Been looking through this and I think its fantastic work , great to see someone working from a photo like this.
But I think the base/diorama is too big and is in danger of over-powering the work gone into the figures and vehicle.
But thats me, feel free to tell me otherwise.
Will keep watching the great work.

I agree on size of base. Might be realistic, but swallows up an amazing build. I'd use some artistic license to represent the real photo but with visual compression

Yeah guys, I suppose you are right. I have been contemplating a couple options for paring the base down to a manageable size. My first idea was to cut it at the curve where it passes behind the trailer, but that is still a pretty big chunk of earth. So maybe the way to go is a couple inches all the way around the truck. Giving it more of a pedistal appearance. I would keep the wall and a part of the hillside as well as the drums on the other side. If I get up in time I will lay out the cuts with some tape to gat a better visual perspective... before the cutting...

So I didn't get the tape on, but I did throw the base on the chopping block!



I guess I had enough time to visualize the whole thing... and I do like the results!





It has been whittled down to about 15"X9" from the original 26"X13" and I think there will still be enough of the desert road to bring it all together... At least that is what I'm shooting for...

Well... whadda ya think? Too much... Not enough... or On the money

That looks much better.

If the ground-work is as good as the model then I'm sure it will be a winner. Brilliant work.

Slowly but surely it's all coming together! Love it

Love it! Much better than before.

I'm glad you guys like the smaller size base! It does make a big difference (and it's a whole lot easier to handle!) So then I was doing some more thinking (watch out!) I decided to slap a swivel under the foam and forego the traditional base configuration. So the finished product should have about a 1/4" off the table and turn with a touch!




I got some heads on a couple of the figures, did a little more sculpting...




...I took a shot at making a new drum too.



I just haven't been able to find ones like the ones in the book, so I think this should work, maybe a couple coats of resin over the wire to smooth the rib. This is the first shot so we will see how it turns out!

Nice work, on the drum. A clever way to work around those pesky seam lines.

@Babcat -

What are you planning for the non-wall side of the base? Are you compressing the scene to eliminate the other lane of traffic?

I looked at the photo again and the additional lane+vehicle seems a bit too much, but I like the idea of having at least some "other lane" space then a large rock wall.

Interested to hear what you're thinking!

Yeah Matt, I'm not sure how this version of the drum will work, but it's a start. I'm gonna try to get some more finish work done on it in the next couple of days.

As for the road, there is really not much room on that side iof the scene. In the photos there is a bit of a wash and then the clay road. I think I will be able to model that but really nothing more. I think with the picture the scene will flesh itself out, and on it's own it will really bring the horch into focus. I know that may be over thinking, but heck I have more thinking time than working time, so that's just what happens!

So ultimately, you have to choose since you see it live, but here's my 2 cents:

Part of the draw of that photo is that there's a sense of desperation and isolation... are these guys broken down on the side of a treacherous mountain road? Are they going to cause a traffic jam? If they need spare parts, will they have to walk back down the mountain to get them, since traffic seems to be marching uphill?

I can understand that a true mountainside might be too much (and likely would be too distracting from the amazing model you've built), but I'm wondering if a "hint" at the hillside helps to create some of that drama from the photo...?

Yeah, I do see what you're saying, I think that was the attraction to the larger base. I would have liked to have modeled a compete scene, although I would probably be working on it for decades at this rate! I think as a small piece of the series of photos it holds up well, it's just too bad I can't use them as part of the display. I think that would be the best presentation. Besides I just don't think I could compress the scene that much. There is an uphill grade as well as a portion of the drop off, so maybe the feel will still be there when it's done!

What's got all of my attention right now is... What is behind the Horch? I can only see a fender and a wheel from the front so I've been looking at bunches of vehicles to try to nail it down. My original assumption was that it was the ammo trailer (that's probably what it will be in my version!). But in the picture from behind it looks like there may be a Kubelwagen back there... the shape of the fender doesn't fit a Kubelwagen though... Hmmmm....

Thanks for keeping me thinking!

need an update im feeling ill

An ominous silence falls over the post...

An obsessive car project has pulled me away again, but J I should have something for you by the end of the weekend!

