'Mark ...You are right about the candle ...so STUFF work and bring on the painting!!!!!' ....
let all do it..... er No luv, the lads made me do it.....
Mark D

Nap coming along nicely my friend. The cigar is in a odd position imo.

Pedro

Hello Everyone, I'm going to add the strap later tonight, just need to clean off the burrs from the photo-etch. No matter how close you cut the P.E., it still leaves them. I'll clean them with a swiss file, and fine sandpaper. The middle buckle is giving me the most problem, very fragile, broke two already. I have spares, so round three later. Nap, I haven't decided on a color for the shoulder boards yet, but was thinking of painting the silver nco lace, and the pips, in a very light silver grey color, highlighting with an off white. I'll try that out on a practice figure first, to see how it looks. As far as the buttons, on mine, I plan to paint them in a combination of painted, and worn out looking ones, with the metal showing through on the painted ones. As a suggestion to yours, maybe the same type of combination, the harsh desert environment really took its toll on painted surfaces, especially soldiers gear and equipment. If all goes well, I'll post some photos of the strap later tonight. Back to the bench. Regards, SG

Hello Everyone, Finally have the NCO strap for the cap in place, and the middle buckle added, 4th try finally got it. It took some time with the middle buckle, since I looped the strap through the buckle like it was on an original cap. I still have to add the two outside buckles, and the two rivets, After the super glue dries, I will crimp the straps closer to the middle buckle, on both sides, and clean off a few overflow spots of the super glue. I'll post a couple of photos when I have the strap complete. The next step will be to change the shoulder boards. More to come. Regards, SG

Hello Nap, Thanks, those 4 attempts were caused by continually breaking the center buckle when I was wrapping the strap around the hat, it took awhile. Still more to add to the strap later today. The bill on the cap, had a raised lip on the front, so I'll probably add that to, didn't want to, but on my bust, the bill is a little uneven and wavy in some spots. For the rank pips on the shoulder boards, I'm not planning any photo-etch, maybe just try to make them with Milliput, hopefully. Update w/photos soon. Regards, SG

Hello Everyone, Just a few update photos. The nco strap is finished. Just some clean up to do, and crimp the straps closer to the middle buckle. It took longer than I thought it would, but learned how to do it a little better and faster the next time. It's been quite some time since I did photo-etch detailing. More on the way. Regards, SG

Looks fine to me SG.

Cheers

You are braver than I SG. I would have used putty. But it looks great! Never touched PE in my life and I'm not about to start now.

Colin

Sturmy, Now that looks nice, with a bit of extra detail...
Nap, only an hour & a half doing the eyes, hope you are not rushing this bust, there's no time scale.
Nap, Colin, Photo etch is not the devils spawn....in the words of my wife's self help book...Feel the fear, but do it ayway.. ..
I now got the Tommy's War gun & crew done with only the pictures to do, it's time to get back into the saddle & progress mine...hopefully, some pictures tonight...
Mark D

Hello Everyone, Thanks guys on your comments on the straps. I could, and should have, just used some good card stock for the straps, but when I found the buckles, the belts with the set were already the size I needed so I just used them. Putty was another option, but I'm saving that adventure for the shoulder boards. I've tried to make a couple of rank pips for the boards with putty, but my first few attempts didn't look right to me, so I'll look for another option for those. Thanks again, Regards, SG

These pieces are really coming along nicely in their own ways,really enjoying the post,well done to all those taking part,very enjoyable

I've been watching this thread avidly, great so far guys.

I don't know if this thread would be good for this project but it's a good general purpose reference:

http://www.militarymodelling.com/forums/postings.asp?th=23796

Anyhoo, please keep this interesting thread going

Billy

P.s It takes a while to load, lots of images.

Hello Everyone, Just a quick update. I started on the shoulder boards last night. I was going to carve them off, and make new ones from Miliput, but changed my mind. I liked the ones that are on the bust and decided to work on those. Still a way to go on them though. I carved the middle of the Untersturmfuhrer (2nd Lieutenant) shoulder board, to make it a nco one. Just used an x-acto knife with a new sharp blade. After I get the lines a little straighter, I'll add the diamond shaped rank pips, one per board. I found some rank pips on an old 120mm figure that seem to be in scale. I want to make the Officer Candidate slip-on bars with putty, and do them like the 3rd photo. I like this bar a little more than the silver one, because of the black strip down the middle, and the gold like color. It makes the boards stand out, and gives them a little more variety. I'll post some photos of the completed boards later today. Regards, SG