Evening gents,

Sorry for the radio silence on the blog. Been a busy week at the day job, so not much bench time. Did manage to make some progress on the figs today. Here's a sneak peek at the assistant driver. Still need to finish his boots, even though they won't really show. Also need to finish the helmet, which I'll paint separately and add later. All painting is with Vallejo Acrylics. Still getting my figure painting technique down, but seems to come a bit more naturally with each figure I do. (This the third figure I've painted in about 27 years.)

Will try and keep the momentum going....AMPS is just around the corner!!

Jeff, He looks great!

—mike

That's your third figure?!? Holy smoke, I'm never touching another figure. That's incredible!

Nice work on the base. I really need to focus a lot more on bases. I usually can't be bothered that much but it really makes a huge difference..
The fig is really really nice as well,
J

Yo man,
Anything new??
J

Hey Jerry! Thanks for checking in, and the gentle nudge... it's been a tough week at work, so no bench time. But working on figures today. Should get close to finishing them. Will definitely post pics later today on status.

I also need to revert my attention back to the M8 to finish some final weathering, including pigments. And of course the groundwork. Lot's to do before AMPS, which is only 6 weeks away. It's in Auburn, Indiana BTW. Believe you asked before where it was this year. Even if you're not into the contest thing, you should still try and make it out. Great vendors, great guys, great models. And the AMPS rules really make it less of a competition, and more of an individual learning experience based on your skills, and execution of those skills on your particular model. Very different than the likes of IPMS.

Made some progress on the figs today. Still need to finish the details, boots, and clean up some mistakes. My goal is to have these done by end of week so I can jump back into the M8 and groundwork.

Jeff, They look absolutely amazing! Nice assortment of corks too!

—mike

Progress on the helmets. Our "Greif" dude's helmet will be on the ground, so needed to detail the interior with the webbing/brace. I used lead foil and copper wire for the ring in the middle.





And here all the helmets ready for primer.



Note the one in the back left does not have straps because I'll paint the base, add the helmet insignia, then add some netting, and the straps will go over that.

Hi Jeff - your figures look great! Nice details too!

Looking forward to next update -

Nick

Jeff the helmet straps are great. I had never thought of that. I am waiting to see the finished diorama.

Tom

Wow man!!! That helmet liner looks fantastic. I always glued strips to the bottom of the helmet but yours are just like the real ones. Superb detail brother.
J

While waiting for some oil weathering to dry on the M8, I started working some of the final details. Tonight, the M-48 Antenna bases and whip masts. Not sure why, but I'm really into to antennas! And it's always puzzled me how most modelers of US WWII vehicles miss the detail on the segmented whip antenna that most vehicles used. Here's an example of what the segments look like, including the the colored coded connection points:



To replicate this detail, I previously used good old stretched sprue, but made the colored segments using a dab of Mr. Dissolve Putty. Here's a previous model using this approach:





But now, enter the amazing Adler's Nest company from Japan who a few years ago released a turned brass version of the whip antenna, complete with individuals segments that insert into one another, just like the real thing. Of course they also make an amazingly accurate M-48 base.



And here they are, test fitted on the M8:





Once I paint and install the base/antenna combo, I'll also add tie-downs as seen on almost all ref pics of the M8 in action.

Slowly making progress....more tomorrow night. Cheers!

Your attention to detail is such a treat! ... Love that crushed ration box!

—mike

Nice updates, very inspiring!

it is all the little details like this once added together that make an outstanding model.
J

Evening fellas,

Just a few quick updates. Been making good progress, but have not been taking as many photos since I'm trying to cram in bench time here and there in small increments. I finished painting the M1 steel pots, well, almost all of them.

Here's the "prisoner's" pot. I used a rust color to replicate the subtle pattern of the fiberglass liner. After seeing the photo, will probably hit the webbing brace with a pin wash.



And here's one of the paratrooper's helmets. I used the Archer helmet insignia set for the 502 PIR heart. I used yellow, cream, green, and grey oils in a "dot filter" method to achieve to depth and richness to the finish. Pretty happy with the way it turned out.



And here's the other paratrooper's helmet. This was actually my second attempt at the netting. The first go around, I actually finished the helmet just like the other one, painting, insignia, etc. Then, plan was to use fine wedding tulle (basically veil material) painted light green, and then stretched over the completed helmet. The tulle turned out to be too stiff, which made it hard to tuck and glue on the inside rim of the helmet. So had to scrap that approach. I read somewhere else on Armorama about using panty hose. So, after the awkward conversation and request of my wife, I "acquired" some new netting material. I had to to really stretch it to get the grid pattern to expand enough, but in the end, I think it worked out. Just need to paint like the others,



Plan to get the groundwork started in the next few days. Countdown to AMPS has started, so the pressure is on....

Cheers!

Forgot I took some additional shots of the dusting/pigments/splattering:

Started with a quick pass of some Tamiya Buff for basic dust coat:



For pigments, I started with some lighter colors to represent the higher and drier areas. I did the wheels at the same time.



And then some darker pigments to represent the newer mud.



Once the pigments had dried overnight, I used a few different enamel earth effects and dark wash to splatter the under carriage. I used a stiff brush and a piece of card board to "flick" the brush.



For the wheels, I wanted to add a hint of snow on some of the wheels. The base will not include a ton of snow, more of a dusting. But I've seen ref pics of where the wheel hubs have some embedded snow accumulations in the deep recesses. For the snow, I used Micro Balloons, which are a filler/additive for resins and epoxies. I've been reading about this product a lot, and really like the scale look of snow it provides.



Sorry, no beauty shots of the final results. Will get some new pics later this week.

Thanks for looking. Cheers.

Incredible stand-alone details! Like a build within a build!

—mike

I love how the netting came out on the brain bucket. Could you let us know what PE piece did you use for the helmet strap buckle? Very effective.
Awesome weathering work as well,
J

My God, those helmets are devine. It boggles my mind trying to figure out how you get that much detail into such small fwatures without bogging dowb in it all! Love the weathering too, I use the same products, they're awesome.

-Conor

This is an awesome thread, and I have had the same ideas or issues, and one thing that I found, if you don't want to ask your wife, at shoe stores they have a a box of foot covers that are made of the same material as pantyhose and best of all they are free. My kids think they are cool and always take a pair to wear for like five seconds. Anyway always a way to find free material....Again awesome thread and topic.

Thanks Curtis, great idea! Although I've probably got enough material from one knee-high to last about 10 dioramas!

Sure thing Jerry. It's Aber's generic buckles and strap PE set:

http://www.model-making.eu/zdjecia/3/0/7/604_rd.jpg

I used one of the clasp looking doo dads.

Alright gents, need your help. Trying to decide on a name for this vignette so I can order the name plate. I was thinking to play off the German name for the operation, Greif.

"Give 'em Greif"

Thoughts? Ideas? Alternatives?