1/48 scale SMLE MK 1 No 3 Rifle

[Ray]

A few photos of my just completed 1/48 scale SMLE. It is pretty tiny at approximately 24mm in length, and now I'm pretty sure my eyes will never uncross. lol

 

[garyjd]

Weapons are tough enough in 1/32 let alone 1/48. Great job! ~Gary

 

[Ray]

Thanks Gary. Small scale weapons aren't my favorite thing to make, but a guys gotta.....

 

[fanai]

lovely work - I was going to exactly the same as I wanted Aussie troops relaxing on a dock on my 1/48 layout

 

[Ray]

Thanks for the note and kind word Ian. I hope that you will like the castings too when you receive them in a few weeks.

It seems I transposed the rifle nomunclature in the posts title, oops, it should read; SMLE No. 1 Mk 3 rifle. I was actually cross eyed when I made the original post just as I said.


Ray

 

[WPS]

Ray, that's beautifully executed, but would have loved to see in progress pic's. I'm currently thinking of creating 1/35 Dutch troops WW2 (there are none commercially available) and their weapons. As an absolute beginner at sculpting I need all the info on how to start and the logical steps along the way to be able to create them. Seeing that there are different ways to obtain ones goal I guess it's going to be trying , failing and trying again.

Willem

 

[Ray]

Willem,
Sorry my post wasn't an SBS, but I think a simple start can be made without one with the following suggestion if someone else here doesn't have a better idea to offer.

First I would make the rifle stock in profile from plastic sheet, file sand or carve the stock to finished shape (don't be concerned about messing it up as any errors can be repaired with a later addition of putty). Next add a rifle barrel of wire or plastic rod-if the barrel is to be largely exposed and tapered in shape you might try making it from stretched sprue. Trigger guards can be made from flattened wire (triggers too though it is an easier task to sculpt these within the wire trigger guard). The balance is finished up with sculpting small applications of putty. Simple really even if a lot of slow and sometime tedious work.


Good luck,

Ray

 

[Ray]

Willem,
P.S. Thanks for the reply and kind words.

Ray

 

[panzer007]

Super small!!! how about your eyes!!!

Pongsatorn.K

 

[Manfred]

Wow,
impressive.

I dabble in 1/48 but so far haven't attempted a rifle. Add that the Lee-Enfields are quite complex in any scale.

Will you do some desert rats to carry them ?

 

[carl reid]

Great work Ray. I have just made a LEE Enfield No3 in 1:9th. I always find that getting detailed reference of the reverse side of weapons difficult. The SMLE wasn't too bad because they were made here in Birmingham. But normally it's a real pain. Does anyone else have this problem?

Carl

 

[Ray]

Pongsatorn,
Eyes are small too, more useful though is my use of an optivisor. lol

Manfred,
Desert rats are a great idea, but my commission is for a few 'home guard' figures.

Carl,
I got lucky on this one as I have an Mk 3 in my collection, had the same luck with my 1/35 scale Mauser and 1/32 scale Martini Henry. If not for this luck yes, it is often difficult obtaining views of both sides of most weapons. Worse are top and bottom views though we can usually do without these.

I honestly think that making things in larger scales, like your 1/9th Lee Enfield is more difficult than the same is in a smaller scale. It seems to me that there is more that has to be done, and done completely accurately in the larger scales that only requires a fair representation in the really small scales, like 1/48. This isn't to say that I don't seek accuracy in the smaller scales only that I have resigned myself to the scales limitations and am happy to not be burdened with the necessity of measuring every little screw for accuracy when making the pattern. The curse of these small scale things-figures included I think-is that most things have to be made with somewhat more bulk for reliable casting than that of the real thing, or that of a large scale version of the same.
Too much philosophy that?

Thank you three for replying.

Ray