I am building my first model/diorama in about 30 years... I am carving up a broken brick (plaster) building, but I will need rubble to place in the middle of it. Any suggestions? Where can I get piles of bricks, etc? Or how do I make em? Also, how in the heck are packs/spare tracks/helmets and such attached to a Sherman tank's turret? Are there hooks welded to the side? Sticky gum? Or are they held on by the sheer force of the tank crews will? I have seen photo's of other modelers tanks...but the attached packs seem to have no means of support.

I make my brick out of Durham Water Putty - Home Depots or Lowes. Mixes like plaster. I pour it out on a piece of wax paper, as it sets I take a knife and slice out brick wide strips. After it dries I break them into small size and give them a good smack with the hammer... Instant rubble. Check out an article I wrote on https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/247" TARGET="_blank">building a basic destroyed building






Cleats welded onto the hull or turret exterior Imagine something like this [ welded lengthwise on the surface. The equipment strap is simple slipped through and instant hanging gear. On most pictures you do not see the cleat or straps, just the gear hanging.



Hope that helps ...

John
www.johnneill.com

For rumbling i use also the hammer method. I lay a sheet of plaster leave it dry well and then break into the desired size pieces. For very small particles i have an old food blender (bought wife's a new one!!) so i put there medium to small pieces and i get smaller to dust whatever i like .

For hangin stuff the methods vary from what is described above, also rope securing , heavier and bigger stuff just well positioned with out roping (not very often but have seen it also in pictures) but is easy to look at a logical eye on the tank where would you put the stuff if you were crew and how to secure it !!!

Using colored plaster/hydrocal/whatever, pouring it into a sheet and scribing it is one good method as you can make whatever kind of rubble you want. Hudson & Allen make individual 1/35th bricks (both red and grey) by the bag, as well as a bag of chunks of brick rubble. They look like they're cast of plaster or hydrocal so you can smash them up into tinier bits.

pour plaster in to a plastic tray and allow to dry... then crumble up after panting the appropriate colors!