Slackbladder

Hi Phil, if you are still looking for figures rather than Google have a look at Scalemates. https://www.scalemates.com/ You can search the entire database to find what you're looking for. For instance https://www.scalemates.com/kits/italeri-6579-crusader-ii--1316750 and https://www.scalemates.com/kits/miniart-35299-soldiers-tank-riders--1189561

Minor update with the addition of the condenser pipe, having found some suitable copper wire. And some further work on the base.

That is indeed where the inspiration for this build comes from Malpaso. Unfortunately no-one makes a Ford Model T Roadster in 1/35 so I will either use some "artistic licence" and just have to use one of the Roadster Pick-ups from the ICM kit as is, or try and convert it somehow to look more like a Roadster. Luckily I have two, so one to experiment on and if that fails back to plan A.

The first Model T (Bagnold's) is well under way. Some of the chaps' luggage. A few of the large number of fuel cans required. Now attached quite basically with a piece of wood between the handles. The fuel was siphoned into the tank so that they didn't have to keep removing the cans. Bagnold's sun compass. Slight scale difference in the figure helmets in the ICM ANZAC figures kit and the resin heads with tropical helmets attached that I ordered. We will overcome this hopefully. That's all for now, more to follow.

Started on the base. Only a base coat of some old house paint and sand followed by a mix of plaster, PVA, water and pigment so far.

Hello again all. Been a while since I've posted anything but I have now finally started a new project. We're going back to the Western Desert in the Autumn of 1927. Ralph Bagnold and a selection of his fellow officers have been adventuring in the Middle East in motor cars over the last year or so. This diorama will eventually depict an overnight stop on their most ambitious adventure to date, an 800 mile round trip across the Western Desert from Cairo to Siwa Oasis. If successful it would be the first time the journey had been completed by motor car. With no water, food or fuel to be found along the way they would have to carry all their supplies with them. The trip would be undertaken by the six officers in three of their privately owned Ford Model Ts (two tourers and a roadster). At this time the cars were largely unmodified with none of the engine covers or wheel/mudguards removed as was later the case when they upgraded to Model As. They did however re-introduce the makeshift external condenser tank attached to the radiator cap that had been used by the Light Car Patrols towards the end of the First World War. Bagnold also introduced his first sun compass on the trip, which would later be used so effectively by the Long Range Desert Group and SAS during the North Africa campaign of the Second World War. As you can see from the above there's not much to work with on the scenery. Some progress images to follow.

Maybe have a look at some of the WW1 ANZAC figures, of which a few come with shorts/short sleeved shirts or tunics and then some alternate heads to get more British looking headgear. I use Scalemates as it has a pretty good search function as a starting point, have a look here.

Can't help with Airfix/Humbrol/Revell paints, but having done a fair bit of figure painting if you wanted to broaden your paint palette a bit I use Games Workshop paints for my figures. Being water based they are easy to thin out with a bit of water so as not to be gloopy and cover up fine detail (especially on 1/72, 1/76). I still have Bronzed Flesh from years ago which I think in their new colours would translate to Kislev Flesh or Flayed One Flesh and then use a flesh or brown wash which migrates to the edges of clothing or into the detail lines of facial features etc. Base colour and wash would only set you back about £10 and I've had mine for 20+ years. Previous results can be seen here in 1/35th.

From the Gov.uk website, as I couldn't remember from my policing days, and it's probably changed a bit anyway, but... It’s illegal to use any knife or weapon in a threatening way. It’s also illegal to: carry most knives or any weapons in public without a ‘good reason’ sell most knives or any weapons to anyone under the age of 18 Good reasons for carrying a knife or weapon in public: If the knife or weapon is not banned, some examples of ‘good reasons’ include using it: for your work for religious reasons, such as the kirpan some Sikhs carry as part of any national costume A court will decide if you’ve got a good reason to carry a knife or a weapon if you’re charged with carrying it illegally. If you want advice on what counts as a ‘good reason’, contact your local police or get legal advice. Banned Weapons it’s illegal to: possess it bring it into the UK sell or hire it out lend or give it to someone There are some legal exemptions. For example, knives and weapons which are over 100 years old are exempt, except for flick knives. Sword A curved blade of 50 centimetres or over, based on the straight-line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade. You should contact your local police to check if a knife or weapon is illegal. Similar to the law on drugs, if you are carrying it to take it into a Police station to either verify if it is illegal or not and hand it in if it is, then I would say that is a 'good reason' for carrying it, but I would be sure to have it in a holdall or similar so that it is not able for a member of the public to discern what it is and think you are a sword wielding maniac before you get there. As for getting it appraised I would think they could do this via photographs in order to avoid you having to transport it. If you think it is banned as per the description above and are not comfortable taking it in to a Police station then call your local station and arrange for an officer to come and collect it for destruction. Hope that helps.

Thanks Clio, I also have some Bretonnians that came with the game box when I bought it many moons ago. They're all painted up in a shoe box somewhere.

I would say, having looked at some images, that you can build the level of the land up around the sides and rear of the bunker and with some dunes, long grass, etc. come above the height of the bunker so as to make it not the highest point of the diorama it may bring the attention away from its size. Once you add more to look at than just the bunker and paint and weather it into the background it should have less of an impact. I guess to be imposing was part of the design as well anyway.

Couple of final work in progress.... and finished the Hag Queen, and now after 27 years I think my army is finally complete!!!

Thanks Arnold, we had a visit to an ancient technology centre with his school and the original intention was to weave some of the finer twigs you can see in one of the first images to make the walls, but they were too brittle which is why we went with the wool in the end.

Looks like a runner to me, some tall Fred Flintstone type, removed the doors and front seat so he could fit and doesn't need wheels or a floor panel as he'll use his feet. Just need a bird's nest in the engine bay. Lovely job.

My brother and I went to a midnight memorial at Tarrant Rushton, an airfield used among others by SOE during the war, for the 70th anniversary. It was also the airfield that the first gliders for the attack on Pegasus Bridge departed from. After a short service we actually met the wife of one of the glider pilots that night. Whether or not we were supposed to we spent the next two or three hours walking around the abandoned airfield until dawn with another chap just wondering what it must have been like for them all those years ago.