This is the Golden era of figures, anything you could ever want in any scale. Well, almost anything. I am afraid I am never satisfied and have found many ways to increase the number and variety of existing lines. One era I enjoy is western gunfighters but I felt I needed some mountain men with a bear coats. A conversion I have made which has gotten nice comments is based on Dixon!s A,C.W. 203. Order it with the hat as opposed to the kepi. The first thing to do is remove the Civil War paraphernalia. I live dangerously and do it with an ex-facto knife , if you have more money and sense use the many electronic drills or files on the market today. I also remove the buck tad on the hat. This figures left arm is up in the air. Wrap it in a tissue and very gently with a pliers bend the arm down till it is level with his right arm. I have found it unnecessary to make any cuts on his left arm in order to bend it Now mix a small amount of Paste Epoxy. It comes in several colors tan, black and even clear. (It is the epoxies that come in two tubes which must be mixed together, available at Wal Mart). I then use a needle to spread the epoxy on the figure. It should spread thinly on top but the bottom will be spread thicker. The coat should reach his knees and be in a caret shape in front with the top of the upside down "V" being just below the belt line. The epoxy will spread behind all the way from knee to knee. If you desire a collar on the neck or wrists make the epoxy thicker in these areas. Once you have covered the figure pour craft sand over the epoxy. You can get craft sand at craft stores. It is very, very, fine sand. Now spread the epoxy in a thin ring around the hat and either dip it into the sand or pour the sand over it. You can now add two tails on the hat using the epoxy. I don't put sand on these although you can. When the epoxy is dry (it doesn't take long), add a game bag and strap using the epoxy as it molds nicely. The last thing to do, before painting is to add a second pistol. Take another Dixon figure and cut his pistol off at the handle and super glue it on the left hand. With the epoxy add a finger guard and a little extra on the down side of the hand. The epoxy and sand work very well to add facial hair also. Maybe someday there will be no reason to ever convert a figure but I hope not as it is an enjoyable part of the hobby. Back to MWAN #97 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com