mbthejester Posted September 21, 2020 Share Posted September 21, 2020 Hi All, the Comet and Firefly are on holdwhike I start the base, until I pair everything together for final add ons, cant decide how best to handle the tracks especially the ballast, have a static grass applicator but it just lays flat, ruined the first vase and binned it, but cut ends off to add width for vehicles. got an idea for crater but need to research how, dirty water filled with part of a bike it and some pipes/debris with Comet driven through and sitting on top. cheers Mark 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbthejester Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 Working out final positions of AFV’s cheers Mark 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niall Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 Nice workmanship, but why have a Comet and a Firefly together? From my understanding of the history, the 11th armoured division replaced its Shermans and Fireflies with Comets and Cromwell FS tanks after the Battle of the Bulge, so the I can't understand how theses 2 vehicles would operate together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 Hi Mark, I am not an expert on British armour, but Niall questions those two tanks being seen together. I will bow to his superior knowledge, but I would question whether the 8th Army got rid of its Shermans and Fireflies and replaced the lot with the new tanks all on the same day? Whatever, I do think it's a mistake to show both tanks in the one diorama, not because it's probably historically inaccurate, but because the diorama looks too cramped. Personally, I'd want that base to be half as big again, minimum. Or, I'd just have the one tank placed in it. As for your groundwork, that's all looking very promising. The cobbled sections, rubble and soil are excellent, and it's a shame to plonk a tank over it and hide it all - another reason for just having the one tank. The angled railway tracks look good. Always best to have things at an angle. I like the rusty rails (they'd be shiny silver on top if in use) and I like the sleepers and ballast. Various dark washes, and some greens will age those nicely, being that the line is unused and moss and other plants will have started to grow amongst it. As for a bomb/mortar crater, I'd only put that in if I were going to display the one tank, again because it will cramp the cramped diorama even further. Oh, I forgot to mention the muddy footprints. Excellent! I hope you used a 'stamp' and didn't have to paint those treads by hand! If you did the latter, then fair play to you! A very promising and good 'first' diorama. Better than mine was! I look forward to seeing your next update. Badder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbthejester Posted September 26, 2020 Author Share Posted September 26, 2020 Cheers for the feedback both, much appreciated, you should have seen the first base for cramped, ruined it and binned it lol, got same one again and widened it with ends of the first one with some plaster, they are both my two fav WW2 battlewagons, so wanted them together, not totally accurate as you say so just a tad of artistic licence, I helped restore a Comet and worked on two others, and have worked on a Sherman, and rebuilt a multibank engine, a real pig to work even in a workshop ! using the whole project as a learning curve as much as anything, first Diorama, but also first models done for over 25 years and never done weathering before, lots of firsts in one go, so challenging myself a lot. When figures are done will be dismounted as if parked in a harbour area brewing up, so in that respect vehicles close together is OK - I hope, crater is going to be under the comet and visible on one side, I hope it works as well but ....... we shall see cheers for you comments much appreciated- again Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 Hi Mark, Ah, I understand the desire for both being seen together now. Many a military model-maker will be jealous of your hands on experience of the real things! I know I am! Many of us have returned to this 'childhood hobby' later in life. I left it 35yrs before finding myself lured back when I 'accidentally' saw some of the old Tamiya kits I once made, still being sold today. Having more spare time on my hands, I just couldn't resist buying a few oldies that I'd made as a kid, plus some oldies that my pocket money could never afford. I've still got some of those oldies in the stash, more in fact than I have the later kits. But dioramas are my 'thing'. I've only made a couple since my return and am now concentrating on 2 long term dios, hoping to make the very best that I can. If I live long enough to get them both done I'll probably call it a day for dios and stick to simple vignettes! Have fun, take your time, and don't be scared to re-do bits you think you can do better. I think it's better to be very fussy and do the very best you can now, rather than thinking 'That's rubbish' in a few months or years. I shall follow your progress and look forward to seeing more. Rearguards, Badder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickframe Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 HI Mark, Our stories are not dissimilar, I hadn't built a model since I was a kid, then started again about ten years ago but as something of a work stress reduction tool - Started with dios, and now onto other subjects. I'll echo the notes above, you certainly pulled together several interesting and challenging elements, and did a good job of it. I can't comment on the AFVs, out of my realm! My 2 cents worth for big ground plane is I've found it to be useful to build all of the ground elements (plaster, foam board, cork etc, not vegetation) and get them to a level you feel good about and are willing to call done. Next, spray the entire thing with Vallejo primer, specifically IDF Israeli Sand, which is something of a warm, but not dark brown. I've seen grey used too, but I prefer the brown, as in the end, I usually wind up showing plenty of dirt, and if you miss a spot, the brown is visible, not the light