German Street

[Ratch]

These have been tempting me from my stash for too long, and here I'll try to demonstrate the techniques I use to build MiniArt's 1/35 German Street (36037) and hopefully incorporate their Metal Fence (35549).

MiniArt kits are manufactured in the Ukraine and offer a useful base for diorama modellers and those wishing to venture into the art of building dioramas. The smaller parts and fittings are injection moulded, whereas the bulk building parts are vac-formed in quite thick plastic. This may seem daunting to those used to working with injection moulded parts, but really should not cause trepidation. To remove the backing plastic from the moulded sheet use a bradawl, Olfa P-Cutter or a knife to score around the edge of the moulding.

Do not try to cut right through the plastic, therein lies catastrophe; simply run around the edges.

The blade may separate the plastic, or the waste can be removed by bending the sheet away from the moulding, causing the score to break.

As always, this should be done with care and not in a reckless fashion. I find it best to use all these tools and methods. Some work better than others depending upon the situation, so it’s well worth experimenting to find the methods that work for you.

A nail file or sanding stick can be used to tidy up the edges.

The walls are usually made from two pieces.

To aid their marriage, use the offcuts to make tabs.

Stick these on the inside edge of one piece, overlapping to receive the second piece. If you have tube glue from a Gift Set and wondered what to do with it, this is the task to use it on.

Run glue around the edge and on the tabs. Offer the walls to each other and use masking tape to hold them together while the glue sets.

I find it best (in most cases) to use side cutters to remove injection moulded parts from the runners. Excess plastic from the sprue gates can be cleaned up with a knife or sanded before being offered for assembly. Be sure to remove any ejector pin marks, either by filling or sanding down (or both).

I decided quite early on that I would not strictly follow the instruction sequence as published. For example, I thought it would add interest to have some windows open, but would decide which ones when it came to fitting them.

[Ozzy]

Ratch,

This looks intresting, are you going to put any armour or dismounts on the dio? I've built a few mini art kits, I do enjoy building them, you just need lots of scalpel blades and filler. Once they are finished they really do look good.

Ozzy

[Ratch]

Hi Ozzy, I intend to use it as a photographic backdrop for AFVs and suchlike

I find getting the edges of the vac-forms to meet is troublesome. I believe that this is caused by the thickness of the plastic sheet at the point where the form bends from the flat sheet. I have read of modellers who sand down this edge (though I’m not sure how, as the process has never been fully explained or demonstrated to me), but I have never been successful with my attempts at doing this. So I have tried a method that I hope will make this a better match. I pare the edge back with a scalpel, trying to ensure that only the ‘flat’ area is removed.

It may not be 100% reliable and may require a degree of skill, but I think I’m achieving better results with this method. It may be worth trying this method if (like me) you struggle with the sanding method.

I mixed a quantity of Sylmasta Modelling Putty with the intention of filling the gaps left exposed, but I did not get the result I desired. However, a dry fit of window frames demonstrated that the gaps at these points (which are the most noticeable) are nicely hidden with the frames in situ.

The basic structures were cemented to the base sheet using various props and wedges to keep the pieces in position as best I could while the glue set. I then set about painting, roughly airbrushing dark grey over the setts and pavements, and a tan for the mortar between the brick and stonework.

I then mixed up Vallejo Model Color 139 70846 Mahogany Brown, 140 70984 Flat Brown, 28 70909 Vermillion, Andrea Color 1st Shadow & 2nd Shadow and used a dry brush over the bricks. This was followed using the same method with Andrea Color 2nd Base & Vallejo Model Color 143 70983 Flat Earth on the stonework.

[Ratch]

I decided to lighten the stonework using 114 70879 Green Brown then 117 70923 Japan Uniform WWII to pick out individual stones. For the internal plasterwork I chose pale colours (with one exception) from my pallet.

Similarly, the exterior was painted to represent basic plasterwork.

I then used the Marmite method (dabbed on with a tissue) to represent chipped and flaky paintwork.

I sprayed the painted plaster colour without masking.

I wiped over the entire model with a damp towel to remove the Marmite and expose the damaged areas.

[Ratch]

I painted in the exposed edges of the damaged plaster, then primed the injection moulded parts with Vallejo Acrylic 74601 Grey Polyurethane Surface Primer, air-brushed on. I masked and sprayed the lighter plaster on the Konrad building, again using the Marmite method to represent flaky paintwork.

I painted in around the windows and stonework at the foot of the buildings and then the lettering on the front of each establishment.

I repainted the brick and stonework and used Mig Pigments P026 Concrete, P028 Europe Dust, P029 Brick Dust and P039 Industrial City Dirt to blend exposed edges and mortar.

