The Black Watch at Waterloo: 1/72 Scale

[Jon Metters]

Finally, I have finished my diorama: The Black Watch at Waterloo. This is a very special project for me. My goal was to show the Highlanders in square, without duplicating ANY figures. Yes, there are 44 men and 4 horses - no duplicates. Most of the figures are conversions made by swapping torsos, legs and heads from British Infantry and Highlander sets by Esci, Italerie, Revell, and Airfix. I liked the bonnets from ESCI the best - so I have swapped many, many heads. The French Cavaly are from Italeri.

I painted the figures using Andrea and Games Workshop acrylics.

Hope you enjoy!

Best regards,

Jon Metters (USA)

 

[Jon Metters]

A few more photos:

 

[Jon Metters]

and...

 

[Jon Metters]

a few more...

 

[Guy]

Beautiful work Jon. Your diorama really tells a story and shows the amount of work and attention to detail you have put into this. Not an easy task at this scale. Excellent!!

 

[KeithP]

Hey, that is great Jon. Wonderful detail down to the correct dice patterns and tartan sett!

Keith

 

[Normo]

Hi Jon
you certainly like the "little guys" This is superb.
Can you give us any tips on priming these little gems I have often wanted to plan a scene using the soft plastic figures but always have problems priming and painting!!
Well done mate. Whats next? Rourkes drift perhaps...
Cheers
John

 

[Jon Metters]

Thanks guys!

To answer the question about priming, here's what I do. First I fill up my kitchen sink with HOT water and add enough detergent to make it sudsy. Then I toss in the sprue of figures and let them soak for about 10 minutes or so. Then I take out the sprue, and before rinsing, go over each figure briskly with an old tooth-brush. Then I rinse and dry the figures. I don't know what they put on these guys to get them out of them mold - but they could market it as "paint-repellent."

Anyway, after that I fix my figures onto nails and prime them with grey acrylic. The paint should be about the consistancy of milk, or a little thicker. Too much, and it fills in tiny details. Too little and it will just run off the part. Every once in a while - the paint still wont stick. I just repeat the process until it does.

Hope that helps! I did a Rorke's Drift a few years ago, perhaps its time has come around again.

Best regards,

Jon

 

[Jon Metters]

PS. Here's a photo of my old Rorke's Drift dio:

 

[megroot]

This is wonderfull. I consider (when i'm in a modell shop) now and then to buy me a box with this little figure's off soft plastic. Never done it because they told me that the detail on these figures is very bad.
Well, this one convinced me. I'lll buy a box.

marc

 

[flart1943]

Hi Jon
Niiice One.
Pete

 

[Jason W.]

Man, that is sweet! Makes me want to break out my 1/72's! My father built a similiar dio (corner section of a square) way back in the early 80's using Airfix fig's. Looking at yours takes me back.

You going to MFCA? Would be great to see in the flesh.

Thanks for posting,

Jason

 

[gilbertmoreno]

Jon,
Your work is great!
I have some of these 1/72 figures but have not been able to clean the flashing off without leaving little hairs of plastic behind. I can't seem to get them off. Is there some special tecnique you use to clean the flash off and not create more stuff to clean off?
regards,
Gilbert

 

[Major_Goose]

Definately a beautiful workwith lots of patience. I admire you !!! Bravo

 

[Christos]

Very detailed work,great!
christos

 

[BESPJL]

A good detail job.Great work Jon.

Cheers.
Paulo

 

[kenan1977]

Great work.

 

[Jon Metters]

Ahh yes, the dreaded flash.

Here's what I do. I wear an optivisor, for a start - and I use a BRAND new exacto blade. (Very important.) A blade that has done any other work will not be sharp enough.

Then I VERY CAREFULLY trim the flash away, using many small/shallow strokes. More like shaving than cutting. The little "hairs" are a real drag - but you can get rid of them with patience. Think of it like scultping and it will be slightly more rewarding.

You also might want to put some masking tape on your thumb. Unless I use the tape, I never seem to get out of a session without cutting up my thumb.

Thanks again to everybody!

Rock on,

Jon Metters

 

[herbwf]

VERY cool

Out standing! Great to see such detail in such small figures. Thanks for showing them and the tips on getting paint to stick.
Herb

 

[Colin_Fraser]

Very nice dio Jon. I have often thought about doing something similar but I know I would bog down painting the same uniform 50 + times. To make every figure unique takes special dedication and most viewers won't even appreciate all the effort.

One question - why so few cavalry? Given the pressure that the French cavalry put Wellington under, I would have thought more of a sense of pressure would come across well. You could still add a few additional mounted figures and some casualties to indicate more of a "waves breaking on rocks" sense of a charge on square. And they don't all have to be Carabiniers as I'm sure the French regiments became a little mixed late in the day. Don't take this as anything as constructive comment as you have done a great job!

BTW - Another method to remove flash residue (little hairs) is to melt them off with a hot pin (heated in a candle flame) - be careful as it takes some practice.

Cheers

Colin