How to mould a figure: For the sculptors

For Owen, Jon's Sculptor, Nick, and others into this whole idea:

I've just been assembling some Ventaurians (Ainsty/Denizen?). They were
nice true 25mm guys in sealed combat gear (could be combat environment suit,
could be combat armour or even fast light PA). They all came with
a backpack/life support unit moulded separate from the figure but joined
to the base by some flash. Snip off the flash, file the part a wee bit, and
apply some cyanoacrylate... and presto! You have a figure with an excellent
lookng pack that didn't have to be moulded as part of the figure. This is a
positively brilliant way to mould a pack or any other
major piece of kit - as part of the same "lump" (connected by flash
which is probably how the mould filled that part) and it makes for an
excellent looking figure. Plus if you wanted to, you could file off the
mounting knob on the back of any figure and make a far lighter version of the
same (no pack).

This might be a wee bit prickly to get the moulds right, but it produces a
brilliant result and I'm sure it saves moulding a pack on each figure since I
assume the packs are all identical.

It also would be cool for merc type figures whereby by giving them different
packs (like a head kit!), you could easily turn the same base figure into a
multitude of figures. Ever thought of moulding some figs like the mercs sans
head and then providing various heads? Just a thought. I'd really love to see
a french troop in a beret since a beret is the most common headdress in France
and Italy in the ground forces today. The Kepi is pretty rare.

Just another 0.02 and an 0.02 Canadian at that....