Peter, your scene is coming alive



For the Cathedral Panther, there's a very thorough link here of the battle with a lot of little gruesome side video clips under the pics.

http://www.anicursor.com/colpicwar2.html

What an amazing builds are showing up here!
Truely awesome!

I especially like the Panther with the scratched interior and the collapsed suspension!

It has been a long time, but I have done something for this campaign again, too.
I felt that it was best to build something easy after my surgery, so I started work on the railwaysection and flatcar from Ironside.
This proved to be no walk in the park, though!!
Bad fit, loads of cleaning up to do, because the molds had misalligned and some broken parts made ther ordeal complete...


But I managed..... sort off.....
The piece of railroad was too short, because one of the rails was damaged on one end, so I had to ise a part of a second set.
In order to suggest it wasn't just a single flatcar, but part of an entire train, I cut off one end and glued it onto the other. This way I could show the copplings too.






Unfortunetely, this flatcar comes with brakes, which I fitted and glued onto the wheels, because it was "parked".... Too late I realised there was nothinh there to make the brakes work! No plumbing. wiring or pressuredrums.... nothing!

So I spent hours (litterally) on the internet, searching for references...
The kit used by Ironside is the G10 Boxcar minus the box, which appearantly did not exist. I could not find anything about this configuration on the net.....
This means that a lot of guessing will be in order here....

Just my luck....

Greg,

Yep - that's the website that first inspired my effort! (There are others out there too...) As for scenery, I'm limiting the "footprint" to just the area of cobbles & tram tracks around the tank, with a bit of that rubble in front. Thus, I avoid having to scratch all those ruined buildings with only a month to go! (Chicken of me, I know, but I've still got to finish four figures, the tank, and the Jeep in time for pics etc...) For the record, I worked out the spires of the cathedral would have stood about four feet high in 1:35 - an impressive model if I had the time!

Once the decorations are put away I will hopefully get some progress this weekend...

Tom

PS: Ron, neat modelling! Can't wait to see the thing completed on the base to see how that coupling thing works! (Seems like an interesting idea...)

PPS: Peter, I like the Brumbar scene! I'd be tempted to drape a curtain or something else "domestic" on the intruding tank to highlight the way it shouldn't be there...

Looks like everyone is making nice progress. I am really impressed with everyone's work. I have a couple things to post.

1) my dio- starting to fill up. I wanted to try putting a beat up old Russian truck in the garage.

2) for this project I have been working on my rust/old metal technique- mostly working with ModelMasters Burnt Iron which is an enamel based paint. Results vary depending on what you have as a prime, or underlayer. This is just one step as I continuing to work with various techniques. The guy in the LHS swore that sealer was needed after using ModelMasters metalics and before using Tamiya dull coat. I tested this and so far have not had bad luck without it but it is pretty early to tell.







cheers and thanks for looking!

Billy

Here's some more work I did on the railcar.

I replaced the horrible plastic wooden bed with real wood;


I scratched the brakesystem;




And added more setail to the linking system;

Finally, I can post a few pics. THese are the Panther, still awaiting priming etc, but the end is now in sight!









I have the figures painted, but pics of them will wait.

Tom

End of the Line
This is Tamiya's Panther Ausf. G Late Version, featuring Verlinden's Panther Tank Engine Pack, Zimmerit Kit, Detail Set and Tow Chains. It also wears a pair of Fruil Metal Tracks which, when combined with the aforementioned aftermarket additions, makes it nearly in-scale weight wise, as well.
The crew, unable to repair a mechanical problem using only their on-board tools, has been forced to hastily abandon their once-powerful machine to evade the quickly approaching enemy. A grave blanket of freshly fallen snow now covers the once feared and highly destructive weapon..

@ Tom - your Panther is looking good. I think I’m too lazy to follow your steps and make any interior…I also like the standing figure as it is.

@ Matthew - your diorama is perfect. I really like it – the mood, the composition. Turret looks great too. I have just one remark – since some bushes had enough time to grow through turret’s holes shouldn’t the graves be also covered by delicate grass?

@ Greg - nice scene. I wouldn’t like to see explosion that tears all wheels of the tank... .
The second diorama (the tiny one ) is also looking good. Why won’t you use it as the entry diorama?

@ Mike - I’m also not showing much progress as you can see… Family and life first – hobby second .

@ Peter - nice scene and Brumbar looks good too. I do hope that this little girl will be on final diorama – she looks so tiny in comparison with the vehicle.

@ Billy - nice effects of your weathering techniques. Can’t wait to see whole thing.

@ Ron - great work on scratchbuilding. Did you find some good resource page with railroad references?

