The figures can be restored to their original character and appearance, but consider for a moment all of the interesting possibilities and combinations for converting.

In their many years of production, Britains could have created even more figures than they did. By swapping heads, arms, and other details, only your imagination is the limit.

In restoring a Britains figure to its original state, the obvious point is to select the correct parts. The growing line of London Bridge parts allows the collector to restore the vast majority of figures produced.

If you have a question about ordering the correct part(s), our staff will be happy to assist in any way possible. Click here to leave an e-mail message for us.

The officer's arm with baton (A-053) can be added to many figures to create an officer or NCO. An example is Britains Gurkha. This figure was always offered at trail arms with no officer. The baton arm will give you one.

Likewise, the furled flag over the right arm (M-003) can be added to many figures for a very pleasing effect.

Most of the standard heads for the British Army ball helmet (H-002), spiked helmet (H-003), Fusilier (H-008), Royal Marine (H-010), flat cap (H-025), tropical helmet (H-059), and steel helmet (H-025) can be fitted on figures to produce an amazing variety of subjects.

Remember, this also applies to horse figures.

TOOLS
Most restoration and conversion work can be accomplished with just a few simple tools. You may already own many of these, and others can be obtained from most hobby shops or from London Bridge Toys.

At the top is X-acto's "third hand". This is an adjustable pair of spring clips that can be used when soldering or epoxying. It will hold a part, freeing your hands for other work.

Other tools, shown from left to right, are dental picks, superglue, Milliput, assorted files, X-acto knife, pin vise, tweezers, and diagonal pliers.

Dental tools are excellent for sculpting Milliput and many other uses. These can often be promoted from your dentist.

Another tool, not shown, is a razor or jeweller's saw. This fine-tooth saw can be used for cutting parts with minimal cutting loss.

SOLDERING
Soldering remains the best method of restoring broken pieces. With practice, it is not as difficult as many people believe. One important reminder when soldering London Bridge castings is: work quickly and use the lowest possible wattage soldering iron or temperature. Our metal is rich in tin; therefore it has a low melting point.

HEAD REPAIRS
All London Bridge heads are cast with a stem. It is only necessary to open the neck of a "decapitated" original hollow-cast figure by using a pin vise. Some filing of the neck may be necessary for the head to be straight. A drop of super glue completes the repair.

ARM REPAIRS
This is the easiest of all and usually involves fitting the loop of the replacement arm over the original arm lug. Some minor filing of the lug may be needed to fit the loop. A drop of epoxy or superglue secures the arm. Sometimes it may be possible retain the moving-arm feature by filing the lug after the arm has been slipped on. This creates a small lip which secures the arm. If the arm lug is missing, a repair may be made by securing a short piece of 3/32-in brass rod. This piece can be soldered or epoxied into place with any gaps filled with Milliput.

HORSE TAILS
The addition of a missing horse tail is usually accomplished by filing the broken portion off flat. Then a small hole is drilled in the stub to accept the stem on the replacement tail. The new tail is then secured with a drop of epoxy.

HORSE LEGS
London Bridge offers replacment horse legs for most Britains horses. In many instances, legs can be modified to fit those horses for which no replacement legs are produced. Replacing a damaged leg can be performed in different ways depending on the damage to the leg.

Carefully line up the replacement leg with the damaged piece. Note that our replacement horse legs are provided with a cast-on stem for a stronger fit. The best method is to saw off the damaged leg to mate with the replacement part. Using a pin vise, drill a hole in the original leg to fit the stem on the replacement leg. The new part is then secured by solder or epoxy.

To preserve more of the original leg, the replacement part can be cut, filed flat, and mated to the original.

Using either method, make sure that the pieces are filed perfectly flat and that the lengths are cut to assure the horse stands level.

HORSE BODIES
The London Bridge mounted figures, wagon horses, and mountain artillery mule are cast in halves. This is due to mold design, but also reduces the weight of the figure. The following assembly instructions are recommended for best results:

1	Trim any remaining mold flash by using an X-acto knife or file.
2	Carefully mate the horse halves and check for proper alignment. Also insure that the horse stands level. Disregard any gaps at this time.
3	While holding the halves together, run a bead of superglue over the exterior seam. Use sparingly, and allow the glue to seep in.
4	Fill the parting lines with body putty. We recommend Milliput, but Squadron Green or other similar compounds can be used.
5	After the putty sets up, file and smooth before priming and painting.

REPAIRING RIFLE AND LANCE TIPS
London Bridge parts can be obtained to restore the missing tips from lances and rifles. The "third hand" instrument can make rifle tips an easy job. It is important to file square and smooth both the part and the point of the original break on the figure.

Securing the rifle in the clip of the "third hand", align with the broken figure. Since this is quite a small repair, a drop of superglue is best for affixing the part. For lance tips, file the base at the pennant perfectly flat. Using a pin vise, drill a starter hole which can then be opened with a round file. Solder or epoxy to the end of the lance.