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

That's amazing.

The weathering is spectacular but I'm especially impressed with the chipped paint. Just incredible and the entire thread is like techniques book.

Thank you! 

~ Not finished ~ But very much closer~  
The wheels had required a wet treatment of pigments, in this case I mixed a combo of three, same as for the motorcycle, likely close to the final color needed.  
You can really see how much darker the mixture is in the alcohol in that bottlecap, than later after drying on the part .I used a very diluted wash over the entire wheel, then a heavy "sludge wash" over the treads. After drying I rubbed the whole thing"near clean" with a hanky.   Then I fit the wheels to the Kubel with some C/A gel.  
You can see some of the undercarraige here, which I applied the same pigment wash to. Just for the sake of a nice complete build log, here's a shot of the real wheel (c.1940)  
I managed to find this at  the most tremendous site that exists (has to be) for Kubelwagons and all other wartime V-Dub's...if you build one study this site : http://www.ww2vw.com/   Why do I always find these things at the end of the build  !!!??  
Found this facinating article from 1944 Popular science about the VW's ~As well as usefull shots of this restored 1940 Kubelwagon       I made an attempt too use an instrument dial on acetate that came with my Eduard Opel Blitz Update set, as I ordered the nice Archer set for that build.   I may still  do a little more work to this,  I've seen a number of gauge faces fitted different than this one.       I still have yet to rust out some of the larger dings, like the big dent in the engine door     As well as detail out the small details, exhausts, & pioneer tools  
~After that, add on the accessories(the really fun part) and this jalope will be done. This will be all from me for a few days I must say, 'till after the Holiday. I hope All-is-Well with all of you guys...................................Indy

Axel Smith wrote:

Outstanding work on that bike Indy!

~Thanks to you M8 ~ And thanks to Lbro ^&^Andy too....... a treat to hear that stuff......

~Small Update~  
The wheelhubs we're sprayed and chipped right alongside the carbody, and got 2 heavy washes  as well. As they we're base-coated in Flat Black they had a new' tire appearance. I did away with this with some drybrushed layers(carefully turning wheel on the brush when neatling the hubs, to get that clean break) with Floquil Grimy Black, The again with Floquil primer mixed innto that, then again lightly with just the primer to try to get a really dried-out old tire look(the 2 spares we're painted with the gang as they will be stowage likely in the Opel truck.These tires are still to recieve the importaint layers of dust &  'dirt' between the treads.      
The seats(basedcoated in the dark chocolate color) got many drybrushed layers with Floquil Earth, Roof Brown,  & Refer White in varrious mixes. This gave a very defined look, which I knocked down with a liberal brushing of dry Mig Panzer Grey(fading)PO35, which softened up the look and gave me a delightful grungy look, that has contrast with the floor grunge..  
Later the seats went in for good, and a little more work on the dash(one of those multi color jobs I like to do i several sittings) Note : The strap colour on the cars folded top. that light olive was the colour I wanted to do the top in but I just didn't find any reference to back that up. Every one was in a sand like shade of some sort.. 

 ~Back in a few 

DAMN!  Great work on the bike!  Your pictures came out perfectly with the shadow too as it tricked me into thinking that the bike is parked outside on your driveway. 

Outstanding work on that bike Indy!

That motorcycle looks great!

Mic wrote:

Outstanding work, Indy. Love that bike, and the helmet is a jaw-dropper. Kubel looks amazing, and I'm afraid that I now must own that ink. Just when I thought I was done with my workbench purchasing for the week... Steve

~ Steve ~ Really happy to get those remarks from you. Glad you appreciate what I 'm up to here. the Rowney Daler inks seem to be really great although I've just started experimenting with them myself. I picked up Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre & Black as well as the Sepia...nice dropper top for airbrush loading too !

~ Narayan ~ Right on Man ~ Scale Vespa ! ? Man that's right up your alley ! (pun intended) what are you waiting for ???!@!      Do it.

~ Bill ~ Thanks my friend. Great stuff to hear. I'm glad you are getting something from all the WIP  documentation. It's making for a long blog, but what good is it without the behind the scenes, right ? Model on Mr !!

Great depth of technique and ability, Indy, these bikes are just jaw dropping, and the Kubel is also very realistic.  THanks for the how to emphasis, rather than "look what I can do."

Bill    

Thanks for the closeup I can see your detailed weathering. Looking at these bikes makes me want to pull out a 1/8 Vespa I have stashed away and get building.

