ive had the following sets built and painted for some time now and i just cant think of what to do with them, ive ahd plenty of idea but just cant decide, the kits are the German Assault troops (infantry) German machine gun troops (infantry) and the U.S. army assault infantry, i am also going to get the U.S. Infantry (West Eur. Theater). any ideas, ho and it must be to do with the invasion of normandy or any battles after d-day, maybe something to do with bocage? cheers, any help is much apreciated

Sounds like with the kits you have a good possible dio would be a scene simular to private ryan behind the big bunker in the trench network. Have the germans scambling for defense and the americans moving forward. Have the major bunker already captured and the battle for the trenches is on.

Just a thought. Good Luck

Hasty :-)

If you don't mind the input of a newbie.

I was thinking something along the lines of the germans being in a defensive position, maybe a hedgerow type situation. Have the american g.i.'s flanking around them through a ditch or something similar. I have not seen the figures you said you had but this is the first thing that came to mind. :-)

thanks guys, yeah i did want to do something similar to saving private ryan, as thats d-day, and thats what i want to do it on, HastyP, have you seen these kits? if you have what would i do with the guy with the grenade on the end of his rifle from the U.S. army assault infantry? i could always have him poiting it at a german, because in such close combat he might have natrualy pointed it at him, forgettting what he is armed with? thats a good idea, i like i, i could have the flamethrower troop standing next to the door and all, but how would i make the bunkers and the trenchs, as they are both in real life mad eout of cement, so i couldnt have muddy trenches? any ideas? thanks again guys

For the trenches I would build up your base with styrofoam and then cut down into it to the desired depth. I have seen bunkers made from styrofoam as well. I will try to find the link I saw this at. Verlinden also has a bunker that looks great but will cost some $. I have seen the germans as I have built them. The US troops I have not. I will see what else I can locate to help you with this dio.

thanks alot, i have diagrams of the trenches conecting the bunkers atop omaha beach, so i will do that, any other help is good, cheers

Are the Figures tamiya ones?
When you finish this great undertaking be sure to post some photos here!

will do, and yes they are Tamiya, i have 2 problems that somebody may be able to help with, how will i make, or were will 1 of 2 main bunkers that sat atop omaha? and how the hell do i cut styrofoam, it just crumbles and never comes out as a truly smooth clean cut, i have tried a stanley knife (similar to a hobby knife only, uuum, has a fatter handle) and my hobby knife, and it cuts smooth at first but as i got deeper its becomes really rough and crumbly? i really need the answer to these Q's, cheers

First How thick is your foam? I use 1/2" to 1" thick foam. I cut it with a long blade scapel on a table just applying pressure to the blade. I sand the rough edges with fine sand paper. If you continue having problems, then perhaps try that green flourists foam availble at craft stores like white rose or Michaels. I am still looking for that link. Hopefully soon I will have it for you.

Ola Lestweforget

I`m interested in those diagrams you told here in the posts. If it`s not a too big problem could you send me a copy of that???

thanks alot, my dad said to use florist foam to save me alot of trouble, and now that someone else knows about it to i will, i want a nice smooth cut, HEY FAUST! man i love your work, i'd love to help you out on that, i dont actually have them on my computer, as i got them from a book then drew them onto paper, if i could scan the paper would that be ok? If so, pm me and ill give u my e-mail address, u give me yours, and ill send em on there way if thats ok, alrighty then cheers

Hey lestweforget. I have never built a bunker, but I dont imagine it as being too hard. There are two methods you could attempt. As the shapes are usually pretty square it should be simple to build a mold from lollipop sticks or those little wooden sticks for stirring tea.
Then fill them with quick-drying hobby hardwall. When dry remove the mold and you should be left with a nice bunker. As far as i know this how most were built anyway.
Another way is to build the bunker out of cardboard. Make the walls thick by using a few layers. Then cover the whole thing with pre-made hardwall. The stuff that comes in long tubes from your D.I.Y. shop. Spread it all out evenly and flaten with a small damp sponge. This leaves a nice concrete surface. Leave then until it starts to harden and using a lollipop stick ........ leave the imprint all over to give a feel of a shuttered building.
Hope this helps with the building.
The biggest advantage of using this, is that you can design the bunker so that it suits the figures you have ready. You can make walls the correct height so that machine gunners fit the position. Its also easy to scribe in some battle damage or stone work before painting.

thanks plastic battle, its a bit hard for me to understand though without a actuall how-to-make diagram or pictures, i dont think we have that hard-wall stuff that u r talking about, are there toher names for it? thanks anyway, cheers

Hardwall ......... is the stuff they plaster inner walls with to smooth them before painting. Usually DIY shops have this stuff ready made in a tube. You just squeeze it out and its like a smooth cement/concrete.
If you make the shape of a bunker out of cardboard ...... just cover it with this stuff using a spatula or hobby knife and smooth it out. Using a damp sponge... keep dabbing it to get it perfectly smooth. It will stick to the cardboard no problem. Make the layer about 1mm. It will take quite a few hours to dry ........ and before it completely sets glue some sort of handle to a lollipop stick and print the timber effect all over to give a shuttered effect. (shuttering is when you make a frame and fill with concrete.)
Its only a matter of getting some references of bunkers and making one to suit you out of cardboard. A hot glue gun is brilliant for keeping it all together. Then add the hardwall/spackel or whatever you call it all over.

