Cold War Entropy - The Fall of the Iron Curtain

[Bill1974]

Hello one and all,

 

The aim of this project is to offer a historical glimpse of the past with a view to a cautionary view of the future.

 

An entropy quote...

 

The fact that you can remember yesterday but not tomorrow is because of entropy.

- Sean M. Carroll

 

And some inspiration...

 

A man’s job is to make the world a better to place to live in, so far as he is able—always remembering the results will be infinitesimal—and to attend to his own soul.

- Leroy Percy

 

If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.

- Bear Bryant

 

Cold War Icons - 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've spent the better part of two days scheming, sketching and putting together a few scale drawings as well as scouring the internet for inspirational photos.

 

It's been quiet the task to put together a scale drawing of something that I can only partly guess as to sizes and such from a few photos with little by way of a scale and proportion.

 

I have already started the hangar internal arch by cutting up a section of cardboard and scoring every other upper paper leaving the waffle and lower paper intact so that it forms a semi circle of the right size with the internal ribs cut and glued into place.

 

I will tidy up my notes and sketches / drawings and post them along with a few photos of progress with the arch. 🤓

 

Tally ho lads, let her rip!

Edited July 30, 2023 by Bill1974

[Trevor L]

Another project, you are one busy entropyneur!

This looks like a very interesting one. Good luck.

[Bill1974]

Notes and preliminary sketches.

 

 

1:50 scale drawing, pencil real dims and green scaled to 1/48 to match the models.

 

 

Cardboard arch.

 

 

Scores in the paper to form the circle.

 

 

Support ribs of concrete shelter.

 

[Bill1974]

I have progressed the hangar and it is pretty much formed part from the earth covering over the concrete arch.

 

Lots of watered down pva and cardboard with a layer of pop bandages and more watered down pva.

 

It's quiet big but it's gonna look super when it's finished.

 

Photos to follow after drying and better light. 🤓

 

The mil mi 2 arrived today, I had to laugh as there were so few parts it has almost cone fully built.  Undercarriage centrally and to the rear, Main fuselage and main and rear rotors and thats pretty much it 😜😆

[Muchmirth]

I like your level of planning and sketch drawings… looks the part, very technical.

Good luck. 
Paul

[Bill1974]

The shell of the aircraft shelter.

 

 

 

 

I need to cover parts of this with clay and mark out the concrete to indicate the pouring and forming during construction.

 

The earth to the rear needs to be formed with cardboard and grass and trees over.

 

Not sure how to make for trees, I will have a think and look online for assistance. 🤓

[Marklo]

That looks really good so far. We definitely should have more diorama focused GBs in the future.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Marklo

[Mark Cassidy]

On 30/07/2023 at 07:22, Bill1974 said:

Hello one and all,

 

The aim of this project is to offer a historical glimpse of the past with a view to a cautionary view of the future.

 

An entropy quote...

 

The fact that you can remember yesterday but not tomorrow is because of entropy.

- Sean M. Carroll

 

And some inspiration...

 

A man’s job is to make the world a better to place to live in, so far as he is able—always remembering the results will be infinitesimal—and to attend to his own soul.

- Leroy Percy

 

If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.

- Bear Bryant

 

Cold War Icons - 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've spent the better part of two days scheming, sketching and putting together a few scale drawings as well as scouring the internet for inspirational photos.

 

It's been quiet the task to put together a scale drawing of something that I can only partly guess as to sizes and such from a few photos with little by way of a scale and proportion.

 

I have already started the hangar internal arch by cutting up a section of cardboard and scoring every other upper paper leaving the waffle and lower paper intact so that it forms a semi circle of the right size with the internal ribs cut and glued into place.

 

I will tidy up my notes and sketches / drawings and post them along with a few photos of progress with the arch. 🤓

 

Tally ho lads, let her rip!

Was thinking about when you mentioned scaling, could u use the ruler function on Google earth to get the width x length of the shelters , then u could extrapolate the arch height from that 

[Bill1974]

2 hours ago, Marklo said:

That looks really good so far. We definitely should have more diorama focused GBs in the future.

