KOREAN WAR PROJECTS -- WIP

[Cadman]

Now that I've got my Winter Korean War diorama finished, I've been considering the next one, (and the one after that).

I want to do a MASH type project, as well as a non-winter scene -- lets call that one the "Summer" Korean War diorama just for convenience

For the MASH project, I had to contact the manufacturer in Japan direct so I could get my hands on the Star of the Show. Surprisingly enough, (to me anyway), that process went real smooth and I assembled and painted her some months ago;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The MASH project might be modular with two bases butted together. I'm still making my mind up about that one. So today it was time to start seriously thinking about the entire concept for the first base.

The initial setup immediately brought it home that I really need one or two additional civilian figures; so they were ordered this afternoon, along with a few other things.

 

 

I wondered about detailing the interior of the main tent, but it's simply not worth it as once you go about ten millimeters into the entrance it's far too dark to see anything anyway. I'll probably put a bug-screen in front of the entrance and that'll solve that one, as well as being an entirely valid addition to the main tent.

 

 

The smaller tent is going to be the Nurse's quarters and I'm intending to scratch-build a few internal details for it. 

 

 

I like this concept, and you can already see the story developing, but it's just a little too crowded, so I'll probably use a second base right enough and move the Nurses tent over onto it. I reckon this'll still leave room for what's going onto the second base -- and that'll also provide an opportunity to locate additional vehicles, plus a few military figures to balance out the amount of civvies on this first base.

The ambulance is a 1/32 scale FoV example; a bit overscale for the figures, but good enough for me. Of course, it needs a bit of work to transform it from the presently pristine condition to a hard worked vehicle. 

 

I do need to find the door for the Thunderbox, or scratchbuild a new one. Then need to decide whether I'll leave the door open and do some internal detail --- nope not that kind of detail -- a torn newspaper holder and some, err, posters.

There's a second Cludgie going a suitable distance away from the Nurses quarters. The door to it shall, of course, be closed.....

 

 

So, a good exercise today I think, and it's definitely given me some direction as to the scene I want to do. Naturally, like all my dioramas tend to be, there'll be a few individual vignettes included as well.

I ought to get the basic first base done by Sunday night and then leave it until the orders I placed today turn up. But that'll give me a chance to start thinking about the "Summer" dio early next week.

 

Cheers

H

 

 

Edited June 16, 2017 by Cadman
sppelin'

[Badder]

The nurse is stunning... not quite Hotlips, but I bet she's saved more lives and limbs!

The material you've used for the tents is .... very familiar looking, but I can't quite place it. Put me out of my misery. What is it?

I think you have the beginnings of an excellent diorama there and I will follow with interest.

My only suggestion so far would be to ditch the 1/32nd ambulance and get a 1/35th one! 

 

Rearguards

Badder

[Cadman]

Double post....

 

 

Edited June 16, 2017 by Cadman

[Cadman]

3 hours ago, Cadman said:

I hunted high and low, but all I can find are German or Soviet ambulances. So the 1/32 example will remain until such time as I manage to get my hands on a more suitable example. The difference is miniscule anyway and I do wonder who would've spotted the discrepancy if I hadn't mentioned it.

The wife tells all her girlfriends that I've got a magic wand -- but  to my acute embarrassment whenever they turn up at our place -- she exaggerates.....ever so slightly I might add .... .... just to make them jealous. So I can't just wave one around and magically make a 1/35 ambulance appear out of my hat.

It's like everything else, you can only work with what you've got -- in both cases.

I don't do museum quality dioramas correct down to the last detail; but rather scenario's designed to make the viewer see a story. The model that's going to be featured on the second base, while it did exist, will be another fantasy piece as far as the decals go, but it'll fit in fine with the overall concept and theme.

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2017 by Cadman

[Badder]

I could be completely wrong, but it might be worth having a look at those tracked Armoured Personnel Carriers the Americans used at the end of the 2nd world war as I think they used them as ambulances, and would have done in Korea as well. You know the ones... basically a box with a sloping front (not the half-tracks)

 

Rearguards,

Badder

.

[Cadman]

Work issues reared it's ugly head today, so I didn't get all that much done.