Hobby hardwall commonly comes in 1KG bags and is mixed with water and dries very quickly. Most hobby shops have for molding disney animals or the likes and then paint them. Its the same stuff. make molds for whatever bunker design you want ... fill with this stuff and let dry for one day. remove the molds and viola. The advantage of making this with lollipop sticks is that you already have the timber shuttering effect made. Then it is easy to scribe in any details you want.
Hopefully you can make some sense of this. Im sorry I dont have the time to do this and take pictures ....... Im actually interested in doing this after talking about it.
But maybe if you ask more precise questions, I or somebody here can help further. Its one of those things that sounds more difficult than it really is.
If you look for the threads on the winter dio campaign.... you will find a lot of this explained in more detail and with some pictures as well!

Go to the gallery and look at axis ww2. The dio called flakbunker has a pick of a bunker being built from scratch. I can't find the story of the build but this was the one I was talking about earlier.

I think the bunker has great potential. If you cast the walls in plaster from a wood form, they will look just like the real thing when painted up. You could get a good degree of hight with this dio. the bunker could be at the top of a hill with the action going up the slope.

thanks guys, plastic battle, i dont really get this part..."before it completely sets glue some sort of handle to a lollipop stick and print the timber effect all over to give a shuttered effect. (shuttering is when you make a frame and fill with concrete.)" can you explain this a bit more, whats it suposed to be? thanks again Hasty P for that link, ModlrMike, i dont think i will show the hill itself, just the hill top, i wont include the beach, because by the time they got to the hilltop, the action wasnt really at the beach anymore, it was there, good idea though, i originally wanted to make the beach, but i dunno, i might do that another time, cheers, keep the ideas and help flowing, lol, its great

instead of styrofoam, go to a DYI store and buy a sheet of PINK INSULATION FOAM (a 4 x 8 foot sheet 1/2 thick costs about $8). It is far smoother and stronger than styrofoam, and cuts cleanly and easily with a hobby blade (I use a box cutter!). It can be glued and worked just like stryofoam and one sheet make a LOT of stuff!

There are two ways of making a stone building. One way is to build with bricks and then plaster over for a smooth finish. Another way is to build up a frame or mold actually and then fill this with concrete. When dry this mold is removed to leave a wall. It is usually re-enforced with wire rods or mesh. The craft of doing this method is shuttering. (thats the name we use anyway.) Lots of the bunkers were built with this method. The frames or molds were made from timber, so when the frame was taken away, the timber of the mold was visible in the finished casting.
This is quite easy to replicate in scale using lollipop sticks and fill with some hobby grout or spackel that dries quickly. As bunkers were pretty square it is easy to make a mold and make a scale bunker.

If you choose the alternative method of building with cardboard and covering with pre-prepared spackel, to show the shuttering effect, you need to imprint some timber. Using a lollipop again to do this. For ease of use..... glue a handle or another stick, perpendicular to it so you can easily print the timber effect. Wipe the timber each time with a wet sponge.
Hopefully this is clearer...... if not just ask...... maybe I´ll make some quick drawings that might be better.

hi with regards to the figure with the rifle propelled grenade - why not have a german trench in depth and have you figure looking to try and supress the in depth position. it would have been done on the day in order to allow other positions to be taken.

There are two ways of making a stone building. One way is to build with bricks and then plaster over for a smooth finish. Another way is to build up a frame or mold actually and then fill this with concrete.


Thats the way to do it, if its one thing the irish know about its construction. (i know im in construction now after 10 years in the infantry) If its any help try 5mm artists foam mounting boards - its cheap available at any stationers or art shop and very easy to cut and work with.

Hi Lieutenant lestweforget, try this link:-
http://www.britannica.com/normandy/week2/invasion.html
I have used it several times for Normandy references, from the page link I gave you you can go from there to any other war period. It has a load of good photos & diagrams. Hope it can be of some use. All the best for what you do decide on modelling.
Cheers, Kenny.

thanks guys, with the man with the grenade launcher/rifle, the figure has been made to look like hes fallin over or is kinda sitting down, and is aiming slightly up, so i cant use that idea sorry, but its a good one, that link is GRRRREAT stormin, thanks heaps, oh and i understand about the shuttering and stuff now to, cheers, keep it comin, i want this forum to last!