Hi Mike - well, the story sounds pretty good! Best of all, it will be an easy build!!!

Actually - it does sound really interesting and I will keep watching! Limit your coffee intake as you're working with the water!

Looking forward to your progress pics

Cheers
Nick

right color for soviet long coat khaki drab .but the box art look like tan earth.which is correct?

Hi Richard,
I'm not sure but this may help:

https://www.google.com/search?q=wwii+soviet+uniform+colors&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=_lfeU6fGB42lyATPoII4&ved=0CB4QsAQ&biw=1680&bih=914

—mike

Good luck Mike, it should be an interesting and challenging project project. If the truck was near the lake edge then being half sunken and frozen over isn't really a problem

It looks suitable damaged, nice work.

Cheers

Al

Alan,
I actually like your idea! Hmmm ... something else to ponder! The whole fully submerged vehicle idea is sounding rather grim right now -- complex, risky and expensive according to another thread I've been following.

... Plan A, Plan B and now, Plan C.

Thanks!
—mike

Hey Mike - have you tried the woodland scenic's water? The liquid type? I've used it before and it's fairly transparent - the only downside as I recall is that it shrinks a little - so you might get some separation around the edges. I don't know if I'd try something really deep, but you might try(?) something deep enough for your truck - maybe the roof can stick out above the waterline?

Have you checked model railroad forums for ideas? Folks often have pretty vast expanses of water on the big layouts. I remember reading of various methods for achieving very good "fake" water...you might just need to experiment until you get the look you're after.

In thinking about this, if you are representing a fairly big frozen lake, and snowy conditions, maybe only the area immediately enclosing the truck needs to look like "water" per se - so, you might consider, building a canal/wall around the area with the truck in it, and fill only that area with your fake water - the rest of the lake or pond surface could then be made of any other material - essentially like a deck around a swimming pool - which you will cover with "snow", so you won't be able to see what it's actually made of once you're done (and, you can paint it white before adding your snow - it will likely look a lot like a snow covered frozen surface)

...remember tho, in any event, make sure your "water" area is completely water tight!!! The "fake" water, like real water will escape when you pour it in if you don't have it all sealed! Yes, it will! I've, uh seen it!!!! For a while I had a beautiful "stream" crossing my shop floor!!!

One more thing - you might consider a fairly light color for the stones, sand, mud etc on the bottom of your lake - if you choose a dark color for the base, it might be difficult to see your truck, there might not be much contrast and it might just look like a dark shadow from above - unless of course you decide to leave the roof or some portion of the bed above the pour/level line of the water. I have been surprised by how transparent the fake water is - but, I haven't tried it much more than an inch or so deep - in that case, you can easily see through the water material to your base material - like in a stream, you can easily see rocks and sand.

Or, do something else!

Keep at it!! This sounds like a cool dio! Sorry about the chilly pun!

Take it easy and keep us up on your results!

Nick

Nick,
Wow! Your comments are excellent!

I haven't poured a single drop yet. I'm actually waiting for my neighbor (a model railroader) to pour a waterfall and stream for his O-gauge layout first. I'd like to see what method he uses and how it works out for him. ... Back in my dirt-bike riding days, in order to man-up for a big hit, we used to say: "You go first."

I'm actually bouncing between threads now. I latched onto the 'Water...Going Deep' thread (Bluestab, Alex) which is developing into a good how-to on "deep" water effects (see link).
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/224893

In addition, I've enlisted the 1/48 scale Tamiya truck (sans water effects) in the 'Extreme Trucks Campaign.'

Your "canal" idea: I like it! For now I'm still leaning towards viewing from the sides, so it may not be applicable here ... I also thought something like that could work. ... Sick minds think alike!

Light color bottom: Yes. And here's a small experimental base which I've started — no water effects, for dry-fit purposes only. Sorry about the "dry" pun. LOL!


Vallejo Desert Sand Earth Effect (26.217) spread on top of Tile Grout buildup:


Thanks for the encouragement! And with these fresh ideas coming in, I'm getting even more stoked! If nothing else, you guys are giving me great ideas for possible future scenes. Soon, I'll have enough fuel for the fire to melt the ice on 1:1 Lake Ladoga! ... Oh no ... not MORE GAZ trucks!