@ Randy - this is great. You’ve captured the mood of great vehicle abandoned and left to Rust In Pieces

As for me and my progress… Well I thought I would have more time during Holidays… I was wrong. My personal life took new turn and I’m a bit frantic right now .
I’ve managed to almost finish the figures though – I have to paint weapons’ belts and post the pictures. Also the Panther is almost glued and painting will start soon.

Andrzej

Thanks Andrzej!
I took me hours to find what I need!
This whole trainbusiness is as complicated as the different kinds of armor with all its designations and variations!

Here are the main pictures I used as reference;




And the progress I made;
I added the connecting hoses between the flatcars and gave the wood several washes;




As you all can see, I started painting the chassis too and what a headage it turned out to be!!
The plastic really doesn't like to be painted. It acts as is it has a coat of axlegrease to it! Whenever I put paint on the surface the paint simply retracts from the painted spots!
Also the undercarriage has loads of little corners, which are allmost impossible to reach...

It's me again!

I have made some more progress.
The chassis has been painted in its basic colour, using undiluted Vallejo panzer grey.
What a nightmare!
That'll teach me to next time do the painting first and then to do the constructing! Patience is a virtue!


I tried to make the planking more even. I knew it wasn't completely straight and aligned, but because of the washes the differences became even larger! Some planks even started to warp. However, as I was trying to cut the wood and to sand it down, one piece of wood after another came off, untill I had 7 pieces to glue again. I then stopped trimming the wood. I'll have to live with an uneven surface.


Instead I went on with the weathering of the wood, giving it a more used appearance by adding very thin grey washes; one on either side and one in the middle, thus creating tracks. I then sanded these tracks, so they look worn off by armortracks.


I also did some more work on the 251/22.
I don't know what I was thinking or doing when I initially started out on it, but looking at it now, made my toes curl up!
I made numerous mistakes and I surely wasn't paying much attetion then or did I take great care.
I had to cut apart the gunbreech, because it was glue upside down and inside out. Also the gun is misalligned. The gunbase was uneven and badly glued too! The backdoors were attached open, but had broken off and so was one oh the lockers on the right front. I had to redo the hinges and the handles on the inside of the doors.
The front axle + wheels was hanging in mid air, app. 5mm above the ground.
Ohter then correcting these mistakes I managed to do some constructing too!

Ron, you’re modeling with FastForward function on…

As for me I’ve finally managed to take pictures of finished figures. I hope you like them.







Next steps – damaged Panther and base.

Andrzej

That's what you get when your are at home, recovering, not able to do much fysical labour and not being able to do anything, but reading, gaming, surfing the net or watching tv!

The energy, or what's left of it, has to go somewhere!!

As for your figures I do like them, execpt for 2 little things; The greys and greens look very monotonous. They are all the same shade and they lack "life", some stains and some shadows would bring them to life. I think some washes in browns or grey could change that.

Ron,
Figures are painted in three tone highlight/base/shade scheme... it's just the picture: since my son doesn't allow me to do anything without him I have to wait till late evening before making any picture. Then I have to take pictures using my desk lamp and the result is very far from original...

Then I would really like to see what the figures are like in real life...

I started to paint my 251's interior.
I usually paint/spray in the open air, but since winter has a firm grip on Europe I had to handpaint the interior.
I used Tamiya's dark yellow as a base and added white and beige to this colour to achieve some variations within the interior.
The seats and backrest were painted with a mixture of dark yellow. buff and a touch of green to replicate canvas. I figured this late in the war leather would be very hard to get. The bench was painted in the basecolour mixed with wood, followed by a dark grey wash and the drybrushed with yellow again. The fire extinguisher and spares visorglasses were painted in a lighter shade of yellow.
Then I tried to do some washes with which I always have problems, because I only use acrylics. Somehow that doesn't work...

@1 My wife walked in and thought those figures look "really Real!" so great job with them



@2 The half track is very cool


bye guys

Hi Andrzej,
I think your figures are progressing nicely. Nice work! I can see the three tone paint job that you were referring to pretty well, but I do have to say that I agree with Ron- I think a wash would help. Maybe sepia? Also, don't mean to be a stickler for details, except to say that we are all here to learn- I think I can see a line that needs to be filed down in one of those hands.

Just my input- hope you don't mind. Can't wait to see more progress.

billy

Hi guys,
another update!

The vehicle is temporarily on hold.
I have to correct some mistakes I made, such as the travellock, the passengers visionslit and the gunshield inside. I also have to work out the fit of the kit itself and on top of that I ordered some detaillingparts for the outside, too.


So I turned my attention to the base itself.
After an initial attempt to construct one, which went horribly wrong, the result of the second attempt looks like this now;


It doesn't look like much now, but to give you an idea of what I have in mind for the final stage, some pictures;




The pole to the right is to balance out the Russians on the left. I will add a stack of boxes next to it;

Well, someone has to got thins campaign going, so it might as well be me....