 

Having not done any form of diorama stuff before I am now converted as it's a great deal of fun making the model then the scene for it to sit in.

 

Wonderful fun and very engaging 🤓

[Bill1974]

31 minutes ago, Mark Cassidy said:

Was thinking about when you mentioned scaling, could u use the ruler function on Google earth to get the width x length of the shelters , then u could extrapolate the arch height from that 

 

That's why I had to put a technical drawing together. 

 

My initial sketches were out of proportion compared to the rough dimensions I laid down and I eventually figured out it was going to have to be a drawing to scale.

 

I started by estimating the depth of the concrete pours being 500mm and drew it from there and just about that has worked out well and as it was too scale the sketch informed the widths and heights as I could see what lined up with what in elevation terms both horizontally and vertically, it meant quiet a bit of rubbing it out and three attempts at drawing it and adjusting sizes of the elements so that it fitted together and looked like the photos.

 

It was rewarding when I finished it but frustrating during trying to figure out all the various heights, widths and radia from a few photos.

 

It takes practice, early doors when I was a young draughtsman when a project could not afford either a full measured survey by others or a full survey by me and or others helping out holding tapes and such you are forced to go into photo mode.

 

Measure 10 courses of bricks and 10 joints horizontally and vertically and then count bricks from the photos and draw it by hand by working out the dimensions counting bricks on tracing paper and then later in autocad (2d) and later still in revit (3d).

 

I had to ‘re-load’ many mental arithmetic skills and drawing skills by hand that I had not used for like 25 years as I have neither the computer power that's quick enough to run the software or indeed the software to draw it in.

 

Sadly a computer of sufficient oohfm to run the programmes would easily be 2.5-3k and the software would also cover 6-8k for both.

 

Not in scope.  Not for modelling an entropy GB anywho 😜🤣🤣🤣

 

It certainly would have been easier as I don't have my drawing board with the adjustable ruler / protractor gubbins anymore.

 

I still have my bendy ruler and various pens and scale rulers and bits and bobs of yester-year.

 

Comments and suggestions welcome 🤓

Edited July 31, 2023 by Bill1974

[Mark Cassidy]

Not sure if this will help on the HAS shelter dimensions,  but theres a pile of good links in this post on Britmoddler. 

 

 

Call me a geek , but I have a interest in HAS shelters , ours and theirs lol 

 

BTW your HAS shelter made me think of this, 91 Gulf War, Iraq, the results of a visit from a 2000lb Paveway, that would be a really interesting entropy build. 

 

https://www.key.aero/forum/modern-military-aviation/60689-the-old-iraqi-air-force?p=1476513&page=7

 

 

[Bill1974]

I have added the first thin layer of clay squaring out the concrete and flattening certain sections.  Another layer needed.

 

Photos to follow once dry and I can see what I need to add next.

 

I have progressed some of the extras, a fallen scaffold lifting platform that will be abandoned inside, an access platform that I copied from a photo, a couple of bomb carriers, the start of a concrete plinth and metal access cover for an underground shelter and various shovels and picks and part of an unused canopy that will be lying somewhere in overgrown grass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Bill1974

[Bill1974]

12 hours ago, Mark Cassidy said:

Call me a geek , but I have a interest in HAS shelters , ours and theirs lol 

 

Lots of interesting stuff in their thanks for the links!

 

I have started to be rather obsessed with these HAS gubbins, after searching online for reference photo there sure are a great many all over Europe in various sizes and configurations, fascinating and interesting stuff. 🤓

[Bill1974]

Some progress today.

 

I have sanded and filed the scaffold lifting platform and then added a couple of layers of vallejo filler that's easier for filling little gaps as it can be brushed around and watered down, hopefully tomorrow it will be just a quick sand to smooth the finish a little.

 

I've made a double oxycetalyn gas bottle carrier which was more heated and stretched sprue cut and melted with extra thin to soften it and bending things to shape, looking good.

 

I've painted on a layer of varnish over the HAS to seal the paper mache and pop bandages so far as I intend on adding another layer of clay to properly square things out and then use the concrete stamp I've made out of cardboard and pva and the tiniest sand particles I have at hand.

