Mine and booby trap training diorama

[Okdoky]

Hi folks

Been faffing about too much on the house alterations to get any real models churned out and am supposed to be thinking of a build for the Perth Model Show in April.

Thought I would use the modelling a photo campaign idea (ok far too early to be considered part of the campaign I know) to get my mind in gear and get something done for a change.

Came across a photo of troops training to deal with mines and booby traps and thought it might be suitable to get me going.

Materials of construction are quite basic for the moment with timber coffee stirrers for the frame and tin foil to make the corrugated tin.

Frame constructed with superglue

The tin foil from carry out food cartons put through a wringer gives a nice scale corrugated tin

I got this art paint tube squeezer from The Works book and craft shop for £0.99

Thinking of buying two or three more to do a slight modification to them. More on that later.

The individual sheets of tin foil were sized to give scale 2 foot by 6 foot corrugated sheets. Holes were marked using a large diameter hole punch to mark the diameter on the corrugated sheets then cut out with a knife. The sheets were flattened fully again then put through the wringer again so that the holes retained the corrugated edge.

This is where I am at for now.

Have a figure on order from evilbay and others for doners.

More to follow soon.

Nige

[Nick Belbin]

What a fantastic and original idea – absolutely love it!! Really look forward to seeing more of this . . .

Nick

[philp]

Impressive start. Looking forward to the build.

[Deon]

a rather unique dio! Will you just have disembodied arms poking through - that might be amusing?

[Okdoky]

a rather unique dio! Will you just have disembodied arms poking through - that might be amusing?

Hi Deon

You have sussed out my strategy. Partly cause I am running out of time to produce something for Perth, and partly cause I have to rejuvinate any figure painting skills i had as a youngster using basic acrylic and oil paints at hand, I am going on the basis of less is more.

I have still to determine the basic shape and texture of the dio base but am thinking of a roughly triangular wedge shape with faced edges in line with the rear of the corrugated sheeting with viewing encouraged in line with the original photo.

I have one figure in battledress with side cap on order this month (Hornet white metal) rather expensive at £10 and I know of another in battledress without side cap same price.

Directions to any other (cheaper) figure sources matching the rough appearances would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Nige

[Deon]

Sounds like a good plan Nige, I cant think of any perfect solutions to the standing chaps, you might get away with some bare 'Hornet' heads. I think the heads are half dozen for a fiver, also 'firing line' might be worth a look, other than that Id be tempted to try and remove the webbing from the tamiya British, with Hornet heads unless you can find some figures just in battledress without kit, good luck with that

[Okdoky]

I had a chance to have a couple of cups of tea and used the tea bags to help dull down the brightness of the coffee stirrers though I may try some coffee aswell to darken the timber even more.

Also placed the Hornet figure to get an idea of the proportions against the timber frame. I will be sinking the timber frame into a plaster bed and noted that the plaster will have to be thicker than the timber I have stood the figure on. The figures waste band needs to be almost level with the hands on the boards.

The left arm is shown on the box to be placed behind but looks equally fine as I have it posed.

I have two other figures ordered on evil bay.

Cheers

Nige

[Greg B]

Looking good and an interesting idea. When you complete it and after Perth, I know somewhere where they would be probably interested in this as a museum display piece.

Greg

[AnonymousDFB1]

What a brilliant idea

[Guest snipersmudge]

Very original and interesting dio idea.

[Okdoky]

Looking good and an interesting idea. When you complete it and after Perth, I know somewhere where they would be probably interested in this as a museum display piece.

Greg

Thanks folks for the kind comments. Appreciated !!!!

Greg, I have to get the model finished by Perth, but I am not sure that my skills in painting would be upto a museum display standard. The other side of this is, that if I do get this dio finished by Perth, I will at least have a couple of completed models that I can display in my rather empty glass display cabinet at home. A lot of my older models have been stored away with house moves and extension to this house. Some did not survive the move well. It would be nice to think that I get something even close to a museum standard, but I would need to pull out a lot of magic to get that good.

