Revamping an old airfix building kit: The Commander's Magic touch! :D

[Commander Vyper]

Well for those that frequent the wierd war area, you'll recall that I converted an old Timpo bren carrier into a marder/elefant-esque tank hunter for a friend of mine.

Well the same friend handed me a bagged old airfix building kit that he had a spare of and told me to 'go to work' as it were.

So here's a few wip shots of this bombed out 1/32 building.

I cut the pieces from the sprue and cleaned them up, (always more mould lines etc to sand before final undercoat). Dry fit the pieces and put together. To make it a little more stable and to allow me to creat a mini diorama, I mounted it on an old cork placemat, and cut some textured flagstone plasti-card for the floor.



(Yes I bought the blackrock box.... I wanted the deathcopters ok! ))



With the kit there was a sandbag corner which didn't really seem to be right, it was hollow one side, and didn't really add to the building in any way, so I removed the right angles that made the internal corners and used each half along the inside of the main intact part of the building. (imagining a kind of para's forward command post here three days into the D Day offensive).









Then once the pieces were glued in place, (leaving the roof section and upper floor loose for ease of painting). I was then able to concentrate on the detailing....

More later.

The Commander

[AKULA]

I remember that kit - had it as a kid!

 

The roof is alright, but are you/did you use some card, or foam board to make the walls a bit thicker....?

[Commander Vyper]

I remember that kit - had it as a kid!

 

The roof is alright, but are you/did you use some card, or foam board to make the walls a bit thicker....?

Nah mate be too much of an arse and remember this is for toys not grown up miniatures , the walls do look thin granted but I'm sure it'll look great all done.

[Commander Vyper]

Again this is a display piece for use with toy soldiers, so I'm not going to be too worried about the thickness of the walls as the owner of the kit just wants me to build and detail it as is.

So detailing then:

balsa
grit/sand/gravel
coving adhesive, (had it laying around, same as filler really).
1/35 scale barrels, jerry cans etc...
individually cut roof tiles and floor tiles from plasti-card
A very old Rogue Trader vac formed crater
PVA/Superglue/polystyrene cement and spray mount
Woodland scenics spray glue, (to fix the gravel)

[JollyBob]

Oh aye, I had the 1/72 version of that kit!

Looks really good Commander, all that extra detail is really bringing it to life - don't think anyone'll even notice the thin walls when its painted. 

[oxiana]

Brilliant stuff, what a classic Airfix kit. 1/72 for me - in a cavalier attitude to correct war theatres, mine was always being over-run by the Afrika Korps...

Lovely new detailing though, even more smashed up!

[gamer Mac]

God that brings back memories.
I remember playing out my back garden with that house and my plastic Airfix 1/32 British infantry.
The support group box with the mortar and the Vickers machine gun and loads of little bits and pieces.
Against my friends Airfix Germans.
My dad still digs up the odd plastic soldier now when he is doing the garden, after about thirty odd years

[Commander Vyper]

God that brings back memories.
I remember playing out my back garden with that house and my plastic Airfix 1/32 British infantry.
The support group box with the mortar and the Vickers machine gun and loads of little bits and pieces.
Against my friends Airfix Germans.
My dad still digs up the odd plastic soldier now when he is doing the garden, after about thirty odd years

how true. Did the same with the 1/72 german d-day fortification, I remember losing half a platoon to the ravages of the builder's sandpile when I was a kid and we were having work done.

Anyway...

Second coat of woodland scenics scatter spray applied. Once dry later tonight I'll undercoat.

[aircav]

Looking good Mark, I too have fond memories of that kit, 1:32 British Para's vs Germans both Airfix & Brittians. 

Keith 

[Commander Vyper]

Undercoated and light basecoats added to the main building and second floor, sandbags and roof section:








Will start the full paintjob next week.

The Commander

[Sangennaru]

that's cool! for the floor I use plaster sheets, and the effect is even better!

but that's amazing! you've converted a nice scenery piece in a Great one!

[abhorsen950]

Excellent!


Steve