Massive Update! A beginning to the work.

All right fellow eichi, pilots and commanders; today is a massive update so pay attention some. A few days ago, I received from Britain or the UK the first batch of two of metal troops and vehicles from Miniature Figurines http://www.miniaturefigurines.co.uk/Home.aspx. This should be enough to create two full companies of infantry, one for the Imperial Japanese Army and the other, the United States Army. 

The following items were bought.

1x MVF101 VAB 6x6

1x MAV105 M557

7x MI022 US Infantry (Fritz Helmets)

3x MI023 US Support Weapons

2x MI024 American Crews

The mortars are a bit tricky with all of this flashing. For those that are inexperienced, here is a sort of helpful guide as to where to cut the excess "flashing"as it is called.

 With troops snipped, trimmed and sanded and washed (To wash away the mold release that might still be attached. To do this, warm, soapy water and a tooth brush and a strainer so none are lost down the drain), they are applied to strips of duck tape for priming.
Priming allows a coat of paint to be applied as compared to it smearing or not sticking to the white metal figures bare. It also enhances the coats of paint that will go on top of it. There are plenty of on-line guides that goes in depth how to paint wargaming miniatures and what types of primer and colors to use.
Anyway, the troops are split into their individual groups.
A. M60
B. M249 SAW. Also the F2 Minami.
C. M47 Dragon ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile)
D. From an earlier project, can't recall time number they belonged to but they are being counted as the FGM-148 Javelin ATGM.
E. Infantry armed with M16A2's. Since about half of them will be IJA, they will be based on what I can find on the JGSDF (Japanese Ground Self Defense Force) TO&E (Table of Organization and Equipment) of a typical JGSDF squad and I am using that as a basis for an IJA squad and such and such and so on, they are armed with the Howa Type 64 or the newer Type 89.
F. M557 counting as a M1068A3 Standard Integrated Command Post System (SICPS).
G. Radiomen.
H. Officers and spotters.
I. From MIO12 West German Support Weapons Panzerfaust, counting as the LAM 110mm. 
J. Troops armed with the M16A2 with the M203 40mm Grenade Launcher. 
K. BGM-71 TOW (Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided) ATGM.
L. A French VAB 6x6 counting as the Type-82 Command and Communications Vehicle.
M, N, O, P, R. Artillery Crews for future 155mm field howitzers. Part of next months batch.
Q, S. Mortar crews. 

Here is a closer look of the troops but these have gone grey. Since they will appear easier on the camera, they will be my guinea pigs as I paint 2 paint schemes I never done before; modern US Army camouflage circa 1998 during the UN intervention of Bosnia and JGSDF troops.

 The whole lot painted black on one side. Now to flip them around.

Carefully peel the troops fro the tape as not to chip their primer. There may be some spots that due to deep recesses or crevasses were missed. Do not worry about these, they will be touched up later. For now, set them aside.

 Using tweezers, pick them up from their base and apply them onto a new strip of duck tape.

 When dry, repeat but rest them on their base this time and GENTLY spray the top side of them to get those areas that were missed. This concludes the tutorial and brief review of what I have to work with. Hope you all enjoyed this and see ya next time.