Figure Conversions

These are figures that I am working on in 1/72nd scale.

They are henchmen and molls and villains for Batman 66. 

The hexagon bases are for major named characters.  The triangle bases are for usually unnamed henchmen.

I gather figures from all over the collection to modify to create these heroes and villains.

They get headswaps, new arms, sometimes it even takes four or five figures combined to create one.  Frankenstyrene and his monster.

Other figures, like this black and white figure, will just be repainted.

Most of these are from generic plastic figures, often with head swaps.

This Dapol figure has had a Fujimi WWII German head with gas mask replace his original head.

All of these figures are 1/76 to 1/72nd scale.

This is a three way head swap.  Each figure here will lose a head and gain a new head.  Most of the British Commandos will get an M1 helmet.  The white figures will get the Commando watch cap.  The remaining Matchbox and Airfix figures will get either heads from the white plastic guys, or other heads from the spares box.  I am creating MR Freeze henchmen, top row, US Navy landing party, bottom row, and the middle row will be US civilian police or US Air Force and Army Air Corps soldiers.
 

Big Trucks and Little Trucks

Three searchlight trucks.  The dollar stores have sold a few different sets of construction equipment, police, fire and other vehicles that sometimes include a large generator trailer.

I chopped up the generator to fit sideways on a Roco 2 1/2 ton truck.

I am also working on more of the little Christmas trucks.

I am filling the roof holes with a bit of plastic sheet, gap filling super glue, and model putty.

Some of them turned out perfectly.  Others did not.  This is what they looked like after the paint removal.

The back of the trucks have an air hole in them because they are hollow.  I also patched them with gap filling super glue and putty, sanding them down afterwards.
 

Roco Van Trailer

Roco van trailer.

Two doors, these are often missing from used models, but are easy to scratch build.

Logistics are important for warfare and big vans like this are good for carrying many kinds of supplies particularly those that are easily damaged by rain or wind.

The landing gear work but it is not a great design.

This is a simple model and very durable.

Front end.

Bottom with retracted landing gear, and spare tire.

The top is a big rectangle.
 

Road Grader

This metal HO scale road grader has been in my collection for decades.

I decided it was time to paint it.

So I painted it.

It turned out pretty well for an old kit.

I used a soft plastic Roco driver.

Close up on the engine detail.

The wheels don't turn.

Nice detail on the radiator. 

It is soft metal and a bit fragile.

Bottom view, it's not very detailed.

Over all it's a good model I think.
 

Mountain Gun

T32 gun on T9 tripod.

In WWII US Army Mountain Troops in Italy used this cut down version of the 37mm anti-tank gun.

It was mounted on a .50 caliber machine gun mount.

Roco makes the 37mm ATG and a 50 caliber machine gun mount.

I rummaged around my spares and found a small mounting, cut down a damaged Roco 37mm gun barrel and a new model was born.

The mount was a bit narrow so I cut and then filed the inside between the horns to make space for the gun.

Besides cutting down the barrel length, I also thinned out the side of the barrel where it fit into the mount.

It looks pretty good next to daddy.

It is part of my project to use up the scraps, bits, and crumbs in the collection, repair the damaged, and clean up the clutter.
 

Camouflage

Decades ago I got a bunch of Roco WWII 2 1/2 ton trucks, van body and cargo truck with both styles of front fender painted in this interesting but rather WWII German looking camouflage.

Obviously someone air brushed them, using three different colors, but they seemed to have intentionally left bare patches of plastic, perhaps they never got around to spraying the forth color, or maybe planned to leave the black green of the plain plastic as is.

I use a big brush and dab on Testors 1165 Flat Olive to cover the bare spots.  I think it looks better than the plain plastic.

Overall I think it is a nice effect and although it does not seem to be a very "American" camouflage I like it well enough to keep it like this.

Vehicles in these markings had either WWII German crosses, or red stars, or white stars on them.

I guess the previous owner considered this a universal camouflage.

Apart from removing the old decals and painting the tires and bare spots I have not done much to them.

My plan is to use them as WWII or 1950s US Army depending on the vehicle.  There are a lot of M38 Jeeps in the bunch.

I think it looks pretty cool.