Odds and ends

I started by looking at my anatomy chart for the scale I'm making these in and finding the right thickness and width of plastic stock. You'll need to find one thickness for the actual sole and another for the heel which could be two or more times the thickness of the sole. I then drew out a plan on an index card that was the actual size I needed. The next step was to measure out the length of the boot and then add about a 1/2'' to this. At this stage mark the area that indicates the end of the extra length of plastic and lightly score it with an x-acto do not cut through it. You then take the plastic and starting from where you scored it slowly bend it back until it rests on the top of the remainder of your plastic strip. Again taking the x-acto cut through the rest of your strip that has the folded piece resting on it. With you are left with is a piece that if opened will look like an L. Now take some superglue and glue the open end together. After the glue has had time to dry I traced the outline of the sole that is on my index card and using the tracing like a carbon, transfered it to the far end of my plastic strip opposite of the end I glue prefering the toe pointing to the glued end.

Originally posted by garyjd@Dec 17 2004, 03:55 PM
I am in the progress of making two pair, one in 1/24 (75mm) and the other in 1/35. These will eventually be joined by infantry equipment in their repective sizes. These boot "blanks" could also be altered to represent other types of footwar. though I plan on doing some "plain" shoe/boot blanks for other periods.

Click to expand...

hi Gary

are your 1/24 shoe/boot be cast after you finished them ? I'm looking for 75/mm spare parts .
what about your Martini-henry rifle?

cheers
georges

Slowly start to cut away the plastic. This takes a bit of time as you're cutting trough two layers of plastic held together at one end by superglue. Keep in mind that you are not going to cut the entire sole out. It is important that at least the middle section of the fron the shoes be connected to the glued end, this will help to keep both soles uniform. You can then go in and clean up and refine the shape of the soles using files and sandpaper. Lastly start to cut away the area that is the front/toe of the boot. I then take a section of strip stock that represents the heel and lay it across the width of the area that encompasses the heel. I used superglue Gel to attattach it as it gives you a few extra seconds of working time. After you trim this up, turn it over and repeat the process again. At some point one or both will separate. These ends must also be cleaned up but periodically put them together to insure they are the same size. You are now left with a right and left boot'shoe sole. The next step involves the addition of the arch. Here is a picture of the two pair after the initial arch shape was added.

Georges, I hope to have them cast for future projects. I will start the Martini Henry rifle and carbine once the first of my 54mm Civil War rifles is done and the other a bit further along.~Gary

I start the arch by boiling some water in a tea kettle. Then take a coffee cup and fill it half way with the boiled water. Then drop in the soles that were just completed. I then take some tweezers and pull it from the water. I took a small piece of square strip stock and placed it in the front of the heel where the "arch" will be and then clamped it in place with locking tweezers. Now lower this back into your hot water for a few seconds, then pull it out and press down on the top of the sole just at the edge of where your square stock is underneath. Do this a little at a time continuing to lower the piece back into the hot water. The purpose of the hot water is to soften the palstic enough so there is not as much stress on it when you are pushing down on it. Repeat this as much as you feel you have to ,even replacing the hot water if you feel you need to.

Once you have gotten the desired arch to you sole you need to flatten out the remainder of your sole. For the Ammunition boot it requires the boot to round up in the front giving it it's distinctive shape. I did this with an x-acto handle. Place the handle on the top of the sole and slide your index finger underneath and you'll notice the sole will start to flaten or round out depending on the amount of times you do it. Here are the results.

The next step is to build the body of the boot. The first thing I did was to gule down a piece of plastic rod over the area that covers the front edge of the sole, this rod will represent the section of the leg and heel that goes into the boot. I did this to give the putty that will be added support and to also help establish the shape of the boot as well. When that was try I drilled out a hole in the front part of the sole that touches the ground. I then took a piece of brass rod with a small portion bent almost at a 90 degree angle and placed the long end through the hole.
This pin will go into a working base and will hopefully hold it in place while it is being worked on.

I then add some superglue gel to the exposed part of the pin. Here are both soles in place ready to for the next step. I will start that this weekend in addition to new work on the rifle.

Very interesting approach Gary! Thanks.

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Makes me wanna try it. Excellent sbs Gary.

Francesca, Thank you.

Alan, Clean and precise? Thanks. Sometimes the photos make them look a lot better. As a lot of folks keeping these things free of lint,fuzz and all those other little creatures seems to be a neverending task.

John, Thanks, give it a try.~Gary

Here is the initial application of putty. Roll out a little sausage of putty and push it down onto the sole with a flat tool, like a spatula. Be careful to keep the putty off the sole. I applied this putty on the sole that was on my working base and encountered one small problem. The piece only has one pin in it so while pushing the putty around the boot moved around in a circular fashion. I should have seen this coming and fortunately found a quick solution.

I carefully lifted the piece up by sliding my small spatula underneath the sole. It was then pulled off with a pair of locking tweezers and placed in a pin vise.

hi Gary ,I'm following your amazing sbs minutes by minutes
georges64

After the putty in photos 1 & 2 dried 2-3 hours I was able to add the putty that made up the heel. Bee sure to put enough putty that allows you to do some carving, filing or sanding to give it a little more realistic look other than a basic shoe shape.

Here is the boot with some minor carving to refine the shape.

Here is the 1/35 "little brother" to the larger one. I have to clean up that heel it has a little chunk missing from it. The main aid used in sculpting this was a magnifying glass.

Thanks for the shoe sbs.

You have a good eye for form and proportion.
I usually have to correct several times, still learning

Georges, Thank you. I plan on doing more pairs of boot and shoe blanks as they are going together a bit faster than anticipated.

Manfred, Thnaks. Observation plays a very big role. I do not like to do things over again. it's nice to get them right the first time.~Gary

Here is the M1842 musket along with an Austrian Lorenz rifle. There is not much left to do on the 42 except for the hammer, trigger/guard, sling swivels and buttplate.~Gary