—mike

A little more progress on the experimental lake bottom. Vallejo 'Desert Sand' Earth Effect (26.217).




Crap! ... the wheels don't all touch down!!!

That's it for now.
—mike

I HATE that, when I build a wheeled vehicle and one of the wheels is "floating" - but your sunken truck looks pretty good. I understand the bottom of Lake Ladoga is littered with wrecked ships, planes, and vehicles, Axis and Soviet. Must be fascinating for divers to explore.

I can only imagine what's down there!

And in another fifty years, there'll be a dive in my workroom ... and what will divers find? ... Soviet GAZ cargo trucks, of course!!!

Thanks for stopping by.
—mike

More sand clumping. I think it looks okay for now. I'll let this cure and probably pull-off the form ring and work on cleaning up the base tomorrow.




Later,
—mike

Hi Mike - that looks terrible!!...er, um, I mean great!! Nice job. I'm really curious to see what you're going to do next flood it with fake water? Looking forward to the next post! Be brave! Flood it!

Cheers
Nick

Nick,
Thanks ... uh ... I think. Sorry, no flood ... yet. Although, lately we have been getting an unusual amount of rain here in Colorado -- waiting for Noah to show up!

Anyway, some more progress:

Added more sand to the truck ... and since most of its details were lost, I very subtly pin-washed it using Vallejo 'European Dust' Model Wash (76.523) to bring them back just a bit. Finally, I touched up some weak spots with more sand effects.

Pealed-off the grout form and constructed a lower base ring (paint and attachment to the underwater section of the diorama pending).




I'm starting to have flash-backs to the Jersey Shore!

Later,
—mike

Finished for the 'Extreme Trucks Campaign.' Now I can return my focus to 'Road of Life.'

Truck and sandy base is sealed with Vallejo Matt Varnish (70.520).

Paper Soviet stars.


Base ring assembled and painted with Vallejo Russian Green (71.017), then sealed with Vallejo Gloss Varnish (70.510).






Hope you like it.

—mike

hi, a very interesting project, I'm looking forward to see more. good luck.
steph

In case you're interested, here are links to the complete truck builds.

Soviet 1.5 Cargo Truck (1/48 scale)
https://imgur.com/a/ZzV53

Soviet GAZ-MM Cargo Truck
https://imgur.com/a/SgOjL

Soviet GAZ-AAA Cargo Truck
https://imgur.com/a/PaqRH

Sorry for making such a mess of things.

—mike

Hej Mike,

you are also making a mess out of healthy young trucks!!
Shame on you..!!! Look what you've done to that poor innocent Gazi!!!

Hi Mike,

All you pics seem to have moved?

Cheers

Al

Romain,
I've made a promise to myself that one day I will build a very clean kit -- no damage and no weathering. But for now, my destructive inner child is on the loose.

Alan,
Embarrassing! Refer to new album links in message posted Saturday, August 09, 2014 - 01:45 PM GMT.

—mike

Afterthought: If you guys wish, I can repost some of the missing images here in the thread again. I understand that links are generally frowned upon.

—mike

Now with the little 1/48 scale wreckage done, here are some updates on its topside companions:

Scratched-up a spare tire rack for the GAZ-MM Cargo Truck.



________________________________________________________________________________________

And some work on the GAZ-AAA Cargo Truck.

Chassis detail


Body & cargo bed dry fit


Vallejo German Red Brown Primer (73.605)


Next: Chassis and engine base coat; body base coat and white wash; some rust, chipping and weathering.

—mike

Another nice truck mike!

While the trucks are cool - I'm really curious to see how this dio's going to come together!!!

Keep building those trucks! Then you can start the dio!!!!!

Cheers

Nick

Figures ... and trucks ... and a frozen lake ... oh my!!!

I haven't posted in a while, so here's a paint/weathering update on the GAZ-AAA.

Rust and wood sub-layers:


Body, frame and top coat:




Body white wash layer:



Chipping:


Rust and wood pin washing:



Canvas top and interior paint/weathering:




Wheel to frame assembly:


More weathering on the wheels to come:



That's it for now.

—mike