Rebuilding/changing figures

The most I really do to my Dragon figures is just reposition their arms and legs to do slight changes, but not dramatic changes. Look in the section in this month's Great Scale Modeling and see the diorama about the WWI soldiers getting water. Thats a way to dramatically change your figures, but it's a little over the top when he rolled sheets of putty and made their trenchcoats and all that stuff he did. Not an easy task. I just reposition my figures and fill in any major gaps with super glue. Thats all I got.

Research and a full spare parts box helps. First decide on the context. I'm in the process of converting DML's 2nd Armored Division kit, 4 figures in patrol poses, wearing camo HBTs. I wanted to change a couple jackets from HBTs to M43s. I already had cut the epaulets and the sleeve cuffs to represent the most distinct differences in the jackets, but too late did I find out that the M1943 uniform (from jacket to boots) only made its appearance in the ETO late 1944. For a Normandy diorama, the M43 jacket would have been a boo-boo. So I decided to convert the 43 jackets to the M41 Parsons jackets, which where contextually correct but needed a lot more work.

After which, decide on the pose.

For simple changes, add'l arms, heads, sometimes legs would help. If you're working with DML kits, buying two kits will help in creating a variety of poses. Just fill in the gaps with super glue or putty. The plastic shavings I get from the surgeries I do I save, then when I have the pose right, I use liquid glue and plastic shavings to fill in the small gaps. Major gaps I use plastic sprue cut up to fit the gaps, then layer these off with the sprue solution. (Just ventilate!)

My suggestion is to purchase Shep Paine's book on military figures. I'm sure FSM has this in its book listing.

Replacing heads just means quick surgery most of the time.
When repositioning arms and legs, make appropriate cuts at the joints. You may need to cut wedges to get a good proportion, otherwise you'll get ape arms. Hips are the toughest joint I've worked with. When reattaching the cut parts, drill a hole and and a piece of wire to strengthen the joint. Use your favorite putty to fill the joint.
I have not changed any significant uniform changes.

Swapping parts alone always drove me nuts. Always one arm that's perfect, then seven that are close but not quite, and none are really any better than the other. It's actually easier for me to make a whole new appendage than to adjust an existing one to suit.

Perhaps a little advanced for you at this point, but this is something to consider. I keep poorly sculpted 1/35 figures (like those reeeealy old Tamiya figure sets) in my parts box soley for the purpose of stripping the uniforms and all other detail, then I can use them as armatures to create whatever pose I need, then I re-sculpt the detail to suit. You're pretty much scratch building at this point, but once you get the hang of it, it gives you incredible freedom of subject matter and posing. In 1/35 scale I use sprue for arms and legs, carving them to a basic "nude" shape and pin the joints using sections of paperclip. I then use stock heads, hands and boots to finish them off.

I use Magic Sculpt for all sculpting work, but Miliput, Hexcell A&B Epoxy Putty, Duro Epoxy Work equally well. Spot putties like those from Squadron will work too, though I find them troublesome for more than filling gaps in joints (like those found after chopping and arm at the elbow to reposition). For re-sculpting the uniforms and fine detail, you're better off with an Epoxy putty. Epoxy takes about two hours to cure fully, but you can kick it off in about ten minutes with a simple oven made from a box lined with aluminum foil, with a 60 light bulb for a heat source. You have to be careful if with styrene though, as it can melt a little during the heating process if you aren't careful.

Keep another figure close by to use as a scale reference too. Especially if it has the type of uniform, or elements of it, but it's mainly for proportion. You'd be surprised at how easy it really is with a little practice. The Shep Paine book, mentioned above, as well as his Diorama book are a wealth of info on the subject. Bill Horan's Military Modeling Masterclass is worth a look as well.

As I said, perhaps this is a little over your head at this stage, but give it a try, you never know. Plus you can use lesser elements of this technique for simpler modifications, like creating a new arm or leg for a stock figure.