"Let me tell you a story about a man named Jeb....." or so goes the song.

Well everyone I'm finally done with my Stuart River Crossing. This little guy started off as a simple M3 on a base. Then I saw a picture of an M3 with a fascine and said Self - How about a ditch crossing. Then the ditch got bigger and I saw a sale on EZWater. The test on EZWater failed the M3 got a bit lost when I made the river wide enough to force some kind of bridge. The fascine idea was too small, so how about logs, how about an engineer, how about casting and pouring resin.

After many questions and posts and opinions here it is. But first, Matrix and airwarrior the tarp, box, and camo net are for you . Thanks they add to it a lot.
Steve - I didn't add a bunch of mud to the bridge to 'level' it out to make the suspension illusion work. I just didn't feel like making the scene all muddy. But your point was valid and I did account for it. I added an extra log to take up some slack and I drilled holes through the hull and threaded some hobby wire around a log and through the hull and tightened it until I got some 'give' in the tracks. Thanks - looks much better.
Thanks to all who gave opinions on the build of the M3.

A few notes about this little diorama - The water is poured resin. The stumps are cast resin. The tank is Tamiya OOTB (with a few super details, hatch handles), the gear is scratch built, the engineer is a Testors Radio operator with some surgery on the left wrist, right elbow and both thumbs (so he can actually hold the ax and canteen). The ground work is packing styrofoam covered in celluclay. The grass is woodland scenics static grass. The sawdust is ---- sawdust. The grasses and flowers are dried fair from the flower shop. The base is strimmed in sheet styrene. All paint is tamiya execpt for the midnight blue base trim - thats generic hobby paint.
The weather stinks around here so these photos are indoors with regular light bulbs. I'm going to take better ones when I can get outside.
Any questions/comments - ask or tell.
Thanks

Scott

You have created a nice scene here dude I love it. As I already said in a previous progress post that the water looks like a natural stream I`m going to purchase this myself too as I`m in the new dio contest.
Really great work and good pics too

great job.. a Heineken for you :-) :-)

Faust - the water resin I used is the same stuff I wrote about in this article
https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/150

It's good for a big Splash

Water looks good, bridge looks good, tank looks good... damn, whole dio looks good !
All is very nicely done. I like how you put a nice subject on a relatively small dio base here.

Jan

I don`t know that brand here in Holland but I`m sure I`ll find something similar

Thanks dude

looks good Slodder. Nice to see a OOB kit really
Great Dio 4 1/2 stars out of 5

Excellent! The first pics looked promising, but the end results surpassed the expectation! Kudos!
:-)

If you plan on doing water again, what you might want to try and what I saw at the Long Island show by Christien Petit, is to preshade the streambed to give the dappled effect of light passing through. There's a picture of this in the Gallery under shows. https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?set_albumName=albus48&id=abm&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php " TARGET="_blank"> https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?set_albumName=albus48&id=abm&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

can i get u a bir?

i love the dio..seriously speaking....

This is a really nice dio. The tank looks good, nicely rusted and mudded, the bridge looks very realistic, even the ground cover, especially the bare spots between the grass, looks very real. I can't really see your water but if it looks as good as everything else I'm sure it is great. Very good job.

Awesome job! Very Awesome job!!! Ehhh But isnt that Engineer A German Engineer?

I thought the same thoght the same thing. The strap looks German.

yeah I thought I recognized that strap thing on his back and that hat!you might wanna fix that otherwise thats a dern good job! :-)

Thanks for the link to the dappled water AJ. It is links like that that will either inspire me or make me quit altogether...

Its called a Y-Strap

OK thanks for telling me.

Guys - I can't argue with you. The engineer does look german. The cap makes him look more German (IMHO). The long shirt also adds to it too.
I'm going to blame Testors on this one. The figures are truely Lacking in quality. The Radio operators kit is sold as US forces. Who know if they re-use molds?

Hey great job!! The tank looks alot better now that you put stuff on it. The dio look very good! :-)

Really excellent dio Slodder. Love everything about it. I cant see anything that i could suggest that would improve. Brilliant tank, figure and absolutely brilliant scenery! Love those tree stumps and saw dust.

Never let a "better" modeler deter you. Let him (or her) inspire you. I made my greatest strides in trying to be as good as the guys who were better than me at contests and at the meetings. I did a single figure standing in water a year and a half ago. Had I see this dio first, I'd have enhanced the streambed. I'm very happy withhim, but his wound have made the scene just that little bit more realistic. As with so many things, this is a learning experience. :-)

Nicely done. THough the photo had a yellowish tint to it, even the water looked good.

Al - well said. That is a GREAT attitude to have. I try to emulate that attitude. I look at all the wonderfull work everyone does here and let it inspire me and drive me to my best.

After all, as other threads have said, this is your hobby - enjoy it!

Everyone - thank you for the complements.

Great idea Scott and very nicely executed! I've often thought about doing water myself, and by George, you've convinced me to give it a go! Thanks for sharing!

I've been at this too long to quit. I'll stick with it as long as it is fun and each thing I build is better than the last. Besides, what would I do with the "Closet o' Kits?"

E-bay and early retirement? #:-)

well however you got there, the result is pure gold