The bell tents got a lick of paint, although I'm undecided whether I'll use them both;

 

And I got a bit more done on the figures.

 

So opportunity arising, I'll make a start on the groundwork of the first base tomorrow.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Cadman

[Cadman]

Because I use wooden boards for my diorama bases, they need to be sealed with varnish before the groundwork goes on otherwise they'll just warp.

Ask me how I know?....

So a couple of coats were slapped on both bases this morning and stuck out in the patio to dry -- mainly cos the varnish stinks to high heaven. Mind you, this stuff the wife got for me last week is far better than the last varnish she brought home. Not important for sealing purposes of course where I don't care about the finish, but it does strike me that this would be good for finishing off the edges of my dioramas in future. Three or four light coats put on carefully with a soft smooth brush and it would lend an air of sophistication to the edges, rather than just some cheap tube acrylic black.

Anyway, I finally decided to use two equally sized boards and orient the MASH tent through 90 degrees as this provides a better opportunity to have something going on at the front of the diorama. It also gives me better options with the second base.

 

So that's the initial layer of celluclay onto the first base and, given the heat up in my hobby room, it'll dry out overnight. I'll then get the second base done tomorrow and try to match up the edges. They'll never look perfect, but I should be able to match them up so's they look good enough.

 

And I know it doesn't look obvious, but I did get a bit more done on the figures as well. 

 

The idea is that this is going to be a combined British/American MASH Unit. Now I'm not all that sure how, or if, that'll work, but will get a better idea whether  it will or won't when the figures presently on order turn up -- hopefully just after next week.

Oh, and I started weathering the ambulance -- but forgot to take a photo....

 

TO BE CONTINUED

Edited June 17, 2017 by Cadman

[Cadman]

Starting to see some actual progress on this project now. That's the static grass on both bases -- always good to get some color onto them, although they're nothing like finished of course.

 

This was the Piper Cub Medevac Plane yesterday;

 

And here's how it looks tonight. I only carried out some very basic weathering on it today; fading, stains etc. Didn't want to do too much more for now because the decals are soaking in Microsol and I'll see how they look in the morning.

 

So apart from a bit more staining and slight chipping on the engine nacelle and the access panels tomorrow, that's about that. 

 

I'll start defining the roads, well, dirt  tracks really, tomorrow afternoon, plus a path here and there and likely build the sandbagged wall up a bit. After that, it'll be back to the figures. It'll be good to get at least some of them onto those two diorama bases while I'm waiting for other stuff to pop through the letterbox.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

 

Edited June 22, 2017 by Cadman

[Gorby]

Excellent, another Cadman dio. And even better, a MASH dio. That was one of my favourite comedy prog's when I was but a nipper. 

[Cadman]

Got a bit more done on the groundwork so it all looks a bit less like a well tended city park....

 

....the white blobs are some wooden crates that were still waiting to be painted when I took the photos; and that's not going to be the final locations of the trees -- they're not quite finished yet anyway.

 

The kit decals for the Piper Cub are incorrect for the Korean War of course, so they'll be changed once the hobby order with the replacement decal sheet, (among other things), turns up. 

 

And a diorama doesn't really start to come to life until you get some figures onto it, so these will be finished over the next week or so, plus there's still a Jeep or three to be built. 

Still though, it's coming along fine.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

[Badder]

Really rapid progress, yet still resulting in fantastic work.  Great stuff. Love it.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

[Cadman]

It was coming on dark o'clock, so I had to use the camera flash resulting in my WIP photos being just as dire as usual, but you get the general idea where I'm going with this diorama.

 

Still have to complete the tree roots -- they're just planted in with 2-part epoxy at the moment.

 

The home-made tarps came out okay though.

If I can squeeze them in, the coffins will go down on the deck -- the paint on them was still drying when I shot these snaps and I didn't want the guy-ropes to screw them up.

 

Still a bit more to do here and there on the first batch of figures, but that'll be tomorrow.

Also need to scruff up that Ambulance a bit more.

 

Just roll on the Postie turning up....

 

....because he's delivering two more large accessories to go onto the diorama bases....the details that are going inside the Nurses tent....three vehicles, and....

