1944 Group Build

Bish: Great work on the 251 and the dio. I have to agree that you have a way with armor. Your mud in the tracks is outstanding. Looks like it has been raining or the snow had melted and made a lot of mud.

Axeman: I will use your tip on mud on my nest armor dio. Great information

greentracker: Awesome that your compressor working. Nice start on the wings..

Doug

Hey Eric..that mud looks great mushed in that track!! Well done and thanks for the how to.

Hey everyone,

I got ,mh air compressor working. It was leaking at the top of the cylinder. so, just got the heck of it. I ran some super glue around both ends of the cylinder. I didn't think it would work, so after 3 weeks of just sitting there, I plugged it in and it started filling the tank.

Anywqay, here is the color of my B24. I think I got it real close  to the real ones I had mixed up some paint (red and sand it was really really pink) and yesterday I sprayed that on it, Then today,I lightly misted the sand color on it. It looks better in person, it doesn't show the pink as much as what the computer shows..

That does look exceptional, Axeman.  Nice work!

Thanks axe, I will have to dig that one out. Glad your enjoying using the PE, coming along well.

For mud I use the Oct 2012 FSM issue's method. I've not been very successful with "wet" though. I'm too afraid to try really glossy I think.

Here's a shot of the turret with the skirts for the Pz IV. Making steady progress. This is my first time with metal and I'm finding it easier to work with than expected. 6095349857111002066?pid=6095349857111002066&oid=116382083351056887723

Thanks guys.

Steve, the gate came with the wall, its from MK 35. I did make a gate on my of my very first dio's many years ago, it would not be to hard with some balsa wood. What sort of fence are you thinking of doing.

Eric, that looks interesting, ideal for the mud on the vehicle. I will check my local art store, they have the W&N oils so might do that as well. Thanks.

Forgot to get to the end of the list. First, really nice dio Bish - I wouldn't have touched it. You have a way with armor that I like.

Last note on Future/Pledge - I think that when it's airbrushed on some of it dries partially in and air and immediately on contact which would be enough to give a slight satin effect. If you hand brush it on without excess (it's pretty much self-levelling, but it's possible to get too much on) then you'll get a finish that's pretty close to gloss. That's why if you dip a cockpit into it the effect is gloss - wouldn't work the same if you airbrushed it.

Eric

If you want to make wet mud you want to use artist gloss medium or gloss gells. I prefer Golden, but Windsor makes a gloss gel with lava thrown in for texture and it works quite nicely for mud. The example below was photographed about sixty minutes after application.

Future does not have a fully gloss finish - it's really closer to satin. The gels/mediums are also thicker in viscosity and will have a greater punch.Future is really thin though which makes it perfect for so many other things that gloss varnishes/gels would be worthless for.

Really outstanding work on the dio, Bish. I was considering doing some fence in my next one, did you build that wooden gate from scratch?

Any time ... The small one will last you awhile, Ive never (myself) done a project so big as to need the larger container.

Trying to round up some better info on my speeder bike and trooper camo, but anxious to start!

Ye, I like the look of that. Be nice to have something for muddy puddles as well. Thanks for that.

That's it my friend!

Bish... Check out the little dio I did in FW190 GB in the completed pictures, It will say "Spring Thaw" on the dio. See if that doesn't look like mud and little water and ice puddles. That was all done with Liquatex Medium gel. It comes in a heavy and extra heavy also.

Thanks Doug. Is this the stuff

www.pullingers.com/.../liquitex-acrylic-gloss-heavy-gel-medium

managed to find it in the UK fortunately. If its the right one, i'll have to get a tub in the new year.

Absolutely!  In the FW190 GB I did a build using an old Monogram FW190 I believe it was the mount of Heinrich Sterr (I love those little ole kits) and when I did the dio, I just applied a diluted mixture to the dirt  to make it look wet, then applied a straight from the container, (a small spoonful) directly to a shallow in the dirt and let dry and it looks like a mud puddle. The stuff is great! It takes a couple days to dry when applied heavy but the end results are well worth the wait! And a bonus is its acrylic, thins and cleans up with water.

