"Road to Berlin" - 1/48 Tamiya IS-2 - update 07/08/16

[PlaStix]

Having had some problems uploading photos yesterday, I wasn't able to get this thread for my first vignette build started. My plan for this one is to basically use these:

I built the IS-2 over in the Great Patriotic War GB and the WIP can be found here.

My intention is to have a small scene with the tank out on a country road on it's way to Berlin - the base will possibly look something like this:

The figures will either be on or around the tank - I haven't yet decided.

This is the frame:

I've got several of these and will be using at least two for this GB.

.........and with the tank roughly in place on the frame:

I'm currently building a 1/72 IS-2 also over in the GPW GB (in the same thread) and that will take up most of my time next weekend but I am hoping to get something done on this project too.

Comments and suggestions welcome

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited August 7, 2016 by PlaStix

[wimbledon99]

Looking forward to taking away a lot of tips here Stix

[vppelt68]

I really like your drawing too - though it shouldn´t come as a surprise that many a great model builder also has drawing talents . V-P

[GREG DESTEC]

Hi Stix,

Looks like a good plan! I am looking forward to seeing how you tackle the groundwork etc, especially as the tank will gobble up most of the space on the base. Kind regards Greg

[John_W]

Wow. No stopping you is there?

[PlaStix]

Looking forward to taking away a lot of tips here Stix

You a very kind Nigel.

I really like your drawing too - though it shouldn´t come as a surprise that many a great model builder also has drawing talents . V-P

Thank you V-P. I don't sketch or draw very often these days but I quite enjoy it when I do.

Hi Stix,

Looks like a good plan! I am looking forward to seeing how you tackle the groundwork etc, especially as the tank will gobble up most of the space on the base. Kind regards Greg

Thank you Greg. Yes the scene might be a bit squeezed in by the IS-2 but we'll see.

Wow. No stopping you is there?

Nope - I enjoy this hobby too much to stop! (Well so far anyway!!)

Kind regards,

Stix

[Dads203]

Very nice build fella, I'll be keeping an

eye on the diorama

Dan

[Mottlemaster]

I like the way you have set out your plan . can i suggest that you consider cut up lolly sticks for your fence . Nothing like using wood for something that looks like its made of wood

Alistair

[PlaStix]

Very nice build fella, I'll be keeping aneye on the diorama :)Dan

Thank you Dan. Hope it doesn't disappoint.

I like the way you have set out your plan . can i suggest that you consider cut up lolly sticks for your fence . Nothing like using wood for something that looks like its made of wood

Alistair

Hi Alistair. Thank you and that sounds like a great idea about the wooden fencing. I think I've got some of those wooden tea/coffee stirrers somewhere. I'll have a check at the weekend. Thank you for the suggestion.

Kind regards,

Stix

[stevej60]

Looks a great project in the making Stix.

[giemme]

My jaw dropped seeing your sketch drawing, and I'm still trying to recover it! Even though tanks aren't my thing, this is going to be great! :popcorn:

Ciao

[PlaStix]

Looks a great project in the making Stix.

Hi Steve. Thank you and I'm really looking forward to spending a bit of time on a base rather than just rushing to get it done for a GB deadline (well other than this one obviously!)

My jaw dropped seeing your sketch drawing, and I'm still trying to recover it! Even though tanks aren't my thing, this is going to be great! :popcorn:

Ciao

Thank you giemme. I do enjoy drawing when I get chance - I usually like to have a reason though - like in this case. With regards tanks - you ought to have a go at one at some point - I think, with your talents - you'd turn out a real stunner. I had a go at my first tank, since returning to the hobby, for the D-Day GB when I wanted a 'target' for my 1/72 Typhoon - thoroughly enjoyed making a Panther - so much so that I built a Tiger 1 for the same dio and have now found I enjoy tank building as much as making aircraft.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edit - I have just discovered I have run out of 'likes' for the day so I will add them later! Just shows how much excellent stuff there is on BM.

Edited June 30, 2016 by PlaStix

[Carius]

WOW, will certainly be a beautiful vignette.

Cheers

[PlaStix]

WOW, will certainly be a beautiful vignette.

Cheers

Thank you very much Carius - although I just hope I can make the actual thing look like the sketch above!

As well as carrying on with the work on my 1/72 IS-2 over in the Great Patriotic War GB I started work on the base for this project. I began by cutting out some MDF for the base, sides and ends to match the sketch above. I used a tenon saw and a coping saw to cut out the shapes and filed and sanded them down:

I made them so that the base sits inside the sides and ends:

I have made it so the internal base parts can be removed from the frame while I'm carrying out any work on it - here it is glued together:

Then I cut up some different thicknesses of expanded polystyrene and glued them in place with PVA glue. Finally, for the weekend, I marked on where I'm going to cut away some areas so the tank tracks will sit a little lower into the surface to give some impression of weight:

Next weekend I'm hoping to get this covered with the first layer of filler.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Troy Smith]

hi Stix

the road sign, unless it was put up Soviet troops would be unlikely to have Moscow on it, but if so it would be in cyrillic, and I'm presuming the white stripes were applied in the Berlin area.

I stuck "road to berlin soviet tank" which turns up mostly city images

Found this, perhaps that could go in the corner?

