New to this!!!

Welcome to the forums James!  There's a wealth of information here and some really great friends too!

The easiest thing to use for a base would be a piece of wood like that from from a placque base.  You can pick them up from Hobby Lobby (HL) for a couple bucks.  You can then paint it and add terrain features to suit.

Thank you very much Richard! I am afraid to say I live in the United Kingdom! I shall still look around on internet auction sites for what you have recommended though.Thank you for getting back so quickly!

Here's a second on the plaques. You should have some arts and crafts stores on that side of the pond. Look for decoupage plaques, unfinished pine with routered edges. Stain, rather thanoaint the base, however.

Next, the M5 saw action in US service in both the pacifi (Marines) and ETO (Army). Do some research on it's use before committing. Squadron's Stuart US Light Tanks In Action has a number of images that would be a good inspiration for you.

It sounds as if you don't yet have the kit. You might want to look at the AFV Club version as it's a lot more accurate.

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Thanks for all the information guys! I've actually changed my mind and got the Tamiya 1/35 M577 kit with 5 figures. However with all of your recommendations I am confident with making my diorama base! Since the kit comes with a table and chairs I am planning on doing a scene of the M577 at the side of a mud road with the crew gathering around a map on the table. I have high hopes but I will see how it goes! If I can figure out how I will post pictures of the finished product! I would imagine it will take quite a long time considering I haven't done one before!

Regards

James

If you going to use those that kit, you might want to reconsider the muddy road scenario. That was a command vehicle and if you use the table, eliminate the part that goes over the rear door on the hull and replace it with an extended "tent flap" supported by aluminum tubes. Don't installteh wood grained parts on teh side, I believe they were used as flooring. Unfortunately, you'd need to open it up. I think Heavy Arty (Gino) recently did an opened up version..there was a lot of stuff in there.

Here's a pic he posted at Armorama:

james, welcome to the forums. I am sure you will love it here.

For my dio bases i just use any pieces of wood i can get hold of. Usually bit of old furniture cut to size. I surround the edge with some balsa and then stain it.

As for your scene, i would agree that being in the side of a muddy track is not a good idea. I would go more for the edge of a wood, or some thick bush.

Theres plenty of guys here who can help you out with ideas and products to use.

Thank you very much for the pic and extra ideas! Thank you for the advice on the base, Bish. However could you tell me how to stain it please? The fact that the crew wouldn't be consulting a map in the open suddenly comes clear!! I will take your advice and do one near some trees or bushes.Thanks again!

I just use normal wood stain that you can get from B&Q or homebase. I have several colours that i use. I use the balsa sheet, i cut a strip on it just wider than the depth of the base, to allow for celluclay. I glue and tac it to the sides. Once that dry i stain the wood with one coat. then give 3 coats of clear varnish. I have one underway at the moment. But i am at home at the minute, i will get some pics next week and post them. This will be easier than me trying to explain it. A picture paints a thousand words as they say.

Given your name and Avatar, are you an ex tankie by any chance, or just a big Chally fan.

That would be great to see a picture. I have not left school yet so as much as I would love to have a go in a challenger, I'm just a fan!

Nothing wrong with being a fan. I have sat in a Chally turret and sat on top of one while it was moving. I was dead at the time and being taken back to a hoding area. I spent 12 years on Warriors, 6 as a driver, so spent a lot of time around Challys and other large piece's of metal. It was a alot of fun.

That must have been a very fun career! What countries did you fight in?

It has been. I just wish it wasn't coming to an end. I am out in Oct after 22 years. I have served in Ulster, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Falklands. Plus had 5 trips to Cananda for excersises. So i have got around a bit.

Hello!

My M577 kit has just arrived in the post today. I haven't had a chance to have a proper look at it yet but from what I can tell it seems a very nice kit! Does anybody know if it comes with a tent that can be attached to the back of the kit for the accessories and figures to go under? Hopefully I will have enough primer to cover the 5 sprues plus the chassis!

Regards

James

I don't know about the kit, but i just had a look online at the instructions for the Eduard PE set,. and that doesn't show a tent. But it shouldn't be to hard to make one.

I built the tamiya M113 ACAV kit many years ago, and it was really nice with some great detail inside. But the PE set for the 577 seems to be all for the outside.

I had a bit of a drame this week. Not only could i not get online, but i also didn't take my camera with me. So i will make sure i take it back tomorrow and get those photo's. If i can't get online again, i will post them next weekend.

Thanks for the advice on the tent! Should I use some Plasticard? I will have a look around for the Eduard set for a decent price. Hoping to start paintin some of the figures tonight!

Regards

James

Its not a bad price for PE, Hannants has it for just over £8.

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ED35650

At least this gives you the right number to look for.

As for the tent, painted tissue paper might be the best option. Plasticard might be a bit to stiff.

Look forward to some photo's.

Would I be able to just use stretched sprue for tent poles?

might be a bit to flimsy. Are you able to get to a model shop. If so, and its the sort that does R/C stuff, you might be able to get some metal rods. You should find a selection of different sizes. I have a few different diameters and they come in very handy.

I know your at school, so i assume funds ain't that great. You might want to just pick up a couple of things each month that might come in handy along the way.

My dad said that maybe cut up, painted cocktail sticks would do fine?

Ye, not a bad idea. They might be a bit thick for scale, but i am sure you could get away with it. Probably be hidden under the tent anyway.

As for the tent, one idea might be to make your frame, then dip tissue in diluted white glue and drap it over the frame to dry. Someone else who has trioed this might be able to help more than i can. But its just a thought.

Note all that clatter in the rack over the rear gate--those are the pole sections used to build the frame for that COC (command Operations Center) tent (the big lumpy honk of plastic is alleged to represent the rolled-up tent.  Note that the tent is far larger than a single M-577

A person could quite easily use metal clothes-hanger wire to support a model COC tent.  These are usually closed-up in practice, for light discipline as much fad for anything else.

A person with a fulsome budget might get silkspan in the RC airplane section of the hobby shop; using the sort of tissue paper clothing is packed in will often suffice. 

When the tent is deployed, the racks ought be empty--although some spare sections of tent tubing can be shown "spare."

If a person wanted more interest with that 577, there are several ways.  One is to use those "pallets" as a surface upon which to have the table & chairs sat upon.  Note for diorama purposes, there ought be a number of lay-abouts lurking outside the COC tent, quite a few of which will be toting various back-pack radios (PRC-25/77 mostly).   Since the tent will have "brass" within, the runners and hangers-on have to be able to spring to attention on short notice, so crouching or kneeling positions are better than seated (anyone smoking ought to be shown doing so as discretely as possible, too)

Oh, and the curved pit on the roof deck is a davit, which fits in the square lumps on the right front of the "bump up"--this is used to hoist the generator to and from its position there on the center front.  This can be set up for visual interest.  Which is handy for using a bent-over crewman in a CVC monitoring said genset.

One of the better accessories for a 577 dio is 4-5 M-151, at least one of those with a cargo trailer full-to-bursting (under a bulging tarp) with all the gear a COC needs but "the bosses" do not wan 'seen' on the command vehicle.