Completed Airfix 54mm French Line Infantry

[Waterlooman]

Its looking Really Good - coming together now.

W.

 

[Merryweather]

Well, it's finally FINISHED!!!!
Halle- f******- lujah!
It only took just a tad over 3 years, and it was supposed to be an easy, strictly Out Of The Box antidote to the previous epic....

ANYWAY
I was very careful to troubleshoot these first figures before they were obstructed by the standing figures. And boy, didn't the grass get in the way?
I have to say that this final part, planting the standing figures, has to be one of the hardest things I have ever done in 50 + years of modelmaking, both hobby-wise and profesionally. Trying not to damage anything whilst I was constantly turning the thing upside down to find the relevant holes for each figure was fraught with worry. And then trying to get the glued pins on their feet through the grass without touching any of it, or any of the other figures.
Once that was done I replaced some of the grass I had had to remove and then touched up the shiny glue with matt lacquer.
Then I made a proper rookie mistake, which I can't actually undo so I have to live with it.
I airbrushed matt lacquer over the whole thing, which meant I then had to retouch the gloss and satin bits. But worse than that- I didn't dust it, so I have now sealed in white dust flecks all over the dark blue uniforms . I have been so assiduous in keeping the dust off these boys for 3 years just to wantonly undo all that effort in the last throes! B*gger!

If ever there was a lesson for new guys worrying about avoiding mistakes....

But HOORAH! I've finally finished the damn thing!
It's been a real slog at times , with ups and downs but enjoyable none-the-less. Considering it started out as a single figure, then two and then four, and I had no real idea what I wanted the finished thing to look like , so I have to say I am rather pleased. I WISH I hadn't c*cked up at the last minute with the matt lacquer and the dust, but it's less visible to the naked(66 year-old) eye than it is to the merciless camera, so once this bit is over I can live with it.
THANK YOU to everyone who's supported me from the beginning, and to those who have joined in along the way. It's really been a fantastic help.
And special thanks to @Daddyo Paul for the kind gift of the beautifully painted standard, which I would never have even contemplated myself.

So now we're off to Iwo Jima

 

[Warren SMITH]

Excellent job..

 

[Waterlooman]

Excellent Work congrats on finishing it, Three long years but as a watcher - well well worth it.

Looking forward to your next work.

W.

 

[Briggsy]

That is awesome and considering how unplanned it was it is an unqualified success. I said in an earlier post it is the diorama of the year, well I second that. I have had a good long look, it really is very impressive and if you're still taking it to the annuals next month I can't wait to see it up close and personal.

Cheers Simon

 

[Oda]

Being a modeler who has more than often worked with Historex figures for various projects and in various ways,I have a very clear idea of the gargantuan amount of work you have put in this.Total respect mate.

Oda.

 

[Merryweather]

Excellent job..

Thanks Warren, glad you like it

 

[Merryweather]

Excellent Work congrats on finishing it, Three long years but as a watcher - well well worth it.

Looking forward to your next work.

W.

Thank you W, and thanks for sticking around all this time!

 

[Merryweather]

That is awesome and considering how unplanned it was it is an unqualified success. I said in an earlier post it is the diorama of the year, well I second that. I have had a good long look, it really is very impressive and if you're still taking it to the annuals next month I can't wait to see it up close and personal.

Cheers Simon

Thanks Simon, I'm gobsmacked,that's praise indeed!
Yes the plan is to go to the nationals ( real life permitting) and it will be fantastic to meet you in person .
Thanks for all your support

 

[Merryweather]

Being a modeler who has more than often worked with Historex figures for various projects and in various ways,I have a very clear idea of the gargantuan amount of work you have put in this.Total respect mate.
Oda.

Thanks Oda, I appreciate that.and thanks to you too for the support over the years!

 

[blaster]

Hi Neil

A splendid job! Truly a marathon… hahaha. And you thought you had finished it… but what about the title? Where are you going to display it as this is an all round diorama? No rest for the wicked…. Hahahah.

Rgds Victor

 

[Nap]

Hi Neil

Blooming AWESOME result , many congratulations on completing...worth all the ups and downs

Great completed pics as well

Thanks for the interesting V Bench

Look forward to seeing IJ progress ( no Napoleonic blue ! )

Nap

 

[Briggsy]

Thanks Simon, I'm gobsmacked,that's praise indeed!
Yes the plan is to go to the nationals ( real life permitting) and it will be fantastic to meet you in person .
Thanks for all your support

Looking forward to the day, usually don't do the annuals but it's only about 20 miles away so I've no real excuse.

Cheers Simon

 

[Merryweather]

Hi Neil

A splendid job! Truly a marathon… hahaha. And you thought you had finished it… but what about the title? Where are you going to display it as this is an all round diorama? No rest for the wicked…. Hahahah.
Rgds Victor

Thanks very much, Victor .
I think the title is something like 'Last Stand of the 45th at Waterloo ', although I'm sure someone will tell me it didn't happen like this. It's only the 45th because of the kindly donated standard, so the rest is artistic licence.
I will be getting a battery turntable for it - you do need to be able to see all the way round.
Cheers
Neil

 

[Merryweather]

Hi Neil

Blooming AWESOME result , many congratulations on completing...worth all the ups and downs

Great completed pics as well

Thanks for the interesting V Bench

Look forward to seeing IJ progress ( no Napoleonic blue ! )

Nap

Cheers Kev
I should have done a new 'completed' thread , sorry.
As for Iwo Jima, I'm sure I'll find a way of cocking that up, even without the Napoleonic blue!
Thanks for all your support too
N

 

[Nap]

Cheers Kev
I should have done a new 'completed' thread , sorry.
As for Iwo Jima, I'm sure I'll find a way of cocking that up, even without the Napoleonic blue!
Thanks for all your support too
N

Hi Neil

I forgive you ...lol .....I will be reworking the competitions to 2 normal comps each running 6 months and also set up a Diorama running till the end of the year so keep a watch out this for a announcement

The idea being to “hopefully” get more entries in each class as despite my good looks , entries have been few !

A mighty fine V bench as I said ......for others here is the link to the IJ WIP

https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/iwo-jima-dio-1-32-scale.533888/

Nap

 

[MalcC]

Great work, each figure is well animated.

Malc

 

[Merryweather]

Great work, each figure is well animated.

Malc

Thanks Malc- the animation is the part I like doing the best; painting-not so much, and I know I will never be to the standard of most on this site but I am content with that

 

[Paul Handley]

Absolutely lovely! Well done. There’s a pleasure and satisfaction in getting to the end of a long project like this that I imagine is akin to falling over the finishing line after a marathon. It’s a lovely subject, beautifully realised and, as a died in the wool Historexer myself, it’s a good to know there are others still mad enough to undertake what these kits require to make the best of them. I’m starting to consider a vignette myself - a diorama is still some way off. Well done once again - a real pleasure to see.

 

[Merryweather]

Thank you Paul,
for me this method (Historexing - I like that)is where the pleasure comes from. I'm not so good at the painting and I have to psych myself up every now and then to get on with it. I find having the forum to share it with like-minded people is a real incentive to actually finish things .
Cheers
Neil