WIP Critique Jungle Patrol, Nam69, Mitches models, 120mm

[franck edet]

hello again Friends,
here is the first project for 2018 : a Marine on patrol in the jungle. Kit is from Mitches Military Models. Nice casting overall with some minor points to be taken care. the only bad point to me is the rendition of the M-16 which could have been more detailed (no loading lever, lack of the sighting device in the handle and oversized main body ...) but it's impossible to correct it as the left hand is molded with it. all in all i can live with it addition of a Ka-Bar combat knife would have been good too as Marines never get out on patrol without it.
i decided to represent a jungle, for that i used some aquariums plants from the dollar store.
here are the progesses so far :

 

[JasonB]

Yeah, I saw the M16 and cringed a bit. You could cut the hand off of the rifle, hollow it out and get one of Reedees M16's, it pretty freaking brilliant

 

[franck edet]

WOW, i made a lot of google search and never found this ! do you know where i could find those ?

 

[JasonB]

http://www.reedeesminiatures.co.uk
More of our sculptor friends should consider asking him to do the weapons for them, they are pretty much without equal IMHO

 

[franck edet]

just ordered 1 set thanks for the link !

 

[KenBoyle]

Great start Franck! Looking forward to future progress especially on the ground work.

Ken

 

[franck edet]

thank you Ken, i am currently getting the airbrush out for the base layers

 

[Cannonball]

Have this in the grey army Franck and looking forward to seeing what you do with it, particularly the groundwork. A great start.

 

[franck edet]

thank you

 

[Viking Bob]

That's 3 of us that have this in the grey army, looking forward to this one.
Regards

 

[1969]

Hi Franck,

Looking forward to seeing this develop, I love seeing jungle groundwork created and good idea to use the aquarium plants.
Will be sending the M16's out tomorrow first class for you.

Jason... Appreciate the comment on the weapons

Cheers
Steve

 

[franck edet]

Thanks Bob

Steve : i'm sooooo happy to be aware of your products now !!! that will be of a great help event with a little bit of surgery

 

[JasonB]

Thanks Bob

Steve : i'm sooooo happy to be aware of your products now !!! that will be of a great help event with a little bit of surgery

Be careful. I buy sets of Steve's weapons without having any idea of what I am going to do with them, they are that cool...and addictive. But now I have a pretty impressive arsenal of 1/16 and 1/9 weapons, thats for sure!

 

[clrsgt]

My marine is on order, so will be following your progress with great interest. I'm going to steal your jungle ideas when I do mine

 

[franck edet]

now I have a pretty impressive arsenal of 1/16 and 1/9 weapons, thats for sure!

any hint for a Ka-Bar combat knife by any luck ?

thanks Clrsgt

 

[JasonB]

any hint for a Ka-Bar combat knife by any luck ?

thanks Clrsgt

Those are harder to come by unless you have another kit with one. I have't seen them as individual items unless they were in a Verlinden set or something.

 

[franck edet]

Gentlemen,
here are the progresses of the day (-28 in Quebec on a sunday gives plenty of bench time )
still some work to do on the groundwork but it's now showing where i want to go and firsts layers airbrushed on the fig to unify it with its surroundings.
While waiting for Reedees M-16 i will try to sculpt a Ka-Bar


thanks for watching

 

[JasonB]

One thing I would recommend, since you are replacing the rifle anyhow, is change how he is holding it. Move the hand up to the hand guard or between it and the mag well, not holding it as is. As such:

It looks a little more "at the ready" and is a more common way of seeing it carried.

 

[TERRYSOMME1916]

Great looking figure and very effective use and transformation of the aquarium plants, your presentation is coming together beautifully and who would have thought you would find an arms dealer on PF, lol.
TERRY

 

[Nap]

Franck

Great looking groundwork there and as you will see Steve's weapons are amazing ..so detailed they warrant a display of their own .

Looking forward to more from you on this .....stay warm ( -28 !!!!! )

Nap