WW1 diorama

[billybookcase]

After visiting France last year I decided to do a sort of trenches diorama.

For some strange reason I decided to scratch build a female tank, I don't claim it to be very accurate, but it is loosely based on

a combination of the female tank at Bovington, the Airfix 1/76 and blueprints from the internet.

DSC_5454 by billybookcase, on Flickr

DSC_5458 by billybookcase, on Flickr

I'm not bothering with the rear steering wheels as they weren't used for long and my tank was in service the day after that

Next stage is to build the ICM British Infantry to go alongside it.

Then to build the trench.

Don't hold your breath .

BB

[ozz]

i love scratch built stuff, and this looks great so far! would like to have a go at someting like this. Are you going for camo or just green? also how did you make the tracks???

[Murdo]

Very nice, very nice indeed. I'll be watching this one with great interest.

[stevej60]

Great subject,will watch with interest.

[billybookcase]

Thank you, it's good to get some encouragement.

Ozz, I'm doing it in camo, but there will be LOTS of mud on it so it will probably be brown with a bit of camo underneath.

The copper coloured track was kindly donated by one of the lads on here, it was a sort of copper strip which just needed a trim to make it the right width.

Then I taped 2 pieces of circle section styrene to the desk the right distance apart for an individual plate and pressed the copper over them to get the raised section.

Then when all had been done, turned it over and pressed with a sharp point to give the impression of the 8 rivets on each plate.

The silver coloured one was just strips cut from tin foil cartons and done in the same way then glued in place, the copper one was a continuous strip.

BB

[billybookcase]

AN UPDATE

This.......

DSC_5532 by billybookcase, on Flickr

Has become this............

DSC_6063 by billybookcase, on Flickr

Home made barbed wire from alternator copper wire, sandbags from polystyrene, wooden walls and walkways from skewers and coffee stirrers.

And the tank now looks like this........

DSC_6065 by billybookcase, on Flickr

Some more painting work still to do on the tank and dio, and some more painting and finishing of the soldiers, here is one that I will be using...

DSC_6066 by billybookcase, on Flickr

I've "amended" some of the soldiers to make it look like they are having trouble getting through the mud.

They are ICM WW1 British Infantry.

More to come soonish.

Thanks for looking.

BB

[thomastmcc]

thats wicked mate....

thomas

[Murdo]

[ozz]

looking good! love the polystyrene sand bags and the trench damage.

[Hamden]

Looks the part so far, I'll be watching this one with interest

Roger

[foxy]

But wheres the whiskars .

Nice job mate

Cheers foxy

[billybookcase]

Update.

I'm calling this finished, keep seeing problems with the men on photographs but looking at it with my eyes it looks OK.

It's not perfect but it was a good learning experience.

Bugger, just seen a man with an invisible gun, it's now in place can't be bothered doing the photos again, just imagine it.

BB

[Mr Grumpylee]

Very nice...and the man with the invisible gun, he could...be...a...reenactor...watching a...rehearsal but...has put his gun to...one...side...maybe??? 😣😕...

[billybookcase]

Very nice...and the man with the invisible gun, he could...be...a...reenactor...watching a...rehearsal but...has put his gun to...one...side...maybe??? ...

"Bangedy bangedy bang"?

(It's an old joke, I may post it sometime) .

BB