wow nice diorama !

i love the pipe
and the figure looks amazing!

Well done Chas!

Martyn

This is coming along great ! I love the pipe with it's damage, the brick wall is nice too. G.

Hi Chas,
Things on the diorama are coming along nicely, the piping looks spot on!
It is difficult to comment on the figures face from the shots you have taken, maybe some closer shots under better lighting?

There doesn't seem to be any shadowing between the fingers?
Although the gramophone will obscure most of their detail you should define them some more (especially the outer side) as they look too uniform.

If you are to carry on working with acrylics, I suggest that you start drilling your figure heads and feet and glueing a brass rod inside of them.
Acrylics are less forgiving than oils and when you are constantly moving figures to take photos etc. the slightest amount of moisture on your fingers will end up smudging off your paint work.
By inserting a brass rod, you can then place your figure/head inside of a home made jig, allowing you to work comfortably without having to worry about where to pick them up.
If your jig is large enough you can put various figures all in one row to work on, secure and safely.
When the painting is finished, I just pop mine inside of a long glass and put aside.
This one is dead easy to make, 5mins of work ...four off cuts from a decorative edging and 3 nuts and bolts:



Cheers,
Shay

I am happy that is working nicely Chas
Cheers
Seb

Hi Martyn, I'm glad the figure pleases you at such an early stage.

Shay, as I said to Matthew, I will post better pictures of the figure once I have completed the eyes, eyebrows, lips etc. Thanks for pointing out issue with the hands, I will try to correct this once I have picked up my Vallejo black.

Guy and Seb, I'm glad you like it so far.

Shay again! Your jig looks fantastic and easy to work with, simple design, I’ll have to try making one. Only one problem, I do not own a pin vice or any similar type of drill small enough to drill holes in feet, heads etc. Can anyone recommend a cheap place to buy, either online or locally?

Chas

Chas It is all looking great mate. The pipe adds a nice touch to the expanse of wall. Remember to cover the fittings with rust and decay...
I went for years without a pin vise, and now owning one I use it constantly for a variety of things.(Ok, drilling holes mostly )
I bought mine for about $10 at the local hobby shop. Make certain that it has two double ended chucks inside the threaded couplings on the shaft, giving you four chuck sizes to work with; so you can fit from tiny bits up to sizeable ones (5mm or close to it)
Brad

Hi Brad,

I’ll remember the rust, no worries. Thanks for your advise on the pin vice. I checked with my LHS and they sold them for $30 but they are always too expensive. I will ask my mate if he could buy one for me up in Perth.

More progress just a couple of days away.

Chas

Really great story and project Chas.
I love your job, the dock's stone wall and the damaged pipe look fantastic.
Can't wait to see what's cominng next.

Cheers,
Nick

I do not know how to pass this wonderful work.
The idea is great, I love.
I have an interest in seeing the transformation of the car, got
I got it and saved for a diorama set in Dunkirk.

Not if expect to pour water on my diorama to see as you work your (joke).

congratulations

Domi

Thanks Nick and Domi, glad you are both enjoying the diorama.

Yesterday I worked on damage to the wall and rubble/wreckage piled on the dockside. I am planning to take off the post and replace it with a horizontal wooden fender, purely for historical and 'practical' accuracy.

I also spent a lot of time making further preparations for the resin. I filled the 'trough' with water (H2O) and sure enough, it leaked out from one of the corners.

Further updates later today,

Chas

Look funny the rubble Chas
Do you have a close up of it ??
Cheers
Seb

The rubble is very nice, very well constructed (destructed? ). I would add a bit more up to the edge, as in the scetch at the beginning of the post (still tons of time for it).

Not sure how you'r fixing the water tight problem, just realize that resin is usually a lot thicker than water and won't run out of holes water will. The way I do it is a touch of superglue.

I'm not sure what you mean by funny, but if it offers any consolation, I can tell you that it is not quite finished! Today's progress consisted of laying the concrete for the remainder part of the dock. I just need to wait for it to dry, then I will sand it flat, carve the individual 'slabs' then paint. After that I will sprinkle more rubble over the concrete, around the existing wreckage and further back, partially covering the railway line.


As shown below, I have added the wooden fender, but the woodgrain effect still needs to be worked in. Again, MIG production bolts were used.


Well, that's another weekend gone! Hope you enjoy the updates.

Chas

Scott I've just seen your reply (you must have posted it while I was working on my response to Seb!)

I think I've addressed the rubble issue, thanks for the advice anyway! I will take on-board your tips regarding the resin, previously I was using woodglue which might not have been completely waterproof.

Chas

I like that beam MUCH better.
Don't forget to rip it up a bit where the rubble fell over. If the damage was done to the concrete, imagine the beam getting hit.

wow great progress

i love the beams im with you i dont think there is anything wrong with the rubble because the doc and the pipes are damadged so it fits in

great progress

Martyn

Hi Chad,

Really interesting build you have going on here. Great progress, keep up the good work.

Al

Chas
i mean good Really good work
Keep us posted
BTW any new from Point du Hoc Dio ??
Cheers
Seb

Hi again Scott, don't worry, I won't forget!

Thanks for your words Martyn. As I said earlier, the rubble is still a WIP, and I'm glad you also like the new beam.

Hi Seb, glad you like it. Hmm...Pointe-du-Hoc diorama. It's on hold at the moment, all that remains is to complete the painting of just one figure. I am waiting for an opportunity to pick up some Vallejo colours from a friend in order to finish the job. My examinations are coming up in just over a week so there will be ZERO time for modelling until they are over. So, expect my next P-d-H post to show the completed diorama! yay

Hi Alon Thanks for your interest.

Chas

I agree x2

_________________________________

do you remember me nino1969 ,

I,m Nick_Zour from HELMO

Beatiful Build !

Hi
everytime I check back on this build it keeps getting better & better cant wait to see the finished build.

Top job so far mate.

As for the resin question way back..i used 1% hardener and it set solid overnight,good idea to leave in garage or shed during this period though as it stinks to high heaven mate.

looking forward to seeing more progress with this one.

Steve

Thanks Nick, have you tried sending a PM to nino1969? It's probably the best way to get in touch.

Thanks also Pawel, Shaun and Steve. I am very glad I am providing some entertainment for you all.

Chas

Hi Chas, I must say, you do fantastic work! I also find your writing very informative as well. I am currently working on making some of your excellent palm trees for a dio I'm working on. I just wanted to shoot a suggestion your way, I see you're using balsa for the beams and said you will work on the graining later. I rarely use balsa myself any longer, I've switched to using basswood. It is stronger, harder, and produces a more realistic end result. If you wish to have a more prominent grain texture, simply stroke it with some 80 grit sandpaper a few times and it produces a beautiful finished result.
Look forward to seeing more of your work!!!
P.S. Thanks for the comments on my Iwo Sherman!