Hi Claude. This is still as impressive and interesting as the first posts from the castle-build were ... way back. Your commitment to this project must leave many in awe, considering the amount of unfinished models laying around. Thanks for keeping us updated.

Claude,

Great job!!! Do not get burned out.

I think I have a an way you could make the terracata tiles of the roof from plastic straws. Create a splitter using a brass tube with a razor blade. . You could take a thin walled brass tube that would allow the straw to slide into. Cut a slot into one end of the brass tube you can then place a razor blade into. you could push the plastic straw through. This should cut them in half evenly as long as you do not spin the straw as you push an pull it through the tube.

As far as suggestions on the open space. Instead of having the dragon wagon damaged why not have it abandoned trying to pull a knocked out tank onto the back of the trailer. You could have tools out the cables hooked up,Oil spill. Allow it to help tell the story of a hastely retreat gone bad.

You have your layout mostly done try some properly scaled cardboard cut outs of the vehicles. You could use a scaled up from instruction manuals.

Petros , Franck , thank you for your input.

Todd, thanks for the tip to get the straws cut straight. Good idea!

Thank you also for the input for the DW, i understand your picture,but that will not really bring me more, to the contrary , you are adding a tank to the scene and that will make my available space look overstuffed. (i have 2 feet in lenght disponible , but only 0,75 feet in width)
Also, the situation on the terrain (the real one) would have allowed the GI's to pull out any undamaged vehicle during the whole morning of Dec17.
Todd, you are new on this site! Welcome and thanks for giving me the honour of your first post. Are you aware of the castle i build to go with this one? I think, regarding burning out, the most difficult part is already behind me.

Thanks and cheers
Claude

Hi Claude, congrats on the AFV spread.
Just a suggestion -
GIs in the castle - Germans scouting and entering the town from the #4 area.
How about a minimal amount of US vehicles [ as in your own suggestion ], enough to justify the amount of GIs in the castle, a jeep or two and a truck.
Instead of over populating the street with military stuff, how about populating the street with what normally would be there - civilians, a cart or two ?
Civilians milling about wondering what the heck is going on, gossiping, pointing and doing what a small town's folk would do, gather in the street and give each other their opinions.
Glenn

Hi Glenn,
thanks for the suggestion.

I think i will go with a (very) limited amount of vehicles.
I am stuck between historical correctness and minimum requirements for a lively diorama.

At this very historic moment of the scene, germans are in the town (like you mentionned) but already the sniper is firing from the tower, the PanzerIV are slowly approaching the town, some artillery fell already in the town (see the hit in the castle's roof). Most civilians were either in the cellar of the castle or gone.
I think the time for gossip is over since the evening before.

A cart, yes, a bicycle, ok, a disabled civilian vehicle, yes, but all other miltary vehicle, if not disabled, could probably have been removed because there was a loophole out to the town of Wiltz until late in the morning.
You are right, like JBA also proposed (i head an offline chat with him), i will probably go with a Jeep or Dodge (just to show something). I'm continuing (for fun) my cargo truck. Perhaps it will work out good. I'm thinking of damaging it by letting an electric pole fall on it. That should be doable and in the reach of my skills.

Thanks guys for your opinions, they are all well taken

Cheers
Claude

Hi Claude,

Outstanding work as always, the road is looking excellent, that's a large amount of cobbles, great stuff, I always find you work inspiring.

Cheers

Al

Claude,

For making roof tiles - the flat type that overlap - I made a rubber mold by making a master with small pieces of posterboard glued onto a larger piece. Then I painted the rubber - Woodland Scenics Latex rubber - C1204 - over the paper tiles - several coats for thickness and strength and some gauze also before the last coating. After it has set up, peel it off the paper (very carefully so you don't pull up the paper tiles), and you have a mold for pouring plaster of paris roofs.
I put the coloring in the plaster of paris, so you don't have to paint the plaster - just some washes to darken the low spots for contrast.

Your castle is magnificent!