 

Yesterday I watched a youtube video on how to make fir trees that actually has gone very well.

 

Drill holes in a florists wooden stick jobby and poke wire through and twist and shape, they are looking really good so far but are only half finished.

 

Photos to follow tomorrow when things are dry and I've had a good look at them again.

Edited August 3, 2023 by Bill1974

[Bobby No Mac]

You don't hang about do you?  Another interesting project, gotta say the scratch built access platform looks really good 

[Bill1974]

9 hours ago, Bobby No Mac said:

You don't hang about do you?  Another interesting project, gotta say the scratch built access platform looks really good 

 

Thanks, it took a while to put it together, heating the stretched sprue with extra thin and drying of joints.

 

This is the gas bottles...

 

 

And the fir tree, so far I have another large on similar to photo and and two half size trees.

 

 

Now the base is dry I can add some grass by flocking machine and paint it all grey / brown.

 

Once that's dry a full coat of green grass flocking and they'll be done.

 

Looking forward to starting this in a moment! 

 

Suggestions and comments welcome 🤓

Edited August 3, 2023 by Bill1974

[Bill1974]

I have sprayed a grey brown layer and let that dry and have added the first later of green pins to the branches by hand painting with watered pva and by hand sprinkling the grass flock.

 

 

I think they look really good, it will take some careful painting of pva to get the branches looking like the photos I have but I'm confident of a good level of success. 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome 🤓

[Bill1974]

This is the HAS with the second light layer of new clay that arrived yesterday. 

 

Many more subtle layers of clay to square things up and get the finish I want.

 

 

I have made three oil drums and started to make the concrete apron, I cut up bit of cardboard and covered it with a layer of pop bandage and then added a thin layer of clay.

 

I baked these to dry them out at about 100* and then added another layer of clay on top and flattened it with a straight edge and then wetted the surface and dances on the concrete texture tool I made and then used a spare section of sprue and tapped this over the surface like where a plank on edge is used to flatten modules of concrete prior to setting and cure.

 

It's drying how and I'll see what that dries like and decide if it's enough or requires more work.

 

I will have another go at the fir tress tomorrow and add more to the branches.

 

And continue with the concrete apron bits as I'm not half way through with the stage I'm up to yet.

 

Photos to follow with better light and it all being dry and had my beady eye look over it.  🤓

Edited August 4, 2023 by Bill1974

[Bill1974]

I have made an access ladder and a diesel / petrol generoator, I tried to follow a photo bit it wasn't easy and I've just kinda made it up as I went along.

 

 

 

And I've added more to the fir trees....

 

Small tree.

 

 

Big tree.

 

 

I think that when I add more of the grass stuff as it's pins instead of leaves I will add the longer type of grass and see how it looks.

 

Suggestions and comments welcome 🤓

Edited August 6, 2023 by Bill1974

[Bill1974]

Update on the concrete slabs. 

 

I realised that I had put too little clay on them as it cracked and splintered quiet badly, it is likely that the cheaper clay I have had to use is as responsible as the relatively thin layer thickness and the cracking.  

 

I've seen lots of cardboard shelters and aprons look far to regular and flat for in situ concrete.  Especially the aprons where in situ slabs look very different to the completely flat and regular cardboard boarding etched to look like slabs.  The real things are never truly flat and have ever so slightly undulating surface as concrete never dries flat like a screed say that has been floated and a latency built up by repeatedly being smoothed and stamped.

 

Concrete even if it's been processed and floated and stamped by a edge of a piece of timber varies, trying to describe it isn't easy but it's like Matt varnish that follows the surface underneath and high gloss that finds a completely flat and even finish. 

 

This small difference in nano mm makes a massive visual difference.

 

I don't want a board flat apron, I want miniturised concrete slabs, it's not going to be easy.

 

I've had to scrap the lots as the slabs weren't working, I will have to think of another solution.

 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Bill1974

[Bill1974]

Some progress today, I've separated the clay from the slabs and wetted it and mashed it back into a useful clump of clay again.

