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54mm Roman Buildings/Civilians
#1
I've been trying to find items for a 54mm diorama. Military figures (centurions, legionaries, etc) are easy enough to find, but I'm having trouble finding good quality Roman civilian figures and ancient non-military buildings such as one would use in a diorama set in Britain, Gaul of Germania.<br>
<br>
Any advice on suppliers would be greatly appreciated. TIA! <p></p><i></i>
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#2
You might want to look at the Historex plastic "nude" figures and then drape them in tissue, maybe soaked in "white glue" to get the proper clothing styles.<br>
These figures are available at Squadron Shop online when last I checked. www.squadron.com/ <p></p><i></i>
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
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#3
Just this weekend I bought some (ruined) columns from Armand Bayardi. Not really complete buildings, but it may do for a smaller diorama.<br>
As to using tissue paper to make clothing, that's very difficult in my experience. Putty is easier, but takes some practice. <p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#4
Alpharalph, have you tried to build your own buildings with plastic, wood or gypsum? I tried it and it works, even for 1/72-scale-buildings!<br>
<br>
BTW: does anyone know where I can buy 90mm plastic-figures of 1st century AD. Romans? I tried some online-shops but no one had some... <br>
<br>
Vale<br>
Sp. Purgitius Macer<br>
<p></p><i></i>
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#5
Must it be plastic (why?)? Because there are great figures in metal available, though they're very expensive. <p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#6
nice 54mm Roman military figures available from Russia at www.leadwarrior.com/ They even have a really nice mounted figure.<br>
<br>
90mm? 100mm figures are available from www.vindolanda.com/<br>
they had a centurion, standard bearer, legionaire, archer and auxiliary when I was last there. The figures are made of resin or stoenware or something, not plastic.....<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
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#7
I need the 90mm figures for a diorama and so I unfortunately do not need only a few of them - and because of that any metal figures or single-pieces will be too expensive... <br>
Furthermore the diorama should be used indoors as well as outdoors and I think this wouldn't be good to metal figures.<br>
<br>
Vale<br>
Sp. Purgitius Macer<br>
<p></p><i></i>
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#8
Inside and outside diorama? Tell us more!<br>
And yeah, 90mm figs in metal and resin are very expensive, but, provided you use a good primer, should hold up well. Have you considered 'downscaling'? There are lots more 54mm figures available, they're cheaper too. But then again, I don't think there are many plastic ones. 90mm isn't a scale that is used much for plastic figurines. <p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#9
probably your best bet would be to get a few "master" figures, then make laytex or rubber molds, and pour plaster copies and paint with weatherproof paints, or even have "ceramic" copies which can be made weatherproof.<br>
Are you making hundreds of figures? How will this be used? is the 90mm required, or just something that sounds "right"? In terms of cost, it seems to be an expensive choice. <p></p><i></i>
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
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#10
Ok, although I normally don't like to talk about unfinished plans here are some facts about the dioramas:<br>
- as far as I am not the only one working on this idea, it wasn't my decision to plan with 90mm figures. (I'm currently working on some small 1/72-scale dioramas) And if we don't find a way to get 90mm we will take 54mm or perhaps would try to make our own ones (which would be much more work than we expected. If anyone here has already tried it, please give me some hints. )<br>
- the idea is to make some dioramas with legionaries in different situations (part of a march-camp, building up siege-weapons, building a ramp for a siege-tower, building a road or bridge and so on). Perhaps we will use "cut away"-sides so that you can look into the interior of fortification-walls or we will build in some moveable parts at battering-rams (there are some great ideas in our head ). But this would not work in a lower scale than 54mm.<br>
- the dioramas should be able to be used in a museum as well as at re-enactment events and presentations.<br>
<br>
I currently guess that the money will be the best argument for downscaling.<br>
<br>
Vale<br>
Sp. Purgitius Macer<br>
<p></p><i></i>
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#11
Hmmm, if I summed up all my unfinished modelling projects... E EM<br>
<br>
Stick with 54mm, big enough for detail, way cheaper than 90mm. As for being able to move, stick them in a glass/plastic see-through box. Protects from the weather and especially from prying fingers!<br>
Scratch building figures, well that's possible, but talent & practice come in very handy.<br>
<p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#12
with 54mm figures you can use a mixture of metal figures, plastic figures and you can add clothing with thin metal, or other media to the historex "nude" and other civilian figures available. Many dealers will give you a discount iof you buy a large order. Hat miniatures has had some various 54mm figures from this time period.<br>
<br>
here are some related links for you.<br>
classictoysoldiers.com/map.htm<br>
www.hat.com/<br>
www.atstoysoldiers.axxs.n...cants.html<br>
<br>
you might also look for a company called "Reamsa"<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
[url:2zv11pbx]http://romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=22853[/url]
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#13
Or this link <p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/ujasperoorthuys.showPublicProfile?language=EN>Jasper Oorthuys</A> at: 3/14/02 8:44:12 pm<br></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#14
Many many thanks to all for the responses and suggestions.<br>
<br>
I guess the probable result is that I will scratch build my own buildings--Lord knows there's lots of materials available. As to plastic figures, my experiences (all bad) with painting soft plastic figures in any scale (move the figure and watch the paint crack before your very eyes) will keep me away from that, and I confess I am not proficient in adding/sculpting clothing to cover nude figures, so I'll continue to keep an eye out for some metal figures.<br>
<br>
Wonder why we have Maximus and Commodus metal figures but none of Drusilla? As a matter of fact, am I the only one who would love to see Andrea or El Viejo Dragon do a 54 mm metal Spartacus collection? Crassus (Laurence Oliver), Gracchus (Charles Laughton), Lentulus Batiatus (the young Peter Ustinov!), Marcellus (Charles McGraw) and of course the excellent Woody Strobe as Draba, one of the retiarii with his trident and net. They could even throw in Kirk Douglas and then you could build a magnificent diorama ... walls and the sand and don't forget Nina Foch in the viewing gallery...<br>
<br>
Ah well, as Persius said, magister artis ingeniique largitor venter. <p></p><i></i>
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#15
Have you seen Pegaso's Spartacus? Doesn't look like Douglas, but a nice model anyway! <p>Greets<BR>
<BR>
Jasper</p><i></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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