Trenor Scott Geezer34

Hi Claude,
I've been reading all the posts of your project, starting with the castle and I do admire your hard work and talent very much. I finally think I have something to offer with your mention of the Dragon Wagon. Last week, I happened to meet the Son of a Dragon Wagon driver and I will try to post a link to the website that tells his story:
http://www.dse.nl/~vrzaob/wc52/joesstory.html

I thought that if you go ahead with the DW in the project, you might find his story inspiring and there is also some good reference photos. I know it's but one detail in a massive project but it's kind of a good time to learn of this guy. I'm told Joe Spagnolo is still with us at 87 years old.
Keep going on your build and thanks for taking the time to post here for us to feel a part of it.
Mike

Alan and Trenor ,thank you guys for your input and help. I'm glad you still like my progress.

Michael, how are you? It is a long time that we had Email exchange on your site about your flashing LED's. I finally used them in the two cellars of the castle as back lights for a chimney fire.


Thanks for the link about the DW. There are some great pictures who can be of great use.
I bought the DW with some Photoetch anyway, so it will be build, if not now, certainly a bit later.

Cheers
Claude

Claude -

As with every update, it just boggles the mind to think of the amount of time and effort that is going into this fantastic work of art. Truly a masterpeiece in the making. The details are terrific and helpful to those of us who struggle to make a 10 x 13 picture frame look like a diorama. I think your idea of a damaged truck, left behind vehicle would emphasize the haste of the retreat. Maybe even a German 'Recon' vehicle like a SdKfz 234/1 showing up on the other end in advance of the main German units. Please to keep us posted as this is such a treat to watch develop.

Blade48mrd

Hi everyone,

First of all, thanks Mike for your last post.
Why am i so late. Real Life, more precise, house renovating in scale 1/1 took my complete attention for the last few weeks. This is now done and i can finally go back to my normal modeling pace.

Just before my break i nearly finished the vehicle i asked some input here. I finally settled with a Deuce and half. The scene is going to be a telefone pole brake and fall on to the vehicle and damage it so much that a recovering is not possible anymore in this short time. (remember, in my dio, the german army is already approaching).

These are WIP photos. Nothing glued, finally painted and wheatered. Litlle parts are still misssing, but i would like to have your input if the scene is working for you.
I made the tarp with MagicSculpt and will ad some ropes in a final stage.
The pole is of course a mockup for the pics.

I want honest comments please. i did not do a vehicle for a year now, this is my first damaged one, but this vehicle must blend in without problems (quality wise) with the castle and surroundings, so i need real input from you.
So, whats your take




Thanks
Claude

Claude mate, what can I say?!
Well let me tell you
I reckon you have achieved a very natural incident here. The MS tarp looks brilliant, and has collapsed very realistically. When she is all finished off I'm certain it will really look the part.
Not too au fait with trucks, but what part of the truck took the brunt of the impact? What I mean is that if the rear of the cabin has a window then it would have a thin frame, so in order for it to explode the glass out of the windscreen, I'd maybe expect more damage to the frame of the rear cabin, and possibly around the windscreen?
Good stuff mon ami
Brad

Hi Brad,
thanks for the answer. I asked this question on a german forum also and got the same answers.
(i suspected already that this would be a problem , but did not want to touch it by fear of breaking or melting to much)
So, this morning i already took the plunge and with the help of an incense stick as heat source (tip i saw somewhere and also on a video on Youtube) i damaged the windscreen and the front part of the cabine frame. The rear of the cabin is all tarp and is litterly destroyed but this can not be seen on my pictures.
I think it looks better already. Pics of this sometimes later.

I hope i can get rid of this decal look around the big star. Will need a lot of washes and pigments.

Cheers to Australia

Claude

Claude good new and bad news. Good news is I think the deuce could use a bit more pastels and pin wash on the lower half, easily done.
The bad news is the white circle star decal has a bunch of excess decal film on the outside of the white that its a bit distracting. You could try to 'lay it down' by taking a sharp pin and tapping the excess film putting a bunch of holes in it. Then take some decal setting solution MicroSet and soaking it again.