Outstanding work, Indy. Love that bike, and the helmet is a jaw-dropper. Kubel looks amazing, and I'm afraid that I now must own that ink. Just when I thought I was done with my workbench purchasing for the week...

Steve

 

vespa boy wrote:

Beautiful detail work Indy, and lots of nice washes and glazes to give depth to the grime and wear on the Kubelwagen. It reminds me of a VW Thing I used to see near my house in Santa Monica about a decade ago...wasn't your was it? I couldn't see from the photos, do the scratches continue through the DAK stencil on the motorcycle panier?

~Yes Brother of course!I scratched my knife through there quite a lot, but the insignia still reads pretty clearly from any distance. You can see if you zoom this shot(perhaps I cold wreck it slightly more, it is still there in the photos maybe too much!

 

Thanks greatly for your comments Narayan, and for diggin my grime !

 Edmund ~ Thanks buddy! You the Man. Me & you on the secret desert groupbuilt

60 ~ Thanks to you too & yeah call me friend. 

Beautiful detail work Indy, and lots of nice washes and glazes to give depth to the grime and wear on the Kubelwagen. It reminds me of a VW Thing I used to see near my house in Santa Monica about a decade ago...wasn't your was it? I couldn't see from the photos, do the scratches continue through the DAK stencil on the motorcycle panier?

 

 WOW!!!! SO AWESOME!!! I am so fortunate to call you friend!!!  I can call you that, right???

   Such good work. You are a credit to all of us modelers!

                       60

.

Adam this is just Gosh Doggin Wonderful!!

Love the techniques that you are using and the results are just simply specatcular!! 

Hans von Hammer wrote:

One of the finest efforts I've ever seen, Indy...  Now I GOTTA start doing some sand dios in N. Africa.. You've inspired me again.. I was getting hung up on the RAF Desert Air Force and trying to find kits of the more obscure aircraft, but now I figure I can forego that search for now and concentrate on some "Desert Rats" & DAK stories...

~ Hans, thank you.   What  marvelous things to hear !.  You are an inspiration to so many here, it's a pleasure to know if I've helped get you back on the road. Sure, join me in the desert.

 ~ Meanwhile....back at the Ranch................             Some washes applied to Kubelwagon made of a brown-grey Floquil mix      
I also added a wash to the interior panels, and an even darker one to the floorboards. It looked alright, but I wanted a really grungy looking floor that might even be noticable once the seats & gear all go in, so I got down some Rowney Daler Sepia Ink , and began to draw in the dark lines of the in-between the slats,and used it for a dark filter over the other floor areas, thinned with a little water. (This ink is great stuff, a tip I took from Calvin Tan's book "Modelling Waffen SS figures". He relies on this ink to outline vital features, and seems to often use it almost as his thinner when making dark washes that need to be effective)  
I like the layers of dirt I've got going on this floor at this point. I experimented with outlining with the ink as well around the console features. The Black parts are Tamiya XF-1     ~Before knocking -off, I added a few layers to the 'fabric' covers fit to the vehicle, plenty more to do with them. Now that the washes are in, assembly can resume as well.  
~Back again soon, Sirs !...................Indy

 

One of the finest efforts I've ever seen, Indy...  Now I GOTTA start doing some sand dios in N. Africa.. You've inspired me again.. I was getting hung up on the RAF Desert Air Force and trying to find kits of the more obscure aircraft, but now I figure I can forego that search for now and concentrate on some "Desert Rats" & DAK stories...

[quote user="Manstein's revenge"]

...your patience in the art of the diorama is evident...many elements that have to be treated as separate projects that come together to make a convincing and consistant dio...

     Manny  ~ What a ringing endorsement that is. And a nice thing to quote. Thank you.

Rex ~ Edmund ~ Andy  ~  Thanks very much to you, it's really satisfying to hear those things .    

Plenty more to come... Thanks for spectating, it's importaint !

The General that needs no introduction (or caption)

 

Just came over here because i read Edmund had posted praises on your dio work, WOW   

I'm digging your German Harley and want to ride it---might have to paint a chick fig to go on the back...

...your patience in the art of the diorama is evident...many elements that have to be treated as separate projects that come together to make a convincing and consistant dio...

Wow Adam!

This turned out really great!  The detail and weathering is right on Sir!!

Like the background as well.  Great photos!

wow, now that is a nice bike (well its dirty, but thats good for a dio)

I love the realistique paint chips and the engine just looks great.

