Bucket 4

A prop that gives a figure something to do

A figure with nothing in its hand looks as if it were posing. Give it a bucket and suddenly it has a reason to be standing there: it is carrying water, washing the vehicle, putting out a fire, feeding animals. A bucket is therefore one of the simplest ways to make a figure part of the action. In 1:35 scale an ordinary bucket works out at roughly eight millimeters, so the part is handled with tweezers.

How to join the bucket to a figure

A carried bucket has to hang straight down and the figure's arm should be taut, not bent as if walking empty-handed. A full bucket also tilts the body to the opposite side, so adjust the figure's stance or turn it a step so that it works. For this purpose it pays to replace the handle with thin copper wire, bend it around the hand and only then glue it on. A bucket put down, on the other hand, should stand where the figure could reach it, not in the middle of an empty space.

Building and painting tips

Cut the excess material away with a sharp blade a little clear of the part and sand the remainder. Wash and degrease it before painting. Choose the glue according to the material stated on the packaging. Match the bucket in color to the scene rather than to the figure, and dirty it with the same pigment you have on the ground below. That way the two merge into one scene. A shiny, clean accessory beside a dusty figure draws the eye where it should not go and breaks the whole scene apart.

Terms of supply

The bucket alone is supplied. Figures, the model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.