Kallisti Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 (edited) Now that I have the Typhoon completed, I can see I have enough time to do the build I REALLY wanted to do for this GB, a proper diorama. Here are some of the basic components to this dio: The Bailey Bridge kit is actually quite long - it contains 3 bridge spans plus two further spans on each side of the approach. All in all its about 600mmm long. That is way to big for a dio, so I'm only going to use about half the bridge, ie two bridge spans plus the two approach spans. This means the dio can fit on a 500x250 base. My idea is that a old stone bridge has been blown by the retreating German forces not long after the Landings somewhere on the roads around Bayeux, so a Bailey bridge has been erected to replace it. I have some ideas on how to make the scene interesting and will develop those ideas as things go along... inspiration usually hits when least expected during the build... This will be a good test of my landscaping abilities on a slightly larger scale than my usual bases. I want to concentrate on the flora and fauna as much as the vehicles, so will be pinching ideas from all over. It will also be my first attempt at water in a dio, which should be interesting. Don't know how long this will take, but the GB goes on until October it seems, so plenty of time now that I've got my initial entry out of the way, although my deadline will be early September as this can be my entry into my club's members competition in September, which this time around is Dioramas. I was originally thinking of doing a Thunderbird 2 dio but thats what most people would expect me to do, so Ill be deliberately contrary There is a strong chance that this build will fail, but if I don't have a go, I'll never have a chance of pulling it off!! Wish me luck! Edited August 22, 2014 by Kallisti 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 I'm in from the start on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Suds Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 Good luck, this will take you to hell and back but I'm sure you'll succeed. ✌️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 24, 2014 Author Share Posted June 24, 2014 Thanks guys... well I've been digging through the stash a bit more this evening and actually it was while reading Smudge's plan to do his father's Firefly that I realised I had one on the stash, its the Cyber-Hobby kit which comes with an extra sprie of some Paras and a French poacher/farmer... a light came on above my head and I remembered I had plenty of things left over from the Tamiya livestock set... So maybe a farmer and his pigs MAY become part of this dio... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 This looks like it should be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mottlemaster Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 D Day landscapeing . No job to large or too small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HL-10 Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 That is a very interesting diorama you want to make. I will be watching this one. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 (edited) Work has begin on the bridge and its one of those times when you are cutting and trimming LOTS of pieces to assemble panels... This is one of the side bracing panels - the kit as a whole needs 12 of them, but since I'm only using 2 bridge sections instead of 3, I should only need 8. On top of that there are another 6 similar panels without the fastening clips, but again I'll only need 4 of them. I've got 4 of them built now in an evening and a half and that takes up almost all of the pieces on this sprue: Turns out there are 26 separate pieces in each panel, each of which requires some level of trimming to tidy up the sprue gates, so which there are many on each piece... oh boy this is going to be fun! At least I have a lot of stored episodes of Farscape and Stargate SG1 to get through... Edited June 26, 2014 by Kallisti 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 2nd Northhamptonshire Yeomanry (among others) used the Cromwell and the Sherman Firefly together (the latter were nominally replaced with Challengers in July/August). Interesting camo on that Sherman kit.....Which unit is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 Instructions only say 1st Armoured Div, Normandy 1944 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Good start on the bridge. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 Got another 4 done last night so thats enough of them, just need to do 4 more of the other type of panel and these are ready, next will be the deck... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 First bridge section 99% complete: The Bronco instructions are truly appalling - many bits that are added in the instructions earlier in the build must be in EXACTLY the right place for later bits to connect to but the location instructions are so vague! There are some sequences out of order as well as if you add these pieces as per the instructions they get in t he way of later steps! The remainign 1%? I've left off the brass handrail supports on the outer walkways - they can be added once the bridge is in place... 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smuts Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Wow,This will be impressive....... Sndy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Fiddly then? I'm looking forward to seeing this all take shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Suds Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Fiddly then? I'm looking forward to seeing this all take shape. Me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzH Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Really cool! unless I'd seen the build thread though, I wouldn't have appreciated just how much work had gone into that single section! Just out of interest, how many of these spans do you get in the kit? Great work, keep it coming... Just re-read your first post.. that'll be three spans!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 Last night saw the second bridge section completed: This is a really difficult kit to assemble - there are so many ALMOST identical pieces that aren't quite identical and have to be assembled in the right orientation for it all to work. Its hard to get spacing right as well as there is little in the way of guides and the instructions are really poor! Most of the pieces have numerous sprue gates that need careful attention, and when you have so many pieces that gets rather tiresome. Each section is built up from about 150 pieces... The next pieces are the support pillars that hold the bridge in place at either end. I'm going to have to be clever with my supports as I'll only be attaching one end to the base so I'll probably have to try to brace it invisibly to provide strength and support. I'll deal with that when I start on the base itself. I'm not sure how well this will work for painting - maybe I shouldn't have assembled it this far without paint... well we shall just have to see... There will be a break now until next weekend as the girlfriend is coming to visit for a week so I doubt I'll be getting much progress on this. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mottlemaster Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Cant you put your girlfriend off untill 6th October ....i'm sure she would understand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Suds Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 The next pieces are the support pillars that hold the bridge in place at either end. I'm going to have to be clever with my supports as I'll only be attaching one end to the base so I'll probably have to try to brace it invisibly to provide strength and support. I'll deal with that when I start on the base itself. I believe the term is ' I'll cross that bridge when I come to it' ☺️☺️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 Damn, I missed that one haha No I am NOT putting the GF off until October!! The cheek of some people! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 That is one piece of impressive construction. I hope you get away with the painting, I think you will - just. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Having spent an enjoyable week with my lovely visitor last week, I'm back to the building table this week. For a change, I decided to have a go a building another component of the diorama, basically this: which is the Tamiya BSA M20 and the courier riding it. Built out of the box, its a lovely little kit with no problems with fit although the mould is probably getting old as there were a lot of seam lines that needed cleaning up. Wasn't sure how well the wheel spokes would look once painted but I reckon that they are acceptable. They are out of scale, much too thick, but I don't think it is that much of a problem as this isn't the centrepiece of the diorama. The engine looks nice and I drilled out the end of the exhaust pipe. Its received a black and brown oil wash but doesn't have any weathering apart from that just yet. The rider fits together well and is quite easy to paint. I used a piece of 1mm wide masking tape painted khaki for the goggle strap, and I used oils to paint his face. Still need to apply the few decals there are to the bike. The figure comes with a sten gun strapped to his back which I've yet to add. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Suds Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Glad you had a good break. Good to see the projects now back on too, lol. MC and figure looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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