Hi guys!
I'm been away for a while, but now I'm back with a new idea, which I hope will let me spend many hours doing someting I like and also let me learn something...

But first let me apologize with Luca (aka: miminan11) as he is recruiting for the 88 campaign starting next march. I am not enlisting, mate, as when I got an idea, I have to put myself to work in a very short period of time as I cannot stay focused very long and I fear to lose my mojo... consider it as an appetizer for the group bild .

Now, this is the general idea of my building plan:


What do you think? Do you think that the general setting is acceptable?
thank you very much for your input!
ciao
Edo

Looks like a nice layout and I look forward to what you build from it.
I would suggest that the command team be moved further to the rear. Where it is right now would make all of the team deaf from the muzzle blast of the 88.
J

Hey Jerry!
You're right! That would seem to be a Willy Coyote - like situation!!

LOL,I think that's a perfect way of putting it. I could see them all with blackened heads and smoking hair.
J

Hi guys!
this are the kits I'm planning to use:




(of this last one only the two on the left).

I am still thinking about the layout of the dio... if the house/building is partially destroyed, where are supposed the debris to go? if the corner is like this: "_|" I don't think the dirt road will be workable... or, if the corner is like this :"|_" the resting team should be outside the building (while the debris, are supposed to be inside after the implosion of the building), but does that make sense? If you are a soldier in early winter and wanted some shelter were you not supposed to repair into the house, although almost destroyed?



ciao
Edo

ciao edo,
and who says that the road woldn't have been cleared from the debris, since the house was destroyed?

or, who says that the house imploded, instead to exploded? it dependes how and from what it was reached...

in any case, who may answer at the above questions, and moreover can formulate any new and articulated questions is.... you!

I mean... the great part of modelling, and building dioramas, it's exactly that, the freedom of think at, and create from nothing, any situation!
a must is think at it from every point of wiew: storical, logical, phisical... but our range of application is virtually endless...

nice beginning, I keep an eye on it!
ciao, p.

Well,
I was a infantry soldier for 17 years. I lived outside for all of the time I was training or in combat. Yes,we always found shelter but sometimes,we made our own! What about a hastily built lean-to shelter made with debris from the destroyed house?
J

Hi all, and thank you for the kind comments!
Paolo, you know wht? actually I was trying to figure out how to incorporate charcoal into my dio.... !

Jerry, you are absolutely right! I had not thougt of it, but I'll do it now!
Thank you, my friend!

Ciao
Edo

Those two figure kits you got are top-notch my friend, I've built the panzer riders & the Cherkassy guys are on my to-do list.

I like where this is going

-Conor

Hey Edoardo,

All the best for 2013!

I love your planned project - will definitely follow it's progress. I built a similar dio with that exact same kit a while ago. It's an amazing kit with loads of details and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Good luck and post some pics!
Quintin

Ciao Edo,

the above proves that you are asking yourself the right questions! Fortunately we have some guys with practical experience on the forum. They can provide valuable information!
Well done then! Keep going!
Thanks for keeping us posted!!

Cheers
Romain

Yo Edoardo,

Looks like a very nice story!

Hooked on!

Greetz Nico

Looks like a good starts. Nice selection of kits. Have fun
Warren

Hi guys!
Thank you for the feedabck and the incouragement!
Toady I satrted some figues... Having all those pieces to put together brought me back to the building frenzy of when I was a kid... Real fun!
The detail seems a little soft, and I'll try to enhance them with a sharp point
I'll show you some pictures soon....
In the meanwhile, do you hapen to know a good way to build wooden boxes? I'll need some of those to sit the rides on (they will be the resting party).
Ciao
Edo

Edoardo - This should come out very nice! I'll be following along, Ciao!

Dave

Hi guys!
during the weekend I realized some wood boxes... not really difficult, but I don't know if they are convincing and if the size is ok...
please, have a look and tell me what do you think!

ciao
Edo

Hi guys!
here I am with a new update!
I started with the figures, then I moved to the house and the gun itself.

here are some pics: as always any comment is much appreciated

here are the boxes



and some oil drums



one of these will be used to light a fire to cook some coffe on...



