Ok, you asked for it...   (well a couple of you did)

This is a quick article on how I swop 1/72nd  scale figures heads.
First I select two likely candidates for the "exchange" One doesn´t know it yet but he isn´t in on the deal, he´s just a doner, so shhhhh  
In this case I want to create a bowman wearing a helmet and the Revell english Knights set is of pretty much the same size.

The heads of both figures are removed, leaving as much neck as possible on the head that will be "re-fitted".
Both doner head and new body are matched with each other, to see if the angle of fit is correct and if there is too much neck left that will nead cutting away.  

The head then has a pin pushed into the top of the head. At this stage pliers aren´t necessary to push the pin in, but I do recommend the type of pin in the photo below. It saves on holes in the fingers. The pin has to be looked at from the side and the front as it is pushed 1-2mm into the head, to make sure it is properly aligned so as to come out more or less in the middle of the neck area.



Now using a pair of pliers the pin can be pushed all the way through so that it sticks out of the neck area. If it at this stage is misaligned, then one further attempt can be made but in my experience after that a new head is required as the holes made tend to join up with each other making it near impossible to fit the head at all.



The head and body are held together to check final alignment, then holding the body in one hand , the pin is pushed in using the pliers.


When the pin is pushed in 4-5mm, the top of the pin is now cut off as close as possible to the head, and using a hard surface (here my cutters) the rest is pushed flush with the top surface.


A bit of re-positioning of the head is still possible, twisting to the left or right and maybe even forcing side to side, forwards backwards, but it is a minimal ammount.

Fill any slight gaps with woodglue.



If I was to go "wild" on this one, I would have cut away the hood at the back, some of the clothing around the neck and recreated  the chain mail around the neck with greenstuff /milliput...
The same technique can be used to join body halves, arms legs etc. even two halves of different horses. The whole process, including photos took less than 5 minutes.

_________________
I knew the truck didn´t want to hit me....it had Dodge written on the front!

(26 down - 35 to go)
My ATF Portfolio
Paul´s Bods Blog
Federation of Bodstonia

Thanks Paul, that's enlightening.

I take it the hole on top of the head (where the needle entered) is to be closed with white glue as well. Should be fairly easy. Using the Loctite glue instead of white glue would give an even stronger bond but at a much higher price. Regards, Pat

Well done Pat, you spotted my deliberate mistake in this article...10 points  :)
Yep, your right, some plastics seem to "close" around the pin, The new stuff from hat for example while others need filling , Zvezda.
If this is the case, I just use woodglue....the pinning doesn´t seem to need much more doing to it to hold it tight.

_________________
I knew the truck didn´t want to hit me....it had Dodge written on the front!

(26 down - 35 to go)
My ATF Portfolio
Paul´s Bods Blog
Federation of Bodstonia

Looks relitivly easy, bet if i tried it it would not be though!

Pushing the pin through the head probaly would need care and practise to get it right.

Interesting demo- very effective and a very old technique- I did this in the mid 60s with Airfix 8th Army and Afrika Korps figures- suggested and demonstrated in an Airfix Magazine article. Well done to keep what is a very basic and effective process alive and kicking.
Stuart
ps you can also swap guns/spears around etc as I think you have already shown in earlier posts

@Chris...not as difficult (I was going to write as it looks  :) ) as you´d think..a couple of practice goes and it will seem like you´ve been swopping heads since birth.I started doing this at age 9.

@Stuart..I don´t remember the Airfix mag way back then...I´d be interested if anyone could post the article..
The swopping of weapons involves a wee bit more care, the pre-drilling of the hands with aforementioned pin, then carefully expanding and stretching the hole with a darning needle, the tapered kind, until the hole is a press fit for the desired weapon.
(the amount of times I´ve drawn blood doing this!!!  :fear:  :) )

_________________
I knew the truck didn´t want to hit me....it had Dodge written on the front!

(26 down - 35 to go)
My ATF Portfolio
Paul´s Bods Blog
Federation of Bodstonia

Not sure if my hands and eyes are steady enough for that kind of conversion work anymore.

