Pound Store Japanese into slouch hat Imaginations figures

The simple addition of a cardboard hat brim (I sometimes use luggage label roundels) changes these Pound Store copies of Airfix and Matchbox Japanese Infantry into different Imaginations figures. I picked these Japanese up in a Pound Store about fifteen years ago.

I was idly experimenting today with the possibility of making some cheap 54mm Boy Scouts Of America figures for my Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop Project, although the rifles were a bit of an obvious limitation.

HO OO Airfix WW1 Americans can make reasonable small versions of Boy Scouts Of America: https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/boy-scouts-from-airfix-ww1-american-infantry/

I like the 1:32 / 54mm and OOHO Japanese Infantry figures as they are quite ‘old school’ uniformed figures – puttees, rifles, haversacks, ammunition pouches, water bottles. Flags, buglers, officers with swords in the OOHO set. They could all easily have come from a century before.

A change of head or hat and you have a new figure. Infantry, militia, bandit, revolutionary, irregular …

As suggested by the paint conversion into a Confederate type grey soldier (right), this is something that I also did with the OOHO Japanese Infantry as a youngster in the late 1970s and 80s when I had almost no Airfix ACW figures.

https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/confused-by-zouaves-some-airfix-acw-paint-conversions/

Airfix OOHO Japanese Infantry were easy to buy at the time and are still available from Airfix, more than can be said for the scarce Airfix ACW range.

Riflemen, Buglers, Flags, Officers – all suitable for 19th Century Wars?

The Japanese Infantry with soft caps also paint up nicely in glossy red and blue as traditional toy soldiers.

My Pippin Fort inspired ‘Trumpton troops’ quickly painted up for play parades (Airfix Japanese 1:32 54mm plastics) photo/ painted: Man of TIN. 

https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/pound-store-wars/

Pound store paint conversions: American Civil War

 

Glossy toy soldier style American Civil War troops can be painted using cheap pound store plastic figures.

Right: pirate or pound store Matchbox clone 54mm  Japanese WW2 infantry repainted as American Civil War Confederate Infantry, alongside one of my handmade Polymer clay scruffy standard bearers with a Britain’s Deetail flag.

An overlooked blog post from summer 2017 that I forgot to post – Whoops!

Having spent time in the past converting OO / HO Airfix Japanese Infantry into Union or Confederate troops and zouaves,

https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/confused-by-zouaves-some-airfix-acw-paint-conversions/

I wondered how this sort of conversion would work at 1:32 or 54mm scale.

For paint scheme inspiration for the glossy toy soldier style, I looked to my books and my display cupboard.

I like the paint style on this Tradition of London solidcast Union infantry man, handpainted by a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen,  a past Christmas present.

Tradition of London ACW Union Infantry

Other simple  paint inspiration can be found in these Britains, Tradition and Herald figures.

These two damaged Britain’s ACW Confederate  “On Guard” figures surrounding the central figure look under their flaking paint like they were once Union figures!

The Tradition professionally painted Confederate photographed by my rougher enamel glossy painting of Tradition ACW photographer.

Herald ACW figures, minus much of their paintwork.

Some of my childhood Herald ACW officers missing their swords.

One of my favourite Herald figures the ACW Confederate Bugler

Other ACW figures in my collection came long ago from a quirky collectors shop in Cornwall.

I love the Tintinesque  Thomson and Thompson moustache on this figure!

Another childhood branch library favourite …

A bit of plastic and lead American Civil War toy soldier inspiration, equally applicable to Imagi-Nations troops.

Blogposted by Mark, Man of TIN on his Pound Store Plastic Warriors blog, May 2018

Battle Ground figures

 

Dramatic header artwork, reminiscent of all those WW2 story cartoon booklets  …

An online purchase last year from a vintage ex-shop stock supplier, at first I thought these were 54mm pirate copies. In fact they turned out to be OO/HO.

I was not disappointed as this meant I had some OO/HO copies of the larger Airfix Japanese Infantry to play with, pirated and pantographed down in size from 1:32.

A motley collection of OO/HO copies of 1:32 Airfix copies of Japanese and American Infantry and Matchbox Germans. With extra added flash …

These were pretty ropey, poor quality  copies with extra flash and badly moulded weapons. Perfect for conversion then! Four bags full …

Because of the unusual nature of these Airfix Japanese figures in a small scale,  I think that they are worth trimming free of flash  and painting up as an Imagi-Nations army unit.

Violently coloured and attractive pirate copies.

Hopefully I will be able to create some interesting new OO/HO figures for the American Civil War or for an Imagi-Nations army, such as I have done with the original 1:32 Airfix Japanese Infantry that I have repainted here.

 

My Pippin Fort style Imagi-Nations troop paint conversions of 1:32 Japanese Infantry.

These Pippin fort figures were previously shown at my Man of TIN blog in June 2016 (link below here) and would feature well in the employ of any late 18th or 19th Century  Imagi-Nation:

https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/pound-store-wars/

 

1:32 Airfix Japanese Infantry officer (copy) repainted and more modern radioman. 

Equally these OO HO Japanese figure copies could be used alongside Airfix Japanese Infantry OO/HO (still in production) to make ACW figures in kepis.

https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/confused-by-zouaves-some-airfix-acw-paint-conversions/

Another set of figures for winter 2017/ 2018 projects.

Blogposted by Mark, Man of TIN, on his Pound Store Plastic Warriors blog  7 October  2017.