Hi all, this is probably going to be a long thread as I’ve got an ambitious plan. I’m currently working on the Classy Hobby 1/16 kit of the M5 Stuart in British service. There are no figures on the market that suit my needs so I’m going to have a punt at sculpting some. I’m only done a little bit of sculpting in 1/35 so this is very new to me.

The vehicle will be painted up as this M5 of the East Riding Yeomanry in 1945, this is immediately post war but mine will be at the very end.



I’m looking at these crew images and thinking denim overalls and berets.



Obviously I began by ordering far more stuff than I need. First to arrive was this head set from redees models. I was a little worried as the website is a little less slick than some others but the bits arrived really quickly and look great. I’m really impressed by the service and quality. I’m going to use at least of the paras with the cap badge changed, I might use one of the bald heads, although I really like the berets.



I’ll share more parts tas they arrive and keep you updated with my progress.

Are you posing them as the photograph? This'll look good I think. Reedees kit is great in my opinion and he's always really helpful. Do you intend to sculpt badges? I'm never sure that painting them on would be fine enough in this scale.
I look forward to seeing your progress. Good luck.
Scotty.

Give 3D-Gizmo a try Stefan:-
https://www.3d-gizmo.co.uk/british-figures
They seem to have a large range in 1/16th scale.

Cheers,
Andrew

Looking forward to seeing this progress.. Good luck..

Thanks Scotty. I’m not going to pose them exactly as the pictures, as it stands I’m thinking of having two figures sitting on the vehicle relaxing and drinking, possibly waving towards an unseen viewer. I’m going to have them in coveralls so I don’t have to worry about insignia apart from the cap badge.

Thanks Andrew, I bought the STLs they use for their stuff a while back, if I’m honest I’m not a fan of the models. The figures in BD have webbing and the straps are all out of scale. The guys in winter pixie suits are much nicer but they all have the same face and I don’t really want them in that kit. To be honest the clothes on both don’t look right to me either.

Not a figure update, but I finished the lower hull last night, if I can get the turret done this week I should be able to start coming up with poses next week.

Great idea and a brave step with a steep learning curve, really looking forward to following this.

Cheers Simon

Hi all,

More bits arrived. I ordered a 1/16 mannequin from AFV modeller, it comes as a set of resin pieces that I think are cast from a 3d model, you then use wire to fix them together rather than using an armature. It's quite an expensive piece (£23 each) but given that this is my first figure and I've honestly got no idea about anatomy etc it seemed like a good starting point.



You'll note the white, I realised I now have a load of heads and hands spare so I'm going to try to make a second figure using this mannequin as a guide (it feels dangerously close to recasting but I think it's probably still ok). I've used milliput to copy the pieces I'll need and I'll probably 3d print some more boots if I can find a decent file. Having done all this I'm slightly concerned that the milliput will be too brittle, hopefully if I use longer wires to connect them all together it'll act as re-enforcement enough.

I recently posted on twitter about my research for poses/clothing and a friend sent me this picture, I love the closeness of the pose, it's really different from most crew photos so I'm wondering about doing something like this, with the crew on the turret. In my head I'd like the crew to look like they are posing for a photograph but I'm not sure if it'll work without a photographer to make it clear what is going on. I suspect having them at an angle and waving to someone off camera might help.

Looks like an interesting project, the armature works the way I use plastic figure parts to get the anatomy right, and if you're copying the pieces then that's scratch building rather than recasting, damned good idea. There is nothing like going in at the deep end with figure building, doing that pair is going to be very difficult but much admiration for giving it a go.

Cheers Simon

Interesting project. I have a similar idea in mind using a mannequin and bits in 54mm (just one figure though), so I will be keen to see how you get on.....

Cheers chaps. I managed to make some bits tonight. I 3D printed some boots by cropping them off some STOs I bought a while back, they are possibly a bit chunky but I might be able to tweak them. I also made up some 3d models of the bits of a 37 webbing belt and printed those. They are tiny but will make the belts easier to make. Sorry for the rubbish pics, I’m happy to share the file for the belt bits if anyone would find it handy.

Great start, I really must pluck up thr courage to have a go with my 3D printer.

Cheers Simon

I wish everyone would stop making posts that make me think "hmmmm, maybe I do need a 3D printer....."

Thanks chaps.

The problem is you do need one! I was a bit worried when I got mine that it wouldn't see much use but in the last 2 years or so it's been a game changer in almost the same way that an airbrush is for aircraft or AFV modelling. The M5 Stuart I'm building to go with these figures has at least 20 individual 3d printed parts including skids for the bogeys, MG barrels, jerry cans, all sorts. I could probably have gone further and printed tracks too. I frequently print bits to replace parts I've lost or accessories for figures and there are a ton of busts and figures available online. You know those moments when you find yourself scratching your head wondering how to achieve something (for me most recently it was how to display a model of Bobba Fett's starship)? There's usually something you can print to solve it. Honestly, it's magic. Having said all that, I've got mine in the shed and have to use a complex thermal growing frame and a warming pad for seedlings to keep mine running when the weather gets chilly and its still too cold to use for a good chunk of the year so it's not perfect.

That's a great photo but the pose will be difficult to reproduce I think, you don't make it easy for yourself I'm sure it will work as a posed photograph type without a photographer but I think that would look good. I look forward to seeing this progress. All the best.
Scotty.

Hi folks, I haven’t updated in a while as I’ve been focusing on getting the Stuart finished. Now it’s nearly over the line and I can get started on the figures. I’m completely new to sculpting so I’m very much making it up as I go along. Never one to make things easy I’ve decided to have one hand of one figure holding on to a grab handle, the other will be in the other hatch with both looking to the left and waving as though they are posing for a photo. You can see my sculpt and the mannequin I bought next to each other in the pic, I’ve started to put magic sculpt in the joints, starting with the hand holding the handle.




Here’s the Stuart they’ll be sitting on.

Good start on the figures, the hardest part is getting the anatomy right, so the mannequin is good, same reason I use a plastic figure to start on. Just take it slowly and carefully and it'll come together well. Saw the tank on line, looks really nice.

Cheers Simon

Those 1/16 tanks are BIIIIG! Nice job on the Stuart, looking forward to seeing the figures in it.

Thanks chaps. I can highly recommend the Classy Hobby Stuart. It’s a lovely kit, great to build.

My main worry with the figures is that I really like the heads but they look a little big. I’ll leave them removable and decide for sure once I’ve built up the bodies.

Last post today, I’ve been filling in the joints with magic sculpt, I think this is how I want them posed.



In my head they are Alfred and Ernie, commander and operator. It’s April 1945, the rest of the crew are sleeping with hatches down in a leager, these two were working on the radio when someone called them for a photo. I think Alfred might be smoking, I might find some appropriate tools to put on the turret to suggest what they’ve been up to.

I’ve got a sneaky suspicion I’m going to end up sculpting a photographer at some point…