Three great diorama's, step by step

Made some more progress, foliage and some assesories like fences post and bare wire.

The foliage are from woodland scenic, the fence are machstickes paint greay, the wires is thin rope painted metallic grey. Its almost done but the rocks still needs to be painted, and Im not sure about european colors.

Hey T-Rex, its looking pretty good actually. Your builds really show potential and your groundwork is also well done. It takes a while to get those two down but it appears to be pretty decent. All you gotta work on now is your composition but thats the hardest part I think. Many of the modellers here still have trouble with composition even though their builds and techniques are good. Your skills will continually get sharper and more fine with practice, many people here have built hundreds of models to get where they are (and still got hundreds more in their stash), Ive only done about 20-30.

Keep it up, take it steady. 

   G'day T-rex, welcome back. It has been a while since we have an update. Good to see that things are moving again. Look foward to seeing some pics....

   Just a comment about your fence posts. Do you think match sticks may be a bit thin for 1/35 scale? I would have thought they would be good for 1/72 maybe. I have used square balsa about 5mm thick cut into sections for 1/35 dios before. It may look a little better....

   Boomer...

Its been a while, but now the dios are coming to shape, the firefly scene has tree now, there from woodland scenic, even thought most of there trees are for 1/72 but I found some good ones for 1/35. I've also made fence post made from machtes sticks and rope painted grey and metalic grey, it looks great. I don't currently have photos but I've still haven't painted the rocks, what color would be suited for europend style?

 ...unfortunatly the tiger can't go with this scene, its a early version, and they never met firefly (well the late tigers did) but since my dio is happening after D-day (1944) no early german vehicules can be plane but there still will be a crash/dich vehicule.

T-rex wrote:

I think my problem for the long delay is that it isn't working out for the scene, the tiger can't fit throught the two hills and the firefly crew can't be idiots, maybe they can swicht scene (tiger goes on cliff, firefly goes between hills) this must be why plans should be done before beginning the dio's. But I also got a plan c, firefly stays on cliff, but intead of examining the wagon, its examine the tiger who got hit three times by the firefly shell, which doeas make more sense. As for the other dio, its the kettenkrad moving between the hills (much smaller to fit throught) and is passign a small camp, I don't know.

     Now your thinking!!!!

     Boomer...

I think my problem for the long delay is that it isn't working out for the scene, the tiger can't fit throught the two hills and the firefly crew can't be idiots, maybe they can swicht scene (tiger goes on cliff, firefly goes between hills) this must be why plans should be done before beginning the dio's.

But I also got a plan c, firefly stays on cliff, but intead of examining the wagon, its examine the tiger who got hit three times by the firefly shell, which doeas make more sense.

As for the other dio, its the kettenkrad moving between the hills (much smaller to fit throught) and is passign a small camp, I don't know.

Your basic ground work is coming along nicely.  I wish I had as much energy as you do when it comes to building models.  LVT's front hull looks like it has a long line right on the middle.  Is that supposed to be that way?  By the way, self claiming your own work to be great diorama (based on your subject tag line)is kind of weird.  I've seen some really good work in this forum and yet, I haven't yet to encountered anyone claiming their work to be great.  Anyway, keep up the good work and keep us posted!

Your groundwork looks good so far, Magellan!  And your LVT just needs some toning and weathering to come alive, so to speak. 

You're showing good progress; keep it up! 

Here we are, here what they look like today.

The tiger scene has the best grass, notice how one side has lots of grass to show that's it's a natural hill, while the man made hill has small lumps of growing grass in random spots, not in a pattern. there mit be a tent made of styren poles and a drie tissue paper painted in the right color, paper is applied to protect the rocks.

The grass does look really realistique, this is another typeo of static grass that intead of ittle square it's like little hairs that come out, this grass should be use for large scale diorama, mostly larger than 1/48.

The firefly scene has much more, but too much, use a wet brush to wipe out some spot to remove the grass should due the trick.

And here's the beachfor the ATV, made from real sand.

So what do you think?

Do google images.

David

I've some progrest on the dio's, The tiger and firefly scene have some grass applied now and sand is place over the plaster cloth for the ALV beach, althought I'm not sure how to do the water for the shore, and the ALV over coat of olive green, just doesn't look right on it.

I post the progress alone hopefully with the figures in place, but I'm having problems painting them, also if the tiger doesn't work I can add a tent at the back of the scene with some assesoires, aswell as the MG nest.

Doesn't anyone know what color are rocks in europe, perferraly Normany or near by there?

No disrepcet but, why would a tank swerve to avoid something it could just run over?

David

True, but I don't know want rifle men your talking about, the only figure with a sub MG is lisening the the commander. Remember its a small base, normally it would have been just a MG nest (well now it is since a puchhen wouldn't go well) this tiger crew where desperate for ammonition, they stop at the nearest outpost and waitend for supplie, that's why it doesn't look like a workshop. Athought I didn't know that use use horse much in the war since there not, euh strong, maybe I should swicht the kettenkrad with the wagon instead.

