Scratch build from random things found on a building site!

[Thorbrand]

I've only done one dio and that was over a year ago now. It was a German machine gun team and I think it's only fair to do a British machine gun team.

This time I am going to use a few things I've found on the building sites I work on, people often throw away excellent model making materials and the great thing with model making is you don't need an awful lot of stuff.

This is going to be the centrepiece, it's a styrofoam corner support for double glazed windows which also looks like an excellent structure for a concrete pill box. You can just about fit a 1/35 figure in there standing up if you shave down the floor a bit. My next task is to try and locate a British WW2 machine gun team kit which I'm struggling to find so if anyone knows of one in 1:35 /1:32 scale I would be grateful.

I will need to work out what material I want to use for the exposed sides, not sure about cardboard, i do have some plastic sheets i can use so they might be better. Will probably use some pollyfilla around the whole structure once i've fixed the sides on to give it an even surface and fill in those dips. Keep posted for more updates.

[spanner570]

Alex, great to read you've joined the "Build Dios. for Now't." Club! Our membership is expanding daily.

I never buy anything when building this type of model. Get yourself down to your local tip (Refuse Centre, if you're posh) - A life time of stuff awaits those brave enough to fling themselves into a skip....

Great start.

Ron

[monica]

looks good,Alex,so glad you do use what you can find,I always have an eye out for things that i can use,as well,:smiling:

[stillp]

Get yourself down to your local tip (Refuse Centre, if you're posh) - A life time of stuff awaits those brave enough to fling themselves into a skip....

In our local tip recycling centre all you'll get is a severe telling off and a possible ban from the site! Can't even ask people if you can have something they're just about to hurl into the skip.:unamused:

Pete

[Thorbrand]

So, I've shaved the bottom a bit and you can see a figure in there with binoculars and it just about fits, not the figure I'm going to use but it's a good reference point.

Found some white plastic sheet which cuts nicely and made the sides, not bothered about getting it a perfect fit as I will render the whole thing with pollyfilla, at least that's the idea anyway. Plus I need to make sure the inside is done and the figures purchased before I can seal it.

I guess until I get the figures, I will decide what I want for the ground, ie: Desert (Africa) Mountainous (Italy) or a simple grassland like France

[Thorbrand]

In our local tip recycling centre all you'll get is a severe telling off and a possible ban from the site! Can't even ask people if you can have something they're just about to hurl into the skip.:unamused:

Pete

I've never tried myself, but I can imagine it's to do with health and safety BS, you know in case that bit of plywood suddenly sprouts a load of wood worm and your house falls down or you give yourself an injury taking out some styrofoam packaging. Where I work there's tons of rubbish every day. As long it's definitely rubbish no one gives a monkeys if you have some plastic spacers or some packaging but they might look at you a bit strange, cos normally it's tools that people pilfer from sites lol I'm just content with interestingly shaped bits of packaging.

[monica]

looking good some good progress hear,:smiling:

[Thorbrand]

Bit of experimenting here. As I'm going to render the whole pill box to make it easier to paint and less absorbant (So I don't need a gazillion coats) I've decided to experiment with a base of watered down tacky PVA and Pollyfilla. Will need two coats of it to make an even surface. If this works I will apply it to the whole thing. Hopefully it will work as a cheap filler, I used PVA base because I'm not sure how Pollyfilla will work with styrofoam.

[spanner570]

I like it....
Alex, ordinary PVA works just as well as 'sticky'. I use it well watered down and sloshed over the whole thing. Let it dry, then when you are ready to apply the polyfilla, give the thing a second watered down coat, and when this gets to the tacky stage. apply your normal, water mixed filla.

The foam will come to no harm in contact with the filla, but you do need to prime the foam with PVA first, or the filla won't stick very well.

Cheers.
Ron

[Thorbrand]

Hi Folks

Thought I would post an update on my progress.

I've rendered most of the inside now and marked out the floor ready to be cut. Need to sand down the surfaces to smooth them out before painting and finishing, then I will have to fix the floor and the side wall and completely finish inside the bunker before placing the figures and machine gun and the rear wall with door.

[Gern]

Hi Alex.

If you're still looking for a British Machine Gun and crew, Masterbox do a Vickers with two crew in desert uniform. It's their model number MB 3597

[Thorbrand]

Hi Alex.

If you're still looking for a British Machine Gun and crew, Masterbox do a Vickers with two crew in desert uniform. It's their model number MB 3597

Yes ive seen that one but ive decided to go for France as the setting. Masterbox do a British ww2 small arms kit which im going to get as it includes a bren gun and a vickers on its own. I think for the figures i will use Tamiyas British troops on patrol and see if i can set them up with the vickers. Theres also a french civilian set which im going to get but cant remember who makes it.