I'm new to WWII diorama building, and have noticed that most of the dio structures are stone or brick. Does anyone ever create a WWII dio with wooden building? If so, what kind? Photos would be great.
Thanks for your opinions,
JohnT

There is a construction style called 'half-timbered', an old style found in England, France, and Germany (in general - NW Europe). Look for references here: https://www.google.ca/search?q=half-timbered+style&biw=1600&bih=742&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=zxcdVI3zI42gyASBi4CwCQ&ved=0CCkQsAQ

Fachwerk (the german term for half timbered) can differ quite much from region to region.
In general city buildings look different than rural Fachwerk-buidings. If you already know what region you want to base your dio, check if there is a "Freilichtmuseum" anywhere nearby. (Google Maps can help). The ones in Hagen, Detmold or Faldungen should give you an idea what I´m talking about.
Those museums gather houses from the region and put the on them on "display"... a gigantic 1:1 scale diorama, so to say. Most fit in the timeframe, at least concerning the outside.
For city buildings seaching for Nürnberg or Rotenburg plus the term "Fachwerk" will give you some insptiation aswell.

If you´ve decided what to build, use wooden sticks and build up your pattern on a pice of wood, plastic, or thick paper (if you material "reacts" with water, you need some kind of waterproving), fill up with plaster and ad a structure, if you like.
now you can procede the ususal way of painting plaster buildings...

I´ve done a small barn some time ago, in a simmilar way as just discribed.


There are also "full timbered" houses, but those are more common in the lower end of German (mostly in the Alps).

Verlinden does some ceramic fachwerk houses, that's worth checking out. There's a build on this site of one: http://modelerssocialclub.proboards.com/thread/5887/fachwerk-haus

It's beyond elaborate, but a good example.

Fabian: Would that style house be found in East Prussia? I'm halfway through building one for a diorama set in an East Prussian village.

-Conor

Here are some houses I am working on. The build is further back in this forum under"This Old House".
I used all very inexpensive materials.

Well... to be honest, I haven´t been much around up there, beeing from Bavarias north, it´s quite a way to go...
I´ve had a short look at you build, the one you´re using seems not entirely wrong. The lower part looks a bit strange, not eough openings to be an "Arkade" (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arkade-Anke.jpg) neither really reasonably for beeing a part of the lifing compartmenrt of the house...
As this is a city house, you´re not really fixed to a specific region...Álthough I wounldn´t use it in southern Bavaria or in the Northwest of Germany...

The house in you link would fit perfectly in a city beeing already big and rich in the middle ages (Nürnberg, Rotenburg for example), just like Jerrys fantastic build(ings).

That isn´t exact science for shure, but a building has to fit in the geographic circumstances and depending on that a lot of other factors

I could wirte a novel here... should I?
Just two examples:
In the Netherlands you´ll find a lot of brick buldings, hadly any stone or full timberd ones... why? For bulding stone houses you need stone, an awful lot of stone... wich isn´t that easy to get there...

The region around Fladungen (where is one of the museums) was rather poor in the 18./19. century, so most of the houses were cheaply made, so the "inlets" of the Fachwerk were filled what we would call dirt (actually clay mixed with straw, which was then put on a webbing of willow rods) and not treated in any othe way. Only the richer ones could afford painting them...

Thank you for the replies with photos, websites, search ideas, and messages. All of this has been so helpful in my construction plans for my building.

Also, I've seen WWII photos of dioramas with both wooden and stone bridges, but was not sure if the builder was correct or not. Were there bridges that had wooden plank floors? I've searched and seen both kinds, but again, not sure if it were native to NW Europe during WWII. I would like to have a wooden plank floor on the bridge with stone as supports, but need to know if that is correct.

Thanks again,
JohnT

Hi John,

in western Europe the bridges are all stone!

Wooden bridges are confined to the Eastern Front or Northern Europe (Scandinavia). Of course there are the odd movable bridges over canals in Holland, but that's the exception to the above rule!

Cheers

Romain

Thanks Romain for your reply. I was planning to put stone on the sides and wood on the ground portion, but I can easily change it to all stone. Does it matter what type or shape of stone?

JohnT

jep, and again geography jumps in
Sandstone would be one of the more used stones, but again, it can differ from region to region.
were do you want to your dio to happen? makes stuff a lot easier for us...

I really didn't have a specific battle or place in mind, but more or less generic Germany vs. USA scene with a sniper attack involving a bridge.

Thanks,
JohnT

Hi John,

apart from handrails, there would be no visible wooden parts on a WE bridge. Ground portion would be either cobbles or else tarmac. Do have a look at Claude's (roudeleiw) bridge in the Clervaux diorama. It's a perfect example!

Cheers

Romain

Thank you again. I just posted another question under BEGINNERS about mixing 1:32 soldiers with 1:35 soldiers, and am not sure if they should be on the same diorama. Any help on that post would be appreciated.
Thanks,
JohnT