In the future what I do before I put the decal in water is to trace the outline of the decal with a VERY sharp new #11 blade. That will let the excess peal away from the paper right before you apply the decal to the model.

Its like you were reading my mind

One more thing - the stuff in the winch should be weathered with burnt umber if it's rope or painted silver/gray if its a metal cable

Hi Scott,

thanks for your input. Regarding pastels and so, i wrote the above in the original text. So this will be certainly done.
This decal is giving me headaches. Normally i trim the decal to a max, but did not want to do it on this round one. I would really like to peel it away completely, but it's firmly set (with microsol and-set) I will try your method before covering it in wahshes and pastels.

Actually the stuff in the winch is a tarp covering the rope. Saw that on a reference pic. Will wheater that of course also.

Cheers and thanks

Claude

Hi claude, first off i want to commend you on the wonderful work that you do , its truley inspiring. You are definitly a man of patience and one who understands detail. Now having said all that i just wanted to bring one thing to your attention, and that is the gmc you just completed with the pole on it. i would think that pole would have went right through the windshield considering there is really no support in the roof except that canvas rack in the back of the cab. you know the rod that goes across the back of cab that holds the canvas in place.
its just an opinion thats all, please dont be offended , cause it does look great , i just thought it would increase the story line a bit.

William,

i asked for honest opinions because i want to do a correct work, so let it come :-)

My interpratation was that the pole went first through the cargo compartiment breaking two tarp supports, the side and the rear of the wooden part of the cargo area as next resistance and finally hitting the windshield. Would that not be enough to stop it there?
Here is my first effort to do it better. I just saw a bulge in the windshield (from the melting) and will try to undo this later


If i need to crash the windshield completely , i also must damage the truck's hood. This will be really more than i wanted to do. But if the accurancy calls for it, i will do it.

(This is really stretching my english knowledge, so excuse any strange wording)

Thanks for your input and be not afraid to be frank. I have no experience in vehicle modeling, so every comment is welcome

Thanks
Claude

Claude

the truck looks a lot nicer now. you need to remember that the pole will have
power wires still hooked to it. therefor it would not have to do alot of damage.

i have seen accidents where a small truck hit a pole removing the bottom half of the pole
leaving the top hanging by the wires

hope this helps with dio, it's stunning

Hi Claude,

Excellent idea for the truck and with the telegraph wires leading form the pole I think you will have a very realistic and convincing scene. You'll need some broken glass on the bonnet etc , but I see nothing wrong with the concept as you have described it and the damage to the truck looks very good and in keeping with the scene.

Cheers

Al

Amazing work so far. Your scene is shaping up to be quite astonishing. The truck looks great! I rammed my old Jeep Wrangler into a light post about a year ago. It had a similar windscreen. You have duplicated it amazingly. Granted my hood and windscreen took the brunt of it this looks very realistic indeed!

-Mike

Thank you guys, glad to hear that i'm on the right track. It will take a while to see the truck in his destined setting, but i'm really looking forward to this.

Cheers
Claude

The bend is MUCH better - well worth the extra work.
I can't see the excess decal film in the new photos.

One thing I see now is the soft top is now too wide for the wind screen, you need to sag the outter corners a tough.

Hi Scott,

thank you. Indeed i treated the decals your way , but the new pics were taken to show the windshield, the Microset for the Decal wasn't even dry at this moment. So i will check the result of this operation this evening, but i sense a real improvement.

Indeed, the soft top broke in the middle while i tries to reform it and i obviously missed to adapt it to the windshield and to rejoin the broken halfs
Thank you for catching that one.

Cheers
Claude

Cheers
Claude

Hi,
This diorama is stunning. I have seen the article in AFV modeller magazine but think it deserves something a little larger; a place within its own publication (something like Verlinden's "Superdioramas"). Though the internet is great, I still feel happier with a book in my hands, something with an indepth SBS guide plus plenty of photos and captions.
Any thoughts on this?
Paul