1-72 Scale Higgins Boat

Ok so here is my current build which is really just finishing an old one.The figures are just placed randomly at the moment to get an idea of how it will look.



I don’t have any earlier shots than these because I started this years ago, and even though I have only just done the weathering of the LCVP and started painting the figures I hadn’t joined this forum so I wasn’t planning on blogging it.


The Higgins Boat is the Airfix one, built out of the box. The figures are a mixture of Revell, Italeri, Hasegawa, Caesar and Pegasus Hobbies. They are quite variable in terms of sculpting quality, even in different sets from the same manufacturer. This was fine, actually, because I wanted to show the GIs being different heights and wearing slight variations in uniform. I also wanted to get across the feeling of them being crammed in against one another, which is something you very rarely see with model figures.
There is actually rather an inaccurate variety of different uniform styles, in fact some are even paratroops which are completely wrong but I decided not to get too fussy about that.
Just thought I would drop that in now to stop the rivet counters before they get too excited!
I knew I would need a to do a lot of dismembering and use figures from different sets because there are very few standing still poses available. I avoided making duplicates because I wanted them all to be individuals. I pinned the bits together with fine wire and used this superglue and plastic primer which I got online.

To be honest, I don’t know that it is any better than ordinary superglue, given that these are static models and not wargames figures.
I filled gaps and made the respirator bags and life preservers with Duro green stuff.
I primed them with Rustoleum plastic primer which was a recommendation on some wargaming website or other. It works fine in that it gives a hard coat to the soft plastic, but when I started painting I discovered I had obscured some of the detail. I should have followed rule number one of spraying- that is that several light coats are preferable to one heavy coat! But I was on a roll and I had no intention of stripping the paint and starting again.

I started researching the uniform colours and I realised what a minefield it is!
I did a few tests and discovered that I didn’t have many suitable colours. Being new to brushing with acrylics I found that acrylic paint doesn’t cover very well over white, so I undercoated them all with a brown, to reduce the effect of any gaps in the paint. Maybe that explains why some people prime with black? I also discovered the difference in consistency between Model Colour and Model Air…..
I found a Vallejo colours list for D-Day GIs on another wargames website so I used that as starting point, but when the new paints arrived I found I didn’t agree with all the choices …. I could have mixed colours myself but I prefer to have ready mixed colours available for touching up if necessary at a later stage.
I have to say that whist I love the convenience of acrylics with the airbrush, I really don’t like them very much for brush painting. In fact I had such trouble with the fine detail of the webbing that I dug out my old Humbrol enamels, most of which must be over 30 years old!!!
And still working - after a good stir.
Back in the day I used to think nothing of painting the eyes on these 1-72 scale boys, but now, even with an optivisor, I find I’m happy with a pink blob where the face is!

The Higgins boat was primed with Halfords rattle can grey primer (lovely stuff), and I have a feeling that is how I left it… It was before I started the SM55 so must be at least 3 years ago!
I modulated it just recently with a couple of light greys through the airbrush, then a good coat of Klear before the decals. Another coat of Klear followed by a couple of oil washes, brown and black. And some brown pastel for the rusty bits (it was mostly plywood, so not much rust about).
I still need to add some details like ropes and fenders and the machine guns.
And then the big challenge… the water!
That’s all for now folks!

Love the crowd. They're close enough you don't notice the paras. I'm strictly a hairy stick painter and use Modelmaster acrylics. They took over PollyS. An excellent brush paint. They cover & level well & the flats are. I work in 1/87 so don't use an AB & am sensitive to the loss of detail. PaulE

Hi Neil
Looking very good. I do agree that the crowded look is realistic. I don't think the variety of uniforms matters. Are you planning a base for this?
Jim

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Special_Service_Force#Name,_insignia_and_uniforms << may allow for the mixture of uniforms etc , they landed in landing craft on islands during Operation Dragoon

Thanks Gary, I'll buy that!
although the decals are from Omaha......could be the same LCVP went off tho the south of France later?
BUT
to answer Jim's question, yes I am planning a watery base, and now I have to decide between the bluish Mediterranean or the greyish, brownish English channel.
HMMMM....

A wonderful subject to have focused on. With D Days 75th anniversary coming up you may want to choose the Channel option.