Someone at the Twenotforum pointed out to me that the sides of this kind of flatcars are straight with a metal sheet at the end. Something of this nature:




At first I thought that I would have to rip apart the deck, but then I figured out a way to get this done and to get rid of the uneven edge of the deck, too!

I was going to cheat a little!

I cut a strip of plastic card to the length of the car and about 5mm high. To this I glued a square strip of plastic, creating an L-shape. This L-shape was glued upside down onto the deck, covering the uneven edge and having this metal strip on the sides in one go. The L-shape has the extra advatgae that it provides more holding area for the superglue on the wooden deck.


While I was at it, I added tiedownsrings and metal bars and sockets too;




I hope that this was the last "surprise".....

Hey, Ron, that flatcar dio is looking good!

As for my Panther, here are some progress pics. The other day I found a thread with hitherto unseen pics of the tank, showing that it actually did have zimmerit (there is some debate about it based on the well-known but blurry photos) and it had an odd "reversed" stowage box on the right rear corner (it was a left-hand box, mounted backwards - go figure!). So out came the MR Surfacer and the razor saw...

Hull left side:


Right side:


(Detail of damaged zimm & burnt-out jacking block holder:


Stowage box (side view):


Rear view:


Turret (note textured "paint" peeling on roof):


Gun mantlet with plugged MG port:


And the figures:





That last fig comes from the Tamiya M20 kit.

Most of the tank has now been primed, so the weathering fun can begin! I'll give it a quick three-tone paint scheme with a cross or two before breaking out the black and grey paints.

More pics as soon as I can...

Tom

Thanks Tom!

Great job on that Panther and your troops look stunning, given the Tamiyafeatures...

As for me I have turned my attention to the base.
The layout is very simple. Tracks and flatcar in the front, loadingramp in the back, figures all over!
I was looking for something different in the rampwall. Not the standard brickwall or cobblestones. I went for a cast concretewall with the planking still visible in the concrete.


The base has been painted and once dry I will add a clearcoat and then I will unleash the powders, pimnets, washes and drybrushes!


This is how I picture the final layout;




And some detailshots;




Next fase is spraypainting the 251 and painting the figures.....

Oh I really like that - very dynamic!

Just concerned about what the guy sitting down is doing. He doesn't fit in with all the action going on around him and slows the scene down, if you know what I mean.

Hi Neil,
thanks for the comments!
You have a point there. He looks like being on a picnic...

well, off to the sparesbox for him, it is!

Looking good Ron! No pain - no gain?

P.S. Do you know why this day is important for us?(link)

Hi everybody,

Just thought I would hurry up and check in as we are getting along in time. I have learned so much from this campaign, and have enjoyed sharing projects with everyone. I am proud of my dio so far, but I have a hard time finishing projects. I guess the best thing to do is make a list of things to be done and get going. Also, I need some help on a few items so I will get to that as well at the bottom.

First, I gotta say that the builds are getting good. really good. Like I said, I have REALLY enjoyed everyone's work. I seem to jump into projects easily so it has been a great learning experience for me to take my time and make the attempt to concentrate on finishing one project.

a couple comments:

Joris- thanks for the info on Lithuania. I didn't know Jan. 13 was such an important date, but good cheer to you and your compatriots.

Ron- the railcar looks great. I have an idea for a similar project, albiet massive in scale that is going to depict a German rail depot in Tunisia, possible Oran that has been bombed and the Allies are advancing. I have two Dragon Railcars, a Marder that I just started will sit on the first railcar, a supply truck that is going to be out of commission will be parked in front, and then I have have the Dragon El Alamein Sherman with the newish Miniart British Tankers that I am nowhere even close to starting- all planned for this project. I will look and see if I have any pics and if not get some soon, but I do like your scene a lot as I have been in your exact place about how to do the loading dock. Just make is simple right? The point is to load equipment as fast as possible, but I would be SERIOUSLY interested in any references anyone might have on hand on this subject.

Tom- also wanted to say great work. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Hope everyone is making good progress. At some point I am going to have to abandon all other projects.

This is what I have. I am posting from Flickr now, so if anyone wants to take a look at more of my pics, you can here.

my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/billycash/

and pics for this campaign: http://www.flickr.com/photos/billycash/sets/72157623176037576/

I appreciate any comments and feedback, and as usual, thanks for looking.

This is my main dude as I have shown you before, and I am quite proud of the progress I have made with him even if I am not finished with him yet obviously. At least I have learned a lot and it was fun to play around with making a few modifications, as this is definitely not OOB. Also my last comment to our fearless leader regarding the lines on the hands of his figs made me reexamine this guy and I found a few lines to sand away as well. Also I removed an ammo pack that I thought was German. The downfall is that he is still dressed for Normandy. UGH!!! NOT the ARDENNES where the action is depicted. The photo is pretty poor actually, but we will see more of him later.



