~ ! Clash in Tunisia ! ~ { Final Photos on page 37 }

Well, Adam, where to start.  This is one of those builds that I just stare at.  Not one that I think, “Yeah, with some practice, I think I could do that some day.”

Until someone comes up with a “dessicated steep water carved face for use under protective boulders,” that is.

This build has gone from highly technical textbook construction of detailed scale models right off the page to how can one best fabricate the groundwork you need, and then an execution of that groundwork.  I know its still preliminary and unpainted, but I have spent some time in desert environs, and this is looking, well, correct.  That’s not to approve your vision, I can’t do that.  I do roughly understand what you have in your mind re how this will look, I can only say that it looks right to me, and that is some kind of “smell test” for our art.  So my wordy praise is that you have projected not only how to go about doing this, but actually accomplishing the manifestation of what you want to show, and it looks great.

I should have just used my first gut reaction—WOW!       

WOW!  Looking alot better already... this is going to win you a Gold medal!  Sorry I know the Olympics is finally over. 

Nice.... VERY nice....

~Enbankment sculpt~   

 

Of couse the roadway will fill that frontal area  and have plenty of detail itself. Sculpting the enbankment allows me to fit some detail in what whould be a boring area. I've tried to portray  the natural path of run-off water and some erosion under the rock.

 

Well Gents...that's what I managed to get done over the weekend...I did get the rest of that rock formation near finished.......a bit more groundwork to go, but the hard part is done and I am likiing what I've got. That may well have been the most difficult thing of the entire build---- to suit what I had in mind. Now...as they say...it's all downhill from here...... .(enough puns! Oh punny guy!)

 

~Continued~

I strongly considered using plaster for this as the textures can be quite good, but it's such a mess and I'm working to place the ground just so as I go. The wood filler is just the absolute best thing to use to build Dios in my opinion. It goes on  similar to spakle(or wall-filler) with a creamy feel like frosting, but soon firms-up and easily sculpts & takes shapes. The fully cured filler is as hard as common woods, and can be further cut,drilled,sanded & shaped

 

Palette knife and tongue depressor is about all thats neeed, but other sculpting tools come in handy as well.

 

I've got some stamps handy to impress the 'dirt' --Spare tires from a 2nd Tamiya truck kit(of course I'll be building another one!) Spares from the BMW & Pak 40 kits as well as some spare Tamiya Panzer IV tracks and boots.Sure, alot of the ground is stones, and the sand tends to 'slough-in' imediately after a mark is made, but for proper effect, these prints need to be somewhat evident.

 

An inglorious use of 2-part epoxy putty ( a cheap A+B brand) I've bridged some gaps,and filled some areas at the same time holding some of the rocks in place.  You can see where I've added some epoxy for strength also.

 

 

Here is the jutting , cracked rock-face, held in place with the epoxy putty, and filled in with the wood filler to try to get a look of rock revealed from the sand, and forming the side-wall of the road area as well. Certainly it would be far easier to spakle-down the base and simply push the rock pieces into the wet material(as the cellu-clay users do) but the exact placement was critical, I wanted to ensure everthing is built strong, and I want an appearance of the sand being largely missing from around the rocks due to weather.

 

 

  Although the filler will be covered in paint and in some areas texture, I did place some bits of ballest and small rock shards into the drying groundwork.

  

~~Plenty more ground to cover* (forgive the pun )....Hope you are enjoying the proces... I will be back when I have some more areas complete.

~Luftiger~Looking good over there--I suggest everyone go take a look

I've made my 1st stint into rock carving with this project--the Mrs. hasn't stopped rolling her eyes at me as I go on breaking rocks! Certainly one of my more LOUD projects!

Building The Groundwork

 

I'm working to create one of those rock outcroppings that is a somewhat a revealed 'shoulder' of a mountainside, becoming unburied over time by wind & erosion, but also previously capitalized-on during WWI as a firing position, and can show both some old signs of being adapted to that purpose and some recent signs of being 'dug-out' for use again.

 

 

 

      Being the most involed portion of the groundwork, I've started here. I've chipped-down some of my rock pieces, and notched them out in places to fit together in ways I've often observed in hiking in deserts & mountains. I did a little research to find out what sort of rocks these are(I've been selectively picking them up off the beach for months as I walk my doggie) They are a sedimentary rock, made of highly compressed sand, though they are not easy to break, they aren't particularly heavy, and I really like the scale effect, and though some color washes will be needed, the colors are very close to that of area references for Mareth & the Matmata Hills.

