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Ever evolvin dio. ft. 'THE INDESTRUCTIBLE TREE' as ft. on youtube.


Badder

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'Trimming my bush' proved to be problematic. I had thought that I could bend the wire-cored branches, and reposcition some of the fishing line twigs, but the gallons of thin CA impregnating the foliage, coating the fishing line and impregnating the wire-cored garden twine have set the tree solid, or at least, very, very rigid, and any brute force results in the herb foliage coming away.

I did snip off a few twigs with some long-nosed pliers, opening the canopy up very slightly, but it hasn't really made an obvious difference. I might try removing some more if I'm feeling brave..

But I did give the tree a few goings over with a shades of green ink, brightening it up a bit and adding a bit of variation.

 

uYmZJLp.jpg

 

DflDqjT.jpg

 

to1PbAD.jpg

I'm not totally satisfied with this tree, but I am not giving up on it. It will maybe get some additional foliage, using a different material. 

 

I would use realistic paper-punched leaves if I were ever to make another tree. Yes, it would take months and months of work, but ultimately it would be worth it.

 

 

TFL

Badder

 

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  • Badder changed the title to Ever evolvin dio - REPAINTING THE TREE
  • 2 weeks later...
4 hours ago, kpnuts said:

Superb work as always mate, i love your little experiments and sharing them with us mere mortals.

Thanks again, KP.

 

I am defintely not immortal! Just ask my doc!

I did actually trim my bush a bit more over the weekend, getting rid of some 'herb clumps'. I also managed to remove and repostion a few branches here and there, and have opened my bush up a bit. Tree. I mean tree!

I haven't bothered with photos though, as there's not a massive change. I am contemplating stripping off all of the herbs and replacing them with those tiny clumps of foam.  This might sound like a difficult, tedious, and long job, but as nylon fishing line is pretty tough stuff the herbs should come off easily. And it should be pretty easy to apply the foam.  I will do a test run on some of the offcuts left over from trimming my TREE!

 

Rearguards

Badder

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1 hour ago, kpnuts said:

They will be bushes though since they are off the tree, you may end up with a few bushes to trim.

Very true KP.

I will have to re-work the hedgerow I made earlier in this WIP, because the dio has been sitting on a shelf for over a year and the Seafoam bushes have all faded in colour.

 

Badder

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  • 3 months later...

Another paper punch to add to my collection,

This has to be the best one yet, with 24 tiny  'leaves' per punch!

h3hGUbH.jpg

 

 

So with each punch of the ...er ... punch, I will get 5 tiny circles (ideal for flowers) 6 elongated leaves and 18 shorter leaves. Not bad for £5.50

k3jO8OE.jpg

 

With such an armoury of 'leaf' punches at my disposal, I am now considering improving EVERY TREE/BUSH/PLANT/FLOWER in this diorama, In most cases I can simply add new leaves to the existing plants and overpower the old foliage, but in some cases I feel I must replace the foliage entirely. This is the case with the large tree. It'll be a massive job, but the herbs will be going, the twigs will be thinned out, stripped of herbs and all of the foliage replaced by individual tiny leaves.

I will try to find a way of speeding the job up - maybe making lots of little 'clumps' of leaves before adding them to the tree.

 

Having said all of that, I do have to finish my Nashorn first in the PzIV STGB.

But I plan to restart this dio thereafter. And be warned there may be some MASSIVE EVOLUTIONS TO COME!!!!

 

TFL

Badder

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  • Badder changed the title to Ever evolvin dio - HUGE EVOLUTION FORTHCOMING!
19 hours ago, RichO said:

Get On With It!!  Nice to see you back again.

Thanks Rich,

Gimme 10 days, mate!

 

Just had a catch-up with your launch pad. Amazing work: such precision and attention to detail, as always.

I will be smothering you with 'likes' when I have the time!

 

Rearguards,

Badder

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I have a major dilemma on my hands!

 

This diorama was originally intended to be much smaller and was to depict a winter scene for a StuG III, but it quickly evolved into a far larger one, with a summer theme and different AFVs. I had in mind a Churchill, a Universal Carrier or two, and maybe a Cromwell. But I hadn't gotten so far as to build any of those AFVs. I then got distracted by the M3/M4 STGB, in which I built a winterized and up-armoured Sherman, and then got further distracted by starting a diorama for that (the WIP Pit Stop thread) and was then further-further distracted by the current PzIV STGB with my winterized Nashorn.

At this time, I also donated my Cromwell to Models for Heroes, so that reduced my AFV options.

