ESCI Foreign Legion Figure Conversions

Today I’m sharing some pictures of my latest experiment creating more poses for the ESCI/ERTL 1:72 scale Foreign Legion set.  Using one box of figures (and a sharp hobby knife) I found it was fairly easy to create about 20 new poses by swapping upper bodies with lower bodies.   I simply compared the figures to each other visually before cutting and made note of which figures would allow a clean cut under or over the belt line and matched them up with a new lower portion.  In a couple of figures I resorted to making two cuts (one above and one below the belt–see #20) in order to get the converted figure to look right.  I didn’t make note of the exact figures, cuts and new arrangements but you can see pretty clearly how this process worked.  Some of these conversions may not be very realistic (#8 & #9) and some figures in the box just can’t be converted at all.  Also, keep in mind these figures are wearing two different uniforms–the white twill utility and the jacket (capote) with backpack which limits some of the options available.  I might find a couple more arrangements the more I play around with them.

Just to see how they would look after making the cuts I used superglue to connect the converted figures together–but this is not an ideal bonding method.  Even as I took these pictures today some of them came apart (#11, #20).   The best way of making permanent conversions is to drive a very small, very hot pin  into the lower portion, snip off the pin leaving a protruding post about 2-3mm long and make a corresponding hole in the upper portion and then connect the two as closely as possible.  This method might still leave a gap which will have to be filled in with a type of filler.  Some folks use a couple of applications of white glue or putty as filler but I’m going with Liquid Green Stuff.  I’ll also have to try to recreate some folds and edges of the uniforms (#10, #15, #16) with the filler so that it looks normal when painted up.

Another resource I’m going to look into is the Pegasus French WWI Infantry.  The “arms with rifles” in this set might go well with these conversions.

ADMIN NOTE:  Camerone Day is this coming Tuesday.  In celebration I’ll be making a post each day for the entire week so be sure to check regularly.