      Above I've bolstered my positioning of the rocks with the Scotch Brand version of Bluetack(it's just easier to find in my area) I'm just getting the placement decided here.

 

    When I had it the way I wanted, I took some photos, as I'd have to unassemble it to glue from the bottom up, and it's a bit of a puzzle going back together.

 

   Wearing gloves, I mixed up enough 2-part epoxy (Super Glue brand 5-Minute Epoxy in this case) to stick a few pieces at a time. Tip: Keep mixing well after the 2 parts are integrated--this agitates the epoxy and ensures it 'kicks-off' quickly.

 

   Dry-fitting each rock as I go to see where to glue, a liberal amount of epoxy is used.

 

 

   After a few minutes,  the epoxy is set, and the stones well anchored. At that point I begin sculpting in the basis for the earth & sand with Elmers Wood Filler( shown Below) It's best to work in a few courses(or mortar layers) to ensure things dry quickly. So any place where the filler gets more than say 1/4 " thick, I tend to lay some in(as Above) and return to bring the stuff up to the desired level. The substrate being porous enables all the filler to dry out within minutes without doubt, but multi-courses speeds the process. There's no waiting days and still being unsure (as with cellu-clay)

You don't have to look to far my friend, just did an update with WIP pics. "Snow Tiger Fire Support"

What i ment by mud, is that i use mud, or plaster for walls, which dries in 40 min.

~Luftiger~ Not really sure what you mean but thanks. It would be cool to see  a W.I.P. posted here by you so we can see what it is you're up to.

Groundwork Substrate Complete

 

  

 

Not pretty at this stage---I guess they rarely are---being the inards of the the thing really.... but having done all I will with the foam, I used some sculpter's  wire mesh ( really soft- mini-extruded-metal) The same stuff I used to good effect , I think, for the build of my small vignette  " Russian Machine Gunner in the Trench" , a nice tame,  one figure build.

 

 

This material cuts really easily (I find these $1 shears from Harbor Freight work best) and then is easily shaped to your work to bridge gaps and unify areas and provide a good base for the filler, alot like a stucco prep!

 

 

Here you can see how the mesh goes in and just gets me a little closer to the shape I'm building, provides a good grip for the filler, and allows you to use less of it.

 

~~Here comes the weekend--and the real Earthwork! 

I'm following this with great interest, as i'm about the same place as you. Only the big
difference is my ground is going to be winter mud, i plan on using "Mud" he he.
But i want to see what your going to use??
Looking really good so far!

~Bob~ Thank you Buddy--You are a faithful and inspiring friend!

~Andy~ I happy to be of some help~ Hope Depot should have it. I got that stuff at my local "Do-it Center" <---No, that's what it's actually called

This will make-up the earth  and buried rock under the large rock formation. I've chopped it up as best as I can figure for now---if needed I can always go and edit it 

So that's it for the foam, I'll return to show some armature work to build-up a few elevated areas and then the actual Earthwork     It will happen!                

                                                                                                                           

I really enjoy following your build.  Thanks for the tip about Frog tape.  I don't think I have seen it before... any chance Lowe's or Home Depost sell those?  I have been using painters blue tapes but only from 3M but I am not totally satisfied with it.  So I have to try this... thanks!

Im tuned bro.....Im tuned.  I love the work on the base.

Bob

~~Thanks Mr. RB ~ yes--if I have anything to say about it ~~I'll just keep at it~~ of course while taking an unbelievable amount of time to stop and document what I'm doing as I go.

~So after determining where some high point would have to exist along the perimeter and marking them out along the inside with my 1911 # 2B Pencil I could cut the wood siding down to just what I need.

 

I started by drilling a small hole that makes a "cut stop" a variation of an ancient stone-cutters trick, and marking the extent of your cut ensures it stays inside the work area.(note the bit is not centered to the line, but slightly above)

 

Any fine toothed saw works very easily with balsa & base woods--even your knife will work but will tend to follow it's own paths within the woodgrain here and there and so a saw is a better choice( I don't reccomend yours be as heavily weathered as mine looks here---it's the salt air coming in here, but it's worth the odd bit of rust)

 

I think it looks a good deal better to continue right around the corners and not have a change in elevation occur right at that point, though it would be far easier.

 

At the rear corner, basically the lowest part of the highest area, I cut straight across to keep things consistaint. Sure if I stuck solely to the flow of the terrain, a far more uneven cut might work fine, but I find the viewer looks just as much at the extent of the craftmanship particularly around the borders, and it's an area I see left ragged much too often even on otherwise well-done Dioramas.

