I've posted 4 more photos of the Germans and the overall layout.

If I can get some imput on the overall design of it I'd appreciate it. The wall is the front of the diorama are complete the rest are in various stages. They are all carved out of sheet rock.

Overall, looks good. The faces are impressive, especially the one third from the left standing by the tank. Looking forward to seeing the completed project. BTW, have you been keeping track of your first thread? Some interesting reading, all in your favor except one.

Art

Why is this dio called Whoa Mohammed?

Ola

Alan the Explanation to why this dio is called Whoa Mohammed can be found in this extract of an article telling the History of the battle of Arnhem


http://www.army.mod.uk/para/history/arnhem.htm
Of this site
http://www.army.mod.uk/para/

Faust - coming through with the history

I like the buildings and the overall layout. One thing I see (or don't) is rubble. This will affect figure positioning too. They may not be able to be right up againts a corner or wall. Try to work in some rubble and then do the layout again.

Faust- thank you.

One more thing. I know that these pics are preliminary but I'm not sure what the plan is going to be when done. I see the Brits from wounded to manning a PIAT. The Germans seem to be standing around with their tanks while others seem to be attacking.

If it's the surrender of Frost's command then the PIAT guys are out of place. If it's an attack then the standing Germans are out of place.

Alan No problem mate

Badman
So far you are off to a superb diorama. I like how you converted all the Airborne Troopers great Job.
AS for the diorama features I have to second scott in his opinion that it needs Rubble. And lots of it. From Broken vehicles to debris from Houses etc. Lot of bricks wood doors bathtubs everything can be potential rubble. Also in one of the 4 pics you submitted as first (there is a guy firing a brengun in the foreground) the sidewalk is floating a little bit. and also the big seam on the place where the 2 walls connect at the building on the left of your dio you could hide that with a drainpipe or something like that or cover it in putty and paint that part over.
What I`m really curious about is how did you make the fence on teh roof of the right building. and what did you use for the rooftiles? They look really convincing just as your buildings. I will looking to the progress of this dio with great interest

Show us more

Guys,

When I'm done there will be more rubble then you can shake a stick at.

The ground work has not even begun ... the "shells" (building walls) were the first thing I worked on ... then I started on the figures (approximately 120), which are about completed.

The next step will be the interior design of the buildings ... right now I'm toying with ideas on how the viewer will be able to see all that is going on inside ... there's a lot of furniture to build and destroy ... wallpaper to hang and burn ... basically I have to construct two buildings and then destroy them.

Once the buildings are completed to inside and out and the soldiers who go in the buildings are positioned, I will fasten them all to the base and start on the park area in the back. Been reading a lot of articles on grass, trees, foxholes and the such ... still have no clue what I'm doing and therfore that will probably be my biggest challenge.

The tanks have been built, and primed in grey (but far from complete) ... that will be next ...

and then the rubble and the rest of the scenery.

ShermiesRule to answer your post, I just threw the soldiers around the base to give you an idea of where I'm trying to go with this ...

most of them are basically where they're going to be the meeting between the German officers won't be exactly there, the tank they're shown standing in front of is knocked out and will be smoking.

The Germans will be working thier way up the streets and through the park and will be blasting the paras out of the buildings with tanks, panzerfausts and panzerschreks (used at point blank range against the buildings according to eye whitness accounts).

The British Paras will be falling back (towards the front of the diorama while trying to hold onto the buildings.

And that's basically it.

Mr. FAUST thank you for the excellent "WHOA MOHAMMED!" explaination ... I couldn't think of anything better to call it.

If anyone is interested in how to use sheet rock (drywall) to create building walls or rock walls, it's a very cheap and easy process that I developed (honestly 20+ years ago) and I'd be more then glad to write it up. ANYWAY ...

I'll continue to bore you all as the dio progresses ... I actually can't wait to complete this because my next project will be a series of smaller dioramas dipicting the battle for France ... from the Normandy Invasion to the Falaise Gap.

