WW1 Male Tank diorama 1/72

This will be based around a wide (ish) trench set in a battlefield, hopefully with all the extras ... barbed wire, obstacles etc

i'll scratch a ditch breaching post that was used to give extra purchase if the tank got stuck.... similar to this.


here's the normal box and sprue shots, few pieces, very slight twist in a couple of bits, not too bad on flash either.

 

Decided to just go for it and build the tank up in the afternoon.

the wheel carriage will be attached when it's on the diorama as i don't know what angle it'll be at the mo




*edit* And a size comparison

Nice!

Great start.

I built this on a short while back Colin and it's a super little kit.

looking forward to you dio. It might inspire me to do one for mine also.

Dio sounds interesting.   

Todays progress

Started the painting, this mark of tank had a four colour camo, this was found to be a waste of time and paint so subsequent marks were mainly a dark brown or dark kahki (ish)

base colour and the brown



Then the final two colours ...



the colours are lighter than they need to be because i'll be heavily weathering it in a "muddy" effect so it'll end up too dark to see any detail if i use the right density colours from the start.

The tracks were painted black, highlighted with a solid brown


and then washed over in the three differing colours of "rust wash" i have made up, the washes have a small amount of dust and bi-carb in them to give a rusty texture when dried.


this "hopefully" gives the effect of solid metal tracks that were in use at this time.

Thanks, Colin for the nice step by step in the painting. Great for newbies like me.

The tracks seem to be vinyl or rubber. What types of paints will stick to and flex when being attached to the main tank? I'm guessing water based acrylics, but I've never tried painting vinyl or rubber.

No problems Mike, it's only one (my) way of doing things but if it helps someone a bit then I'm happy.

Harron... The tracks are a soft vinyl type, I use a fibreglass pen to scuff the surface up a bit so providing a key for the paint. I only use acrylics myself and use a brush (the only time I use a spray is a rattle can, I don't own an airbrush)

Looking good Colin   

 

Tank paint and basic weathering finished, just a touch of rust and the detailing with the groundwork material to go.
after paint it's just had an overall matt black wash (10% paint to 90% water) to sit into crevices and gaps and then a dark brown wash that was applied quite heavily and left to drip off and run down to the lower portions of the tank hopefully giving the effect of dirty water draining off and leaving a residue.

 

I'm afraid that if you guys keep up doing these really neat military dioramas you are going to drag me over to the dark side.  Neat stuff!    

Hi Colin,

Loving this so far Sir...

Andy...

The dark sides always best !!!!

started on the diorama base, so a few step-by-step shots as people seem interested in the "how to"

I use the polystyrene inserts from packaging, find some with the humps and bumps that you like....



get the dimensions from the photo frame



cut to size and position your main items on it to get a general idea.



hold things in position with cocktail sticks ... nice and easy



i melt the surface with a mini bunsen to get a rounded / uneven look to the ground work, trims off all the right-angle edges off nicely, you can fill any holes with some polystyrene peices and melt them into place.



lastly just tape of the frame so you dont splash paint/glue all over it and ruin it.




next up is covering the surface with whatever substrate you decide on and adding all the detailing.

 

Nice work Gord. I've seen one of these in our War Museum in Canberra.

 

JohnJ wrote:I'm afraid that if you guys keep up doing these really neat military dioramas you are going to drag me over to the dark side.  Neat stuff!    

You are half way there already John, you just need to take the extra step into the black void!!! LOL

It's coming on great Coiln and I like your dio base idea.... fit's the modelers mantra of 'cheap as chips' LOL. Think I'm going to give that a try on my next braille scale 'dark side' build.

A coating of PVA (elmers glue?) and a sprinkling of dried bedding compost, mixed with a small amount of sieved bird grit and reptile sand
this will do as a nice base to work from.


i cut two "ruts" out for the tank tracks to sit in so it looks like its been slipping.

Colin:  Really glad you have started a tutorial.  Keep it up.  These are techniques that I have never used before and I feel like a real noobie.  I think once Frenchie's is done there is a military diorama in my  future and I can use all the help I can get.

Yay!!!! break out Stalin's Organ John!!!

Looking good Colin. I like your use of 'material's to hand'. (read cheap as chips as usual!! LOL)