1:16th 1944 Belgian mechanic/work shop

[pwranta193]

Thank you guys - the tuning continues... fortunately it looks a touch better in real life

Russ - one of the toughest lessons I am slowly learning about working in this scale is that there are no real short cuts.  In looking at what needs to be done - to your point - I'm having to try and dedicate the level of care that I would in 1:35th scale, and it will require a lot more work.  Each of these cobbles is roughly the size of your thumbnail.  If I was building a Sherman, that is about the size of a crew hatch cover - which would need to be addressed as an individual event - the same is true I'm discovering with the cobbles... for them to look good, I'm going to have to work my way through them with the same intentful process (admittedly a little quicker  ), or have them come off half assed.  (The door will end up in the parts drawer on the odd chance it can be cycled into a future jumbo event - it was just a chance for me to try the magic crackle sauce  )

Jacq - dishwashing liquid  I never would have gone that way... I've still got some gaps to fill so may give it a go with some pigments.  The liquitex idea actually wasn't a bad route - my execution wasn't well thought out.  It would be better to apply selectively instead of like traditional grout - actual ceramics wouldn't have been as roughed up as the paint job over the Magi-Sculpt was.

Love this forum.

[pwranta193]

Okay - sorry have been silent and busy, but here are some quick happy snaps of the project as I approach the finish line... rushed around Friday to get as much as i could done for a nearby (Vancouver - the small one across the Columbia - not the Tim Horton's version) Saturday local show.

Things to finish include casting the short belts of .50 cal ammo (turned on the dremel ) for the feed trays, some metal shavings to clutter the base of the camelback drill, the address sign on the outer wall, and the wiring on the .50 cal solenoids.

I've intentionally put in an under exposed shot - to show late afternoon/dusk look that I want to evoke with this.  I'm going to work on some bare trees with some nondescript roofline to break up the outer back ground, and go for a very bleak feel.  ideas welcome 

You can see the outer ground work - this will all need to get some Future and some wet effect to show that it was wet and miserable on the 17-18 of December.  I may go as far as slush and some snow in the meets between the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the exterior.  The area under the half track will receive some wet as well, along with some dropped mud and puddling inside the building under the wheel wells.  Thanks for the push on the interior floor guys - I'm really much happier with the results.  Again, I can't claim the credit for the figure - but am blown away at what a good job Jon did on it - and how much it makes the whole thing pop when you can see the entire vignette.  I have yet to shoot shots with the entire layout 

[pwranta193]

Inside

[pwranta193]

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[Junior]

That looks so good.....brilliant! Are you using Alclad Laquers for the metal work? I just ordered some and it seems you will be able to get a finish instantly without the flaky stuff that comes with most other brands and need extra work to get rid of for a decent finish.

If you are not using these how did you paint the oil cans etc. on page I. ? 

Anders

[pwranta193]

Hi Anders - thanks so much... I'm much happier now than when I first posted here.  WHile I'm not delighted with the back wall - it's time to move onto the next project

Okay - for metal - whenever possible, I use... wait for it... metal  

1) Behind the window in my first go at copying Chuck's shadow box (I'll be trying this out again - as it is one of my favorite things to play with - next I really want to work at a little forced perspective), I made the cans out of wine bottle foil, first folding over each end to make a rim, then embossing in ridges and then carefully wrapping around an Xacto handle or other item of appropriate diameter.  The ones on the shelves are only 3/4 (270 degrees) as an effort to make the space look deeper than it is. I should do an SBS - as it is much easier to do than type it out  

2) The fire extinguisher is made from an expended .30 caliber carbine (M-1) brass casing, with the traditional "how to operate" brass plaque seen on old units dummied up by embossing bronze colored wine bottle foil over an old moroccon coin (give it a bit of detail without being legible - future best choice would be to have Dave do it - or design a photo etch).

3)  Blow torch is actually Game's Workshop or Vallejo Bronze airbrushed and slightly thinned - probably with a wash of copper over the Future coat.

4)  Less successful - but I'm still working on it - is trying to get a galvanized surface.  The trash can is a weak version of this - but I've had some intitial success with using big rattle spray cans - cheap silver flake sprayed over white primer... you have to play with it a bit, but I just sat outside in the  hot sun and worked at getting it to hit as it dried while spraying (does this make sense?).  The underside of my pie plate corrugated roofing (will take picture) was my testing ground.

In short I've not used the AlClad yet - but have a friend that swears by it and kicks ass in shows with his metal work.  Looking forward to exploiting  your efforts  

[finescalerr]

You should be happy. A substantial improvement. -- Russ

[EZnKY]

The photos look great.  I love the "heft" you can get with the larger scales, despite the need to approach each little detail as a mini-project.

[Junior]

Thanks for all that information Paul! Will be back with a short report on the Alclad Laquers as soon as I get them, I´m sure they are great as your friend swears by them.

Anders

[Malachi Constant]

Looking good ... and, for what it's worth, the photos with the white or light gray card background are a lot easier to look at than the ones with the deep blue card ... that seems like a distraction that probably throws off the perception of other colors on the actual model.  Lot of cool stuff here ... have to come back again for a closer look. 

Cheers,
Dallas

[Frederic Testard]

I really love the look of the soldier. The way you suggest he may not have shaved himself this morning is great.