Mixed in amongst Alan Tradgardland Gruber’s kind postal gift of AIP plastic 54mm Rogers Rangers and Woodland Indians were some random figures including some in jigsaw form that Alan included, knowing that I like a figure repair challenge.
Some wonderfully odd over-painting and broken figures to repair. Cowboys missing arms, Prussian missing bases and bayonets, horses without legs and hooves,
My repairs are usually stout ones, functional rather than fine military modelling, in order to bring these battered warriors back into Little Wars tabletop or garden gameable condition.
I use fine wire, superglue, cocktail sticks and masking tape to fix or rebuild missing or broken parts. We have a household allergy to Milliput / Green stuff so fine sculpted carve-able repair is not an option indoors.
Smaller scale cowboy on horse with no legs on the repair desk …
Horse legs roughly repaired, just a little trimming and smoothing required …
Some figures were in multiple fragile pieces like this lovely old Swoppet Indian, still with separate necklace and knife belt attached. After careful repair, he still swivels at waist and head.
Swoppet Indian and Cherilea cowboy in pieces.
Some other smaller cloned cowboys go clubbing with the reassembled smaller Cherilea Cowboy.
A few of the revolvers need a little further trimming and work, but you get the idea.
Converted ACW Confederate Artillery Man with arms or hands repaired.
The Plastic Napoleon had two hoofs or lower leg parts missing on his horse. He has now been rebased with two new sturdy hooves and lower legs.
This charging Timpo Prussian pose was a childhood favourite. Now rebased and bayonet restored.
Blog posted by Mark Man of TIN, 2 August 2020.
Man of Tin blog 
It is always a pleasure to see old warriors restored to fight again!
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Thank you. It is a curious pleasure to do so …
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I’ll be fascinated to see what you do with the Detail guardsmen.
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Not sure yet … maybe head swaps?
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The previous paint job was intriguing; looks like a Renaissance style checked one! You can use those figures for any mid 19th century to 20th century soldiers. Except for later 20th century it is realistic to cut off the rifle magazine or replace the rifle. You could give them kepis or shakos or leave the bear skins and paint in any colour you want for your Bronte nations guardsmen. For the 1970s period I made some into Kuwaiti guardsmen with checked head cloths!
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Thanks for the suggestions. The repaints are all very Ruritanian colourings or Swedish Scandinavian or Swiss Papal Guard. As you say the most dated feature is the rifle magazine. The original Deetail guardsmen were just odd figures with no opposition. Curious beasts …
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I must admit that my detail Guardsmen and all my other metal and plastic British guardsmen joined in the invasion of America in the 1860s-1870s I just ignored the modern rifles.
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In that situation they were experimental trial Rifles. Did they ever catch on? Who knows? As long as you have a trusty bayonet!
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You have been most productive. I particularly like the four horse legs replaced on the small cowboy and the Swoppets Indian. I have some Cherleia Roundheads coming so some swashbuckling is imminent.
Looking forward to seeing what you do with the other Gruber garage gleanings.
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Thanks. Very pleased with the small cowboy on pantomime horse – already bagged by a member of the family! I look forward to seeing the Swashbuckling. I will post and let you know what else gets turned into something interesting.
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If you can’t work with milliput, have you tied old fashioned plasticine? It can be moulded into quite detailed items but needs careful hardening (I always used to use clear nail varnish put on VERY carefully so not to disturb the material. Then it can be painted as normal.
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Thanks Ian for the reminder. The plasticine with nail varnish sounds a suitably smelly alternative to the old fashioned sealant of banana oil!
I can also use Fimo Polymer clay which can be modelled, removed, baked and glued on, painted if not the right base colour. Good for packs and bedrolls, bases and horse tails etc
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I like how it appears you give the horse running blades before he gets the full leg treatment. 🙂
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He was mid repair the Oscar Pistorius of the Wild West, before he became the pantomime horse of the Wild West world.
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‘Blade trotter’!
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