US Special Forces Afghanistan 2001
Photos & Details
US Special Forces Afghanistan 2001 Custom Details
12-inch Figure: DML Jones “CIA Agent” Op Enduring Freedom Series. The head sculpt/face and gloved hands have been weathered using acrylic paints.
Goggles: DML Ranger Larry with added 21st
Century Toys green cloth glove as a dust cover.
Color Boonie: bbi-Freedom Force
Night Vision Binocular Rig: Modified bbi Owl Night Ops SEAL monocular. A second tube was added to the left side of
the IR illuminator housing. Please click here to see my NVG tutorial: Modifying The bbi NVG Monocular-3/14/03
Radio Headset Rig: Custom made using a metal button painted black for the earphone. These fabric-covered buttons are typically used for clothing. The hollow shape of the
button covers the ear. Black elastic straps were glued to the button and go
over the head and around the forehead to secure the rig. The boom mic was made
from an electric guitar “G” string painted black. The mic diaphragm is made
using a leather hole punch and punching a small round piece out of the cuff of
a DML SAS gloved hand. The coiled 26-gauge wire is glued into the earphone and
attached to a bbi push switch using a small portion of heat shrink tubing. More
coiled wire and shrink tubing is used between the push switch and the 21st Century Toys SWAT radio. The olive drab radio pouch is taken from a bbi EF
Force Recon “Sniper” vest with added webbing and fastex buckle.
Body Armor: DML Delta Leo camo RBA worn under BDU shirt.
Black Dickey Turtle Neck: Made from black stretch fabric.
3 Color BDU’s: DML Delta Night Ops Ted-Enduring Freedom Series. Weathered with pastels and
acrylic paints.
3 Color Hydration Pack: DML SAW US Automatic Weapons Set. Weathered using acrylic paints.
A grayish brown wash of paint was used to tone down the color and impart a worn
look.
Tan Tactical Talor MAV Vest: bbi Freedom Force Delta figure. Weathered using acrylic paints.
PRC Squad Radio: DML Ranger Tim with coiled 24-gauge wire attached to the handset. The handset
attaches the LBV shoulder strap with bbi olive drab rifle strap webbing with
added black buttons. The coiled wire is secured with a custom made black strap
made of black bbi webbing, and plastic ring from a 21st Century Toys
rifle strap with added black button.
Pace Counter: Attached to the LBV shoulder strap and made from miniature black glass beads and cotton
string.
Knife & Subdued Mini-Mag: bbi Green Beret Eagle attached the LBV shoulder strap with od
webbing from a bbi f-18 pilot vest and added black buttons.
Riggers Belt: bbi Green Beret Rogue, DML “D” ring weathered with wash of black paint.
First Aid Pouch: Taken from a bbi EF Force Recon vest with an added button.
NVG Storage Pouch: Taken from a bbi EF Force Recon vest.
Buttpack: INTOYZ buttpack from the Delta Chest Harness Set.
Holster & M9 Pistol: bbi Freedom Force Green Beret figure. Weathered with acrylics.
Extra OD pouch on the leg straps is a bbi F-18 vest strobe pouch with added
button.
Pistol Lanyard: Made with solid core 26-gauge PVC coated wire. The belt attachment is made using bbi
black webbing, bbi buttons, and small plastic ring from a 21st C rifle strap.
S.O.E. Inc. Tan 40mm Grenade Drop Down: Custom made using the back panel from a bbi Freedom Force Green
Beret SOE tan LBV, and various tan webbing. The grenade pouches are made from Soldiers
of the World 3 color desert bdu trousers.
The DKY fastex buckles were painted tan using Tamiya Light Desert Sand
(TS-46) spray paint. Also the drop down was weathered using a grayish-tan-brown
wash of acrylic paint. DML 40mm Grenades were used to fill the eight pouches
because of their correct shape and scale.
Boots: bbi Freedom Force weathered
using pastels, acrylics, and sealed with Testors Dull Coat.
M4/203: DML Clay CT Advisor Pacific
Region. A custom desert camo scheme was applied using Tamiya Color Spray paints
……Light Desert Sand (TS-46), Dark Yellow (TS-3), and Red Brown (TS-1). After spray painting the M4 a light wash of
black acrylic paints were applied. Then the battle worn dings and scratching effects
were added. Next, lightly dry brushing of silver acrylic on appropriate parts
added. Other custom added details include tactical light cover made from a bbi
scope cover and NVG dust cap. Floral tape painted olive drab was used on the tactical
light’s pressure switch, Aim Point scope covers, and retractable stock adjusting
lever. The Mag-Pull is bb’s painted tan. The strap is a bbi Elite Force SWAT
Team od cloth strap.
Aimpoint Red “Reflex/Iridium Style” Lens: I’m happy to share this never revealed bit of Top Secret Customizing
Intel with you here at MxS.com. Ha, Ha! …………This has to be my all time favorite
custom weapon detail that took forever to figure out. It's how to recreate the mirrored red lens on the 1/6 scale DML Aimpoint Scope. I looked everywhere
for paint that would give that stunning reflective red mirror quality that the
1:1 scale Aimpoints “UV Reflex” coated lens have. I was unsuccessful for the better part of a year. I then found that the transparent red
plastic like what‘s found on the tabs of notebook dividers could be used to
give a similar effect, but it was not quite the full effect. So, after much more searching, in Feb 03
around Valentines Day, I found red foil polypropylene ribbon from the craft store (of course) punched using a small hole punch to
be the best material to recreate the red “UV Reflex” lens effect. Just check the
pics and see for yourself. And you thought all that red hearts and mushy stuff was of no use! It just goes to show that you have to keep an
eye out for the ordinary everyday stuff for your customizing....... mxs
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