I will enjoy getting back to painting figures anyhow, however they turn out, as it has been ages.

Nige

[crookedmouth]

I've not bothered with the Figures Forum up till now, but this is so quirky & original, I can't help but draw up a seat & reach for the

[Okdoky]

I've not bothered with the Figures Forum up till now, but this is so quirky & original, I can't help but draw up a seat & reach for the

Hi Crookie

Thanks for that. Hope you have not fallen off your seat waiting for a progress update and I hope you got a giant tub of pop-corn. Aside from the slow speed of my builds I hope you got enough to go around for everybody watching.

A wee update

Made a a base using a slab of foam cut and coated with a topping of household filler stippeled with a paint brush for texture.

I have two Hornet white metal figures, one SKP and arms from a set of British tank crew.

Pic in black and white

Still gots loads to do on this including trying to learn better figure painting.

Nige

Edited May 22, 2010 by Okdoky

[Deon]

Looking good Nige, glad you managed to find some suitable figures

( :{>

[T-Tango]

Now that is different, lovely dio.

[crookedmouth]

Looking great. I still think this is a fantastic idea for a dio.

Don't forget to "sleeve" the arm holes - the light showing through the holes makes the arms look a bit disembodied...

[Okdoky]

Looking great. I still think this is a fantastic idea for a dio.

Don't forget to "sleeve" the arm holes - the light showing through the holes makes the arms look a bit disembodied...

Hi crookie and all

Thanks for looking in regularily. This is just test fits to compare with the photo for now for placement of each arm. I have the arms to sleeve up and smooth off in their final positions behind the scenes. Going for a flush edge at the back so all the fixing in place will require to be from the front so the sleeves are necessary to cover the glue or filler that will help keep them located in there posed positions.

I also received a packet of replacement hands from a pall at the club which are much more detailed and I may take the opportunity to replace some to make the scene a little more animated on the mines. They are tiny so I hope I don't end up with carpet fodder.

The intension is to sleave up, animate and paint each before final fixing. Also hoping the club will have it demo on figure painting so that I can do the full figures to a reasonable standard.

Thanks for looking in.

Nige

[Okdoky]

Hi Folks

A wee update on the base

Added some acryiic burnt umber and a light grey wash

Some grey sand and dust

also some grass flock and saw dust for dryed weeds

Added some tiny grass clumps in the soil trough where grass would have naturally seeded itself.

Will follow up on work to the figures and arms soon I hope

Nige

[TonyT]

That soil is staggeringly realistic.

Infact so it the woodwork and tin sheeting, you sure you haven't built one in the back garden??

Edited June 6, 2010 by TonyT

[hovis]

What a wonderful idea! It looks fantastic mate

[AnonymousDFB1]

Looking good Nige

[RussTnailZ]

All i can say is work of art that is truly amazing

Russ

[Okdoky]

Thanks Rusty

Thanks to you I thought about adding the nail holes that are needed to keep the whole thing together so it was out with a safety pin to stab a few holes in appropriate places.

I had kept forgetting to add them !!!!!!

Thanks for the kind comments all.

Nige

[philp]

Just a suggestion.

Since you aren't modeling the guys behind the fence, how about blocking that off so you can't see they are missing. Think a box diorama without the whole box. Just build up a box around the backside so the fence is the back of the diorama and no one can see that there are just arms floating there.

And yes, I am one of those guys who likes to look around the whole diorama to see what else is there.

Edited June 7, 2010 by philp

[RussTnailZ]

Thanks Rusty

Thanks to you I thought about adding the nail holes that are needed to keep the whole thing together so it was out with a safety pin to stab a few holes in appropriate places.

I had kept forgetting to add them !!!!!!

Thanks for the kind comments all.

Nige

haha no problem glad i could help

Russ