 

So me of my finer saws. The 2nd & 3rd from the bottom are particularlly usefull for styrene and resin cutting, some of my favorites I've found and are cheap from Micro-mark

With those wood edges sanded to a nice clean edge, I could begin to fill-in my landscape substrate. I'll mess-around for quite a while looking at how  I want to model the natural flow of the land, mixed with the needs of the scene.

This work helps to define the flow of the land and of course saves you alot of filler in  the next steps, but also keeps you from having it too thick and having a long drying time. I use some florest foam for some more 3D parts but nerly anything can be used at this point--it'll all be plastered-in soon enough.

Once I've got the basis in place I can begin to model the more striking areas such as the rock formations. Likely nothing quite as dramatic as in this still from Lawrance of Arabia

(a great film for desert warfare modelling insiration--and I highly reccommend seeing it again!)---of course this shot shows just the sort of crazy things rocks can do--especially when we think of them as just laying around like unproductive model builders .

Nice technique Indy, that's gonna look good!

rb

~ Thanks Will-- I'm happy to hear it.

Next STEP~     Shaping the Box-Frame

~Here I'm marking out the shape of the wood sides of the base according to my own pictures, props and measurements, combined in my imagination to get where I want the groundwork to meet thin air. This is one of the most decisive operations of the build, and really comes down to personal taste and choice when making the call of where to break the vacuum of space . Following basic design protocals of balancing the proper amount of consistentcy & contrast in how that line flows--and meets your needs-- you should be able to decide where to go.

That looks awesome indy!

Lufttiger

Excellent work on that base Indy!, i just did the exact same thing yesterday.
But i actually nail on the balsa to the base, it looks like you glue them first.
I've been using insulation foam, yours is much thicker, what is it?

Also thanks for that tip on the wood putty, me thinks i need to try that!!

Thanks I always like to hear "excellent"

   I used 1/2" Foamcore--only it's not Foamcore brand  this time it's Elmer's Foamboard---but same exact thing. Usually you find it in 1/8", 3/16",1/4",& 5/16 typically-but-the 1/2" was a score at Micheals for not alot of $

I used 2-part epoxy, C/A, and white glue for construction---see text as to where and why---------no nails needed---------oh trust me, I would glady welcome the opportunity to shoot some from my pneumatic  Porter Cable pin-nailer, but I just didn't need to for this design.

Excellent work on that base Indy!, i just did the exact same thing yesterday.
But i actually nail on the balsa to the base, it looks like you glue them first.
I've been using insulation foam, yours is much thicker, what is it?

Also thanks for that tip on the wood putty, me thinks i need to try that!!

          WoodWork --  The BoxFrame

 

Wanting my basework to 'sit-up' off the table a bit, and at the same time not having the room inside the glass dislay dome for any ornate framework, I decided to 'side' my build with some nice 3'16" basswood, from the LHS. This mini-lumber is very smooth, flat & consistant, but I'll still be coating it as I dont want to show the woodgrain for this scene.

 

I marked out what I needed, making sure to cut it square, so I'd have strong joints at the corners.   I cut with the X-acto 5" razor-saw, stopping just before breaking through, and placing the heavy utility knife down into the kerf to finish, avoiding the typical rough edge upon completing each cut.These pieces we're joined using thin C/A aplied at the inside of each corner. I've found it's absolutely better to make up the box and then fill it--not to try to apply each side in turn to the substrate as I've seen done--

 

The big advantage to using the C/A of course as its an instant bond, so I could go right to dry-fitting the base panel. Here I've placed a random 1/35th figure to give scale to the area allowed for the scene.

 

Show of hands please.......who has used thier Skil-Saw for 1/35 modelling before?I used the 9/16" plywood as 'filler', but also as the bottom layers it makes the whole thing bottom heavy, better than the top-heavy arrangement I'd otherwise have. Here I'm cutting the panels from what was a cabinet door in my former woodshop, hence the hardware.

 

The corners of my box we're quite good, but to perfect them I used a small amount of what is most commonly called 'liquid wood' (perhaps the most known brand) This is a solvent-based wood putty that is a terrific product used correctly. It actually contains wood, and so after it dries a matter of minutes, can be sanded right along with the wood of the job. When you open the can, you will be tempted to stir in the oily-looking solvent sitting on top-but--DO NOT. Just reach past it with a stick and get a small amount out to work with and close up the can. It will last you years if used this way.