As you started this project years ago do you find your skills have changed during this time to enable you to revisit and improve the build??

This looks great Neil.
I can certainly see a lot of work has gone into this.

Morning Chaps!
Ok so the next challenge is the rope fenders as shown below

There are none included in the kit but they are seen in almost every picture of an LCVP, and often quite battered, which might be good thing!
I have been mulling this over for some time and I always thought the solution would be sculpting, as I have some experience with that. I had a go with the green stuff when I was doing the figures and I just was not happy. Admittedly I am less comfy with it than say, Milliput, but the results were not encouraging.
So then I thought the answer lay in miniature rope-work, using sewing thread or model boat rope.
Here are the pathetic attempts, and boy, was it painful!


So now I’m getting bored and annoyed and my mind is running over anything I can think of that’s ready-made that I can adapt and I think ‘string? – Nah’…’shoelaces? …let’s see what I’ve got’
I always keep single shoe laces when one breaks, as you never know when they will come in handy, but I must admit I never expected to use them in model making……
I found 3 contenders, so I soaked each one in thin superglue to seal the weave for painting and to try to reduce the hairiness. The irritating thing about this model for me is the fact that, against my better judgement I used the ‘rope’ from the kit for the ramp winch, and as soon as I painted it all the hairs showed up.
Now I’ve written that I’m thinking about whether it’s possible to change it at this late stage…
And on the subject of rope in models, if I had seen a model with rope like in the picture above I would have been very critical, but clearly that is the effect I have to try and replicate .
Anyway, here are the fender contenders, before and after painting





Actually the middle one is not a shoelace but the cord from a venetian blind. I have no idea why I saved it……
So that’s as far as I have got. Now I have to figure out a way to close the ends of the weave and add the hanging rope to the top. Maybe it will be fine with the superglue if I just cut it, but I wanted to see which one looked right before going any further. I’ve rejected the one on the left as too chunky, so it’s a toss-up between the other two .
And looking at this shot the ramp hawser doesn’t look so bad, so maybe I will leave well alone and just FINISH THE DAMN THING!
And by the way I am planning to do the water thing which I have never done before, so if someone could point me to a few SBS I would be grateful. I notice Mr Spanner’s work has a lot of impressive wet stuff, but the threads I have looked at don’t really mention how it’s done.
All the best for now
Neil

ooh just realised I owe a couple of replies, sorry about that.
Ralph; thanks!

Steve; yes, Channel option it is - always was,really.

As for the skills thing I think I plateaued quite a while ago....although I guess I learned more about airbrushing in between starting this and coming back to it.
I do find every model brings new challenges and lessons learnt. My problem is that I have a rubbish memory so the lessons don't always get retained! The best thing would be to do another similar model using techniques and tricks learned from the previous model-and avoiding the mistakes...
But I like variety so I always do something completely different!
That said, I have found with sculpting at a particular scale that I get into a groove the more I do. My first 1-72 scale sculpts especially were very difficult, but after the third or fourth I got my eye in, so to speak.
I hope that answers your question?
N

Just seen this one Neil some very nice work

Hi Neil, the boat looks very impressive with all these soldiers crammed into it! The middle fender is the most realistic one if you ask me.

DIRK

I think the fenders look great Neil.

Neil,
I love all the figures crammed into this. I'll be following now I've found it!
My vote for fenders goes with either of the last two.
(For discussion purposes only)
I just found this on the net, in case it's of help?
As for 'Mr Spanner' - I've heard him called all sorts of things, but this is one of the most polite! The others should take note a give him a bit more respect too! I'm sure he can give you lots of tips on water.
Andy

Ian, Dirk ,Ralph,
thanks very much guys.
I know what you mean, Dirk, but it's possibly a bit too chunky. Ideally I would like something in between, but makes me sound like all the architects I work for.

Neil,
Thinking about how to 'contain' your fender's thread ends. If there's any nylon, etc in it, you can pass it through a flame quickly. (MR Race is our pyrotechniques expert!) Otherwise superglue or PVA could also work, so long as you don't stop its abillity to take a wash of colour, so use thick glue. There's my penny's worth - hope it helps with your experiments.
Andy

Thanks Andy.
I hadn't thought of that but it will probably work; I will give it a try.