 

I've made some more ancillary equipment.

 

 

Two air ventilators and I've added the hinged flap on the generator exhaust, a new plinth that's still in progress with air vent and a bullhorn alarm on steel tubular frame for a bit of klaxon action.  I need to bend the main sections as they've bowed a little, I'll wait until it's fully dry for that.

 

Hinged cover to exhaust.

 

 

Klaxon and frame.

 

 

Air vent for underground shelter.

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome 🤓

Edited August 6, 2023 by Bill1974

[R T Fishall]

Really liking all those little ancillaries!
 

On 06/08/2023 at 03:11, Bill1974 said:

I want miniturised concrete slabs, it's not going to be easy.

 

I've had to scrap the lots as the slabs weren't working, I will have to think of another solution.

 

Might have a suggestion for something to try; I've used Decorators filler when making up diorama bases before, the powdered kind you mix with water to the required consistancy. I'm wondering if a fairly thin mix, perhaps with some very fine sand added as a scale aggregate, couldn't be used as a scale equivalent of concrete? I think you could treat it exactly as you would real concrete, moulds, drag a wooden board (coffee stirrer?) over the top to flatten it etc. Could be quite delicate for thin slabs or it could be a slow process waiting for it to dry for thicker slabs but made 'in situ' on the base might work?

 

UPDATE

 

Seemed off to suggest something I'd not tried myself so I mixed up a batch of sandy filler and knocked up a mould from scraps of wood, will see how it comes out...

Edited August 7, 2023 by R T Fishall
Update

[Bill1974]

3 hours ago, R T Fishall said:

Might have a suggestion for something to try; I've used Decorators filler

 

Is that a fine plaster? I like your mould idea.

 

I've ordered ak concrete stuff for another project and was going to try that over clay oblong slabs to see how that looks.  

 

Yesterday I rolled out a load of the new clay on a metal tray and added a texture to the surface and I'll see how it reacts / dries and if I can cut it up as slabs 2.0.

[Bill1974]

I'm slowly getting there with the HAS.  The recent layer of clay has dried, there is a lot of cracking that I didn't see with the other manufacturers clay.  

 

I have painted this several times with watered down pva and it has expanded a little and closed the cracks up a little.  

 

In a strangely coincidental way this has given it the appearance of concrete which is great.

 

At least another layer of clay to finish squaring things up and making the lines straighter.

 

Photos to follow when it's completely dry.

 

I have a few bits and bobs on order, ak concrete texture and some more wire and a very large tub of the universal pva as I have gone through quiet a lot of it as it's really good at sealing, hardening stuff, I also have a wws scenics set of sand / rocks /  lichen / ground cover and a few grass / foliage stuffs which will fill out my effects locker a little more, yip yip!

 

I've also had to buy a new pair of specialist fine cut nippers as my last set broke as I over stressed it cutting through sections of thick sprue and I'm looking forward to getting my new pair of locking tweezers for fine placement of gubbins which I have needed for a while.

 

I've used my flocking machine on my trees to make the pins on the tree stand up and they are looking a great deal better for it, their drying and I’ll add photos when things are completely dry.

[R T Fishall]

Looking forward to seeing how all that clay and pva has worked and really interested to see what that AK Concrete Stuff looks like; this groupbuild really seems to be encouraging people to use new products, materials and techniques!

 

8 hours ago, Bill1974 said:

Is that a fine plaster?

You know, I've got absolutely no idea what the composition is; Pollyfilla is the trademarked version, I just buy the cheapest knockoff from the local hardware shop and it does me!

 

Experiment pretty successful I'd say; I mucked up taking the mould off and cracked part of it off but what's left seems sturdy enough at 7mm thick. The tank is to hide an area of damage (I knocked the mould halfway through drying and the back end went wibble) but might help put it in a scale context. It's a very old 1/72 model from the 'needs restoration' shelf; the only model I had handy that would fit on the slab! I know you're working in 1/48 but I figured that just a plain photo of the slab might be a bit bland.

 

 

Cheers, Richard.