grey. This works to tie the entire base together, and eliminate unintended edges between materials. Then begin adding other color layers to reflect each of the various materials being represented. The added layers can go in the direction of dark muddy soil, or light and dusty. Once you get things looking like you want (each material painted to your satisfaction), add various diluted washes of dark colors to each unique material - like black for the ballast, maybe dirty dark grey or grimy brown for the cobbles and so on. This creates exaggerated shadows, which helps to punch out details (like the edges of rocks or cobbles, cracks in concrete etc). Finally, if the project is in a dusty area, try spraying highly diluted Lifecolor Dust 1 or 2 over the whole dio - buildings and all, which will knock back the colors to look like they "should" in context. The dusty wash also eliminates any unintended glossy finishes. This process can be a bit tedious - in fact, really slow going, but in the end the results can be pretty convincing. It took me a few builds to get the method down via trial and error, but I've been pleased with the results. No doubt you'll work out a method you like too - Looing forward to your next update - Cheers Nick 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbthejester Posted October 25, 2020 Author Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) Hi Everyone, Sorry chaps thanks for the replies, missed these last comments, sorry, never received a notification, really enjoying my first Diorama 🙂 , not regretting doing this as a first effort, but it has had me wracking my noggin a few times. As regards the real stuff def lucky with that, some the stuff I have driven even if only a few feet or just being towed into position has been a real treat, A few of my photos are in the walkaround section for you all to see, not being and expert modeller and cannot really comment on other peoples builds, I shared my photos with you all as a thanks that way. Had good few hours last weekend, on shift this weekend, managed to get a fair few bits done on the Vehicles and Dio Base, few more ideas for details to go and some figures, really enjoyed creating this, might not be accurate in a few details. Had lots of fun learning how to handle the clear resin for the water in the crater, and trying to fill it with debris and creating swirls of oil etc, not quite right it changed as it set. having lots of fun with it which is the important bit for me. Learning loads from you guys, some a missed when doing this, but will remember for my next one Cheers Mark Edited November 12, 2020 by mbthejester 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 Wow. That’s intense. My only suggestion would be to leave a gap between each photo as - with such a busy subject- one photo tends to merge with the next. I think each photo needs a bit more ‘room to breathe’. Nice diorama! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbthejester Posted October 27, 2020 Author Share Posted October 27, 2020 Thank you, the more I look the more little things I think of adding, bit more to do yet will post more pics soon 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbthejester Posted November 17, 2020 Author Share Posted November 17, 2020 Hi All few more bits done Camouflage added to Firefly barrel, abandoned mg42, ammo boxes and brass, a few signs and flags, ones on tracks bit new looking and will not be left on tracks some scattered papers, and few more bits added to turrets as souvenirs bit more stowage added to. Cheers Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Tip Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 I'm not sure about the "Bahnhof" sign... does anyone have reference pics of this exact wording? I'd expect it to read "NUR SOLDATEN"... might be me and my more modern jerryspeak of course. You must have been lying though, this can't be your first ever diorama! It is simply awesome. All that rubble still makes me chicken out of any real attempt to depict ruins... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbthejester Posted November 19, 2020 Author Share Posted November 19, 2020 (edited) Cheers mucker, Honestly mate first ever No bull, literally just adding as I go no plan at all as such, bit like the real thing, until you see it you don't know it’s there kind of thing, originally started just doing my fav 2 WW2 tanks, then lets do a diorama, spent lots of time reading different posts as I went, how to do tracks, then dust and mud etc, the only thing I could not get right, and was binned, was some static grass I wanted around the tracks. Signs are still wip, on placement Bahnhoff sign is “station only for soldiers” iirc cheers Mark Edited November 19, 2020 by mbthejester Forgot to add some info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbthejester Posted November 19, 2020 Author Share Posted November 19, 2020 5 hours ago, Johnny Tip said: I'm not sure about the "Bahnhof" sign... does anyone have reference pics of this exact wording? I'd expect it to read "NUR SOLDATEN"... might be me and my more modern jerryspeak of course. You must have been lying though, this can't be your first ever diorama! It is simply awesome. All that rubble still makes me chicken out of any real attempt to depict ruins... Try some 1/35 scale bricks paint various colours, and mix up with real crushed bricks and bits of concrete, then add bits and pieces, wire, pipe, bits of rubbish add a little postcrete, tiny bit of water to get some to set, mix all up and dump it on add whatever you find really, I went on real but made small not small made to look real 👍👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbthejester Posted November 29, 2020 Author Share Posted November 29, 2020 Started making and adding bits for the more human parts “its brew time” got to to add the windshield to the cooker, made the burner from some pe sprue and the MG42 AA sight that was not needed, need to make or find some tins of food and biscuits and mess tins plus KFS. cheers Mark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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