Hey, I'm sure that looking in the horizon on top of a hight point isn't a bad idea.

I think he means that the units you are thinking about placing the Tiger in with would not go well it. For example, why would they have an MG nest on a rear repair shop when they could have a rifleman satanding guard. And, they probobly wouldn't have used a Kettrankrad to transport parts for the Tiger when they could use a horse. Remember, alot of German Artillery and supplies were horse drawn. And, comoflauge or Dark Yellow on the Tiger would meen '43-45 when the German's were getting short on fuel.

edit>If the Germans left a carriage and pushed it over the side, wouldn't the tank commander be looking down the road where they preumably went because that incline looks to steep for a vehcile. And, are you going to put track marks on the road?

David

Thanks, but I can explain,

The firefly crew knew that the wagon fell off but some brockend fence post along the hill edge, also one of the crew member is just look just above the wagon, the commander is looking for the enemy with his bino'c, tho show they came out of the firefly, the hach is wihtd open, another wasn't close well, and the wagon hasn't been weathered yet, I'm not too good at weathering since I've never done it before.

As for the tiger, I told you the tiger has stop for reloading, but the crew has a meeting with the commander telling the status report, to show the tank is fix, there a soldier lening on it.

Thanks for asking.

Looks like you are moving along just fine with the base. I just have some comments on the stories (as you have requested) from where you based your dioramas.

Diorama No. 1

From the position of the Firefly, it would be difficult to spot the fallen carriage unless some soldiers on foot were walking along the edge of the road. Also, if the carriage was already there, then it would have looked old and would have been covered by vegetation. With that if ever it will be seen by the tanker or the soldiers, they would easily understand that it was there long long before.

Diorama No. 2

I concur with the other comments that the spot is too tight for the tiger to maneuver into. There is a great risk that the tiger would become trapped and immobilized while moving through those narrow path. Also, the Germans have other vehicles designed specifically for recon that I don't think they would risk having a lone tiger venture into enemy territory for a recon mission.

These are just my observations.

how did the over cleaning wash go? 

what color olive green did you use on the vehicle?

Do you have a picture of the helocopter?

The Iwo jawan LVT had camo on a few but don't worry mine doesn't has camo, it's just olove drap, althought the coulor looks strange on it. The puma helicopter is just another project, but thanks for the silly putty idea, I'll use it on the tiger and the wirbelwind.

Now please let's get back to topic, it's my dio's here!

Why do camo on the LVT? Most were just a basic one tone green and that will make it easier on you to. What kind of helicopter are you doing, can't give you any help if we don't know the type and country. As for the Tiger, try using silly putty. Or, take some paper and practice painting with the airbrush.

David

The tiger right now is done with its oven cleaner wash, all of the heavy coats of paint are gone, but it made some pieces fall of, now it has to be repaire.

As for the camo I'm having second thoughts if its gonna put one on the tiger or not, I'm abselutly horrible at doing free hand camo and tamiya has no such color called "forest green" or something near, i'll have to use model master instead. Speaking of camo there are three other models would will also need on, My  LVT 4, a Puma helicopter and my new flakpanzer wriblewind maybe doing camo with tape mit help.

It would be better for the scene that the tiger has a camo pattern but If I keep srewing it up I mit as well scrapt the tank or put him in another scene with a different color like just dark yellow or german grey.

Any comments on the three dio's before moving on.

Does anyone know how to make trees? Woodland scenic does sell trees but there more idel for 1/72 scale, I've try making some out of plaster cloth, play doh and even real tree branches but they all look fake and realistique.

It seem that it the tiger scene that has the most problem chossing the vehicule, but I have some tank and barracade assesories that could be use, and the kettenkrad mit be replace by the flak wagon converded into a suplie wagon. I don't know but the story of the scene is a tiger 1 is stoping for refuel and reload at a small german out post, it would even be better with a bigger artillery or a MG in the nest, but there gonna be some figures around the scene. Kurusk Russian, 1943.

The firefly is a interesting one, this firefly on a road for scout enemy ase, bunker, etc reconnising, has found a broken fence near the road, ontop of the hill, they found a abandond german vehicule, (wagon initaly but kettenkrad would do) that was dich to light the load, the commander thinks that it was form a german convod, but this pieces was left there since 1940, during the german invading france, but this scene willhave the nices landscape of all the other dio's. august 1944, Beligum.

There nothing special about the AVT on, just the vehicule coming onto ground on Iwo Jawo, since large amounts of supplie was lost but the tide, I left some luggage on the sand.

Each scene is a good practice for assesorie, (tiger scene, which I call it "reload") landscape (a old dicht it" and the LTV "land ho" is the first with water gel, which will be hard doing the waves.