  Finally, here's some pictures takin on my bench in my usual way, however, with the camera's white level adjusted for the incandecent light,  unlike the WIP shots.  
Looks more like we're used to seeing models, but I think it looks more real in the sun, if you can get that to work right,.... which is often not so easy.  
Still, close-up studies work vastly better in more controlled environs.  
Thanks to everyone who offered little bits of help along the way !  
Here's the Beemer side by side with a U.S. Army Harley Davidson motorcycle (Tamiya kit) I built almost 2 years ago. It's a far more crude kit, and a far more crude build as it was my 1st plastic model kit in about 25 years ! It was mostly OOB but did feature a few scratched items.  
I chopped and streched it out of regulation for a lowride 'sit'( the shame) and chromed a few parts per the civi version and filled it with other errors too....hence it's never been seen in these Forums, but I thought the side by side would be fun.'s"     No wonder this Cat still digs his R75. If only he makes it out of this Dio alive !!   Hope you Gentlemen enjoyed this chapter, many more to come.................
~ Indy

~Here's those shots :    
While I'm at it.... I took my lead for the gas mask canister from this one :  
Back to my photo shoot on the playa,,,er....ah.....I mean my deck...  
These we're shot in "macro" mode(unlike the previous set) , hence the subject departs from the background more, but allows the harsh sunlight to really play on the color. I was thinking that a N. Africa vehicle needed to look right in some blairing sun, so I had to try it. Really I like the first set, but I thought these looked interesting as well....  
The blue of the sky here is captured in a carefully placed mirror, the "sand' plane is some textured plastic card sprayed with Rustoleum 'sandstone' texture paint. Even though the action of my Diorama takes place in a more 'closed-in' terrain, I though I'd try for the most dramatic Saharan desert look for this shoot.  
The rear was an area I admit I hadn't given much thought to. I wanted to attach the numberplate without the numbers though, maybe it's worn off?Painted over? The lights I wanted to have visable to add interest, even if it's a tactical mistake on the part of the operator.  
This is a preliminary dust treatment. The final dusting is going to have to come after the Dio base is built, so I can be sure of the apropriate colors to use.   ~ Continued

  The 1942 vintage BMW R75 outfitted for North Africa         This helmet faithfully modeled after an existing relic(I have a photo some place)   The only "true black" was for the black-plastic grips on the MP40        
~`Continued.............

~~Thanks so much Edmund ! Hey interesting tidbit there about the running hours. Osprey  book, huh? Honestly I didn't even have that specific a reference book for this build, what else does it say?  I found alot on the web about these buckets, but it's amazing how much there is to know about , Wouldn't you say? !@

Very, Very Cool Adam!

I really like how both of these vehicles are coming to life.  The Kubelwagen actually looks to be rotting from the environment.  The Osprey book indicated that the engines only lasted about 12,000 to 14,000 kilometers due to the harsh enviromental conditions and you have done a fantastic job demonstrating what that kind of enviroment can do to poorly protected metal.

~One more update

~Not finished yet,......But closer.    Detail work going on , particularly to the lower areas.  
Have yet to add the light lenses & markings. Some pinwashes are done very locally with diluted Grimy Black, which is very similar to a Paynes Grey oil wash     Some rusty layers went on the exhaust too, but theres more to do there.   ~ As I have layer drying considerations, I'm working on the Kubelwagon alongside this one, and I got all the accessories blocked in with different Tamiya color mixes  
I've also added some variety to the paint chips with a very dark brown( very close to Vallejo camo black-brown--likely a good choice here) and some metalic hints as well, trying to keep those in places likely to continue to wear, like the door-tops.  
~After I was satisfied I had a workable base coat on everything, I let it sit overnight, and the next morning shot 2 coats of Future on the Kubel, as a prep for decals and color washes, which I don''t want to come out as filters, and muddle the sun-bleached look of the body paint. .
The bike I didn't Future-coat, as it's markings are quite small, and the pin washing very local and minimal. As soon as the washes go on the Kubel though, I can complete it's assembly, and add the paint details too. ~~~~Thanks for staying with me & I'll be back soon ! ~Indy

Those details of the dumpster are really interesting. Its great to see how the subtelty of the rust/paint/sun/moisture interaction. Thanks for posting them.

 Details like that are fantastic references for everyone, and without using photos like that models end up looking like....models.

~Thanks a bunch guys ~ You like my D.A.K. dumpster too ?

Soooo-perb!!!