 

....at least fourteen more figures.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

[Cadman]

What with shutting down my photobucket account and a series of other distractions, I'm amazed I actually got anything done on this today; that's the door onto the Cludgie and the small generator assembled -- both still to be painted. The roots of the trees are blended into the bases and a few more figures added.

Still waiting for Postman Pat to turn up though. So that'll give me a chance to repost at least some of the photos in various threads that are now "Lost In (cyber) Space".

 

 

 

 

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED

[Badder]

Great stuff. Shame about the loss of pics. Where did you source the trees? They're pretty good if they are kit ones, and amazing if you made them from scratch!

Also, I don't think you answered my question as to the fabric you used for the tent. I REALLY like it and I want some!

 

Rearguards

Badder

[Cadman]

After that somewhat unexpected and certainly aggravating stunt Photobucket pulled on me the other day, I'm trying something else.

Hope these photos are visible.

 

So, after a weekend spent mostly watching series 1 thru 5 of "The Wonder Years"........I got back to this wee project first thing this morning.

Most of the figures were removed for a bit of paint improvement and some new figures assembled.

 

 

The air raid shelter/messhall/radioroom and 2nd thunderbox got built and the first coat of paint applied to both.

 

And the early warning watchtower built and first coat of paint slapped on.

 

The Nurses, umm, "restroom" was repainted and so was their Gen Set.

 

Still an awful lot of detail stuff to do, including a bit of weathering to the additional items and build the fuel dump, but that'll all get attended to in due course.

 

Okay, time to pop a cold one and enjoy S06 of TWY.

TO BE CONTINUED

Edited July 2, 2017 by Cadman
Spelling

[Cadman]

On 7/1/2017 at 8:08 AM, Badder said:

Great stuff. Shame about the loss of pics. Where did you source the trees? They're pretty good if they are kit ones, and amazing if you made them from scratch!

Also, I don't think you answered my question as to the fabric you used for the tent. I REALLY like it and I want some!

 

Rearguards

Badder

 

The Missus got me a bunch of tree kits and and the tents from some Chinese website a few years ago. Can't help any more than that I'm afraid as they just kind of got delivered out of the blue, and she won't remember what the website was. I've no idea what the website was either -- can't read Chinese writing/characters anyway.

Edited July 2, 2017 by Cadman
added a comment

[Cadman]

Most of today was spent working on the figures. They're nowhere near finished, but I'm getting there. Have been playing around with where they'll be located, a process made easier with the pins that are glued into most of the figures boots and up into their legs.

Also did a bit more on the air raid shelter/mess hall/radio room and the early warning watchtower.

As well as finishing the figures, I still need to add details inside the air raid shelter/mess hall/radio room and the nurses quarters, plus sort out the fuel dump.

The entire project seems to be shaping up now though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED

[Vince1159]

I can't see the pics Cadman,about an inch is visable on the first shot and the links don't load...

[Cadman]

15 minutes ago, Vince1159 said:

I can't see the pics Cadman,about an inch is visable on the first shot and the links don't load...

 

That's really weird. I'm using Smugmug now and it works fine on a different forum.

Can you see this one?

 

Or can you see this one which I'm posting using a different procedure?

 

Edited July 4, 2017 by Cadman

[Black Knight]

I can see all your photos you posted from Friday to now

[Cadman]

4 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

I can see all your photos you posted from Friday to now

 

Okay -- that's good to know, and thanks.

Can you see either of the identical photos I posted around twenty minutes ago Vince?

[Vince1159]

I've got them now,love the one with the watchtower,weird all i had before was links and earlier this morning was the same....

Edited July 4, 2017 by Vince1159

[Cadman]

1 minute ago, Vince1159 said:

I've got them know,love the one with the watchtower,weird all i had before was links and earlier this morning was the same....

 

Hmm, I was previously only using the "trial" version of Smugmug, but paid the subscription fees earlier this evening. Wonder if that had anything to do with it? Oh well, doesn't matter now.

Got zip hobby stuff done today; too busy with other things, but should get some more done on it tomorrow.

 

[Major_Error]

 Both are fine @Cadman!

 

8

 

[Black Knight]

Which picture code are you using on smugmug?

BBc code works, the other two don't - I 've found