Missing models

[Baphomet69]

What do you guys do about missing models? By that I mean ones that nobody makes or that you can't find anywhere? I know some scratch-build or modify existing models. However, I do not possess the skills for that.

At the risk of sounding 'snobbish', I'll only buy from certain manufacturers, GHQ being number 1 of course, but also the C company and one that begins with Sky and ends in x. All the others that I've seen are just terrible, most looking like they were formed out of play-doh(R). (Point of fact, that is why it took me so long to get into micro armor, all the models I had seen were from other companies. Then a friend showed me some GHQ and here I am ).

Anyway, I'm curious how others handle models listed on their TO&Es that they can't find. My experience has been that it's mostly (but obviously not all) engineering vehicles.

I'm currently doing moderns (well, late '80's) and this is what I can't find, at least from companies that I WOULD buy from:
US
Ribbon bridge in truck (just use trucks, bridges not visible?)
Line Charge Vehicle
UK
Sultan
FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor
Digger/Excavator
Crane
Tractors
USSR
Towed Minelayer
T-55 AVLB (could use T-55 chassis and bridge from other country?)
T-72 ARV (could use T-72 chassis w/T-55 ARV top?)
DL-10 Assault Boats in trucks (just use trucks, boats not visible?)
UR67 Line Charge Vehicle
West Germany
Leopard CEV
Minenwerfer tracked minelayer
towed minelayer
Earthmover
Ribbon Bridges in Trucks (just use trucks, bridges not visible?)

[battlewagon]

Unless you are a fair hand at sculpting and casting your own vehicles, you will have to do a lot of research and find an existing kit that is the closest fit to what you want and try to "kit-bash" what you are looking for.

In another thread, I am documenting a micronaut conversion: IJN Yamashiro to IJN Fuso, it has taken several hours so far and I have used the following materials -
Sheet styrene tube and strip stock
GHQ spare parts from previous kits (and even a small piece of a blister pack)
Squadron Green Putty

It would be great if there were photo etched brass parts available, but aside from rotors and propellers I believe we are out of luck on that one.

I have seen a few Microarmor conversions in this forum, so if you decide to make your own ask the members of this forum for advice and I believe you will get more information back than you know what to do with...my private joke is that as soon as I scratchbuild a kit, GHQ will announce the same thing as a future release. I'd recommmend starting with a fairly simple conversion to get the hang of it.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Mk 1]

What do you guys do about missing models?

I buy from a wide variety of vendors. Always prefer GHQ when they make a model, but often fill-in with what I can find when they don't.

But when no one makes the model? Then I usually wind-up kit-bashing something that is close, or in the most extreme cases I scratch-build.

I know some scratch-build or modify existing models.

OK, so you already knew that...

However, I do not possess the skills for that.

Well, quite frankly, none of us possess any of the skills until/unless we develop them. Scratch-building and kit-bashing are not actually as hard as they may seem to the un-initiated. And we have a thread that can give you lots of helpful guidance.

(I even bumped the thread up to the top of the list, to help you find it. )

At the risk of sounding 'snobbish', I'll only buy from certain manufacturers .... All the others that I've seen are just terrible, most looking like they were formed out of play-doh(R).

Well unfortunately there is no magic wand, so if you want an item, you have to either find it and buy it, or make it yourself.

It is true that some items from brand-x vendors are truly deplorable, or downright un-usable. It becomes a bit of a gamble, as most of the Brand-X vendors don't provide pictures of all of their models. They may seem to have attractive prices, but if you can't really use half of what you buy ... well, maybe not such a good deal.


Just for fun, here is a comparison picture of the current GHQ SU-152 (front), with a 1970s-vintage Brand-S SU-152 (back). The amazing thing is, that the SU-152s were among the usable models I bought from this UK vendor. Much as I wanted the JS-2s and -3s, they were so much worse that the only use I could find for them was to melt half the lead out of them and use the hollow/crumpled shells as battelfield wrecks.

But these ugly-duckling SU-152s stayed in my "active forces" box until just last year, when I finished up the lovely GHQ models to replace them.

I guess my standards are pretty high when it is convenient for me. Not so demanding when I have fewer choices, though...

Nice to have choices, isn't it?

[av8rmongo]

I agree that many cool units are hard to come by - so I've made them myself. Here is one of my creations from your list, the BW Skorpion minelayer. Its a pretty easy conversion as these things go, paint technique not withstanding. If you're interested I can talk you through it or you can read about it in the scratch building thread.



Paul

[Theodore]

What do you guys do about missing models? By that I mean ones that nobody makes or that you can't find anywhere? I know some scratch-build or modify existing models. However, I do not possess the skills for that.
...
Anyway, I'm curious how others handle models listed on their TO&Es that they can't find. My experience has been that it's mostly (but obviously not all) engineering vehicles.

I've scratch built a few pieces, but I am finally getting OK at it.

Mostly I play scenarios that don't need the vehicles, but I play historical scenarios more than equal TOE match ups.

I also buy both sides to field scenarios and armies, then buy new units to expand the armies as I add scenarios. If there are significant gaps in the forces though, I just don't buy either army. Especially true with post Desert Storm stuff, with no insurgents available I just don't buy any of the armies that have fought in Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, etc since there is no one to fight against. There are other too many armies, games, eras, and scales to play to waste time and money on armies that you can't buy most of what you need to fight both sides..

[piersyf]

You might try the new owners of Heroics and Ros. I haven't tried them yet, but now that they're separate from Navwar they do have an online sales option. The figures range from good to average (I place them above scotia for vehicles, but scotia a/c are ok) and they have(had) a large range. I find that a bit of added colour like stowage/tarps/cam netting can mask a lot as well.

P

[kamill]

What do you guys do about missing models?

Unfortunately I lack the skill necessary for conversions (and I tell you I tried hard ), so I simply use proxies, picking the most similar equipment I can find.

Which reminds me that perhaps it's time to visit the "wishlist" topic again