120 figs!? jeepers creepers.......thats very ambitious, as is this whole project. the building construction is very nice. are you finished with the outer walls? if so, i might suggest washing those white parts with a burnt umber wash to tone down the white, which now sticks out a lot. also hit the low parts like the brick seams and all that stuff with a wash. as for the figs, you have done a nice job with the camo, especially the pea. i'm not so sure on your choice of color for the field grey, some of the figs are painted in a panzer grey looking color, and the only wehrmacht troops that wore panzer grey were early spg crewman i believe. here is a pic of the general field grey tunic. a good color to use is tamiya's field grey. good work overall, keep it up!

I thought Jackhammer had a lot with 35, but hands down you got or will get it with 120....Beautiful start, can't wait to see the finished product...The more pics the better...

Hey, I thought I was the one who discovered drywall, around 1977. Anyway, I've been using it since then and have done a couple of threads on it here. It really is the cheapest (free most of the time), fastest way to get the job done. Did you use it for the street, too? I'd be interested in the details of the roof tiles/fence also.

Art

one small remark its not whoa mohammed but whoa mahommed .

wich is more common in the african countrys.

That's true, but the battlecries "whoa mohammed" and "whoa mahommed" where both used.

Wow, what can i say, Badman, that is superb, even at the stage its at now i know this is going to eb a dio none of us will forget, i love the way you havent been shy to show the reality and the chaos that ensues in any fire fight, the amount of wounded, and i believe your dio so far does show the valour and courage men show when under fire and put inot these situations, EXCELLENT job so far, keep it up mate!
cheers

Art,

You tell me your way and I'll tell you mine (sheet rock technique) ...

I'm actually a little embarassed on how I built the roof. I built it in less then one week mostly from stuff that would nomally be thrown out

The roof materials are as follows:
a) the base - thick piece of cardboard
b) the wall - is wood
c) the fence - is a type of Lionel fencing
d) the window - made from the gate of the Lionel fence and some clear plastic
e) the inside frame - is made from Starbucks wooden coffee stirrers
f) the shingles - are made from cut popcicle sticks
g) the chimeny - is carved sheet rock and plastic straws
h) the corners - are made from cut tubing
i) the nails was stripped copper wire

The wood was stained using Lionel stain
The roof has not weatherd and completely damaged.

Badman;

Drywall recipe:

. Cut pieces to size.

. Soak in hot water for about 45 minutes to loosen glue.

. Gently scrape with putty knife to remove cardboard.

. Let dry, then carve, sand, weather, etc. as desired.

. Use for structures, streets, bridges, bunkers, rubble, etc.
I'm trying to find time to do some in-progress pix of the process, but it might be awhile. And thanx for the info on the roof details.

Art

Looks very good so far. One thing though. The battle has been going for some time and as you say the Red Devils are falling back around the northend of the bridge. The figures are mostly carrieing all their equipment like backpacks, shovels etc. At this stage of the battle these would have been discarded or lost, so I would remove them from the figures. I don't know howmuch you are planning to weather the figures, but the para's were in quite a state after the four days that they had been battered by the 9th SS Div. The remark about the Piat was right, as by the end of the fourth day there was no ammo left for those. The Red Devils did however manage to get their hands on Panzerfausts which they used.

But for a dio in progress it's looking promising.

Good luck

Henk

Art,

OK, we mind melded or something (but I do have proof that I did this way back when, I was written up in the Fort Bragg News to include a photo of me and one of my buildings - no lie) ... ANYWAY ... my turn …

Drywall recipe:

. Cut the pieces a bit larger then needed.

. Soak in water until the cardboard falls off, leaving just a film of paper on each side.

. While still in the water place the piece on a cutting board.

. Place an old towel on top of the piece and flip it over on a flat service.

. Remove the cutting board and gently scrape the thin film of paper off with an x-acto
knife

. While damp use x-acto knife to etch in the brick work or stone work, cut out doors or
windows and so on. Then brush away excess with an old toothbrush.(this must be done
while damp).

. Let dry … and paint.

Badman;

Don't worry about the "discovery" thing, and I'm sure we aren't the only ones who found this at one time or another. Recipes are basically the same. But for streets, I usually leave the cardboard on one side. It adds a little strength, and besides, no one's going to see it cause it's on the bottom. Anyway, get to working on that thing so we can see the finished project.

Art

Art,

Amen to getting back to work ... was only trying to add a little humor to the sheet rock discovery thing ... and yes, I carve the coble stone streets from sheet rock as well.

CB