten. Could I plead for more details of the 2D shapes you use to make them?

[thorst]

Thanks!

Well for the bigger figures I try to use cylinders or steep truncated cones as base for legs and arms. At the knees and elbows, they can have a thin cut out so that it can be articulated and then glued together again. Feet are boxes with round edges.
The body is drawn as a facetted multi-triangle surface with basically irregular hexagonal cros section in top view. The astronaut body consists of about 30 triangles, everything was hand drawn in a 2D-drafting program. But of course it could be done in pepakura too. The head is symmetrical and was also devided into triangles by hand. See the templates, so you will understand.

The smaller figures require simpler parts, so the arms and legs are mostly cylinders or just laminated paper. The body is basically the same design as the astronaut but with less triangles. The heads are either boxes, cylinders or truncated cones.

In each case, the most important things are careful texturing (cloths folds!), as few seams as possible and smooth building without actually folding on the triangle borders (like with pepakura models).

Thorsten

[looker]

Many thanks. The details and link will give me plenty to think about (and to struggle with:)).

[Fishcarver]

Has anybody ever tried moldling and casting using CELLUCLAY?

i.e: make a prototype figure.

make a mold

cast it using celluclay? Preiser: I need a couple ofsets of your 1:25 German Firefighters!!!

JR:confused:

[NimitzFan]

Personally I've found architectural figures available in white plastic in nearly every scale. Usually you can find them off eBay for a couple of bucks. Then I take out my plastic tools and modify them to my needs. I'm doing some 1/200 right now for the modified version of USS Caravan I'm trying to finish up.

[Fishcarver]

Herr Admiral Nimitzfan: You and I are on the same page for sure ! However, there are "paper purists" here that disagree with us.....and as long as the publishers keep modeling armor in 1:25, we are kind of SOL.

Jim:)

http://www.peoplescale.com/?gclid=CMH20uS65LYCFU_ZQgodBE0Anw Maybe a couple of us can give our bro a hand!!! JR

[Swampfox]

Thanks for the Peoplescale link.

Looks like it's time to spend a little $.

Thanks,
SFX

[richkat]

Dang they are proud of them! you see the cost?....WOW......Rich

[kahoody]

yeah I think all my airfield diorama kits have figures in them...don't they?
lol I can't remember

I agree, flat paper figures are a good idea.
Better than plastic.
Bad plastic.
Relies on Arab Oil you know...bad plastic.
Paper good.
Comes from dead trees.
mmmm good.

Dave, you're a real hoot! Love your wacky humour, mate!

[Fishcarver]

Take all the Cdn beetle-killed trees. Grind them up.(papier-mache) Add dry glue (made of wheat & dairy by-products) Result: CANACLAY !! The Canadian, organic,green, sustainable, alternative to the dreaded P*****. It can be injection-moulded, etc.......

Come on, folks....If my kat can "think outside of the box", so can you.........:)

Jim

(Vichnaya pamyat, Viktor B)

[Fishcarver]

Hey! We are talking about "Cottage industry opprtunities" here..... JR:)

[whulsey]

They're repopping the old Ulrich Mini-Men (for you 60's slot racers and model car builders. Here's a link: Ulrich Mini-Men 1/24th Scale (http://www.ulrichmodels.biz/servlet/the-590/Ulrich-Mini-dsh-Men-1-fdsh-24th-Scale/Detail)

[Fishcarver]

Posable figures at $3.00 a piece!! This is a good start!!
JR

Vichnaya pamyat, Viktor!

[richkat]

They're repopping the old Ulrich Mini-Men (for you 60's slot racers and model car builders. Here's a link: Ulrich Mini-Men 1/24th Scale (http://www.ulrichmodels.biz/servlet/the-590/Ulrich-Mini-dsh-Men-1-fdsh-24th-Scale/Detail)
Thanks for this link, I was wondering if you could still get them. I build a bunch of the when younger.....Rich

[Fishcarver]

now: what kind of demand is there out there for 1:24 /1:25 figures?
Soviet Modern Nato etc?
JR:)

[spaceagent-9]

its the skill it takes to make them out of paper that is so interesting! great job!

[Fishcarver]

:):)Can we just keep this thread rolling for a bit?

[xanaduxlater]

The sketches made dishes so, have some problems, but they are already quite practical.
Mainly they are cheap and can be printed or colored coloring, as evidenced, so are ideal for schools where I work.

In the version presented are light, then only need to be glued to the base or to a support.

When I make wargame for schools, I realize something like adding wings and landing gear for aircraft 2-D to make them more realistic.

Or add the view from the top guns, tanks and trucks, to highlight also the clutter on the floor for the wargame, despite having accessories that can fit in an envelope for collector.

For sketches, working on 2-D, with a wide base, are easier to handle for for boys.

If there are errors in translation, sorry but I'm not good in English.

Fishcarver,most paper used is recycled so looker tells half a story.
But if You don't like flat paper figures,plastic one's are only used by the IPMS,maybe this is a solution I figured out.Cut 2 flat paper man,approx 7 cm,from a photo or plain paper to paint yourself,glue on one side Cardboard 1mm,2 layers to form head,shoulders,belly,1 layer to form arms and legs then glue on the front side with PVA glue wich will soften the paper so it can be shaped around the cardboard.Use lot's of glue rounde the sides.Small cardboard parts are shoes and nose,tiny white parts are eyebrows and ears.You can put on as many accesoires as You like.Finished it's not complete flat but a litle shaped as can be seen on the Photographs.Hope You like my solution.
Jos.