Then mixed Mig Pigments P033 Dark Mud and P232 Dry Mud for the gaps between the setts and paving slabs.

I painted the woodwork and roof tiles.

I took a Tamiya Cromwell tank, built back in 2009, dusted it off and air-brushed Humbrol AV207 Sand and AV208 Dust Enamel Washes over the lower areas and then stipple brushed dry Mig Pigments P231 Gun Metal over the tracks to bring out the cleats.

Here the door and window frames are loose fitted.

[JOCKNEY]

Hi Ratch

The result is superb, thanks for the guidance on how to do one of these. I am also impressed at the paint collection, I'm only used to using about half a dozen on any one build !

Cheers Pat

[SaintsPhil]

Nice tutorial, I built the slightly smaller European barn dio as a base for my Tamiya Cromwell, despite being my first attempt at a vac form I found it nice to work with. I also used the off cuts to make the tabs as you suggested and after discovering the fit around doorways and windows were a touch iffy I used longer strips there to give a backing for filler later.

Edited March 24, 2015 by SaintsPhil

[Ratch]

JOCKNEY, on 24 Mar 2015 - 07:01 AM, said:

Hi Ratch

The result is superb, thanks for the guidance on how to do one of these. I am also impressed at the paint collection, I'm only used to using about half a dozen on any one build !

Cheers Pat

Cheers Pat, I'll post a full list when its complete

SaintsPhil, on 24 Mar 2015 - 07:30 AM, said:

Nice tutorial, I built the slightly smaller European barn dio as a base for my Tamiya Cromwell, despite being my first attempt at a vac form I found it nice to work with. I also used the off cuts to make the tabs as you suggested and after discovering the fit around doorways and windows were a touch iffy I used longer strips there to give a backing for filler later.

Thanks Phil, I used longer strips later in the build. I also considered very thin plastic card as a schim on the outside (to save filling) but haven't tried it

[SaintsPhil]

Thanks Phil, I used longer strips later in the build. I also considered very thin plastic card as a schim on the outside (to save filling) but haven't tried it

Not so much of an issue as the frames cover the gaps anyway I guess!!

Are you going to add broken glass to windows? Any rubble or is it just an OOB build?

[Ratch]

I will be adding broken glass. There's not much space behind to add rubble, though there is some moulded rubble behind the middle section. I'm just doing some wallpapering

[SaintsPhil]

I will be adding broken glass. There's not much space behind to add rubble, though there is some moulded rubble behind the middle section. I'm just doing some wallpapering

I hope it's the paste the wall type....

[robw_uk]

nice work... am tempted to build a base for my pending M5A1, may go with a street scene (FoG do some nice ones for example) or may be a country lane

[Ratch]

Thanks for your interest guys

I oil washed the buildings using vertical strokes to represent rainfall, and then added posters, house numbers and the street sign.

I then set about wallpapering the first floor of the stone building. I had printed off some patterns and cut a sheet to fit the room. The windows were marked from the outside and cut diagonally.

PVA was spread over the areas where the plaster remained and the paper put on this, brushed down and allowed to dry.

This surface would have been exposed to the elements, and I wished to depict damage in the form of rips and tears where broken plaster exposed the stonework. To this end I gave the wallpaper a liberal oil wash, especially in the areas to be removed. Pieces were then torn off for a ragged appearance, and scraps were stuck to the floor.

Two nice lanterns are provided and there are a number of extra parts on the runners that are not required in the instructions.

With the guttering, I cut two pieces to block the ends off.

The lanterns, windows and doors were airbrushed before fixing them into their locations.

[JOCKNEY]

Hi Ratch

Nice wallpaper ol mate, I think you missed your vocation as a painter and decorator !

Cheers Pat

[Ratch]

Cheers Pat

[Ratch]

I added some vegetation at the foot of each building and at the edges of the eaves. For this I used railway scatter materials and natural detritus collected in the countryside. Nothing quite matches nature like nature does. When out walking, it is worth looking about to see what modelling materials can be used. Small plants, fern, moss, lichen and suchlike can be dried and used for ground cover and plant-life. Even dried tea leaves make good ground cover and look natural.

As mentioned previously, there are lots of spares on the injection moulded runners. I clip these from the sprue gates and save them in plastic containers - you never know when something that was useless for one model will come in handy for another. Among the spares were these two lamp posts - just a pity there weren't two more lanterns to fit on them.

Glazing can be done in a couple of ways. A well maintained building will not have broken windows whereas a bombed/shelled out building may be lucky to have any glass left. The simple way to simulate glass is with plastic sheet or acetate, but for broken panes and the scattered pieces nothing looks better than broken glass, in the form of microscope slides.