 

Now, I have two large dioramas on the go and at least one STGB on the horizon and, knowing how slow I am at making AFVs - we're talking three months per AFV - and taking into consideration the fact that I'm not in the best of health (relatively speaking) I do worry that neither diorama will be finished before I peg it!

 

So, I could carry on with my Pit Stop diorama for the Sherman and the interchangeable Nashorn, or I could put them aside and continue with this diorama and hopefully get around to building some AFVs for it!

But there IS an alternative. And that's to revert THIS diorama back to a winter scene and use it as a setting for my Sherman and the interchangeable Nashorn, and my NEXT FOUR BUILDS WHICH WILL ALL BE WINTERIZED!

Just to explain - because I've never seen it done before - but during my Pit Stop build I had the idea to make a winter diorama in which the subject AFV could be removed, and replaced by another - one or the other residing in a case whilst not in the diorama.

 

I very much like the idea of having the one diorama to display a number of different models at different times. Certainly, it will save a lot of space! But I like the challenge as well.

 

Another consideration is that I'm no longer happy with the large tree I made, and the hedgerow is looking a bit faded and drab. I would have to re-make them all no matter what. Far easier to 'winterize' the hedgerow - the tree and some bushes could be evergreens, as in the case of the ivy. Meanwhile, the grass could remain, with the longer blades poking up through the snow. The reeds in the mill race would have to be 'browned' with many laid flat, and the water itself could perhaps be part frozen over. There would have to be mud of course - but that shouldn't be too much of a challenge when that mud will mostly be under the tanks/AFVs and in the ruts behind them.

 

And there's the challenge - to be able to sit different vehicles in the diorama and have them 'FIT' believably.

There's only one way of doing that as far as I'm concerned and that's to have the different vehicles on their own 'baby-dioramas' that can themselves be 'switched' in and out of the 'mother' diorama.

 

One sad bit of news though, and that is the Ardenne's Farmhouse would have to go - hopefully to be used in some distant future.  

 

SO, I AM GOING TO ASK ALL OF YOU WHO'VE FOLLOWED THIS WIP, IF YOU THINK I SHOULD REVERT TO A WINTER DIO?

I personally think I should, but I think it's only fair to ask for your opinions as many of you have committed a lot of time to reading and responding to this WIP!

 

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Badder
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  • Badder changed the title to Ever evolvin dio - THE BIG QUESTION! page49

I have not followed this WIP from the very start, but from what I've come to understood, from this build and the Pit Stop build, is that you very much like to change, redo and better stuff. It seems to be your 'modus operandi'. So of course, if you feel an urge to winterize this diorama, by all means, do so and take the rest of us along! :clap:

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Finding and keeping motivation going in this hobby, especially for large long term projects is often a challenge, I know it is for me, so, if changing back to a winter dio is going to stoke the fires then go for it.

 

Along the same lines, if the passion is gone from the other version forcing yourself to continue will likely result in frustration with the work and annoyance at the end result since it is unlikely to be your best work.

 

Matt

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Hard question. 

I have always liked dio"s and the challenge that is for the building. I have not made many my self, but the challenge of creating a realistic winter, I know that is hard. (If someone could handle that challenge...?)

 

But what is the cost of converting a summer to winter? What about all the details that are created for the green season? Trees and leaf? Grass? How will this become when they are covered with snow? Or do you just replace 'the easy to replace parts' and paint snow over the large buildings, streets and gras?

The alternative to this (I guess?) will be butting this on hold and start on scratch with a new for winter...? That is also a hard one?

 

Have you tried to 'flipp a coin' (if that is the right way in English to say that you leave the destiny to the royal queen on the coin)?

 

8-)

 

 

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  I think you have come across a great idea.  Interchangeable subjects on 1 diorama base!  COOL! 

I do like the idea of a winter scene, and the farmhouse is to well done to not to use somewhere.  Of course you would have a totally different scene with out the farm house, but still a nice piece of modeling with or without.  

 

  I feel for the decision making process, I'm in the same boat here.  I look at my stash of kits and think about how much time is left to build all these kits.  Better just get on with it, and keep building.

 

  Anything you do is going to look great!  We are with you on this.  Good Luck.

 

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nchange, redo and better stuff.change, redo and better stuff.#

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRHRHRHRHRGRGRGRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

fFffffffd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

@Svedberg @bhouse @Matt Parvis@Major_Error@RichO

Chaps - I've done it again! I touch-typed a long and detailed response to all of your comments and then did my 'mystery keystroke-whilst-accidentally-brushing-the-touchpad-with-the-heel-of-my-hand combo' and lost the whole lot! Undo, paste etc etc didn't work and BM didn't autosave what I HAD typed!

