Manipulating people

[gregh]

I’ve bought quite a few of these ‘cheap’ people from ebay suppliers such as this one.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/20-Painted-Model-Train-Passenger-People-Figures-standing-sitting-poses-Scale-G-/330718377959?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:AU:3160


You really can’t beat the 50c price, but you do only get a limited number of poses and all just standing or sitting – no walking ones.
This is a sample of the standing male figures I got this time:


I’ve done a few bits of surgery previously, cutting off arms and moving them and superglueing back on.

But today I experimented with boiling them and it works!  The paint even survived.

I put them in a saucepan of water and boiled for a couple of minutes then gently bent the limbs. I broke one limb with excessive force but the others are reasonable.

Here’s 2 men who had their legs bent to look like they are walking:


A lady with her leg crossed, compared to the original


And a lady with her arm moved slightly.

OOPS!  right arm is crossed, not left as in caption

Now I just need to get some of those hands out of pockets – I guess I’ll have to cut the arm at the coat and make a new hand from ??

Next test is to put a figure in the oven at 120C and see if it melts. If not I can make hands etc from polyclay and bake the whole thing.
Watch for the next exciting episode….

 

[Deleted member 1986]

Another little gem to file away for a rainy day.............will pass it on to a friend who has a pack of these on order.

 

[tramcar trev]

Don't you think plastic people have rights? Very interesting, into my collection of things to do to plastic people.

 

[funandtrains]

The title made me laugh as it sounds like training to be a con artist!

 

[Madman]

There are those who would adjust your limbs into non-recognizable shapes if you don't see things their way........ ???

 

[gregh]

I tried them in the oven at 130C for 15 minutes and no problem. Paint didn't melt. But they seemed harder to bend than when used in boiling water. I chose 130C as that is the temperature that polyclay bakes at, so now I know I can repair or add details using polyclay and then bake the whole thing.
I doubt a microwave would work as there is no water in the figures. But maybe could put the figure in water and then boil in the micro????