Schleich mounted Crusader conversion

[Merlin the Mad]

(see new piccies uploaded in Files to go along with this thread)

I've wanted to do this little project for a while. I bought a second
mounted Crusader by Schleich with the original intent to cut him at
the waist and put in a thick pin so that he could be swiveled to the
left. The extreme posing of this impressive figure doesn't encourage
having more than one of them!, imho. Reaching across his horse's neck
with his shield and winding up for a mighty downward chop looks very
cool. But it is a pose that only works for an individual, not a unit.

So last night I did the cutting and pinning. And got the pin in the
wrong place: his surcoat bumped into the scabbard when twisting him to
the left. Also, with his head angled to the right, while twisted to
the left at the waist, he looked like a spastic. Disgusted, I threw
him in the army box and went to bed.

This morning, I knew that the only answer was to articulate the head
too. While I was at it, I might as well articulate his sword arm! So I
did all three pins and now he is posable and looks very cool.

I fixed my mistake by super gluing the pin into his hips and cutting
it off and redrilling the hole more to the right. Then I cut the sword
arm off and drilled it out as deeply as I could without breaking
through. I super glued the pin to the arm. Then I cut the head off and
did likewise.

Another thing I discovered is that if the pin is too long it is both
hard to push in all the way AND won't turn in the holes but instead
twists OFF! I had to replace my arm pin: drilling out the pin exactly
and making a new, shorter one. It seems that anything over c. 1/4"
penetration is overkill.

I used stock 1/8" diameter plastic rod for the pins. It helps a lot
fitting them into the holes if you go around the lip with a craft
knife and widen the opening generously. Oh, and do use your drill on
SLOW speed, and make sure you get the holes exactly 90 degrees to BOTH
cut surfaces. And while cutting the figure apart, go slowly and double-
check that you are keeping the saw blade straight -- and not nicking
any other part of the figure! The surfaces of the cut parts will need
filing smooth and flat. And the edges of the arm and neck will also
require a little filing/trimming to take off the "flash" from sawing.
Cutting through the waist was the hardest part and taxed my patience.

Doug

[Musicman7722]

Great idea, I can't wait tos see pics.

Chris P.

[Merlin the Mad]

The piccies are already posted. See Files....

Doug

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[Musicman7722]

Doug

Nice job. I am at the moment in the midst of a divorce so life is in
ruins and boxes BUT and I use caps BUT once I have sorted things out I
want to get back on board with my 90s and mods. I am running 5 or 6
games at conventions over the next few months. These will include 4
at Cold Wars in March. The first conversion I want to complete is
changeing the mounted longbow into a nice men at arms in chain mail
with a spear. I have cut the arms and head and done some playing
around but never got any further. I have done weapon swaps and some
repainging but I think there is a lot of room for experimentation and
your work ont he Crusade shows it. With that mod the figure could be
repainted again into an excellant feudal period knight.

Chris P. from Hampton NH
www.dayofbattle.com

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[Merlin the Mad]

Good luck on getting away from the "ruins"!

I may articulate more of our figures. The way it turned out is
satisfying.

(Btw, my younger brother and his family live in Nashua....)

Doug