Next up are a few shots of my latest series that I think are great additions for the set. I probably had these in mind originally- they just took a long time to arrive. Dragon's 101st U.S. in Bastogne. Ironically, they seem to look like the Band of Brothers's Captain Winters. I need to convert a couple of these to medics for this scene. Geez- I wished I had an overturned ambulance to play with here but these figures have been really fun so far. You can see my progression as I ALWAYS paint and have extra so I do a lot of underpainting. These days I am using the extra paint for my dirt in the dio.



The other two- one thing I have been doing is gluing the rifle in place to the hand while leaving the arm unattached to the shoulder, but for every set I seem to have one figure that I try to do differently- without the gun for example. So I think I will have the last figure doing some bandaging to an injured MP in the shed.



The while group; check out the crooked rifle barrel. It just broke off five minutes ago. Glue it back, or think of something different? It is never too late for these things. You can also see some of the puttying I did late last night. Just regular old Testors in the grey tube variety.



My progress shots of the dio itself are really dark today. I veered from my lighting rig in order to try to capture some natural night- but silly me it is quite stormy today in Portland so these are not exactly a success. However, the last two do have some cool lighting effects. I tried to get all the little pieces together to start to fill the space, while keeping the figures to a minimum for this scene.

Somewhere in the Ardennes, near Bastogne

So far I have 11 US soldiers and 4 to 6 Germans that are suitable and usable for this campaign, but they will not all fit on the set. I should do a Time-elapsed set to show a. the initial explosion when the shell lands in front of the jeep and the Americans taking refuge in the house b. US troops take steps to defend the house. c. Germans attack and are pushed back leaving their own casualties as prisoners. d. US troops depart/pull back with their own dead and wounded as possible. e. Germans overun with Panzers. That would be a cool movie!!! But for this scene we are situated somewhere between b and d for right now.



The jeep from above. Also notice the gutters! I just finished them recently. The rest of the lamp post (i.e. the top part- the lamp itself) is forthcoming. And, there is a little box in the back seat! People always want to know what I do late at night at my desk.



Lighting is poor- way to dark. But conveys a mood, and the parts up against the building are contrasted well.



For this shot the lighting is still way to dark. Sorry- I will go back to my lighting rig after this and/or wait for sunnier days, but I do like the way the light falls on the two figures. Very up close and personal. I like this scene a lot.




FINALLY, I need help to know what to do to finish this.

This is what I know I can do> a. finish the ground. texture the floor, etc. b. finish painting figures obviously and when I am done with everything glue them into place. c. keep moving parts around to work on composition issues. More pictures with different arrangements will follow. d. more weathering as needed but DEFINITALLY open to suggestions here. e. adding more puddles with Vallejo Still Water as seen in the lower left corner of some of the earlier shots (not seen here). f. mounting up and finishing.

This is what I DO NOT know what to do with and need the most help with:

a. the roof and roofing material is a serious concern. I like the open look, but can't just leave it like that. The pieces that came with the set look perfectly useless from what I can see. I think that the best option is to spend a Sunday scratch building the main pieces and doing some tile work to match, but still try to leave parts open. HMMM. I have seen a couple good examples in the DIOS area- I need to find the links but I know some of you have seen some of those examples because I have read your comments. I am thinking of the gentleman who built some rafters and such, and then actually burned them.

b. The Jeep. I can think of a handful of final touches but I could really use input.
a. add soot- a lot of soot. for some reason I have a block agaist this step. should I spray black very carefully, or use a weathering brush- something like Tamiya Soot which I do have? I don't have any MIG or Vallejo pigments yet.
b. the broken windshield. I think I got this covered.
c. how do I deal with the hood? Should I try to bend it up?
d. what would the headlights look like? burned out and sooty?
e. anything I am missing? maybe a couple dead bodies buried in the mud? Not sure I even know how to get started on that even if it was deemed appropriate. Whose work was it that had that great burned out Panzer I think with a quite decomposed- looking body buried in the mud? For some reason I don' think it was this campaign, but it might have been one of you guys.

Ok, thanks for your help. If you can think of anything else let me know.

Billy

One more picture:

I realize that I didn't actually post the work I did experimenting with Vallejo Still Water. I really like this stuff and will have more to share later (plus a little surprise if anyone is following/joining the newish Miniart Campaign- just got to finish this project first).





This is just supposed to be a little drainage ditch that runs alongside then underneath the road. Maybe I should depict a guy laying face down in this thing, pretending to be dead so the Germans won't shoot him. Morbid, but historical.

By the way, is there is an easy way to add the campaign banner to your posts?