Gary's Gebirgsjager Cable Layer Page

Welcome To My Gebirgsjager Cable Layer Page.

This kitbash is a combination of many different parts from different manufacturers which I have used to make a German Gebirgsjager signal cable layer. And as usual with me I am now buying less and less boxed figures, instead I now prefer to buy the individual loose parts instead. Mainly because when I work out how much a boxed figure is now, and how many of the items in the box I will actually use. I find that in the long run it is actually cheaper for me to get just the pieces that I want.

Headsculpt

As with a lot of the kitbashes I have made recently, the headsculpts that I prefer to use a lot of the time are the DiD one's, combined with a thinner Dragon Neo 2 type of body. But the problem in doing this is that I have to convert the DiD head to fit the Dragon body frame.
Note: To remove a head from a body, I have found that if I put the moulded head into a cup of hot water for about a minute, it helps to get the head off the neck mounting. Also, once it is off leave it aside for a coupe of minutes to cool down, that way there should be no distortion or damage to the head.

Important Note: Do NOT use the hot water with the DiD hairy heads, as I have found that the water causes the hair to fall out, because it removes the glue. Instead try using a hairdryer, to warm these heads up at the neck joint to loosen them enough to remove them.

In the pictures above I have shown how to convert the DiD head. The first picture above left is the inside of a standard Dragon head, the next picture is of the inside of a standard DiD head. The next two pictures show a Dragon neck mounting along with a DiD neck mounting, and as you can see the DiD head will not fit onto the Dragon neck mount. So to combine the two, I have had to use my model knife to carefully cut away the inside of the DiD head, so that it will fit tightly onto the Dragon neck mounting.

Note: This has to be done very carefully and slowly, removing a little at a time to widen the hole in the neck, making sure that you check that the head will gradually fit onto the Dragon neck post. In the last picture above right, I have the DiD head mounted onto the Dragon body, which if done right will be a tight fit as the head and neck joint closes up when you push the head into place.

The headsculpt has had a slight wash over with the Brown pastel chalks, the first picture is the standard head, the second picture with the pastel wash. The third and last picture show the head after the wash has been removed, and I have done a light drybrush with a Flesh coloured pastel. I still have to add some Gloss Varnish to the eyes and the line of the lips to get them to look shiny again

Uniform

The main parts of the uniform are again a mixture of different companies, the tunic and Gebirgsjager trousers are from Toys City, the woollen gloves are from Dragon. Along with the better M43 cap which is also from Dragon, I prefer this cap because it is made of a thinner material and it just sits better on the head, the snow goggles are I believe made by Toys City. With this figure I wanted something different from either puttees or gaiters around the boots, and I found a reference picture of a Gebirgsjager soldier using socks as shown below right. And after a long search I finally managed to buy two pairs of the Twisting Toys Italian socks loose.

With the footwear that I wanted to use with this figure, I prefer to use the Toys City Gebirgsjager boots as shown on the right as they are softer than the DiD boots and they take the pastel chalks well. I have included in the picture a pair of new boots on the outside, with the pair I have altered on the inside. With this figure I not only wanted the boots to look old and used, I also decided to have some scuff marks on the toes as well. I did this by folding a small piece of sandpaper in half so that it caused the cuts in the leather, and I sanded gently to cause the marks. I also sanded the toe slightly to add the scuff and wear marks.

I repainted the metal parts on the soles of the boots with some enamel Gunmetal paint, and then used a Light Brown pastel chalk powder to add a dust effect to the boots. I made up a mix of White and Light Brown pastel chalk mix, which was then drybrushed over the top to bring out the edges and add some highlights.

Equipment

The main piece that brought the idea to mind of this kitbash was the Dragon Willi Kahler cable reel backpack, of which I have made my own leather tool pouch for it, to replace the moulded plastic one that it came with. The picture on the right shows the finished cable reel after I have made the leather tool pouch and the support pad for it.

To detail this item I started with the centre screw thread, I used some Rust powder to fill in the thread detail, and on top of that I have then used a combination of the Silver and the Gunmetal powder to add some highlights to this area. I have used a combination of some of the same Burnt Umber paint that I used on the leather parts, but this time I diluted it down heavily with some water and used it as a wash on the reel, frame and the chain detail. This was then carefully wiped off to leave the darker colour inside the details.

Once that was dry, I then used some of the Mud colour to help to dull down the plastic look of the frame, I then gave the edges of the reel, chain, frame and the handle edges a light wipe over with the Gunmetal powder to bring out the details. After that I then used some of the Silver powder very lightly to get a slightly shiny worn edge to the reel, it's mounting points and the top parts of the chain. I also added this to the toothed parts of the cogs.

With the parts that I am using for the belt kit I have altered them as shown above and right, by the use of either the Tamiya Weathering Powders, Matt Medium acrylic paint or some pastel chalks. My main reason for doing this is that I don't like the new look to the items, so I try to get them to look aged or used.

The 'leather' ammunition pouches which I filled with some tissue to bulk them out and the holster above are I believe made by DiD, and I have placed some new items next to the altered pieces, to show a comparison about how much they have been changed. I first painted them with some Model Color 540 Matt Medium to remove the glossy look to them, I then used a Brown pastel chalk which I ground up to a powder, and brushed it into the edges and gaps. I then used a White and Light Brown pastel chalk mix which was drybrushed over the top to bring out the edges and add some highlights. The DiD cloth breadbag above right, had some Light Sand Tamiya Weathering Powder rubbed into the edges to lighten them, also to make the whole bag look a bit more worn. Again a new bag is alongside as a comparison.

The DiD metal gas mask case has also been altered, firstly I used my model knife to remove some of the paint from the ends, this was then rubbed over with some Gunmetal Weathering Powder rubbed onto the edges and the raised lines, and then I went over the top of this with some Silver Weathering Powder added lightly to simulate wear. I then ground up the Brown pastel chalk to a powder, and I brushed it into the edges to add a layer of dirt. I then carefully wiped it off with a tissue, leaving the dust inside the edges and recesses.

With the DiD shovel above I have done the same as I did for the ammunition pouches, with a new cover next to the altered one. The middle picture is of the shovel in place, with the handle was rubbed between my fingers which had been dipped in the Brown pastels. The DiD metal mess tin was just rubbed over gently on the edges with some sandpaper, to get some wear detail on it.

The pictures above show how I have trial fitted the uniform and equipment to the figure, as I wanted to see how the cable backpack fits onto the figure with the pieces on the belt. Also I wanted a camouflaged jacket for the kitbash rather than the Gebirgsjager type, so I used one from the Ludwig Braus figure instead.

Weapons

The rifle that I have used with this figure is the wood and metal Soldier Story Kar98 weapon. But because I could not get the pose I wanted with the DiD bendy hands, I have had to change them for a pair of Dragon gripping one's instead. The only problem in doing that is, that I had to put the woollen gloves onto the hands. To do this it is similar to the method on my Gebirgsjager page, but I first had to separate each of the finger's with my model knife. And then it is a matter of some patience and effort to get the glove onto the gripping hand.

Assembled Figure

The pictures below are of the completed figure and it has come out better than I though it would, and the belt equipment on the back of the figure had to be only slightly adjusted to get the cable backpack into position. In fact the hardest part if I remember right, was getting the gas mask canister positioned correctly. The last thing I had to do before I assembled the figure was to change the laces. Because the thread supplied with the boots was to short to tie them around the boot tops twice, and then tie a bow in them.