"Midnight Raid in Mosul" Dio & Write-up....

psstoff995 wrote:

camo junkie wrote: But, as psstoff knows me, I'm going to be casting like crazy just to add pieces to my parts bin for future projects. But, that's just me. My parts bin is more like a parts TUB! I keep it hidden from the wifey! HEHE!!!    are you implying that your sorta the "jeffery dahmer" of figures???   hahaha Yes. Yes he is the Jeffery Dahmer of figures  Camo- your building looks great- I'd just make sure that since you have it so tall, and it looks like most of the action is going to be on the 1st floor, you add a lot of detail/interest to the upper part as well so it doesn't get bottom heavy if you know what I mean? Maybe a scout/sniper team in one of the rooms or (not sure if the figures are going to breach in?-) maybe insurgents on the roof? Confirm first with modelchasm though- he knows his stuff and could probably tell you more about the way modern figures should be grouped/placed in a tactical sense than I could ever hope to know But modelchasm- you definitly jumped headlong into this one! I can't wait to see some progress shots- if you even come close to pulling this off it's going to look awesome!

  thanks psstoff995. i appreciate the advice and insight. unfortunately this wasnt really going to be an action scene (see last posting). i'm going to call is "america go home" and what's going on is a routine patroll stumbles across this and they start asking questions. plan on having an iraqi sitting there with his arms in the air as if he "doesnt understand" while he's being questioned by the soldiers. i would love nothing more than to make it an action scene with insurgents, etc. dml,dragon, etc dont really make any good "shooting" figures!!! i'd really like to talk to the guy who sculps them...way too many "talking on radio" and standing around. and i've got plans for the expensive verlinden figs!!! but that's another story!!

I have a thing for "wires" I guess ... HAHA!

Thanks for the ideas. I DO have some wall spackle around here somewhere. May just give it a shot.

Just b/c camo and psstoff wanted to see pictures....

Here's "dahmer's" workbench ...

Funny thing is ... I don't think that I took pictures before the hacking started ... Was I THAT excited about it!?!

the "stucco" was actually plaster applied with a putty knife...again and again and again....if your going to do something like that try primer first or take a rough grit sandpaper and rub it all over it b4 applying the spackle. assuming you use styrene like i did. i even thought (after the fact...perhaps drywall mud would've been better.) the building is still in its raw form...i havent painted it yet!! you havent even seen what i've got planned with this but it should be good in the end. i really wanted to make it an action scene like a battle going on but they just dont make any reall good plastic "shooting" figures other than a few...and i dont want to use the verlinden ones i've got so...what do i do...? i could cast copies of the verlinden stuff...but that just means more work!!

 as far as using my ideas...knock yourself out. i always believe someone can do something better than myself no matter what it is and if i'm giving you ideas...have at it...just gotta let me see the final result!! i appreciate the advice and i know you want me to put the wires up...i have to decide on that one. i assure you though it's not finished, i have to add the signs, add posters to the walls, add arabic graffetti to the walls, bars across the windows, figures, paint, wash, weather and somehow scratchbuild a descent looking a/c unit!!!

 anyway, try drywall mud if you have some otherwise spackling will work...even at 120mm. just apply then light sand (knock the high spots off then smooth it out). then paint. that's it. my next dio is actually going to be a 120mm project but this time im getting away from armor and doing a sci-fi scene...just to break up the boredom :)

 keep me informed of what's going on and if you want to contact me directly your welcome to at mustangtom70@yahoo.com.

camo junkie wrote:

But, as psstoff knows me, I'm going to be casting like crazy just to add pieces to my parts bin for future projects. But, that's just me. My parts bin is more like a parts TUB! I keep it hidden from the wifey! HEHE!!!    are you implying that your sorta the "jeffery dahmer" of figures???

hahaha Yes. Yes he is the Jeffery Dahmer of figures

 Camo- your building looks great- I'd just make sure that since you have it so tall, and it looks like most of the action is going to be on the 1st floor, you add a lot of detail/interest to the upper part as well so it doesn't get bottom heavy if you know what I mean? Maybe a scout/sniper team in one of the rooms or (not sure if the figures are going to breach in?-) maybe insurgents on the roof?

Confirm first with modelchasm though- he knows his stuff and could probably tell you more about the way modern figures should be grouped/placed in a tactical sense than I could ever hope to know

But modelchasm- you definitly jumped headlong into this one! I can't wait to see some progress shots- if you even come close to pulling this off it's going to look awesome!

I think the window unit a/c is a good idea. Some piping too. But, I'd stay away from the generator. Those are pretty rare ... like 1x per 2-3 blocks as someone runs one BIG one for their nieghborhood and then collects "electricity fees". I think if you wanted to run some stiff wire out, as explained before, I think that would help busy up you dio w/o distracting from it. Plus, if the wires were run from say the second floor out, again terminating into dead space, th viewer would have to look through the wiring to see the figures. Might may for an interesting look. Give it a shot and see what you think. You can alway yank it off if you don't like it.

I'm done with my 120mm OIF figure, so I'm about to start on the base for it. I might use some of your ideas in it if you don't mind.

How did you get the muddy "stuco" finish on your building? Since my dio is in 120mm, the finish is going to be very noticable. The only idea that I've got so far is to either use plaster or real dirt!?!

