1:35 Hats and bowler hat

Hats and a bowler hat in 1:35 scale

A resin set of civilian headgear in 1:35 scale, specifically of hats and a hard bowler hat. It is an accessory for figures, not a kit: the individual pieces are fitted onto the heads of figures in place of the military parts and turn a soldier into a civilian at a stroke. It is precisely civilian figures that tend to be the weakest point in dioramas, because there are substantially fewer of them on the market than of crews and infantry.

What the set is for

A soft felt hat and a hard bowler hat are headgear that places a scene at once in the civilian setting of the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and of the first half of the twentieth century. They suit city scenes, a railway station, shops, a rear area and vehicles with inhabitants moving around them. The shape of the brim and the crown is so different on the two types that merely by exchanging the headgear you tell several different figures apart in a crowd.

Fitting, cleaning up and painting

First wash the castings in lukewarm water with a detergent because of residues of the release agent from the mold. Cut the casting blocks off with a fine saw or a cutter, level the surfaces with a file and sand them wet with protection for your airways. Cut the original headgear on the figure off and sand the crown of the head down level, glue the new part on with super glue and even the seam out with filler. It is painted over a thin base coat; matte earthy shades with a fine wash under the brim suit felt, while a smooth saturated color with a discreet sheen suits a bowler hat.

Who the set is for

• Civilian figures for city dioramas in 1:35 scale
• Conversions of military figures into civilian ones
• Scenes from the turn of the century and from the first half of the twentieth century
• Modelers who put their figures together and modify them their own way

The accessory is supplied unpainted. Figures, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.