Making a 'BASIC BASE'?

I'd consider turning the hull a little more so that it is not parallel to the edges and then rotate the turret a little more left or right.  

Hi LT,

Sorry, it's not going to sit like that, LT. I'll post some photos at the bottom of how it will look

It's going to be at an angle with the bow of the tank pointing to 1 o'clock with the turret turned to about 10 o'clock.

I've posted a series of photographs at the bottom of this post to give you a better idea:

I know it's been suggested the base is too small BUT it fits into my cabinet and will do the job perfectly - any bigger and it would become a dust trap on my bookshelf. I've got all the materials (scale rubble, grit, long grasses, barbed wire) and when this goes to shows with me it will look great sat on our display table on a nice base.it's just that when I took the photos I thought this will look SOOOO much better on a little base and when I found this piece of wood at work wrapped in film I knew it had to be ideal (it's from the work kitchen and wasn't used when they fitted it).

Finally, I do have another base which is MDF and is much larger and a perfect size BUT I'm going to use that for my Elefant that I got for my Birthday as it's a big old beast and I think I can either make or buy a clear plastic cover for it - 1.5mm clear plasticard will do the job nicely? I don't know why I said that this base was MDF as it obviously isn't - I've been told that it it probably Maple?

Btw: the tank will be firmly fixed to the base by means of a simple single woodscrew of the correct length - when screwed down the tank will be 'pulled' into the base material to give the impression of serious tonnage!

I've spoken to Alan at our club and he suggested that using a paste made up from Polyfiller and White Glue would be better than my planned Mig Acrylic Resin and Plaster of Paris mix?

FYI - Here is our club website (Leicester Modellers) - the photos at the top of the front page show our table at a smaller local show last year http://leicestermodellers.weebly.com/

Photos:

The tank as I am planning to position it on the base - photos taken from both sides and rear:

The other base for use with my Elefant build:

Materials (Scenic grasses, rubble, leaves, soil/twigs, cat litter):

I'm going to start the base assembly either tomorrow or next weekend - today there are a few thing that I want to finish up on the Tiger:

Please let me know what you think re the best material to make up the ground - Acrylic Resin & Plaster of Paris mix or polyfiller  and White Glue mix? Do you get Polyfiller in the US? It comes in a tube that you have to mount on a gun and it comes out like tube Silicon does when you want to seal your new worktop!

Thanks guys,

Ben  8-)

I got one of those wood pieces at Hobby Lobby with the tree bark still attached. Looks pretty good when sprayed with "dirt" and some static grass applied.

here is another I did on that "tree bark" wood

Hi guys,

cb1 - That tree bark base really looks good

I'm using that standard Maplewood base - it's been stained but that's all. The tank will sit on that. It won't be fixed as when I get a bit more space I might want to swap it over to another, bigger base.

One thing I am doing before I have these final photos taken tomorrow is to have a small Brass name plate made up. It will only be small - 2.5" x 0.75". It will only cost me a couple of pounds.

I'd really like to have 'Tiger I, Ausf E' on the top line and on the bottom line, in maybe a smaller font 'Anzio, 1944'

I don't know if it's a good idea to have the second bit - perhaps the name of the tank alone might be enough?

Any suggestions for a different name/layout altogether?

What do you reckon chaps,

Ben

 

this base is more elaborate than what you need but the basics are the same. it is also a generic base for taking pics of narrow width vehicles. i would stain and seal the wood the dark brown you mentioned as i did though it doesn't show. this is a cheap beveled plaque from hobby lobby craft store. i use cheap modeling clay to form the base. it can be spread real thin and you can have an irregular edge with some wood showing. push the tank into it and leave track marks. if there is a slight gap under the tracks you can touch up later. NEXT IMPORTANT. paint the clay a color close to the ground cover. this insures the pink clay will not be obvious if a spot or 2 isn't covered. put the tank on the base and check for gaps under the tracks. if you see some fill it with the clay and touch up the ground cover. the fire fighter mechanical mule was a build with regard to the fires in colorado springs and north near loveland. my main club is denver but i go to the springs club to. the base is from a craft store and i thought it appropriate for the setting.

Cheers Wayne,

Sorry buddy - I reposted on here again last night as I'd decided to simply stain the base and leave it at that. All I wanted was some info on the nameplate as I'm limited on lettering size and amounts due to the small space left for a nameplate - see last post.

No worries dude - I'm going to pop up town now and see what they can do.

Lovely work on your bases btw

Ben

Ben, nice Tiger, and I would go with that base. You should go lurk around in "Diorama's" though, and ask this question in there. A lot of the guys who regularly post diorama would be able to give you tons of ideas for quick, easy bases too.

Hey Doog,

Nice to see you back old chum!

In the end it was obvious that any scenery would be totally hidden so I decided to stain my base and add a small Brass nameplate:

Works well imo - thanks for dropping by!

Ben