During the game I thought how well the Russian cavalry, which are Karoliners, converted during casting/assembly with the new SYW heads fitted in with the new range. Rather than sidelining the old figures, I decided to try and 'upgrade' some of my painted units - something I was nervous about, as potentially it could ruin them - however I think I got away with it.
I am not suggesting there is anything wrong with the older figures, however all of the new range have larger hats and more facial detail - so the older ones look a little out of place - the photo below shows the difference.
One of the units in action before change.
And the same unit after the head swap.
The process I adopted was much easier than I had expected - the important thing is to keep things as clean as possible (it was done with the figures on the bases), as follows:
- Cut off the head with a pair of snips (this leaves an uneven surface)
- Square off the join with a sharp craft knife (avoid a file as it makes a mess)
- Drill a small diameter pilot hole (I used an electric mini drill)
- Drill out the full size hole for the head to be fitted - use a pin vice for this to avoid generating heat which would damage the paint
- Undercoat the heads before fitting
- Fit the heads (I find the Russian officer ideal)
- Paint to match existing.
I have done 2 units so far, I think they took about 3 hours each.
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