Awesome build!!! Where are you located in Michigan? I agree the weather has been crazy! Love the sculpting on the figures!!

Whoa!

OK so I'm a little late on the progress, but I did get some time today.

I got the turntable mounted. I ended up just gluing some rubber mat to the bottom of the plate and then hot glued it to the base.

I was looking around the basement and came across a box of Perma-Scene. It looked like it would be just right for the rubble on the side of the hill and along the barriers, so I went ahead and mixed up a batch. It went on pretty good and didn't look bad at all...



...but I probably should have put it on after the leveling compound... Oh well, it worked out, just a little more work doing it that way...





While I was waiting for all of this to dry I went ahead and did a little drum experiment. I mixed up some of the molding putty, rolled it out and drug a comb across it.



I didn't have my blank ready so I just wrapped some clay around one of my paint jars, but it looks like it just may work!




And yes the weather has been about as crazy as it gets down here in South West Michigan! Last week about six to twelve inches of snow, and this week tornado warnings! We were having a model club meeting today when the front rolled through!

the base looks promising lots to do yet ,your drum idea I like tooo keep an I out to see how you go with them , but

did you happen to keep the mold for your wheels and tire combo I would love to get a set off you if you did ...

Hey J I took a look at the molds last night and the tire ones for the tires look good, the one for the rim is shot. I should be able to make another one while I'm doing the drum molds. I'll let ya know.

I think I have a pretty good plan for making the drum masters now. I'll have to stop by the hardware store for some dowel rod so I can give it a try... Maybe tonight!?!

I think I will be picking up some molding putty, as part of my Christmas. The drum/barrel is amazing!

Matt, you definitely do have to get some of this stuff. I use it everywhere!

In fact I'm on my third barrel making form... but let's not jump too far ahead...

I stopped at the dollar store to get a pack of combs, well it turns out that the one I had was the only one I needed!

From the picture I'm guessing at the ridge layout, which gives me the number of teeth I need per barrel size that I am putting at around 1 to 1.2 inches.



From there I went ahead and trimmed out the teeth on the comb with the best fit... rolled out some putty in the pasta machine... and set my ridges in!



Next I took a piece of dowel and wrapped a bit of foil around that... tossed some Apoxie Sculpt into the pasta machine... and gave it a roll on the putty!



After a little trimming it looks pretty much like this...



The problem with this one was that the ridges were just toooo big... so back to the putty, back to the pasta machine... a little lighter on the comb... and still not right... too light.

So one more time and here is what it looks like...



Now from here I hope to make a RTV mold for resin casting and adding dents to partially cured resin drums. That's the plan any way!

awesome so simple and yet amazing results love your work ....J

Thanks again J, I'm glad your digging it!
I was hoping I'd be a little farther along right now, but it is what it is...
I shaped some styrene strip around the same dowel that I used for the drums, wrapped it in foil and hit it with a heat gun. That made it a whole lot easier to glue to the top and bottom of the drums. And that pretty much finished off the masters!

I made one mold for a solid drum and one for a hollow drum, it turns out the one for the solid drum works really good. I put some resin in and turned the mold until it began to set... I pulled them out before they set completely and added some dents and dings... and that looks like this...

I knocked out about nine of them so far, and now I am looking into working on top and bottoms. The bottoms are just embossed with two concentric rings, so I was trying a press mold...

It's been a little tough getting everything centered, I'm probably on my 6th try. Then one of the guys at the club meeting (thanks Chris) suggested turning a styrene blank on the dremel... why didn't I think of that!

Hope you are not tired of the barrels yet, cause here we go again!

I went ahead and turned the top and bottom on the dremel, it went pretty good. So I set'em up for a casting... after adding a couple of the cast ends to some of the drums I decided it might be better just to make another set of molds with the ends installed...


With a bit more casting and crinkling I had a full set of drums ready to paint! Here are a couple shots of the results...



In the photo there is one barrel that seems to have had a metal post cemented in it. For that I took a little more foil and wrapped it around some brass tubing like this...


I still have to trim down the foil a bit, but I think it will do the trick...


I almost forgot the shot of the drums in place!


Well that is the update for now, I should be adding a little more ground work here soon!