A Problem on the Ponte Rivetto Contatore...Fusilli, Italy 1944

[spanner570]

Thanks for the brilliant and witty posts chaps. All good fun and helps to keep me motivated.

Jim, regarding the size, it's about 18" x 16" Here's a picture to give a better idea.



I've finished the river banks etc. by adding some bits of scrap polystyrene to below the dam/weir.


....and to under the stone wall return on the lower left of the model.


Next, I'll apply a first coat of paint to the river banks. Then add some 'Texture' to the banks and rocks.

Cheers,
Cornetto d' Wayferri

 

[Si Benson]

Now that’s some mighty fine modelling right there Ron! A beautiful bit of design and impeccable construction....utterly blown away mate

 

[minitnkr]

Congrats. I wasn't aware Biggus made Senator. Excellent tale. PaulE

 

[spanner570]

Thanks Si and Paul for the very kind comments.

Paul. In the crazy, sometimes mixed up, puddled world of a Monty Python nut, almost any flight of fancy is possible.

 

[scottie3158]

Ron,
My wife and I, Incontentia buttocks both love it, but wish you wouldn't make fun of our fellow country men.

 

[spanner570]

Sorryi Pauli, and pleasei conveyi samei toi youri wifei Incontentia.

I've started to put a bit of life into the river area. After first sealing things with diluted PVA, I used cheap acrylics to start the painting process. I will leave the river surface painting until last thing. If anyone is looking for cheap acrylics, Ho*e Bar***ns do an excellent primary colour range, incl. black, in huge 'Toothpaste' tubes for around a pound each. Well recommended.

I've diluted the paint so it flows nicely into all the nooks and crannies of the polystyrene. This leaves a pleasant initial mottled look.


Once this dries, I will add some extra texture to the rocks and the base of the dam/weir.

Cheers,
Ron

 

[Tim Marlow]

Progress is being made!! I agree ref cheap acrylics for scenery, though I use Testors pots from such as Wikes. One pound per pot gives you quite a lot of paint! I expect the cashier wondered why I wanted to paint my house in mud colours though LOL....
Regarding your reply to Paul, the English are not the only ones to do this cod accent thing. I was once in a shopping mall in Spain and a local asked me a question....I replied “No hablo Espanol”, because I only know a few words and had no idea wha he wanted. He then looked exasperated and repeated the question very loudly and slowly in a cod English accent. I couldn’t help it, absolutely cracking up with laughter.....he then mumbled and swore to himself as he stomped away. Absolutely priceless moment...

 

[adt70hk]

Ron

Yet again most excellent work. Also agree as about using cheap paints. I've used the stuff we've bought for the kids to play with and even used left overs from DIY projects.

ATB.

Andrew

 

[minitnkr]

You can buy 7.2 oz. sampler acrylic housepaint, premixed or custom, at Lowes to try out on the wall for cheap. It's what I use for scenery.

 

[Gern]

Thanks for the input boys.
Great to have you along, Greg.

One or two folks might be wondering why the different and probably unnecessary stonework?
When I was doing the research for this build, I read the history of the village of Fusilli.

When Emperor Hadrian visited Briton, he ordered a wall to be built in the north of the country and he wanted the best stone mason in Italy to be in charge of the construction. So he ordered a nationwide competition to find such a person.
At the same time, he was beginning construction of Fusilli, which he was going to use as a mountain retreat. He gave instructions that the two best masons from the competition were to come to Fusilli and have a head to head. The winner being given a powerful status in Rome and use his skills in Britain.

The names of the two finalists were Gino d' Chissli Stoni and his arch rival Alti Pyli Rokskwikli

Each stone mason was given one side of the village river and told "Build what you wish."

Stoni won hands down and became a national hero. But shortly after, it was discovered he was part of a betting syndicate organised by the members of the Rome Senate. He was sent to serve as a slave on the Roman galleys. To make matters worse, he was given the number 40 and had to spend the rest of his days sat next to number 41, Ben Hur (See Film of same name)

Rokskwikli? He was given first place by default. At first he refused, claiming if he was not good enough first time, he wasn't going to accept. He was threatened with galley number 39. He quickly changed his mind
When Britain was subdued, he was put in charge of building Hadrian's Wall. He only stayed there December and January AD 122. One day, after sniffing the northern ice and snow, he was heard to mutter "Stuffi thisi" and did a runner! He was rumoured to have fled to the quiet village of Magaluf on the Island of Majorca. "The Brits will never come here, recognize me and inform Rome."