 LOL, the wife looks at mine everyday and cries. rather cluttered with everything i've got going right now!!

 so, i have a pretty good idea where you are right now. any more ideas you can give me for mine...specifically should i add exterior pipes or a a/c or generator? i plan on adding more detail to the windows. im also adding signs and of course iraqies (i know that's not spelled right...it cant be) and more soldiers. im going out of town for the weekend so maybe i can rest my brain and come up with ideas then!!!

 let me know how the mutilation goes doc!

Dahmer ... Frankenstein .... whatever!?!

If Todd McFarlane could see my work bench right now, he'd cry. I gaurantee it!!!

But, as psstoff knows me, I'm going to be casting like crazy just to add pieces to my parts bin for future projects. But, that's just me. My parts bin is more like a parts TUB! I keep it hidden from the wifey! HEHE!!!

   are you implying that your sorta the "jeffery dahmer" of figures???

camo junkie wrote:

are the mcfarlane figures more like plastic army men or ? just curious. keep me and everyone else informed!

The mcfarlane figures are like the old green army men. They are a hard (but not too hard) plastic. Most of their gear is the soft vinyl stuff, so its easy to cut through. I just cut my first figure in half at the waist, and the funny thing is ... they're hollow! Good for me as I needed to drill them anyways for the FOs. I've found though that there is one leg form each figure that has a metal rod all the way through for strength. May have to see if I can pull this out as it will give me a good run up the leg for the FO as well. All in all, I think that I'm going to be able to use most of the original figure pieces w/o too much casting.

But, as psstoff knows me, I'm going to be casting like crazy just to add pieces to my parts bin for future projects. But, that's just me. My parts bin is more like a parts TUB! I keep it hidden from the wifey! HEHE!!!

cool. sounds like it comming along good. thanks for the complements about mine btw. i'm trying to make signs right now and wondering how much "detail" i should give it. exterior piping etc. been racking my brain trying to make or come up with a type of generator/a.c system...we'll see how that goes.

   anyway, sounds like you have alot going on cutting and casting (better you than me )btw, are the mcfarlane figures more like plastic army men or ? just curious. keep me and everyone else informed!

** UPDATE **

Here's what I've got thus far.

The McFar. figures are going to work out fine, I think. Just much bigger than I had anticipated. They're actually coming apart pretty easily, at least at their joints. I've begun cutting the feet, legs, etc off IOT cast them and reuse them on other figures. The vinyl pieces will make nice pieces to cast from. The hardest part, I think, is going to be all the filling, sanding, etc. that is going to be needed to make them all fit back together again.

The weapons are half decent, and I do mean half. McFar could have taken a little more time with these. Since I'm going to be running FO through the weapons, I'm going to hack them up as well, cast them, and hopfully use some alum rod to give them a little more strength. The overall paint job on them is horrible. Especially the detail, but I'm sure that can be fixed.

I'm finding that re-detailing the vinyl pieces are a little more difficult. You can slice them off pretty well, but sanding them out smooth is a little harder. I'm almost afraid to say it, but I may have to cast them as is, and them rework the resin casts. Maybe casting them a second time just to get decent copies ... unless I feel like reworking all the castings. Which, may be the case if I'm going to be drilling them out for FOs later on anyway.

I just started out this morning with this project to see what was in store. I'm going to try to take the figures along with my casing materials on my next trip. We'll see what comes of that!?!

Now to "finish up with my OIF figure. (Jump threads....)

camo,

WOW! Your building looks spec-tack-ooo-lar!!! You really nailed the building "code" there. I like the garage door action on the first floor and the two different doors on the balconies. You also nailed the wiring on the exterior of the building as well as the bricks showing through. You may have already thought about it, but try using some stiff wire to simulate the low-hanging generator wires you see coming off the buildings. It may help bring some more depth to the project. But the wires wold be terminating out into space toward the viewer and you might not want that. Just a thought ...

I'm going to be working something very similar, but mostly just the first floor. I may go up to the second, but I don't want to the viewers eyes to wonder too much. At least not until after I've focused their view FIRST on looking through the green filter.

Hans has worked very well with me, pitching me ideas and a good general conversation about whether this should be built using a shadow box. I'm going to give it a shot trying it out with what I've got in my head and if that doesn't work out, then I'm going to try the shadow box "theory".

Looks good. keep it comin'. I'm almost doing hacking up my HUMONGOUS McFarlane figures.

yeah, works for me. i'm working on a dio with a downtown baghdad theme. i've been working on this building for two weeks. was going to be much smaller but then i just wanted to see if i could do it (make the building that is).

there is still alot of work to be done as you can see...

one thing i did figure out is...spackle doesnt work to well on smooth surfaces (like styrene to which the whole thing is build from...i've mudded and sanded and remudded and resanded many many times . guess you have to learn somehow! anyway, i like your idea of the green filter and cant wait to see it when its done.

Thanks camo. What's the project you are working? Just curious... maybe we can help each other out ... bouncing ideas.

Right now, I've got to finish taking the figures apart, then make casts and molds, and then reconstruct them to look the same and fit the scene. We'll post more when I get things started.