I love to get outdoors and do yard work, including cutting our grass. My wife is always telling an old guy like me to get someone else to do the work. To me it’s fresh air and great exercise!
A few weeks ago I was getting a lot done and started the lawns on our median. On the first of three passes I noticed what I thought was a big bug about two feet away on the road. On the third and last pass it looked like a piece of metal. Picking it up I realized it was a figurine.
It was in terrible shape having been run over numerous times. Not knowing of anyone in my neighbourhood that collected, I was astounded that this figure was in front of our house!
My first thought was to throw it into the recycling bin or maybe my casting oven. I finished cutting the grass then took it up to my studio for further examination. It sat there for some time before a close examination with a magnifying glass.
The head was missing as well as the upper part of the rifle, left foot and base crushed and folded under the feet. See the two photos showing it’s initial condition. I decided to try and restore this piece little by little knowing it might take some time. It was impossible to identify the manufacturer but appeared to be a WW1 infantry figure in battle dress.
An average of an hour twice a week was spent to carefully scrape off the dirt and ingrained tar and gravel pieces. The base had to be cut off to preserve the right foot. Once the scraping process was complete, I used a sharp exacto knife to increase to definition around pockets, collar and belts. A new base was added as well as a left foot. A new head was added next, as well as the top portion of the rifle.
The figure was set aside then prime painted with white acrylic paint. A week later the initial flesh tone was painted on face and hands. A few days later I added the eyes and mouth colors then the basic uniform khaki. The following week I painted the equipment , belts, buttons, boots and rifle and set aside to dry. The base was painted last.
I decided to make the f igure a field hospital guard WW1 and now he stands on the shelf with all the pretty nurses!
Happy modelling everyone, Norman Cuthbert
About the author: Norman has been collecting and making figures for over 59 years. He is a member of the Ontario Model Soldier Society (OMSS) and the South Carolina Military Miniature Society (SCMMS)