Soviet Maxim Team No. 2 and a Conversion

Let's start with the first part (always a good choice).

The second Zvezda MG team is complete and on their base. If you look carefully you will still see the blue tint to the air that resulted from this exercise.

The hard part was getting both of their hands onto the gun's handle, without raising the MG in the air. The end result is that they appear to be holding hands from certain angles. I'm quite alright with that, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intention and that I botched the arm attachment.

Here's another view because I'm pleased as punch with the outcome:

Speaking of arm attachment. I rapidly went from "what happens if I try to use heat to bend this figure's arm" to "better lop that melted mess off with an X-acto and find a replacement":

The donor was already missing a hand - he came that way - and so I figured he was the best donor candidate. I also have like 10 of the grenade throwers, most of whom I have no other plans for.

I consider this a proof of concept for a "leader" figure - a company commander, for example, in my G Company or Company Fire - that doesn't look exactly like the figure I painted for the Commissar. I mean it really doesn't matter, but if they're going to be standing side-by-side, I thought it was too uniform and besides this is my first "big"-ish conversion attempt (i.e not hacking off a gun or a paint conversion).

The arm is presently held in place with blu-tac, just to prove to myself that it will work.

I will drill and pin it, and then fill in the gaps (probably) with green stuff before hacking off some of the excess bits that resulted from my previous hacking.