Dark Grey Confederate Figures
Dark Gray Confederates Figures have been a passion of Bill Nevins. In this posting Bill will tell you how he got an interesting in Dark Gray Confederate figures.
I have always loved the dark gray Marx CSA figures. I remember getting a bag full of the dark gray CSA riders and the bright blue Union riders from George Cushman back in 1970 something. I’m guessing that it was a Schutzen Park show where we met. George and I were petty good friends at the time and he gave me a shopping bag full of Marx original Western and Cavalry Horses along with the ACW riders, brown and red brown wagon hitches and some other stuff. It was a big bag!!
Dark Gray Confederates Figure: Marx
George told me that he and another well know collector had just returned from a trip to a “barn” where the figures and horses had been stored for years. He mentioned that they were kept in cardboard containers that had rotted away over the years, spilling their contents all over the barn’s floor. He also mentioned that the guy was an old Amish farmer.
My guess is the old Amish guy was really the “General” because the van that they had arrived in was loaded to the gills with original Marx stuff. All of it was filthy dirty.
Moving on, it was the first time that I had seen that dark gray charcoal color outside of the Falling Horse and Rider figure.
Not long afterward, I obtained a set of Centennials in dark gray.
These were magnificent sculpts in that color!!
As my collection grew, I focused on finding the dark charcoal gray Rebels.
Which leads us to this. Marx only made so many poses. In order to supplement
my Marx troops, I began to buy cheap metal figure kits at the various shows and flea markets. Lots of Bussler, Irmie Risley and Shenandoah were collected.
I used parts and pieces from all different kits to make my own figures.
After assembly, I would spray paint the figures with a gray primer. Once they dried, I painted them charcoal gray using Liquatex tube acrylic paint. Liquatex is a thick paint that shrinks as it dries to form a “skin” over the figure. I then used an acrylic sealer spray to coat the figures and give them a bit of a shine that old plastic figures have.
Here’s a few pix of some of the figures. I have the charcoal gray color replicated, but I cannot seem to find the Union bight blue color mix yet.
Has anyone have it?
Those are some fantastic poses, Don. VERY, VERY impressive work.
One question I have is: how to you attach metal parts to plastic? I have used metal Shenandoah heads with plastic bodies by drilling holes in the plastic torso & shoving the metal necks into the holes filled with Krazy Glue. Is there a glue or other material that you have had luck with that attaches metal parts to plastic without drilling? What kind of method would I use to build metal kits, such as Shenandoah? Thanks for your time & help with this.
Sorry – I mean BILL!! Not “Don”.
Take a blue figure to sherwin Williams. They can color match it.
My personal opinion.
Those are the best new confederated so far I had seen after Marx. Much better than all new released.
Please hope this do not hurt any body, it is my personal like!!
I appreciate and admire all jobs,new ,conversion and old .But these supersede all I had seen till now.
The only pose I will never in anatomic way accept is guy with musket holding by tip high to hit some one like is a broom . I know Marx did it and repeated but ,not musket or rifle could be hold like that to release any force, chances are you just loose it our your hand or dislocate your wrist/hand/fingers. The rest are awesome sculptures more than conversion I should said.
Once again my opinion.
Best …
Nice work Bill
Good to see such imagination. How large is the total formation?
Andy I used Loctite Professional super glue on all of these and it has held up for many, many years.
Michael
How large is the total formation?
I’ve done close to hundred per side. I’ve emailed Paul a photo of the UNION in dark blue. I’m thinking of changing into a lighter blue.
I got about 2 dozen Zouaves primed, but I am unsure of what color to paint them.
Thanks, Bill. Will pick some up.
Was the Dark Grey confederates the same WW2 German Grey ?
And 6 inch WW2
German Grey