3rd step some of my dio's needs rocks, using woodland scenic rock mold (because there very realistique and made of rubber) apply plaster and when its dry, just pull it inside out. There are three main rocks in the fireflt scene, one stick with plaster coverd around the rocks with plaster to make it blend more with the terrain.

To make smaller rock is easy, just take a big piece of dry plaster and break it into pieces, then just apply it around where collables rocks would likely be.

4th step, what's a dio with some earth, apply brown paint or in this case earth undercoat, this is for mud that way If I miss a spot you won't see the plaster cloth, apply senic cement after painting.

5th step I know I should have put the plaster before painting it but I can always repaint, and this is for making mud, espesaly in the  tiger scene man made hill, and to make it look more wheel take a crush piece of paper and tap it in radom spots on the plaster, then roll some lego wheels for track mark's, this make the dio look more realistique than any other step.

 This is the step I'm doing now, the rocks aren't painted yet because I'm not certain that stone grey will be a suitable color for eastern roock, and now I'm starting on foliage and making trees for the firefly scene, but sofar everything looking good.

3 things I mite change, replace puchhen with MG and maybe replace kettenkrad with a supplie wagon, also there is no combat happening in a scene, in fact its just a tiger returning from a scout/reconising mission looking for enemy tank in august 1942 kursup Russia, its hidding behind a hill for protection since there vurable when refueling, The story in  this scene is the tiger didn't had enought fuelto reach main campso it stop at a small german outpost,the kettenkrad/wagon rendevu with the tiger for resupplie, get it.

The firefly one is a interesting story, august 1944, beligum, a scout fireflyfounds a dicht german vehicule that was abanden and rolled off the cliff to lighted there load, the fireflycrew thinks that it was abandon not long ago, (which is why the commander is scoping the horizon) but it been down there for 4 years.

There no big story about  the ATV, its just going onto the beach in the battle of Iwo jawo, there willbe lots of tank supplie ontop of him and a few in the sand lost in the beache.

Any last comment before the next steps?

It just seems that with the addiotion of more stuff, it would seeem very crowded and not look very realistic. Plus, a Tiger would not stop to take on fuel and ammo where combat is still going on. The Soviets would just call in an arty barrage and neautralize the area. And, if it were a front line, I dought the Germans would have had the time to construct a man made hill. This might help.

The Püppchen ("Dolly"), a carriage-mounted rocket launcher with breechblock, fires the same 88-mm rocket that is used with the Ofenrohr. The breech prevents any flash to the rear while firing is in progress. To lower the Püppchen's silhouette, the wheels may be removed and the piece left standing on two sled-like rests. In preliminary positions the ground is dug out so that the horizontal section of the lower carriage and trail will lie below the surface. For an all-around prepared position, circular trenches with an inner radius of about 2 feet are prepared. The barrel is left just clear of cover, as is done in the case of the preliminary positions. The lower carriage is dug in and the trail wedged, so that the piece can be fired at an angle of 180 degrees. Positions are prepared in defilade or on reverse slopes, and are well camouflaged. In general, enemy doctrine governing the preparation of positions and the conduct of fire is similar to that for the Ofenrohr, except that only two projectors of the Püppchen type are considered necessary for satisfactory interlocking fire.

The maximum effective range of the Püppchen is considered to be 220 yards, although badly dispersed fire up to 275 yards is possible. For this reason the Püppchen, like the Ofenrohr, is employed in the foremost infantry positions. For added protection from artillery fire, the launcher may be detached from its carriage and removed to a shelter some distance away from the prepared position. Alternate positions are prepared only when the terrain restricts the field of fire and provides good cover for the maneuvering piece. In such terrain each position is constructed so that the Püppchen can be run in and out on wheels. Since the Püppchen is harder to conceal than the Ofenrohr, the Germans believe that it is necessary to furnish the larger weapon with antitank protection in the form of obstacles, natural or artificial, supplemented by mines. Because the Püppchen's carriage is not strong enough to stand up under motor towing at high speed, and since horse-draft sacrifices valuable time and involves the problem of replacing animal casualties, the Püppchen generally is transported on trucks and is used only in positional warfare.

David

thanks guys for the comments, but let me explain, First of all the tiger isn't leaving the scene, I've make that diorama originaly for the tiger, I've added the kettenkrad and the puchhen for more viweing, the puchhen is on a man made hill, that's why its spot doesn't look natural, alsothe tiger isn't moving into the trench, its stoping for resupplie and refuel, I just have place the tank equipement yet, speaking of tank trap, I didn't know the puchhen is more of a close range gun, but it could be a trick for ennemy tank that approche the hill too close, and BAM, they get blow away, and t-34 are too manurable up close. But I'll keep the MG idea, that would be nice.