We had that stuff too. I’ll never forget the smell it had, pretty srong. It sort of makes you wonder how far away you could smell it per person and how long the odor lasted. You could also wonder if it had and detrimental side effects too, sort of like A.O. in a bottle.
Still wonder.
It’s around 65% DEET at, IIRC, 10% (ordinary Off™ was like ±1%).
The smeel was the smeel [:)] Which would be hard to pick out among the LSA and the sort of sweat one generates with humping 20-30kg of ruck.
The very real issue was that there wa no sulfur nor Pemetrin in the mix to keep the parasitic arthropods at bay. So, while it would, theoretically, keep biting insects away, fleas, chiggers, ticks, et al, not so much.
But, it was cheap at the surplus stores, back in the day. And, if you could stand the stink of it, would keep flies, gnats, and other flying annoyances at bay. Whic hcould be a boon while hiking a trail that might bring a person through a cloud of such things.
Bug juice was also great for softening up the camo sticks so they didnt tear your skin off when you were applying the stuff to turn green… [aln] double points! Look like the local flora and keep off the local flying pests.
Stik, you are so correct. By the time I joined, they had switched to Cutters Insect repellant. The smell was a lot more pleasant. I used to pour some on my palm and then rub the camo stick in it to soften it up and then onto my face, ears and neck it went. (Avoiding the eyes). It was good as the base coat, then any fine tuning of the camo on your face and neck, you did afterwards.
BTW Pawel your helmet came out great, and your muddied up BDU’s look excellent.
Yeah the helmet with the camo and gear looks great Pawel! Perfect crowning touch for your figure!
Hello everybody!
Thanks a lot for your comments!
Work here slowly continues.
I have shaded the jacket and glued it to the pants with 2-component epoxy:
I have also shaded one of the ammo pouches and the butt pack. I want to pick out the tapes lining the edges in slightly different colour. The other ammo pouch is still under construction as it is going to be shown open:
So that’s it for now - thanks for looking and have a nice day!
Paweł
Looking good.
Thanks for staying with me on this one, Cap’n!
Coming out great Pawel! Super nice work!
Not a problem, my friend, having used an M-79, it’s a close topic to me (and I still have the ring in my ears as a reminder, too [:)])
So Cap’n - maybe you’ll be pleased to see this:
As you might note I’ve put the sling attachments on it and the sling is in the making, like you suggested. The hardest part to do is that spring clip on one end, but I’ve already have an idea for it, misusing some PE leftovers, so stay tuned…
Other thing I was working on is one of the ammo pouches modified to be open:
I’m also working on the remainder of the gear. I hope to be able to use the Easter break to wrap this up.
Thanks for looking and have a nice day
Paweł
Looks great Pawel! Yeah, one good weekend of work and I think you’re done!
That models the “stiffness” of those posches very accurately. Even sopping wer they stayed pretty rigid.
The M-79 looks good.
The eyelets on the belt might want to be a tad darker. They were blackened brass. And the top surface would burnish to a color kind of like a metalic version of Radome Tan, if that gives an idea. So, not really a brass, nor agold, nor a silver.
Over that would then goe just and grime effects.
They get a unique “look” when “salty”
Versus new:
(Note the stenciling is on the inside of the belt.)
Gamera - thanks a lot, I hope I can do it!
Cap’n - thanks you, I’ll work on those eyelets.
In the meantime I was working on some small stuff:
I also have the sling on the “Tube” done:
I’m trying to sculpt a claymore bag from milliput right now, let’s see if I can hack it…
Thanks for looking and have a nice day
Paweł
The fabric on those is very thin, so, they “smush” around contents kind of closely.
They will hang “lopsided” too, depending on hose the contents shift around.
For being of a not-thick fabric, they were/are sturdy and resisted tearing mostly (and were considered expendable if they did tear–only natural as they were menat as an expendable item in the first place).
Not quite as floppy as, say, a plastic grocery store bag, but not as “form-sturdy” as, say, a rucksack or pack.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been around a smoke grenade, but didn’t they have a colored band indicationg the color smoke they would give off?
Yes
And the top of the thing, too.
With the exception of the M-8 HC (High Capacity)
(Although, those sometimes had white tops to mathch the smoke.)
Cap’n - thanks a lot for more reference photos!
I tried to integrate your remarks about the Claymore bag or M7 Bandoleer - as it was known officially - into my sculpt. This is my second attempt:
What do you say? Is the suggested payload of it OK?
And this is how it fits the figure. Bob - you can see I made a coloured lid in my smoke grenade:
Please let me know if you approve my Claymore bag, or do I have to try again?
Thanks for looking and have a nice day
Paweł
Hello!
I just couldn’t wait any longer - I’m calling this one done! Here are the pictures:
I’d especially like to thank Cap’n Mac for his support and the photos of real life gear. Thank you also all who have commented - you made this build much more enjoyable for me! Have a nice day and see you soon on the forums!
Paweł
Great work Pawel, a lovely figure and along with your sculpting and the interesting contributions have kept me glued to this work in progress.