[SuperPask]

Hi all,

I've finally finished it! Here is my first ACW custom figure representing a Union Cavalry Sergeant Major. This is my first bash and I'm not a pro of 1/6, but I hope you like it!

I'm not a painting expert so that's why I used pastels to weather the uniform, the head and a little bit on the hands as well. I've also done a bit of custom work on the shell jacket by adding rank insignas (transfer), yellow trimming (DMC thread glued on cloth) and supplementary buttons (collar and sleeves). About these additionnal buttons, due to their size, I could only put one on each side of the collar instead of 2 as it used to be on real uniform. Here are the credits :

- figure body : Dragon (Andy Carlson head)
- boots with spurs, belt buckle, ammo belt pouch : Sideshow
- shell jacket, forage cap, trousers, shirt, braces, belt, holster, ammo box with strap, saber with scabbard : Battle Gear Toys
- weapons (M1851 Army Clot revolver and Spencer Carbine) : Stevo's Toys
- weathering :Tamiya weathering pastels
- trimming :DMC thread

According to my own research, the Spencer carbine looks like it hadn't any saddle ring. So that's why I didn't put a sling on my figure. I suppose that this carbine used to be carry only in a rifle boot on the saddle gear. I've put an ammo box with strap on my man but it is just a personnal choice. It looks like this kind of ammo box was carried mostly by infantry troops. But I just thought that mounted troops could have some too, just by getting some from wounded comrades on the battlefield for example.

Hope you enjoy looking at my figure!

 

[The Saint]

Your figure looks great for a first bash. Nice weathering.

The lone lace buttonhole on the collar is not a problem, there was such a variation made in the Western theatre (Saint Louis Arsenal I think). Another practice made by the troopers was to lower down the collar for better confort, thus leaving space for only one buttonhole. The jacket should have 11 or 12 buttons though.

The cap pouch was usually worn on the right side, near the pistol holster, to balance the weight of the sword. For the same purpose, the cavalry belt usually had a shoulder strap hooked on the left side.

As far as I know, the Spencer carbine has a ring on the left side of the breech block to attach to the large swivel of the carbine sling :

http://howardlanham.tripod.com/link89.htm

That and the cartridge box on the belt would be more typical of the mounted troops, but anything can happen in a war !

Well done, Pascal.

 

[SuperPask]

Thanks for additionnal information Eric. And as you said when at war, soldiers of that time should have lots of personnal ways to wear their gear.

About weathering, Sideshow boots were already a bit weathered, but I've added more weathering using pastels to make them look dirtier and dustier. I've also weather the jacket and the forage cap on the same purpose. Indeed I guess that riding a horse in battles used to bring lots of dust on clothes. I also weathered the head to make him look a bit dirty, and exhausted by neverending horse rides. Anyway, he looks a bit more 'fierce' than the original Andy Carlson head!

 

[Kustom Boyz]

Wow, very nice! Excellent job......!!!! :thumb

 

[laughinggravy2]

Been waiting to see the finished project. Everything came together very well. Super results, and even better that it's a first time.

Just from experience, but it's not the riding so much that gets your boots dirty. ....It's the walking around before and after . Horses really break up surface dirt into fine dust in no time. Then there's all the poop. :thumb

Really enjoyed seeing this fig and your passion is obvious.

Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.

 

[RainbowAvenue]

this figure turned out really great.

 

[Iron_Mike]

Great work, very nice looking figure! :thumb
-mike-

 

[SuperPask]

Thanks guys for your comments

Just from experience, but it's not the riding so much that gets your boots dirty. ....It's the walking around before and after . Horses really break up surface dirt into fine dust in no time. Then there's all the poop. :thumb

Thanks for this sharp piece of information Laughinggravy :thumb I've had no opportunity to do horse riding yet so I've only thought that about dirty boots from what I saw on Troiani's paintings, photos or movies so far. However, on my air base there's a horse club and I'm looking forward to learning how to ride a horse within a few monthes. Lessons are free for all base staff practising during the week, on day slots sceduled for sports. So as it is free, I'll go for it when I've got time for it. So in a way, I should get more info about how horse riding goes on boots and gear!

For general weathering on the jacket, the forage cap and the face of my figure, I got inspiration from movies, especially Gettysburg, in which you can see Uninon cavalrymen quite in details. Then I could see how dusty were the uniform, the 'level' of dust on them and the kind of dust (important to find a nice color closed to reality). Also, while weathering with pastel, I remembered this funny sequence in Sergio Leone's The good, the bad and the uggly when Blondie and the Uggly come accross mounted troops covered of grey dust. Then the Uggly is cheering the Confederacy thinking it's CSA cavalry... But there weren't : while he is cheering, the cavalrymen slowly tap their jackets to blow dust away, making their uniforms turn to... blue!