Interesting history. I'm so glad I read up on it.

Senator Biggus Diccus.

And here was me thinkin' that the contents of MY head were the weirdest on the forum!

 

[Tim Marlow]

They may, or may not, be Dave. However, remember you are up against some really strong opposition!

 

[spanner570]

Thanks for the input boys. Good to see you don't waste your 'good' paints on bases and things.

Tim. On a parallel to your tale, here's one, no two attempts at a foreign language - French.
About 12 years ago, I had the good fortune to crew a yacht from Majorca, across to S. France and up the Petite Rhone and on joining the Rhone proper travelled up through inland France, then across to the U.K.
En-route for a month, we basically lived on cooked chicken and red wine! I knew a smattering of the lingo, or so I thought. One day we moored up and I entered a village butchers. I asked for a poisson. The poor owner looked vacant, so I ran around the shop waving my arms and clucking! Two old dears at the counter were in hysterics. He waggled his finger and said a poisson was a fish and he proceeded to blow out his cheeks and make a good interpretation of a fish. Then he too ran around his shop, waving his arms and clucking saying "POULET!" I came away with a very nice, large cooked chicken!

Also during the trip. I told all the locals in the bars we visited that we were four Englishmen travelling up the Rhone in a Boite. I couldn't understand why they always laughed at me.
It wasn't until I arrived home and was telling my wife about my adventures, she said that it was no wonder they laughed, Boite is French for BOX! "You meant Bateau, dear!"

Sorry, I don't know how to type one of those upside down 'V' thingies.


...but I digress somewhat.


Dave, I think this continued isolation is starting to make cracks in my cranium, thus causing all sorts of garbage to quietly seep in!


Whilst I'm waiting for the paint etc. to dry on the base, I've made a start on the buildings.

I save all my paper design templates and was hoping to use the ones I made for that destroyed Normandy village dio I made a while back, but the basic design of the Italian houses is way different. So I've had to start from scratch.....

A couple of my tentative ideas, musing and scribbling. The Italians love random windows...and plenty of them!



By duplicating a couple of basic outlines and then just varying the window positions, I've managed to draw the outlines of all 5 buildings, front and sides, on a single A4 piece of paper.


So, with the buildings drawn, the next stage is to cut and separate them from the A4, transfer the outlines to foam board and then cut them out!

Off to see how the base is drying out.....

Cheers,
Ron

 

[stillp]

Dave, I think this continued isolation is starting to make cracks in my cranium, thus causing all sorts of garbage to quietly seep in!

I'm a bit more worried about what might seep out Ron!

Pete

 

[Mini Me]

I tend to agree with Pete.........strange ramblings going on about windows and such.....Oh, great progress on the dam weir liking the color variations you have applied and I think your building designs are tops. keep it up 570!

 

[Gern]

I'm a bit more worried about what might seep out Ron!

Pete

Good point there Pete! Maybe the madness is contagious? It certainly seems to increase every time Ron posts one of his stories.

 

[spanner570]

Thanks boys.

Rick. I'm chuffed you like the build so far and thanks for the positive comments.

Dave - Stories? The French one is perfectly true. I could add a few more about that trip, but this is a family forum!

 

[Gern]

Thanks boys.

Rick. I'm chuffed you like the build so far and thanks for the positive comments.

Dave - Stories? The French one is perfectly true. I could add a few more about that trip, but this is a family forum!

I never infercolated your stories weren't true Ron - they're just more than the mind of mere mortals like us can cope with.

 

[Mini Me]

Don't include me in that lot Dave............I spent quite a bit of time steaming round the Med. and have been to most of the places 570 is refering to...........also with similar results......including the ones we won't talk about Rick H.

 

[spanner570]

Good crack, chaps.

I've returned to the work on the river.

I have given the bridge a pastel blue colour.



The sealer coat of PVA has dried. I have mixed some filler with more of the stuff and added a bit of grey/blue paint. Then I spread it roughly over the polystyrene lumps. Whilst the mixture was still wet, I crushed up half a Weetabix (other similar bickies are available) and sprinkled this over the filler to add to the 'rocks' look.
There are obviously other methods to creating rocks, stones and the like, but most are very long winded, expensive - or both! I use the above method 'cos for me anyway, it's the cheapest, easiest and quickest, and usually have the stuff already in the shed.












Cheers,
Spreddi d' Moocci Stuffi

 

[adt70hk]

Ron

Absolutely love this. A top notch job even now. Best of all Weetabix is my cereal of choice!!

ATB.

Andrew