Review: EM4 American civil war, and why different types of plastic matter.

[lord marcus]

https://mcdougalldesigns3d.com/blogs/news/review-em4-american-civil-war-and-why-different-types-of-plastic-matter

I decided to do a small review and write a little bit about different types of plastic

[Hitman]

Lord Marcus,
Great review and a lot of solid information. I think that your article will or should really help newbies and veterans alike in the hobby.

Your position on sizing is great. People are different sizes and many who feel they should all be uniform in size are daft. I mix a number of figures from several different companies and feel that a couple of mm here or there are fine.

As for the different types of PVC used, you couldn't be more correct. I have used flat based primer on several different miniatures on the same day from several different companies and have had great results to figures that dry tacky and need to be primed with a burnt umber to get rid of the tackiness. Once that hurdle has been overcome, painting and clear coating as normal has worked as you indicated.

I look forward to your further posts, and thak you in advance for your additional updates.
Regards
Hitman
😎

[lord marcus]

Lord Marcus,
Great review and a lot of solid information. I think that your article will or should really help newbies and veterans alike in the hobby.

Thank you.

Your position on sizing is great. People are different sizes and many who feel they should all be uniform in size are daft. I mix a number of figures from several different companies and feel that a couple of mm here or there are fine.

thanks. I also like mixing manufacturers for this reason.

As for the different types of PVC used, you couldn't be more correct. I have used flat based primer on several different miniatures on the same day from several different companies and have had great results to figures that dry tacky and need to be primed with a burnt umber to get rid of the tackiness. Once that hurdle has been overcome, painting and clear coating as normal has worked as you indicated.


every material is a tool in the toolbox. And every hobbyist should know every tool residing in our toolbox if at all possible. In my opinion of course.

I look forward to your further posts, and thak you in advance for your additional updates.

thank you. There will of course be more. Let me know if you have any questions or would like me to review anything specific. I can get most manufacturers into my store so I have availability to pick up a lot of different things.

Regards
Hitman

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Whilst it's true that people come in all shapes and sizes, muskets - and especially the same type of musket - usually doesn't. 

That is the real test of compatibility.

[robh]

Whilst it's true that people come in all shapes and sizes, muskets - and especially the same type of musket - usually doesn't. 

That is the real test of compatibility.

Exactly, issues of compatibility have never been about the height of the figure. These 2 are compatible:



The helmets, pouches, bayonet, belt buckles and rifles have not changed to suit these extremes.

[lord marcus]

At a scale where you are going to be 5 ft away at a table, looking down at the miniatures, what is a slight difference in scale on the rifle or other equipment matter?

This is not to say that I do not think you have a point. But relative scale of equipment is a rather than premise to weigh building painting miniatures on. Especially when, as I said, you're going to be looking at these things across a table from roughly a 5-ft distance from your eyes to the models.

Besides that fact, although standardization did exist, there were variations in equipment manufacture. So I would lump the scale of rifles and equipment into the same category as scale between different miniature lines. Not very noticeable considering that people coming all different types and sizes

[AdmiralAndy]

I think one of the more commonly played 28mm ACW is from the Perry's range, so maybe worth a comparison and some head swops with those.

Also if folks, don't think there that good, use em as filler in the 2nd/3rd/4th rank, depending on the rules your using. With the poster boys up front the guys in the back often get little more than a cursory glance, and if I game'd acw in that scale I'd get some if for nothing else than cheap filler in the back if nothing else, and the drummer and flag waver could get a paint job to make them pop out anyway.

Painting as darker or lighter colours can often make same figures look smaller/bigger! Sometimes a painting solution will do the trick.

[lord marcus]

I think one of the more commonly played 28mm ACW is from the Perry's range, so maybe worth a comparison and some head swops with those.

Also if folks, don't think there that good, use em as filler in the 2nd/3rd/4th rank, depending on the rules your using. With the poster boys up front the guys in the back often get little more than a cursory glance, and if I game'd acw in that scale I'd get some if for nothing else than cheap filler in the back if nothing else, and the drummer and flag waver could get a paint job to make them pop out anyway.

Painting as darker or lighter colours can often make same figures look smaller/bigger! Sometimes a painting solution will do the trick.

That's another good point that I will need to add when I amend the article. Or otherwise in extended with another range such as the Perrys.

[Freddy]

I usually do not make scale into an issue, as long as they are roughly 28mm, the paintjob and especially the basing unify models of a unit much more than you would think based on the unpainted-half assembled comparison photos.

On the other hand, scale comparison is still vital information because sometimes I make conversions and there it is important for matching the parts. One trick here is that the head size matters a lot, can make a skinnier model fit for the rest- but better just choose figures with matching scales.

For the weapons and equipment I would also not worry, in 28mm they are mostly symbolic/heroic scale anyways. And in ACW and before many musket types were used by the same armies, that is an easy explanation for scale differences.