HTH

T

[Cookenbacher]

Brilliant stuff Stix, all of your pre-planning is already starting to pay off.

[giemme]

Brilliant stuff Stix, all of your pre-planning is already starting to pay off.

Agreed 100%!

Ciao

[PlaStix]

hi Stix

the road sign, unless it was put up Soviet troops would be unlikely to have Moscow on it, but if so it would be in cyrillic, and I'm presuming the white stripes were applied in the Berlin area.

I stuck "road to berlin soviet tank" which turns up mostly city images

Found this, perhaps that could go in the corner?

HTH

T

Hi Troy. Thank you for the information. I'm not going for full historical accuracy but more a feel of a possible moment in time. This was the photo of a sign that got me thinking about the idea:

The original photo can be found on this page here http://histomil.com/viewtopic.php?t=3918&start=4250 - if there is a problem with this photo being here I will remove it. I thought it was an interesting idea for a sign apart from anything else. I have now got it made in Photoshop and I'll take a photo when I get chance - the lettering is done as in the photo.

Brilliant stuff Stix, all of your pre-planning is already starting to pay off.

Hi Cookie and thank you.

Agreed 100%!

Ciao

Thank you Giemme.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited July 5, 2016 by PlaStix

[Troy Smith]

brilliant pic Stix!!

If you have reproduce that in photoshop that would be great! I'd not seen one of those Moscow-Berlin images before.

BTW , ICM do a Soviet Airforce set, but as the uniforms are basically as the army they maybe of use?

There was a version of the Tamiya gaz-67 jeep that came with these figures as well.

look forward to the sign!

cheers

T

[PlaStix]

brilliant pic Stix!!

If you have reproduce that in photoshop that would be great! I'd not seen one of those Moscow-Berlin images before.

BTW , ICM do a Soviet Airforce set, but as the uniforms are basically as the army they maybe of use?

here was a version of the Tamiya gaz-67 jeep that came with these figures as well.

look forward to the sign!

cheers

T

Hi Troy and thank you.

With regards the sign:

........and although it probably not accurate to the original I have done the back as well - to make it more interesting for the scene when looked at from other angles:

And great idea about the female figure - I have ordered a set of just the figures. I will have to do some work to remove the papers and work out a way to make a flag for her to hold.

Thank you again!

I have done a bit more work on this project. First off I cut out the area of where the tracks will sit - I used a craft knife and ruler to cut the sides and ends and then carefully used a small chisel to lower the surface. My idea is that this will give the effect of the tracks sinking slightly into the surface of the dirt road:

Then I started work with the Polyfiller over the polystyrene areas:

Once the above areas had set I then did the road surface:

I still need to add some bits of filler here and there but I will try and get them done before next weekend so I can start work on the scenic aspects.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited July 11, 2016 by PlaStix

[wimbledon99]

Hi Troy and thank you.

With regards the sign:

........and although it probably not accurate to the original I have done the back as well - to make it more interesting for the scene when looked at from other angles:

And great idea about the female figure - I have ordered a set of just the figures. I will have to do some work to remove the papers and work out a way to make a flag for her to hold.

Thank you again!

I have done a bit more work on this project. First off I cut out the area of where the tracks will sit - I used a craft knife and ruler to cut the sides and ends and then carefully used a small chisel to lower the surface. My idea is that this will give the effect of the tracks sinking slightly into the surface of the dirt road:

Then I started work with the Polyfiller over the polystyrene areas:

Once the above areas had set I then did the road surface:

I still need to add some bits of filler here and there but I will try and get them done before next weekend so I can start work on the scenic aspects.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix

Hi Stix,

The sign is superb. Can I ask how you produced it - or does it require a manual?

Cheers

Nigel

[giemme]

Brilliant, both the road sign and the base!

Ciao

Edited July 12, 2016 by giemme

[PlaStix]

Hi Stix,

The sign is superb. Can I ask how you produced it - or does it require a manual?

Cheers

Nigel

Hi Nigel and thank you. The sign wasn't straight forward - it involved a lot of messing around in Photoshop to be honest. If you've got Photoshop I can try and remember what I did to extract it from the actual photo. Let me know - it's not a problem but I'll need to sit down with Photoshop in front of me to remember all the stages!

Brilliant, both the road sign and the base! :worhty:

Ciao

Hi Giemme. Thank you very much - you are too kind.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited July 12, 2016 by PlaStix

[PlaStix]

Earlier in this thread Troy suggested there was a female figure in a 1/48 set by ICM that could be adapted to represent the female army figure in the photo with the road sign - see post #18. My vignette is supposed to be set during the spring so the figure should be okay - the original lady is wearing cold weather clothing. Well I ordered the set and it arrived yesterday:

This is the figure I'm going to adapt:

The main thing I'm going to need to do is remove the bundle of papers from her arms and make a flag for her to hold. I'm going to assume the flag is green. The detail on the figure itself does look very good and it shouldn't be too hard to remove the papers.

Thank you Troy for the suggestion.

Kind regards,

Stix

[wimbledon99]

Hi Stix,

Kind of you to offer but no worries. If it was a simple few lines of text then great but really don't want to put you through the hassle.

Just looked through my Mac and don't have PhotoShop so may have a search one night on Google for the packages I do have

Cheers