 

And I'm bug-red if I'm going to type that all out again!

So, sorry for the lack of individual responses to your greatly appreciated comments/advice. I will just re-iterate that my reason for switching to a winter diorama is down to time and the fact that my next 4 builds will be winterized AFVs and (with the two already completed and diorama-less) I need dioramas for them. One big 'multi-function' diorama with interchangeable vehicles would be a great way to get around that problem. Meanwhile, it may be 2 years before I get to build 'summer' AFVs, so this diorama is currently superfluous to requirements!

 

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

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Do you have any hair left on your head??  I'd be pulling mine out by the hand fulls!  Your "multi-function" dio base is still a great idea, and one that I will steel from you right now!  I'm hangin' in there with you, what ever you decide to do.

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3 hours ago, RichO said:

Do you have any hair left on your head??  I'd be pulling mine out by the hand fulls!  Your "multi-function" dio base is still a great idea, and one that I will steel from you right now!  I'm hangin' in there with you, what ever you decide to do.

Hi Rich,

I've just had a number 1 shave so I can't get hold of it to pull it out! I've lost count of how many posts I've accidentally erased but it must be hours worth of waffle!

 

I had the idea for the 'multi-function' diorama a couple of years ago now, but the idea resurfaced when I started the Pit Stop WIP and was reinforced when I decided to build a winterized Nashorn in the soon-to-be-over PzIV STGB.

 

I have the Sherman/Willys Jeep pairing which I could be swapped out with my new Nashorn, but my next builds will be a Winterized Tiger II, winterized half-track with Flakvierling, winterized 8-tonne half-track towing 88mm, and a winterized Tiger I. It should be possible to swap some or possibly all of those into the same diorama as well. It will take some working out, but I imagine making a farm track or a courtyard which can be lifted out of the diorama and replaced by one of several similar 'inserts' but each with a different vehicle fixed to it. So, the King Tiger would be sat on a track with wider ruts in the snow/mud than those of the Sherman, for example.  Of course, different figures would be required for each scene, but they can just be on pins inserted into holes anywhere in the diorama. If I can figure it out, I may also be able to alter the scenery a bit as well - maybe having a wall section on one insert, and a barbed wire fence and gateway on another. I also imagine that the individual 'inserts' will be vignettes/dioramas in their own right.

 

Whatever, the current building will be gone permanently - replaced by the Pit Stop 'Ruin'. I'm lucky that that half of the diorama base was never completed, so I have a fair bit of leeway there. BTW, The current building will be used eventually - most likely in a much smaller dio.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Geeze i turn away from this for a little while Badder. Next thing i know its four months later ? Its of my humble opinion that it is your work, and you can do to it whatever you want to. I kind of like it as a summer diorama but its yours and if you desire a winter set piece then go for it. We’ll hang on for the long ride. 

 

Dennis

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For the individual inserts have you given any thought to how to tie them in to the main scene?  Getting gap free edges around a base is something I struggle with in my dios, so, I'd imagine hiding seam lines in the midst of a diorama will not be easy.  

 

Matt

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On ‎3‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 6:10 AM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Geeze i turn away from this for a little while Badder. Next thing i know its four months later ? Its of my humble opinion that it is your work, and you can do to it whatever you want to. I kind of like it as a summer diorama but its yours and if you desire a winter set piece then go for it. We’ll hang on for the long ride. 

 

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

Yes, our hobby seems to have a curious effect on the space-time continuum. 4 months have flown by and my 'work-station' seems smaller now, despite the fact that the diorama has been put away!

I do like the challenge of creating realistic vegetation - with overgrown hedgerows and tangled undergrowth, etc. With a larger arsenal of 'leaf' paper punches,  I'm sure I can improve on what I have done in this WIP.  So, I will definitely return to a summer-themed diorama in the future.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

On ‎3‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 11:50 AM, Matt Parvis said:

For the individual inserts have you given any thought to how to tie them in to the main scene?  Getting gap free edges around a base is something I struggle with in my dios, so, I'd imagine hiding seam lines in the midst of a diorama will not be easy.  

 

Matt

Hi Matt,

 

I am glad that you raised this point, because it means you've been reading my waffle and having a think about things for yourself!!! And, had I not thought of this 'problem' you'd have certainly prodded my mind to think upon it! So, thanks.

But yes, when I came up with the idea that was my very first consideration.

 

I came up with several options on how to swap things over:

 

Firstly, it may be possible to do straight 'vehicle only' swaps if their 'footprints' are the same in respect of track-types, track separation, etc, or so long as the ground they are on is 'frozen solid' or is a cobbled surface for example, where ruts aren't an issue.

