For the last couple years I have been sorting out my collection of US Army figures from the period 1898 to 1998. I am doing American Army troops that work for that whole period with touch points at 1898, 1918, 1938, 1958, 1978, 1998. These periods essentially conform to our involvement in several wars.
I got some trays from Dollar General stores and I am using them to help me sort the troops by one platoon per tray, four platoons per company. Sadly, hundreds of my Esci, and Airfix troops went brittle and will have to be replaced.
The cost of getting replacement troops has slowed the project by years. I am also arranging them into companies, battalions, regiments, with the over all plan to be able to field the combat elements of an infantry division.
I am very vaguely, basing these troops on actual units. The little photos are paintings of actual US Army units from these eras showing their uniforms, headgear and personal equipment.
All these Esci Zulu Wars British Infantry figures went brittle and will need replacement. It's at least 8 boxes of figures. The Italeri version of these troops have about a dozen fewer troops per set than the Esci figures sets and fewer riflemen. So I anticipate having to buy 10 to 12 Italeri sets.
I am using this book as a guide to uniforms and equipment at the small unit level for each era. This book is a great resource. The collection will include private, local, and state militias, organized guard units and other militarized groups. The US Army actually used saucer caps, Montana Peak hats, garrison caps, M1917 helmets, M1 helmets, pith helmets, pickelhaube helmets, and several other types.
My plan includes Boy Scouts, and US Forest Service men. The Boy Scouts often performed search and rescue, and other auxiliary duties in the World Wars. The US Army guarded the US Forests in World War One because wood was a strategic asset in World War One for airplane building and light ships. They were special units that were the only US Army Federal troops issued lever action units.
10 comments:
You said many were brittle... but why? Is it just "plastic rot" or were they forgotten under the sun, or in a too warm/humid place, or something like that?
The oldest plastic figures in my collection are from the 1950s. The newest are from 2026. I have had figures go brittle within 5 years of purchase and others that are nearly 70 years old and are fine. I store my figures in plastic food storage boxes, inside my home, inside a dark cabinet or inside a drawer. So no direct sunlight unless actually being used, and no extremes of temperature other than what is inside my home. My opinion is that figures go brittle because companies that are failing financially put fillers in the plastic to save money, and within a few years the figures go brittle. It has primarily been old Airfix and Esci figures. Both of them have had financial difficulties in the past. This is just my opinion others will have other ideas. I know of no method to reverse the process, or to prevent it. Thanks for reading and commenting.
That is an impressive collection and goals of building units to 1:1 ratio. I know many wargamers convert the ratios to have smaller or fewer units in bigger battles representing larger units though. I guess painting them all will keep you busy for a time. Luckily painting miniatures are very therapeutic.
Too bad many of your miniatures have become brittle of the years. It's hard to belive that the soft and fat plastic many of these are made actually became brittle at all. This plastic is usually so soft and fat that painting them can be challenging. Very nice with the added uniform guide and color references.
Some of my old 1/76 Airfix figures became brittle too.
I see you have one of the books published by the Company of Military Historians, plus you got yours for a good price to boot! ! I have two of the CMH books myself, both of which deal with earlier time periods. I also own a few loose CMH uniform plates, which I got second-hand.
Maybe if you apply a thin layer of transparent glue over these brittle figures might help to keep them from falling apart?
Not sure how many will be painted. In 1/32nd scale it has been traditional, until a few years ago, that plastic army men are not painted. The classic Green vs Tan wars being a good example of that. So generally the bulk of my figures don't get painted.
I have been told that putting a thin layer of glue over the figures will not stop the process. I suspect that white glue may be porous enough that the plasticizer molecules might escape anyway. But I don't know.
A friend of mine got that one used and gave it to me when he upgraded to a brand new on. Free is nice. Those plates are really cool.
It's like little friends are dying in some ways. I have been with them since childhood in some cases.
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