Gardenwargaming - Playclicks
English forums => Contributions - Customs => Topic started by: edwinmodels on August 26, 2006, 12:44:00 AM
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This is my first posting of a conversion I have done. Its a special union infantry man into a zouvre. I took the legs from the Royal Artillery his colour and cuffs are from the confederate infantry special as is the new strap for his water canteen. And the fez hat from ebay. As this is the first of many I am planning to make I would appreciate any comments. Kind regards Craig
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craig,
i cant make it any better...using only original PM parts and no spraying ;D
you must have done some research....what are the distinctive differences with confederate zouvres may i know?
it will surely add colour to our drab blue&grey battlefield :D
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Hello, Craig ...
I first saw your splendid Zouave at PF and I was hoping that you were going to post him here as well.
I am very happy to see such really great conversions using only Playmobil parts. It makes all of us realize that customizing can be something that everyone can do.
Thanks for sharing your colourful Klicky with us, Craig!
All the best,
Richard
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Very nice. All with PM parts and it looks so good.
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a really nice custom with original playmo parts only! it seems so simple yet u have to get there and do it! really nice! ;D
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nice custom edwinmodels!
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Hi Guys and thanks for the kind words. I took the idea from Great Battles of the American Civil War by John Macdonald. Which I must confess but picked up in a discount book shop. As regards uniforms he states that there was a strong european influence, particulay from France, in the American armies. So my figure is based on 5th New York Volunteers Duryee's Zouavers. Who fought with the army of the Potomac. The south also had Zouaver regiments the most famous being the Louisiana tigers made up mostly of Irish men from New Orleans who fought at the first bull run. They had stripped trousers brown jackets and the Fez. At this stage not sure how the Officers were dressed?
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The Louisiana Tigers were also known as Wheat's Battalion.
Click HERE (http://www.geocities.com/ddhillman2002/) for more information.
The attached pictures are probably fairly accurate, as uniforms for different regiments changed frequently throughout the Civil War (1861-1865).
I also remember reading that at least one officer of the Louisiana Tigers wore a straw hat!
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There are many sources that state that the Zouave jackets of the Louisiana Tigers were brown ... Not blue! And that the frock coat of the officers was gray ... Not blue!
However, they may have been blue in the beginning and then, due to lack of available fabric, changed to the familiar butternut brown colour that was used throughout the Confederacy as the war wore on.
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Hi Richard and thanks for that. Its a wonder that they didnt end up shooting each other with the amount of blue and grey uniforms being worn on each side.
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sorry to dig up this thread again Craig..
having a bit more time to really see these 'old' but wonderful customs threads ;D
and zouves are next on my ACW list...
but my own 'reversible-but-yet-more-accurate' rules for my customs is checkmating my zouves custom...my problem is their coats and those stripe pants...any suggestions besides spraying or stickers?! :D
you know Craig, your custom really shows us that they can look very zouves-like without 'heavy-customising' of pants/coats...if you have made more do post a bigger picture...i'm really inspired by yours!
and Richard, youre always a fantastic source of accurate info AND great pictures...you are truly an indispensible customising-advisor ;) ;)
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... and, Richard, you're always a fantastic source of accurate info AND great pictures ... you are truly an indispensible customising-advisor ;) ;)
Thank you, Cheng ... :-[
But, it's you (and all the wonderful members here at GW-PC) who really make that "info" come to life !!!
Richard
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Hi Cheng and thanks for your kind words once again. Unfortunately I have only managed to pick up one other fez hat on ebay of late. So it looks like the regiment is going to take a while to build. I have also thought about painting the figures but time etc takes its toll. But on the bright side if a few more parcels arrive in the post will have ten ethnic troopers to convert. Will have to rent Glory again from Blockbuster for some insperation.
And Richard what an old smoothie
I bet you didnt have much trouble getting dates ;)
Craig
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And Richard what an old smoothie
I bet you didnt have much trouble getting dates ;)
Craig
Hello, Craig ...
That's true ... :-[
(Sorry about going OT, but it is your topic, Craig.) ... :)
BTW, that was true, until I met my wife 36 years ago ... ;)
(Yes, the attached picture is the lady I met and married!) ... :)
All the best,
Richard
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.....until I met my wife 36 years ago ... ;)
(Yes, the attached picture is the lady I met and married!) ... :)
send my regards and HELLO to susan....may she look like this for another 35 years ;D
and craig,
dont make us wait too long for your ten ethnic troopers (this is something i'm missing in my ACW theme too...so like i said "jealous..jealous..jealous.." ;D
since you dont paint them...you can make them right out of your parcels ;) ;) ;) start a new thread ok? i'll have many questions for you and Richard, surely :D
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first question already.... ;D
Craig's zouve's red cap....did it come as white from those old 'coloring' sets?
it would be extremely difficult to spot it on ebay if it wasnt...
and Craig, would you have used the smaller santa's cap if you didnt have this?
i have also seen a pictures with union soldier's kepi in red worn by zouve soldiers...not just officers :)
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Great custom, Craig! 8)
Love the combination of old parts with new. They work really well together. :)
Just taking a look at Richard's photo showing the officer's uniform that he posted in August...
Has anyone thought of using the older style red hats - see my attachment - for this style of figure and painting the peak black? (I'm assuming it's black, but perhaps it is a very dark blue). The hat looks similar in shape, just not quite as floppy at the top. :)
It has probably already been done somewhere by another ACW customiser, so excuse me if the idea is unoriginal. ;)
PS. Gorgeous-looking chick you married, Richard! ;)
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Craig's zouve's red cap....did it come as white from those old 'coloring' sets?
it would be extremely difficult to spot it on ebay if it wasnt...
Hello, Cheng ...
Playmobil used the red fez in the Circus and Safari themes ...
(http://www.collectobil.com/images/items/3452.jpg)
(Picture "borrowed" from Collectobil.)
PS. Gorgeous-looking chick you married, Richard! ;)
Thank you, Sylvia ... ;)
All the best,
Richard
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thanks a lot, Richard!
yes....that's the exact same part...should be extinct by now ;D
and Sylvia,
i've looked at some zouave pictures....perhaps only the officers wear something like the red cap you posted(thanks)...but maybe what they wore looked more like the present day French police caps. I suppose a PM kepi wont look right too.
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Hi All
And first off Richard congratulations.
From what I understand so far is that both the North and South looked to France and the little corporal as some sort of insparation. So a lot of the early uniforms were based on the French Colonial style. With the Kepi being a great example.
I do intend to make a Confederate Zouvre regiment and am toying with the idea of the santas hat or there was a nice red hat in the pirate range. Not too sure what these are called but look like a knitted hat that the top flops down at the back.
Craig
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....and am toying with the idea of the santas hat or there was a nice red hat in the pirate range....Craig
we both think alike in some ways Craig ;D
i dont have enough to make a regiment but i did make 2 louisiana tigers...i dont have the fez you used but i used a santa cap for one and a pirate cap for the other...i think they look ok ;)
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Hi Cheng
We do think the same scary.. Today the lovely Sylvia has sent me some Fez hats so I can crack on with the Zouvres. Must think of something suitable to send in return. And on top of that just won a cavalry patrol with the ethnic trooper for 4 pounds
Regards
Craig