Place the slide in a piece of paper or kitchen towel (folded around the slide), and break the glass with pliers.

Straight edges can be stuck into window frames; broken pieces can be scattered around.

PVA wood glue is good for fixing both acetate and glass as it dries clear and will not fog the plastic. However, if you want to fix glass from the slides into the frames it is best to use cyanoacrylate as it will fix quicker than PVA.

All other broken glass - even the tiniest pieces - are scattered in the buildings.

And with that I'll call it complete.




Of course, you can go further. Add furniture to the interiors for example.

[Ratch]

As promised, here are the paints I used...

Vallejo Model Air 71055 Grey Green = ground base

Vallejo Model Air 71074 Radome Tan = mortar

Vallejo Model Color 139 70846 Mahogany Brown / 140 70984 Flat Brown / 28 70909 Vermillion / Andrea Color 1^st Shadow / 2^nd Shadow = bricks

Andrea Color 2^nd Base / Vallejo Model Color 143 70983 Flat Earth / 114 70879 Green Brown / 117 70923 Japan Uniform WWII = stonework

Vallejo Model Color 108 70973 Light Sea Grey = pavement slabs

Vallejo Model Color 165 70866 Grey Green / 166 70994 Dark Grey = granite setts

Vallejo Model Color 7 70837 Pale Sand = internal walls

Vallejo Model Color 30 70908 Carmine Red = internal walls

Vallejo Model Color 103 70821 German Camouflage Beige = internal walls

Vallejo Model Color 106 70971 Green Grey = internal walls

Vallejo Model Color 109 70885 Pastel Green = internal walls

Vallejo Model Color 120 70976 Buff = internal walls

Vallejo Model Color 121 70913 Yellow Ochre = internal walls

Vallejo Model Color 153 70907 Pale Greyblue = internal walls

Vallejo Model Color 36 70804 Beige Red = external plaster undercoat

Vallejo Model Color 20 70845 Sunny Skintone = external plaster undercoat

Vallejo Model Color 158 70870 Medium Sea Grey = external plaster undercoat

Vallejo Model Air 71026 US Flat Brown = external plaster paintwork

Vallejo Model Air 71033 Ochre = external plaster paintwork

Vallejo Model Air 71039 Hull Red = external plaster paintwork

Vallejo Model Air 71083 Orange = external plaster paintwork

Vallejo Model Air 71048 Dark Sea Grey = external plaster paintwork

Vallejo Model Air 71045 US Grey Light = plaster panels

Vallejo Model Color 104 70884 Stone Grey = window sills

Humbrol Acrylic 174 Matt Signal Red = KONRAD lettering

Humbrol Acrylic 30 Matt Dark Green = APO-EKE lettering

Humbrol Acrylic 21 Gloss Black = Casthof Kaiser lettering

Vallejo Model Color 143 70983 Flat Earth = ground

Vallejo Model Color 165 70866 Grey Green = between the floorboards

Vallejo Model Color 140 70984 Flat Brown / 148 70941 Burnt Umber = woodwork

Vallejo Model Color 130 70829 Amarantha Red / 131 70981 Orange Brown = roof tiles

Revell Aqua 36 382 Silk Wood Brown / Vallejo Model Color 182 70828 Woodgrain (Transp) = door

Vallejo Model Air 71044 Light Grey Green = window frames

Humbrol Acrylic 20 Gloss Crimson = guttering, down pipe, door

Vallejo Model Air 71057 Black = doors, windows, lanterns

Vallejo Model Air 71001 White = windows

Humbrol Acrylic 11 Metallic Silver Fox = window latches, door handles

Humbrol Acrylic 12 Metallic Copper = window latches, door handles

Humbrol Acrylic 16 Metallic Gold = window latches, door handles

I always list them, then if/when something needs touching up I don't have to guess.

[pte1643]

Like that a lot.

[Ozzy]

Ratch,

The detail looks fantastic. I never thought of wall paper, I like the broken glass.

Ozzy

[SaintsPhil]

Looks very good, good idea on the glass slides, might have to look for some on ebay..

Another good shout using tea leaves as scatter, I did that around the base of my barn dio, you can mix it directly with paint and PVA and apply, I also used some uncoloured bits to add contrast.

Edited March 25, 2015 by SaintsPhil

[Ratch]

Thanks very much guys, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did

[J.P.]

Looking good, but on the tiny screen of my phone the detail is not that clear. I'll have to check it out once I can get to a PC with a proper screen.

[AndyC]

That's brilliant and thanks for the tips - will bookmark that

[Ratch]

Cheers guys