All of the above is build from scratch, as the tree below...



here is a close up picture... I am very curious of yor opinion as it is my very first tree and don't really know how to judge it...



here are some detail of the figures in different states of build...













and here is the house (ehm... the door is upside down...)





and lastly, the general view of the dio...







hope you'll enjoy!
as said, any comment is most welcome!!!

ciao
Edo

Hi there
Why not place the gun beside the ruin, that way it would be less visible in the terrain. The gun crew could be located on and around the gun. This would leave the diorama smaller, but maybe more effective. Just a thought. Looking forward to see your progress.
Best regards
Jacob

I believe that you have made a very nice start on all of your componants.
I agree with moving the 88 closer to the ruin and making the dio smaller. You can tell the same story with less space! Maybe some of the rubble from the building can be placed by the gun crew in front of the 88 as hasty cammo?
I love the tea pot and the boxes are painted very well. I think maybe you have too many leaves on your tree?
J

nice start - like boxes and the tea (coffee surely? ersatz of course) pot... how did you make that? could be tempted to attempt my own for additional interest in my various stowage....

I was an infantry man for 13 years and again we lived outside all the time especially when I was special ops. One thing to remember, if the unit is going to be there awhile then they will improve on the position and before emplacing the weapon system, the crew would have moved as much debris as possible to make the weapon system more effective. I will echo the others though that it is a great idea and the components so far look great.

hi edoardo,

i just saw your diorama and i have really been missing out on some amazing stuff.

i know what its like about losing your mojo. I'm terrible with it, sometimes my ideas last about 3 hours before i think of something else!

also may i ask you how you achieved the wood effect and how you made the oil drums?

thanks,
Luca

Edoardo - I like it so far!

What type of scene will be surrounding the Figs? Snow covered embankment, village/town ruins, or ?

Thanks for sharing your progress,
Cheers Dave

Hi all!
Thank you for the kind comments! I really appreciate it!
I was thinking of a diorama in the countryside, I think that such a big gun would be out of place in close quarters like a town (even if I saw some picture of it in the middle of a street...). Ideally is should be early winter so just a thin layer of snow over mud/grass.

The boxes and the door are made out of real wood, the kind used for wood ships (lime tree?) not balsa wood. Before painting I run with the back of the scalpel over them to enhance the woodgrain.
For the boxes I painted them with oils mostly yellow ochre and then added some red ochre and blended all togheter. To simulate age I added some black or burnt sienna in corners and then blended all toghetr again. The door is made just the same but the scars with the knife run deeper actually breaking throug in some points (i used a saw to cut some of the wood on top and bottom of it). I painted it with oils, first a base coat of red, and then some brown and black to add age, above all on the lower surface whare rain would have hit ruining the wood the most.

As far as the drums, the shed and the coffe pot are concerned, I used a great medium: majo tube!
It is very easy to work with and it is soft but also thick enough to retain shape. For the drums, just jently run a round but pointed object through it and prest you have the drum's ribs, then roll the strip on something with the suitable diameter (1,5 cm) and you have the drum. For the top I cut some stirene roundels with a compass cutter. This is all. It work perfeclty also for replacing exhausts for tanks, letting you damage it very easily... The same goes for for the pot (but the cap and, well, the pipe are made of milliput) and the shed. I glued some tooth pics on a card board then just press the thin on it making sure it bends following the sticks, you'll have corrigated iron in no time!

Lastly, thank you for the suggestion of moving the gun! I am very scared of big dios as you have to fill them somehow... And I am not sure to be very good at all in making bases...
Problem is 6 more figures are missing (the gun crew itself) so I am not sure if it all will fit.... But I'll play around with the idea for sure!

What do you think of the tree? Is it convincing at all?

See you soon!
Ciao
Edo

As I said in my earlier post,I think the tree has too many leaves on it buddy!
J