Airfix WW 1 German infantry. (A01726)

[John Symmons]

This maybe should be posted in the techniques forum but as it does include a couple of figures from the above set  I’ve decided to post it here. The set includes 39 1/72 scale (23mm) individual posed figures plus two set pieces with several figures, (the box advertises 48 pieces) all moulded in dark grey, flash enshrouded, usual totally useless, pain-in-the neither-regions (for modelling terms) soft rubbery vinyl type plastic, to which nothing seems to stick. Why Airfix insist on using this stuff is beyond me, although to be fair Revell, Armourfast and Italeri also use it. Zvezda used to use something simular but I see they’ve changed to something not quite as soft and far more friendly that now takes styrene glue and modelling paint including Acrylic.

 

This all started before me doing the Fiat G 50 or the KG V battleship, I was trying to find some way of gluing together the mortar in the Armourfast Mortar Crew set, I thought I’d found an answer with Liquid Tape gluing a very soft join then re-enforcing it with super glue. It did work, but only just but not really satisfactorily also how to paint this stuff. I’d tried the Tamiya primmer rattle cans and and Vallejo Primmer, the Tamiya was the best but still flaked off if the plastic was flexed. So I gave up in frustration. It was while doing the water base for KG V model that I tried gluing the two bases of the stretcher bearers in the Airfix WW 1 Infantry set with the same cement I was using for the sea-scape, as it seems to stick to almost anything. (See my posting in the ships forum for more about this tile cement) This set does come with an advisory slip to wash the parts before painting, but no indication of what paint to use, (there is no painting what-so-ever, at lest Revell do include a paint guide on the box) As I’ve said various primmer’s don’t work nor do acrylic or enamel paints. The stretcher bearers bases were scored a few times with a scalpel and smeared with this tile cement, left a few hours to set then I tried to separate them, ..... no go, they were stuck, I had to finally pries them apart with an Ex-Acto knife, for fear of ripping the figures from the bases. Well that seems to cure the gluing problem so I tried the same thing on the Armourfast mortar, and while the join is still a bit soft at least it’s secure. Next step was to assemble the Machine Gun set piece from the German Infantry set together with the stretcher bearers, but the painting problem remained.

 

It was when I was cleaning out my late wife’s art things that I found some partially used house-hold Duco spray cans. So why not? Nothing to loose. I tried some from a used Gloss Bronze colour that I had to decant, (Blocked nozzle) thinned it with some solvent and it worked beautifully as a base coat. Maybe a bit thick but that can be adjusted with more thinner paint. Next I tried some from a new can of gloss maroon paint, Again it stuck like peanut butter to a new shirt (or something simular) and it’ll easily take both enamel and acrylic paint. I’ve since tried a different make of Matt white house-hold spray paint but it’s not as good as the original Duco’s I tried.

 

So below are some photos of the stretcher bearers and the machine gun with crew from the Airfix WW 1 German Infantry kit. The set is quite good if it wasn’t for the loads of flash and mould seems as these can only be cleaned up by cutting them off, sanding doesn’t work you’re just left with a hairy surface. As mentioned previously there’s not painting guide except for the front box art, so you’ll have to do your own research, although I do have the Zvezda WW 1 German Infantry set which personally I feel is far better than the Airfix offering and it’s in a more friendly plastic, and it does include a paint guide on the back of the box but without specifying any colours or paint brands, again typical of Zvezda. I used various shade of dark blue greys and a metallic bronze grey for the helmets and the usual colours for other bits all from Vallejo.

 

Both these little Airfix figure sets make up very well and look great when finished the machine gun crew looking almost like a Zvezda game piece, the same for the stretcher bearers. (I’ve mentioned these game pieces before and if you’ve never tried them you’re missing out on a treat.) Now if Airfix could change the plastic to something more friendly and add some more bases, and possibly some other field pieces like a field hospital tent or pre formed trench, kitchen, water containers etc, I’m sure almost anything would be welcome, especially as WW 1 seems to be missing from all major manufactures. Maybe they could start with some horses and carts that could be used in a multitude of setting from armour to aircraft dioramas. Would I recommend this set not really, unless you’re really desperate for WW 1 German infantry; although the set does include some excellent poses including, rather gruesomely, two dead or critically wounded figures; mainly because of the flash and that horrid vinyl plastic, I’d say try the other makes first.   

 

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Some views of the finished sets. The group at the back is a Zvezda game piece of WW 2 German infantry, and the yellow thing is the mortar I mentioned above.
The grey thing on the right below is a part of a sprue from this Airfix set.

 

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Whoops! That mortar should have been moved.

 

Well again that's it for now I hope someone finds this helpful and all comments welcome. I feel good that I've now finally solved a problem that's been bothing me for years. that's tree times i've added in one week.

 

Remember we do this for fun                          John the Pom

[Ratch]

The way to remove flash from these figures is with a soldering iron. I did post this in my Waterloo diorama thread.

[John Symmons]

Thank Ratch, I must have missed that, I'll have to go back and see if I can find it.

 

Remember we do this for fun                             John the Pom

[Dad Paul B]

Impressive work John. I have tried Halford's car primers (other modellers here also swear by them) whcih seem to work OK, although I haven't done enough wargaming to determine durability yet. One reason for the soft plastic is that the figures have a lot of undercut detail which need to flex as they come out of the mould - this is 1960s plastic technology and things have moved on. As to gluing - I ended up using PVA to stick them to bases as superglue found the one thing it couldn't stick to.

[John Symmons]

Hi Dad Paul B

Agreed that PVA can be used for fixing to card bases, but here I was trying to glue parts together, namely the stretcher and machine gun as I didn't trust those push-fit joints also the m/c gun base was the same plasic. That tile cement really does stick to almost anything including this vinyl plastic, and it still works when thinned down with water. I use it for a myraid of things, and find it almost indessencable for dioramas and sea-scapes; and it's muuuuch cheaper than those Vallejo pastes.

 

Remember we do this for fun                                 John the Pom

[Ratch]

Hmmm, tile cement. Must keep my eye out for some.

[Paul Astle]

I never had problems getting t to stick, other than humberol i've used the american line 'testors' my problem came with the flexible things like rifles in the soft plastic flexing and the paint flaking off.