Yes, I have seen the banter about John Race and his pyromaniac tendencies, it's clearly something that was a little before my time. I confess I thought Spanners' Rorke's Drift on fire was photoshop at first, but now I realise it was for real,and I am rather horrified!

I have done some experiments with just filing down the superglue hardened end and that seems to work.I haven't painted it yet so the jury is still out on that one.
I've also tried tying the end first with thread before the superglue and that seems to be working ,but again no paint has been applied so we will have to wait and see.
And on the subject of thick glue, my first attempts were using an old bottle of thin glue and I was irritated because it had got a bit too viscous. I thought I needed a thinner one to avoid clogging the detail. Well, I used a new bottle last night and whilst it didn't seem to clog the detail it wicked so quickly into the weave that the fenders now have my fingerprints all over them, and my fingers have bits of shoelace all over them!

I can't see the prospect of any bench-time before the weekend, now ,so I will just have to be patient (not a virtue I am known for.....)
cheers
Neil

Did some one mention my name ?
Hi Neil.
Nice to see another face back.
Great work on the figures, and the amount all crowded in , very realistic. With having that many manufactures the result is more natural .
Like the middle on for the fender, suppose you could bash it about a bit with a metal hammer, as it had been crushed against the mother ship.
I agree with Andy on the flame use, but I've tried that in the past , but a word of warning, if too much heat the nylon melts and goes hard.
hope to CA has worked

John.

hi John, it's good to be here!
I tried squishing it in a vice last night but it wasn't great. Bashing it with a hammer sounds much more like it!
I can't wait!
N

Morning all.

Next up is the unnaturally stiff-looking grab rope hanging along the side of the Higgins boat

I have deliberated over this for a while as it is not clear how the rope is attached to the ship. I figured there must be concealed hooks or something. Zooming in to my googled copy of this picture was no help as it just went pixelated.

But I know now that there are many versions of these pictures up on the web, and some of them are higher resolution than others, so I embarked on yet another search for ‘D-Day Landing Craft’, ’Higgins Boat’ and all other variations on said search criteria….because often the same picture will have many different captions, depending upon which site it is on.

It took me a while but I got there in the end and look what I discovered.


It’s just two holes in the coaming.

Well there isn’t room on the model to drill these holes, so I am happy to just glue it into place with a clear conscience.

I used Constructo model rope as it is the right colour - I didn’t want to paint if I could avoid it.

I also had to figure out how to make it off the model, to avoid doing any damage. This is my solution.



I knocked some dressmaking pins into a piece of timber, onto which I had first stuck some double-sided tape. I left the backing on to prevent the superglue sticking the rope to it.

I only glued the rope at the top line of pins, and when it had set I removed the lower line, shaped the rope and then glued that

I found that the superglue left me with some ‘flash’ around some areas, so I had another go with it spaced away from the board, and the result was much better.



Another problem of using natural thread was the hairiness that I referred to in the previous post. Inspired by the pyromaniac proclivities of Mr Race, something in me stirred up a dim and distant memory - possibly from Stan Catchpol back in the OLDEN DAYS.

I quickly ran a lighted match along the rope to singe off all the nasty hairs – and it WORKED!

I pinched the tops together with pliers to look a bit more convincing, trimmed the ends and job done.



I glued it to the side of the boat and got on with finishing the rope fenders.

I found that the easiest way get top shaping was to infiltrate with enough superglue so that the shoelaces became a solid lump. It was then a simple matter to file the tops and drill a hole for the suspension rope.

I went with the least bulky option in the end, even though I liked the more knobbly one I thought it was a bit out of scale. But I did use it for the stern fender.







So this is as far as I’ve got for now.

I have animated the fenders in a flying forward direction because I plan to show the boat on a downward wave with a big splash at the bow.

And now there’s no avoiding getting stuck in with the water……..which might wreck the whole thing as I’ve never done it before. I have done a couple of experiments and I have some theories about which method I am going to use, so it’s time to bite the bullet!

Thanks for looking
Wish me luck!
Neil

Stunning work Neil. It's been a joy to read your latest update. I use nylon thread rather than cotton as it looks more like rope and you don't have that hairy issue either. Cracking build sir!!