Doug

Thanks Doug. I'll have to look for that, I am wanting to get some products for water. Do you reckon a thin layer of that over the celluclay will give a wet mud effect.

Bish... Try using Liquatex heavy or extra heavy artist gel. It comes in various sizes and densities, and is white when applied but dries clear and if you use the gloss it will dry shiny. I use the extra heavy or at times (depending on desired effect) the heavy to make mud puddles. lakes and ponds for dioramas. The extra heavy is fantastic for making waves like ocean scenes due to it drying almost like you apply it, if you apply rough and wavy, it will dry that way.

Great work as always on your Dio...

Doug

Thanks Rob. I am really glad that I have been able to get back into armour dio's this year.

Thanks Joe. This last year I have really been able to get to grips with armour dio's and all the new materials that have come on the market are really helpful. When I did my last armour dio's over 10 years ago, all I had was static grass. Now there are flowers, weeds, nettles and all sorts of great stuff. Now I just need to start making some trees. And I do like the look of the wall even though its not what I set out to achieve, funny how often that happens.

Holy wicked vignette Bish!! Just awesome!!

Thanks guys.

I think I have solved the problem of the mud. I followed Stik's advice, but this time I sprayed the future, and it seems to have worked. The last time I had brushed a small section to see how it would look. I am wondering if using the brush on the rough surface has created airbubbles or something which then left the whiteish appearance.

That halftrack is just getting more awesomer and awesomer. Really fantastic work Bish. I am also very impressed with your base/dio. That there is incredibly well done. I'm especially impressed with paint work you've done on the wall stones.

Outstanding, Bish!  Very realistic.

Looks real good Bish! Add another coat of Future to the mud ig you want a wet mud appearance. Let it dry and if it is not as wet as you like, repeat the process...

Its finally that time again. This should be the last update before this is done. There was not to much left to do to the vehicle itself. After adding the tracks and wheels and fitting the last few external bits, it was time for a mud bath. I was trying to get a fresh mud look using a method I picked up online. I mixed some MiG pigments with plaster and some gloss varnish, in this case future. But it has not come out looking fresh but dried.

Most of this week has been spent on the base, figures and other bits of kit to go in and on the vehicle. I wanted a wet mud look to the base as well so added some future to the Celluclay mix, but again it has not worked. 

I then added the vehicle before the celluclay was fully dried. I still have some pieces to add but these can be done while on the base. I also fitted the gate and a few other items to the ground work.

And the figures are starting to come along. The skin is done and I just need to ad some detail to the faces such as the eyes. SS camo is one of the areas I need to work on.

The two figures on the left, Meyer and one of his Officers, will be in Summer oak leaf, a pattern I find pretty hard to replicate.  The next guy will be in Pz Black, the one after him Reed Green and finally Dot pattern.

All comments are welcome and any suggestion on how to get a fresh wet mud look to both the terrain and the vehicle would be appreciated. I tried painting the Celluclay with future after it dried but it left a whiteish colour so I has to go over that.

Thanks for your comments folks.

Stikpusher: Unless he hates that color, then I am off to some  rock-breaking holidays in Siberia.

With a wash and some dirt/wear it will look better.

Yesterday fuselage and engine cowling were assembled. They need some slight filling and sanding (mainly due to my carelessness), otherwise the fit seems perfect until now.

I use photo bucket. There are some other sites, but most seem to use that.

Yes. Then use the button for insert image and paste the url for the picture in. When I post or preview the message it leaves the last part of the file name as a hyperlink. Maybe it's because I'm using my google site and the name is long? Where do some of you upload your pictures to?

Awesome work Zvezda. The cockpit looks great.

Doug

Better late than never Zvezda ;) And very nice work on that cockpit! Comrade Stalin will be pleased that you did not delay production of this vitally needed war machine on account of color...