They are basic, and a bit bare, so I've already added those welded on strips seen in North Africa, along with odd bits of kit (from the half-tracks), and an old Matchbox officer, who looks just the part.
Searching for a suitable command figure led to this little lot of forgotten Airfix (second version) and Matchbox Eighth Army chaps:
After nearly 40 years like this I think they need a bit of TLC.
You need the chappie in the beret from the Matchbox Brit infantry as well:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/SetScans/MBXP5001b.jpg
Cheers, Dave
Right! He must be knocking about somewhere - it's time for a trip into the loft!
DeleteI also have some airfix thats 40 years old and no rot.. any of yours?
ReplyDeleteNo, no rot in the stuff bought in the 1970s, but the Airfix American Civil War (Union infantry) stuff I bought (well, had bought for me) in about 1966 has got rot. Having said that, spent a happy afternoon one day when I was just a nipper 'killing' them with my aunt's hairspray - that might have affected them!
DeleteGreat minds think alike .I was looking at my 60s/70s Airfix ans Roco minitanks last night too. I need to get a cloth for the table before I can proceed. Some of mine ( given to me most generously awhile back) have a touch of the plastic rot.Can anything be done for them?
ReplyDeleteIt must have been something in the 70/- in Edinburgh in the early 1980s! I wonder if a PVA coat might help?
DeletePlastic rot will be the death of me. I find it in the old 1980s ESCI molds. It does however mean more figures for conversions however.
ReplyDeleteNice work Stephen.
Thanks, Paul. The plastic rot business is interesting. The Matchbox 8th Army chaps in my photo are actually discoloured as the odd little shop I bought them from in the early 1970s had them in the window. Now, I know the English sun isn't particularly fierce, but it had yellowed the plastic - yet they don't seem brittle at all. I wonder if different batches were affected to different degrees?
DeleteThey've got the lines right at least. They're not a bad kit by the looks of things. I have some spare Montys from his caravan kit if you'd like one. Not sure what uniform he's wearing, but it can't be too far off at that scale - there's only so many ways to sculpt pants.
ReplyDeleteYes, the overall look is fine, but detail is sparse. But, for wargames, fine. Thanks for the Monty offer - before I take it up I'll see if I can find my Monty. I used the body of his caravan and returned it to the Italians by adding a scratch built Lancia cab, and I turned the Dingo into a not entirely accurate Lince in RSI colours. So ... that must mean is out there somewhere. It is definitely a loft recce.
DeleteI think Monty got taken by me when I was small, and if this is the case, he will be in a huge jumbled box of plastic figures. Which may or may not be in the loft, shed, or T's room...
ReplyDeleteAh. Well, he wasn't in the loft when I looked this evening; not in any obvious place anyway. We shall search for the jumbled figures - in the sweet tin in the shed?
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