I had to include an asbestos wrap for him to hold that toasty barrel with.

Hi Jerry,

Always great to see another new guy making an appearance on your workbench and this guy does not disappoint! That barrel wrap is a really nice touch — makes total sense. HOT BARREL! ... HOT BARREL! Also noticed the bent left toe in conjunction with the knee — a small detail which is often overlooked.

Just a thought: Since the pistol is out of holster, would it make any sense to have the flap open? Might not even need to cut it completely — maybe just a deep undercut and a slight lift to give the effect — assuming the part is styrene, of course.

As always, your figure modifications will add much to the realism of your diorama!

—mike

Hi Jerry - as always, you're successfully dragging our little plastic and resin friends from the world of static pose, into dynamic position. The more I follow your guys, the more apparent it becomes that while big moves (cutting up torso, arms etc) make a difference, the more subtle adjustments, like how the head is placed, make the bigger visual impact (obviously including skillful execution). Nice work!

Nick

Hi Jerry, the new guy is awesome, the etch really makes himstand out. The passion etch is nice, I just received 3 of the German etch sets today. The only dissapointing parts are the chicken wire for the helmets, they look way too big. The other parts are nice though, especially the weapon slings. I thought about getting the US Para set but I dont have any para figs right now. Would you recommend the US set?? I look forward to your next update Jerry. Best regards....Dale

Hey there Jerry, your figures look amazing. I really like the way you made the wounded soldier's uniform damage, and the blood on the wounds. Awesome backdrop and vegetation scene adds to the realism of the diorama. I will attempt to create similar battle wounds to one of my figures but it will be a first time attempt so I may fail at it. I find that creating real looking figures, clothing add-ons and facial tones are the hardest aspects to achieve. You odiously have had much experience in this field. Your figures are truly amazing. Congrats! Looking forward to the completed version. Thanks for sharing.

JGphins

Finally a trooper who really carries his heavy gun, not just places it lightly on his shoulder!
But would anyone really carry his blanket like that? Rolled up, I mean. I'm just thinking here... Personally I would carry it folded into a square across the whole back and not like a roll pressing into the kidneys and lower back.
Anyway a nice looking touch and I like the added details!

Hi Jerry - the question of what to post or not is a good one! Your cojolling helped push me through the grass and sand and dirt of my last project! But, doing all that is essential to build the project the right way - the other end of the spectrum is your remarkable work with figures! I look at each post and just wonder how you do it! Your figures being so good that the debate comes down to exact placement of equipment! I'd be pleased with getting a basic positioning "about right"!!! Haha!

Keep on posting!

Nick

I didn't mind carrying a PRC77 with KY57, a PRC 104, or even PSC-3, but when I got a SINCGARS up in Alaska, that really sucked. At least the other radios were rectangular and fit nicely in the radio pockets or our specially rigged systems. After I no longer had to carry the full sized SINCGARS, the Army came out with the smaller ASIP. If only I could have started out with that radio my back probably wouldn't be as jacked up as it is.

Cheers,
James