7th Cavalry 20mm Newline Designs

Well I couldn’t resist just tinkering with the 20mm 7th cavalry from Newline. The sabres still bother me so I thought I would try out a theory and I think it worked.

I dug out some small bristles I had cut from an old brush, these are very tough and retain their shape if bent, perfect for flag poles and pikes. So I measured up the standard pole that came with the set and cut my own from the plastic bristles. The end can easily be flattened with pliers and cut to shape with a pair of scissors. 

I chose the sword wielding figures to be the new standard bearers, the one that comes with the pack is in a buck skin... I thought he would be better as an officer, or even the big man himself. Newline don’t make a mounted Custer figure... yet.

Once I had poured out the figures from the bags and got my file ready, I noticed just how clean the sculpts were. Hardy any clean up was needed, just a tiny mold line over the top of the hat. I was impressed.

While I was cutting the Guidon poles I had a brain wave, why not see if you can bend a plastic bristle and shape it to become a pistol. Why it was easy to do, the tricky part was drilling the hand.

Once the bristle was in place I bulked it up with some Gel superglue, just to give it some shape. Once painted, I will be able to cheat some detail into it with silver paint. You can see now the buckskin rider makes a much better officer now he has a pistol rather than a Guidon.

The cut bristle is bent and flattened near the bend, the barrel is left so it is still round.

Another trooper puts away his sabre and pulls out his long barrelled Colt.

The new weapon wielding troopers ride off into the sunset together.

I might keep a sabre wielding guy or two just for variety. They look more like officers with everyone brandishing a Colt pistol.

I think the experiment has worked out and the good thing about being just that little bit smaller in scale, is that you can get away with more. A few painted details should make them indistinguishable from the other pistols from a distance.

Well that’s the idea anyway...we will have to see.