Clearing out the trash...

[Guest]

After having a disaster with my Normandy Gb i stayed away from the shed for a while hoping to get my modelling mojo back, i thought i'd try something small and simple to get into the swing of things so i pulled this from the stack..

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lovely i thought opening the box to find 4 sprues and a tree with some clear parts on, nice and simple so thought i'd build the cockpit first and then the engine, no problems there nice and simple even for a sausage fingered oaf like myself.

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Then the fun started, i started to build the tail assembly, just 2 pieces for the sides and a x piece under the engine, what could go wrong:emo2: after many dry runs and clamping, heating, twisting i came to the conclusion one side was warped beyond my limited capabilities so with a pot of super glue and a vice i thought i'd give it one last go. Success! the vice held everything nice and square as i glued, i left the shed that night with a hop in my step and the tail assembly sitting in the vice. A few days passed before i could get back into the man cave, being still dark early evenings when i started this i stepped into the shed with a strange crunch and a sick feeling in my belly, as the lights flicked on the remains of my chopper tail sat flattened under my boot, it must have pinged out of the vice at sometime and ended up in front of the door....:ranting2::ranting2::ranting2::ranting2::s obbing: i put the offending article on the bench and turned the lights out and locked the door.

A month whizzed by before i ventured back to the shack, after looking at the wreck for a while i decided not to bin it but use it in a dio so pulling another kit from the pile i started.

I put the heli back in the box for later and started on an M113 with a dozer conversion from verlinden, the aim is to show the dozer pushing the remains of the chopper out of the fire base landing zone to make room for other landing helos.

The M113..[ATTACH]27356.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27357.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27358.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27359.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27360.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27361.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27362.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27363.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27364.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27365.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27366.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27367.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27355.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27354.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27353.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27349.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27350.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27351.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27352.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]27368.vB[/ATTACH]

More to come soon once i get back to the shack, all comments welcome, good or bad.

Cheers

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[Guest]

10 out of 10 for snatching victory from defeat :yes:

[Guest]

From the ashes of disaster, grow the roses of success

[Guest]

Cheers guys, was tempted to chuck the lot in the bin and take up needlework at one point but the missus wouldn't let me because it meant me staying in the house and irritating her while she tried to watch the soaps.

Looking forward to getting back to the bench tonight and getting stuck in.

[Guest]

I seem to have lost my last post to the glitch so i'll re post my photos and add a few new ones. I started on the bell chopper by scraping off the molded seat belts and making some new ones out of wine bottle foil.

The tail and engine frame were heated and warped to give the impression of warped metal after a near miss by a vc mortar. I bought vietnam earth pigment from the shop and gave most of the heli a dusting but watered it down and applied it to the bottom to show the mud churned up by the m113 pushing it out the way.

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These are after burnt umber washes and the pigment treatment.

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While these were drying i gave the m113 a black pre shade and then a light coat of Model air olive drab...

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and while all that was drying i carved a basic base out of celotex building insulation and gave it a base coat of dark brown, i want to put in some scraps of long grass, anyone got any tips on making grass...

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Any comments good or bad i'd like to hear them.

Cheers

Darren

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[Guest]

That looks great, love the effect on the rotor blades, i'd say it was a blessing in disguise as this makes a very interesting dio idea, it also shows that a modelling 'disaster' needn't be as big as disaster as it first seems, fantastic recovery, i like the way you've gotten the windswept muck streaks on the canopy dome too, how did you do that?

[Guest]

Cheers M1ks, enjoying this build now probaly more than just the helo build, looking at the photos i'm going to put some wiring and control gear in the frame work to detail it up a bit. The streaks on the canopy was just pigment dry brushed in one direction, more luck than skill on that one

[Guest]

Evening all, just a little upate on the M113, it got a highlight with lightened olive drab then a couple coats of vallejo gloss varnish. The decals were then placed and another coat of gloss to seal them. A wash of burnt umber was then applied then a dark dirt promodeller wash. Then the fun began with Vietnam earth pigment mixed with fine sand and pva glue, this was applied thickly to the tracks, wheels and dozer blade to give the effect of the M113 bogging down in the mud after a heavy shower. I gave the top a light dusting to show the usual dusting vehicles got, i got the idea from a quote by an Australian soldier '...its the only place in the world where you can be bogged down in mud up to your neck and get dust in your eyes.' Enough waffling, some photos....

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[Guest]

I seem to have lost my last post to the glitch so i'll re post my photos and add a few new ones. I started on the bell chopper by scraping off the molded seat belts and making some new ones out of wine bottle foil.The tail and engine frame were heated and warped to give the impression of warped metal after a near miss by a vc mortar. I bought vietnam earth pigment from the shop and gave most of the heli a dusting but watered it down and applied it to the bottom to show the mud churned up by the m113 pushing it out the way.

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These are after burnt umber washes and the pigment treatment.

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While these were drying i gave the m113 a black pre shade and then a light coat of Model air olive drab...

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and while all that was drying i carved a basic base out of celotex building insulation and gave it a base coat of dark brown, i want to put in some scraps of long grass, anyone got any tips on making grass...

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Any comments good or bad i'd like to hear them.

Cheers

Darren

Darren good looking grass material is faux fur or fake fur, you get it from material shops and they use it to make cusions all you do is cut ot what you need glue it n place and airbrush the colour you need for example check out my break down diorama fo the finished effect, hope this is useful.

scott

[Guest]

Another alternative it to steal some bristles from a wallpaper brush - you know the wide fat things. You can colour the bristles as you please and cut them to length.

[Ian M]

Love the M113 it looks just like you pulled it out of the mud! Nice one.

One tiny thing. On the motor in the chopper, the pipe that comes out the back and bends up wards, I'm guessing exhaust pipe, you need to cut the locating lug off the end.

Other than that its looking really good.

Ian M

[Guest]

Cheers Noble and Boldman for the grass ideas, will send the girlfriend down the material shop. Ian, the pipe is a fuel line from the tank on top of the engine, i haven't fixed the engine,tank or main rotors until i mount them on the base, undecided whether to keep the tank on top or leave it laying nearby so i left the lug just in case, plenty more mud to come....

[Guest]

Another update on the mud pit, put all the pieces together temporarily on the base to get the general feel for the layout, needs mud, lots more mud..

Painted the driver and scratched a head set for him, thought it needed another figure but not sure, have put him in but not sure if its too much, opinions please.

More photos...

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Cheers all

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[Guest]

Dude i really like what you've done so far looking very nice keep up the good work.

scott

[Guest]

Just a small update, added a little more mud and dust and started putting a few small items like the drivers weapon and cokes, dry grass and other odds n bods. Halfway through painting the second figure and a bit more fettling and i might call it done, a few photos...

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All comments welcome

Cheers all

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