Just thought Id post it here also, as it might get some more responses

Hola Fellas,
Just thought that Id share with you my newest project.
I finished th french farm house, with the help of you guys, and the tiles looks really kool. However, my plans changed a bit, I was going to put some US airborne guys on it, then I decided to put a russian sniper, and making it into a russian farm house, so I finished the Sniper and then I decided not to use him on this particularry base. Anyways, now I have 3 100% action figures of US Gi's running for their life, with all their equipment flying in the air, they are really cool. So, I have a couple of questions.
My idea is to make it look like they are running and someone is shooting at them from the side. They are running between the house itself and a wooden fence. I would want to show that they are shooting from the other side of the wooden fence and hitting the house. How can I make the wall "explode" as the bullets hit, I been thinking like some shattered wood thats "in the air" but still attatched to the wall. I want the setting to be as hard core action as the figures are. Like bullets hitting the wall all over, and I want to show the impact, not just the holes. And any other suggestions that I could do to make it look more action packed?!

What are the walls of your farm house made of ?
Are they only wood or also concrete/bricks ?

When a bullet hits concrete or bricks, it takes a chip off, changing part of it into a small cloud of dust.
Now, i think you need to recreate these small dust clouds on impacts.
There are two ways I can see, but none rely pleases me.

first : use cotton wool (I think it's how it's called in english), the kind used by your wife to clean off her
makeup for exemple...
second : insulation foam. It comes out of the can a bit like shaving foam and then it hardens. You can find
it in a greyish color. But beware, it's volume changes a lot when drying.

Penpen,
Yeah, that thought crossed my mind also, the walls are out of wood painted white. Would want to show some wood slpinter or something. Its a thinking matter!! I'll let you know if I come up with anything, but I need tips!!

What did you use for the wood ?
It should be possible to make splinters out of balsa wood.
You can probably try by breaking a piece of balse (snapping it) and then workink it with your Xacto.

yeah, its balsa wood,
How far would a mg34 or k98 bullet reach in a "house board"? And how big a splinter? is there a way to make it look like the splinter is on the move?

A mg bullet would no doubt go through a plank. With a rifle or submachine gun, it probably depends
on the range. But when you're playing around buildings, I guess the range is usualy rather short.
Also I believe that splinters won't form in a circular shape but rather following the lines of the wood.

To give the feeling the splinters are flying away, I'd make them out of an other piece of balsa.
I'd shape the hole and the place where the splinters com off and glue the splinters there by their tips.
But I can't see a way to habe them flying...

There is a way of doing those splinters "flying"... But it works perhaps only when viewed from a certain direction...
You only need a couple of splinters that are really attached to the wall. Then place smaller pieces in the splinters in an angle that covers the attachement points between splinters.. If you have any characters or other stuff nearby, these are also spots to attach debris. Maybe some pieces are already on the ground..The point is to put them in some angle that the piece couldn´t obviously be still.

It depends, of course, on the set...
Personally, I wouldn´t use cotton wool.

Toni

I don't know if there's a water feature anywhere, but a bucket or trough or a puddle with a resin splash coming out of it would be a pretty good way to portray the 'under fire' effect. A bucket that has been hit, and caught in mid-tipover with water flying out would add a bit more action to the scene as well.

I like the idea of splintered wood, and clouds of dust would be great if you could pull it off without making it look like clouds of smoke.

-Paul

Thanks guys.
The guys will be running between the ol' house and the fence, and there wont be a whole lot of play inbetween. Im going to play with it tonight and see what I can do, I like the water trick and also the way to build up the splinters by glueing them together. Maybe add a small pool of water that one of the guys are stepping through and make the water splash? But how would I pull the water splash off? I never have done many dioramas and lately I been lookig at so many great pieces, that I just have to do one!

Perhaps you could use the tecnique described in Digital Dioramas about leakin drum.

Thats a good idea TUGA, but I'll have to find a way to make it splash up instead of running down. I added a couple of curtains to the window to add to the movement. I also tried to make some dirt "splashes", I took a small piece of balsa wood, then glued fine copper wire to it, then soaked it in glue and added sand and static grass, Im not 100% pleased with the result but it was a first time so Im sure that I can refine that technique! Another thought, maybe I can do it with epoxy putty, ohhhh Im headed for the workbench

Ok, the putty is curing and while I waiting I found pictures of the figures that Im using, they are soo cool!
US GI #1
US GI #2
US GI #3
The castings are great and they are not too expensive at $12 each from The Red Lancers

Hi Anders. Your figure painting is up there with the best best... Mr Bannerman et all. These figures are first class. I´m jealous

Sarge,
Thanks, but those pictures are NOT the figures that I have painted, although I wish! Thats just the figures that I am using

Anders, look at this thread about a diorama called "Bracketed" . It has a very nice explosion splash in it. Granted yours would have to be much, much, much smaller, but I'm thinking some bits of clear plastic, or clear stretched sprue, placed in the rough shape of the splash, and then doctored up with clear resin or 5-minute epoxy.

-Paul