On the Repair Bench – Rainy Day Update

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Repairs underway – wire spears, masking tape, matchstick, wire  and glue leg repairs. 

Rainy day last weekend,  so a chance to do some more 54mm figure repairs.

These figures are not intended to be fine restorations but were bought as a job lot of bashed up, broken figures to be restored to stout enough condition for future gaming use in the garden or on the tabletop.

Work in Progress

Like several of these figures, these two Cherilea Assyrian looking ‘Saracens’  originally had wide thin bases which would not fit onto a twopenny  (2p) base. So it gave me a chance using a strong wire leg to have some quite active, almost balletic battle poses.

Where needed, a Fimo polymer clay base on the metal 2p was made for each figure and baked hard still on the 2p base. The figure was secured to the base when its wire or wooden leg was then glued into place.

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First row of figures repaired and rebased on Fimo polymer clay twopenny bases. 

I discovered looking up the  Cherilea ‘Saracen’  figures  that they have some opposition amongst the figures to be mended – an English Archer.

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Source Oldtoysoldier auctions reference image online. 
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Repaired Cherilea ‘Saracen’ Warriors and what I have discovered to be an ‘English Archer’ from the same postwar series. They all have certain Flash Gordon quality …

The ‘Robin Hood’ English archer figure again was too wide for the 2p base but for balance, I gave him anatomically too long a leg that touched the ground. I may have to shorten this and put a small gravel rock under his foot. A spare Dorset head was attached, as in keeping as the spares box would manage.

To outer Space

The Hilco / Cherilea spaceman was missing a head and leg, as well as a broken space rifle weapon. A Dorset Soldiers recast of a Britain’s style infantry recast head was the most spacey head I had in my spares box. The astro-mech leg you might recognise from the plastic skeleton’s musical horn standard thingy.

https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2018/09/08/pound-bag-skeleton-warriors-1-a-bag/

The Hilco Cherilea space figure as mended has some balance problems. Finding pictures of original figures online gave me an idea of what instrument or weapon was being carried – in this case, a sort of space rifle.

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A simple podfoot base for his other foot may be required. The Dorset Soldiers head could work as it is, as a robotic face or metal face mask. Alternatively it could have a flesh coloured or green alien skin face.

From the Arctic to the Air Force? 

The Timpo Eskimo or Arctic Explorer turned WW1 pilot figure in warm sheepskin clothes has worked well. I have inserted a map or flight docs in his hand, a nice touch that  I have seen on another hollowcast pilot figure.

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The Eskimo or Arctic Explorer fits in pretty well with the other pilots, alongside my “work in progress” Moshi Monster monoplane conversion to a Thirties biplane. 

The other Indian or tribal figures have shaped up nicely. Where possible I have kept the original paintwork.

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Three Timpo Indians and a Johillco Zulu repaired and rebased, before further paintwork 

A simple metallic copper paint skin tone covers the masking tape repairs well enough. All that is needed now on many figures are some spear tips from plastic scrap or Fimo polymer clay.

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(Left) Timpo running brave with spear. (Right) Colorful postwar Johillco Zulu or Maori figure, the broken fragile knobkerry replaced with a spear. 
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Hands Up? Slight differences in the Fimo bases give a bit of variety to these oddly posed Timpo Indians.  
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Two Britain’s Indians on Guard, two Crescent Indians with rifles, badly damaged on the body and largeish Harvey 1950s Indian with spear replacing Tomahawk.

The Crescent Indians with rifles had crush body damage, so I filled gaps by hot glue gun for any large holes and then glued masking tape over these areas.

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On one Crescent Indian,  I covered some crush damage holes by adding a thick loincloth of several layers of masking tape over the leggings. A few layers of paint should cover the joins.

The largeish  Harvey Indian was completely broken in half, so I hot glue-gunned both halves together for a secure join.

I have photographed these figures as they are slowly being repaired, just to keep a record.

I will post pictures of the finished figures when painted and varnished. I look forward to doing the fine details points of faces etc.

A rainy day last weekend,  so perfect for getting on with these figure repairs.

Blog posted by Mark, Man of TIN, 22 September 2018.

3 thoughts on “On the Repair Bench – Rainy Day Update”

  1. A lot of work keeping you busy there, coming together very nicely. I particularly like the Eskimo as WWI pilot! I’m sure there will be plenty more rainy weekends to help you finish them off.

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  2. I had no use in gaming terms for an Arctic Explorer so the WW1 pilot looked more likely. I have several trays full of broken figures and recast arms and heads to see me through the winter and beyond.

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