I have a way around that....I save up most of my conversions until a friday or saturday evening...have a good slug of wine and get cutting.
Seriously though, I know what you mean though...you get old enough, settled enough and have just enough spare cash to get back into the hobby...what happens!? Your eyesight and motoric control  starts playing up    :roll:

_________________
I knew the truck didn´t want to hit me....it had Dodge written on the front!

(26 down - 35 to go)
My ATF Portfolio
Paul´s Bods Blog
Federation of Bodstonia

Thanks for sharing that one Paul.

yesterday I was hit with the 'hands mess' working on those russians.

Couldn't grasp the brush for an hour and then only after a dose of advil pain reliever and some 'mineral ice' pain releiving gel.

Good idea for holding heads on but...wouldn't the heads split??? Also, what is a good glue for soft plastics (poly cement doesn't work)
Cheers, Strider

_________________
"One day history will judge us"
My Portfolio
My D-Day Dio

A good glue for soft plastics...so far all have failed so far..the pinning not..and I´ve got figs I pinned 30 plus years ago..and they haven´t splitt yet.  :)

_________________
I knew the truck didn´t want to hit me....it had Dodge written on the front!

(26 down - 35 to go)
My ATF Portfolio
Paul´s Bods Blog
Federation of Bodstonia

Ok! I'll try pinning then
Maybe I'll ask Kaktus what glue he used for his conversions
Cheers, Strider

_________________
"One day history will judge us"
My Portfolio
My D-Day Dio

Good Afternoon,
    I have found through experience that unless one pre-drills the head and torso with a pin drill, the figure parts are prone to splitting, especially when using standard diameter pins.  For my head swaps (and I convert 48-figure battalions in this manner), I use piano wire, obtained from a local hobby shop, cut to 3/8" lengths.  After pre-drilling, i place the wire into the torso, apply a small srop of Elmer's glue, then place the transplanted head upon the body.  the excess glue contracts, smoothing the join between haed and body.  Check my blog (admittedly no posts for a bit!) for examples; specifically, the Horse Grenadier and Kurassier regiments.  My first such conversion was Airfix RHA converted with extra hussar heads into Artillerie a Cheval de la Garde.

_________________
Allen M.
-AKA- Albrecht Herzog von Lagerburg
http://lagerburgduchy.blogspot.com

And my first set, 30 plus years ago now where the Airfix RHA  :wink:

_________________
I knew the truck didn´t want to hit me....it had Dodge written on the front!

(26 down - 35 to go)
My ATF Portfolio
Paul´s Bods Blog
Federation of Bodstonia

Good Afternoon,
Forgot to add that several of my staff officers incorporate head and/or arm, or torso part swaps.
Lagerburg

_________________
Allen M.
-AKA- Albrecht Herzog von Lagerburg
http://lagerburgduchy.blogspot.com

Good demo Paul H, always interesting to see how other folks do things.
How I wish that Airfix would re-run some of their figure sets, specifically the RAF/Luftwaffe types, in polystyrene or even that new material that the 1/32nd figures now come in.
It would certainly make life easier and give me one less thing to moan about !

_________________
Buffalo

There are a lot of the Heller re-issue Airfix  RAF and Luftwaffe ground crew sets about..
http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/hell ... -8297.html

_________________
I knew the truck didn´t want to hit me....it had Dodge written on the front!

(26 down - 35 to go)
My ATF Portfolio
Paul´s Bods Blog
Federation of Bodstonia

Paul, what Buffalo means is for the figures to be in the harder plastic so that ordinary modelling glue works on them, [as well as paints]
I too have pinned new heads, without any splitting.

To have all the ranges re-released in hard glueable plastic like say the Perry 28mm´s would be great.!!!! Emhars 1/72nd plastic figs are excellent..they being made from the hard plastic are great for conversions..very easy to do, just snip and glue.  :D

_________________
I knew the truck didn´t want to hit me....it had Dodge written on the front!

(26 down - 35 to go)
My ATF Portfolio
Paul´s Bods Blog
Federation of Bodstonia