Steven's 25cm German Heavy Mortar position 1/35 CMK

[Steven]

Size matters.... The great barbed wire question

so , guys I can't decide - which barbed wire size fits best?

Top: 0,1 mm twisted wire with barbs made of 0,2 mm wire
Bottom: 0,2 mm used both to the wire and the barbs



Pros and cons
0,1 wire looks a bit more to size but is very fragile and breaks very easily - an issue when threading it through the pickets - I might end up with a lot of pieces to connect will not be the best result , takes forever to do...
0.2 wire looks out of size but is a lot more sturdy easier (faster) to produce and use

twisted and painted 0,1mm wire is about the size of an 1/35 indexfinger while twisted 0,2 is about two fingers

Size ref form purported WWI barbed wire

[Jim R]

Hi Steven
This is a really interesting blog and some excellent modelling. Attention to detail and thoughtful research. As for the barbed wire - the 0.2 wire for both strand and bards looks better. More like the ref photo where the wire is at least as fat as the bard.
This is definitely heading in the right direction.
Jim

[Steven]

Hi Steven
This is a really interesting blog and some excellent modelling. Attention to detail and thoughtful research. As for the barbed wire - the 0.2 wire for both strand and bards looks better. More like the ref photo where the wire is at least as fat as the bard.
This is definitely heading in the right direction.
Jim

Thanks Jim - good point on the relationship between barb and wire - they Were after all made from the same gauge wire

[Guest]

Beautiful stuff Steven :thumb2:

[JR]

Hi Steven.
That's looking good, agree with Jim on the sizes.
John.

[Steven]

Guys, thank so much for your input and I agree, the 0,2mm is the way forward.
Deadline for completely finishing the mortar is drawing nearer I will be done on the 11th day.....
That means that by that date I will have to add the second figure , make barbed wire, making discarded cans and other debris
A professional photographer friend of mine drops by and takes photos of all my WWI dios. at the end of the month - looking forward to that.

I have played around with some washes for the terrain to change the color and to add some more shadow and added more smaller smaller rocks - looking at the pics I It looks a bit uniform with an even distribution of small rocks think I will add some areas containing larger rocks, and areas with bare soil.
terrain so far :

[JR]

Steven .
The box in the water.a great piece of detail .:thumb2: love the water inside the box .
John.

[Steve Jones]

What JR said. You attention to detail is making this a stunning build. Keep it coming Steven:thumb2:

[Steven]

Hi guys
A quick update on the pit
Figures:

History:
An MG team (or part of one) are relocating to a another section of the front, one is carrying ammo + the Maxim '08, his mate two ammo crates picked up form a supply point,
figures are form Rewells "WWI Infantry 1914" required some mods - mainly change of pose bending and straightening of limbs etc. - made my first atteempt at sculpting folds and details on clothing on an armature - I am really not very apt at that.....


some pics of the one already mounted in various stages of completion:


Playing around with placing the second figure - more on that below



Second figure






Placing the second figure: - what do think?
a bit back:







Closely following his mate:


In front of :

[scottie3158]

Steven,
Great work all round.

[JR]

Steven.
Loved the update, great use of figures, placing...... well a bit further back might look better from here. What about two sets of photos one with them well apart, and the next on from the same angle with then slightly nearer, so we can have a better idea. What ever it's your final choice. :smiling4:
Last night here on a TV channel there is a guy who buys military pieces, does them up and sells them. .He went to France and bought a WW1 Trench Mortar, exactly as yours. How on earth they got in to position , as it weight 1/2 a ton.
When they fired it after rebuilding and cleaning it up, it's devastating fire power was quite an impact. Hell to be on the receiving end.
John.

[Steven]

Thanks Paul and John
Well, John as you say - they took it apart - I have read somewhere that it took four brawny guys to carry the separate barrel and four for the carriage. It must have been a british artillery spotter's worst nightmare - this thing lopping howitzer - sized shells from a nearby position (range was limited) but presenting no obvious target. - blanket shelling in retaliation would only initiate the well known Tit - for - Tat Artillery exchange - hell indeed

Last night here on a TV channel there is a guy who buys military pieces, does them up and sells them. .He went to France and bought a WW1 Trench Mortar, exactly as yours.

Ah the power of the internet..... :-)

Well, I will have to bite the bullet and declare that I will not be finishing this in time for tomorrow*s deadline - although the trooper is nearly done save one rifle and mounting , there are a lot of details not completely done and I still will have make more barbed wire.

Our guy as he is now - blast, I forgot to add the ammo pouch (he is a darker field gray IRL) :

[grumpa]

Love the trench work Steven, am watching :thumb2:

Jim

[JR]

Steven.
I agree a great pity about not going to finish in time, but this is so good that finishing it is more important . These last few bits can be so frustrating when your so nearly there.
John
Keep it coming.

[BigGreg]

Superb... the level of realism you put is fantastic.... i'm watching this with interest