 

But of course, I am wanting to depict a 'thawing snow scene' with lying snow, slush, puddles and mud, so areas of 'frozen solid' ground will be fairly limited. Mud and/or snow/slush will be the most likely surfaces, so 'inserts' will have to be used. Obviously, the placing of the insert(s) will have to be planned very carefully.

If I were to build a muddy track,' with ruts and the vehicle in place, and have a bank, hedgerow, wall, or fence running along the back of the insert, that could be 'swapped' into the diorama fairly easily, with the seam hidden away on the other side.

 

Overhanging grass/churned-up turf would help to hide the more exposed seams, but I could also use 'scenic' inserts to hide the seams as well - meaning additional 'inserts' which can be placed over the seams. These could be  lengths of wall (possibly partly collapsed) piles of firewood, or sections of hedgerow for example.

 

 

I'm sure I will come across some issues with regards to all of this, but I don't think they'll be insurmountable.

 

The PzIV STGB will be finishing MDT Sunday, and I have only hours to finish off my Nashorn and its crew (and possibly a simple base) but I will return to this thread thereafter with some schematics showing what I intend to do in respect of inserts.

 

 

Reaguards,

Badder.

 

 

 

 

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With the PzIV STGB now over and open for voting (if you haven't had a look and a vote, go do so now, cos there are some fantastic entries!) I've taken a few days off from model-making - the first proper break in.... ooh..... a couple of years, at least! I spent the time clearing up my work station - the wife's coffee table - and having a gander at THIS diorama, and pondering my decision to 'winterize it' and turn it into a 'multi-functional display base'.

The fact is, it's got a lot of nice details that would be covered up by snow, or in the case of the hedgerow and it's shrubs and plants, would need to be defoliated. Also, as it was never planned as a multi-functional diorama, the layout  as it stands isn't really conducive to having patches cut out of it to accommodate inserts. I do have metal mesh embedded in the plaster don't forget. But more than that, this diorama is over half-way completed, with only the trees and shrubs needing replacing/reworking, and the building fitting in place.

 

So, I have just spent an hour or so, having yet another careful look at everything, and have pondered some more.

And you've guessed it, I've changed my mind on the winterizing and insert front.

 

What I intend to do though, is re-work the hedgerow, replace the building with the ruined one from my 'Pit Stop diorama, and get rid of the large tree and replace it with two large trees!

 

Now, I'm still unsure as to what vehicles will end up in this diorama - maybe I'll stick to the original Churchill MkVII and a Universal Carrier or two, or - and this is a distinct possibility - a Tiger II in ambush/disc camo, part hidden beneath those two new trees. I'm thinking some careful lighting might show off the effectiveness of the ambush/disc camo, with the dappled filtering down down through the trees.

 

With this in mind, the diorama as it stands now, is no longer 'over half-way completed'. But, the work required will be less than that required to winterize it and add inserts.

 

To sum up then, I'm going to improve what's there at the moment - adding a fair few plants/bushes, the large trees and the Pit Stop building (overgrown with ivy) - and plonk a/some summer AFV(s) in there.

 

 

It feels like I'm messing you lot around, even though that was not my intention, but I will  apologise anyway.

 

The first job then - to rework/improve the hedgerow.

Work on that WILL commence this weekend!

 

 

Rearguards,

Badder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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B

As an "Ever evolvin' dio", your title implies there will be changes along the way - at least your changes match your suggested title.

 

Regarding winter scenes

Apart from storage issues ... Why not run different dioramas for different seasons?  Your recent Nashorn cries out for a winter or early spring scene.

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5 hours ago, Robert Stuart said:

B

As an "Ever evolvin' dio", your title implies there will be changes along the way - at least your changes match your suggested title.

 

Regarding winter scenes

Apart from storage issues ... Why not run different dioramas for different seasons?  Your recent Nashorn cries out for a winter or early spring scene.

Hi Robert,

I should have said, I still plan to build a winter dio with the insert idea. Building it with that intention from the start will mean that the inserts can ne planned out properly, rather than trying to fit them into an already existing base.

 

Rearguards,

Badder

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  • Badder changed the title to Ever evolvin dio - RECOMMENCING WORK

Work has recommenced, but consists entirely of punching out leaves for the next day, or two.

I will be punching out leaves for several different species of plant, shrub, bush and tree, using various coloured cards and papers, and failing that, painting my own.

 

TFL

Badder

 

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I'll be interested to see how you go about attaching the leaves.  I've got a number of punches myself and have fiddled with them a bit, but have yet to come up with a good way of attaching leaves onto branches.  

 

Matt

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