 

So heres the assembled frame & the 'framing package',  ready to install

 

The plywood was 1st set to the bottom of the frame with 2-part epoxy, as I didn't choose to wait overnight for white glue to set The Foamboard layers where attached  and glued in with the white glue and  put on the shelf while curing, weighted with a large stack of modelling magazines. I knew they we're good for something. {Note vehicles on right, being kept dust-free during these rough stages}

 

 

So here it is. Nothing too glamourous...but it needed done. Next I can really begin to model the groundwork. I've been looking forward to this. With such a thick slab of foamcore, I'll be able to carve down, into some gullies , as well as build-up

 

As always...a pleasure to be able to bring you another update...it only gets better!

Indy

~Jet~ They are" real" I spend alot of time walking my doggie on the beach and I collect sticks & stones as I go when I find things I can use. I don't know what kind of rocks those are but I've been picking them up, one at a time for months--they aren't particularly heavy and I think the 'scale effect' is quite good--though I might alter the color some

~Narayan~Yes of course I know that factoid, but it's not that I don't have plentiful references of Tunisia, it's the Mereth area in particular that I was throwing out a net for info on--I think I have what I need at this point.

Mike~ Quite true. Before the advent of photograghy, drawings and paintings we're not simply to be enjoyed, or a method of expression, or a study in forms, as they  are today, but we're the state-of-the-art in visual record-keeping.

Indy -

Paintings and other art work are sometimes very helpful. I am planning a dio which would be set in an orchard in Holland. Looking at modern orchards there doesn't help at all, as a lot of changes have occured in the techniques of pomology (fruit tree growing). I then checked art works and especially those of Van Gogh, as I remembered from "Band of Brothers" that is home was in that area. To my present surprise, Van Gogh made several landscapes and studies of orchards with one thing that b&w photos cannot tell us, the colors of the bark, grasses, etc. 

Mike T.

Star Wars was filmed in Tunisia. If nothing else its a good excuse to watch it again as as research!

It is shaping up nicely. The figures give a whole different movement independent of the vehicles. You really understand the dynamics of the scene.

I have a question about the base. Are the rocks real rocks, or were they scratchbuilt?

Another good modeller-friend Mike Snow, turned this up

This is absolutely The Mereth Line, showing remnents of the revestments, but also both the patches of grass & the scraggly bushes---but also trees! The 1st I've seen of these in the area--although likely would make an interesting addition, where all cut down and used for timbers at the time, according to all reports.

~Gentlemen ~ Thamk you all for your comments and words of encouragement---

--All signs point towards  success !!

Mike~ Thanks for that link - images of the area in question are not common.  The painting above of that  wadi at Mareth shows about the extent of life a persons' likely to see there, then or now. The weather, as it's well known, at the time was extreme to say the least---at times hot, cold,wet,dry, you name it, and set in March as I said as I said at the start, my scene will be set in a likely setting as any found near that area.

Patches of grass? I see scraggely bushes, well whichever, thanks.

Indy - I am guessing that you are trying to simulate an rocky hilly area to the west of the Mareth Line proper. The Mareth line itself was a prepared line with concrete bunkers and tank traps. In that type of terrain you are depicting, there would be some scrubby grass patches. It is very possible for a patch of pricky pear cactus to be coming up at the base and cracks of the rocks. Moisture collects there. These patches can be locally dense and I have seen pictures of Italians using these patches as camouflage for gun emplacements.

Just to the north and west of Mareth is a series of marshes. The Tunisia campaign was in the winter or rainy season in Tunisia. For example, the battle for the Kasserine Pass was fought in a deluge, the rain was so hard as to limit visibility as well as have sticky mud to contend with. In a Mediterrean climate the summers are dry and the winters are wet although only 10 to 15 inches of rain may fall totally, it'll be during a 3 - 4 month period.

I have seen a picture of acacia trees (like you see in the east african plains) but they are modern. Most of the trees during war time were probably cut down for firewood.

This link may be helpful with the drawings, note the one with rain:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cyrilmount.net/3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cyrilmount.net/tunisia.html&usg=__cDNWfJph-NI4imzTjzrczIxhsrk=&h=225&w=300&sz=71&hl=en&start=51&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=wXteOEHSZiK5sM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmareth%2Bline%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D36%26um%3D1

Mike T.

Indy.......this is going to look awsome.

Bob

That layout is going to look good when it is all finished.